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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

ST Impact of TFA on your life

Discussion in 'Sequel Trilogy' started by CEB, Jul 5, 2016.

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  1. CEB

    CEB Force Ghost star 5

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    Dec 3, 2014
    If it's had no impact on you, or only impacted as a film you don't like, this isn't the right thread for it
     
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  2. Metal Lord

    Metal Lord Jedi Knight star 1

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    Jan 27, 2016
    So if it had impacted him as a movie he likes, this thread would be right?
    It seems that his hopes/concerns for the ST have changed after having watched TFA, that is an impact, don't you think so? An impact does not depend on the fact if someone who likes TFA very much likes that impact or not. It's not an official TFA appreciation thread, is it? But from your recent post I get that you are looking for positive impacts. I bet there are some. Many fans went sour when after many long years they did not get the same-same, but an imaginative backstory with a grim and adventurous climax in ROTS and are now happy that they got a movie that is so close to the CT that it's redundant for some but joy for some others.

    Nice drawings, btw. Hope you never again let someone tell you what is "cool" to like and what not. There are so many things in the world that can make one smile.
     
  3. StoneRiver

    StoneRiver Force Ghost star 4

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    Oct 6, 2004

    Then you should be more specific and less open in the thread title. Something like "The Positive Impact of The Force Awakens on your life - please only post if you like the film".

    The current title invites all tastes.

    EDIT: Talk about dictating the discussion or "dis-gushing" :rolleyes:
     
  4. JediChipKelly

    JediChipKelly Jedi Knight star 2

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    Jan 3, 2016
    No one has a problem with you responding, as you have every right to gush or hate on the movie. The problem is nobody knows what you are talking about in your posts, as you throw out these statements that are so vague that an explanation is needed. The problem is your explanation is more vague and doesn't clear it up. :confused:
     
  5. thejeditraitor

    thejeditraitor Chosen One star 6

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    Aug 19, 2003
    no one is supposed to be "gushing" or "hating" on anything if it's close to baiting or trolling.
     
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  6. StoneRiver

    StoneRiver Force Ghost star 4

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    Oct 6, 2004

    Indeed. But apparently, according to the OP - original poster clinteastwoodbradfield, this thread is specifically for people who like TFA. Those people who've experienced a positive impact on their lives due to the (supposed) awesomeness of TFA. Sounds like a gushing thread to me. [face_peace]
     
  7. Metal Lord

    Metal Lord Jedi Knight star 1

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    Jan 27, 2016
    It could be that way but I guess one can also interprete it in a way that negative experiences are only excluded and the focus is on positive effects. So I guess the focus is just (after some posts had already been made) narrowed down to positive effects. ;)
     
  8. Ricardo Funes

    Ricardo Funes Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Dec 18, 2015
    From OP's first post:
    "(...) how the surrounding stuff inspired/influenced me and kind of changed my outlook a bit - I wondered if anyone else had similar stories (...)"

    The OP made clear this is a thread for people who have similar stories to tell. If you hate TFA then it is not a similar story.
     
  9. CEB

    CEB Force Ghost star 5

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    Dec 3, 2014
    My take on it is this; saying "I liked the film but it didn't impact on me other than as a film" is neutral and unlikely to derail.

    Saying "it didn't impact on me at all aside from in making me realise that hype for a film will always let you down because of xyz problems with TFA" isn't really about an impact on your life, it's about a disgruntlement with the film, and is focused on disgruntlement with the film.

    If, say, someone posted "I really disliked TFA, and in fact it was after the first viewing in a bar me and a guy I liked got talking about how much we hated it, and we ended up in a relationship!" then the focus is on the impact on your life.

    I wasn't wanting this thread to be "isn't TFA great", but by nature it's one that is likely to have several occasional casual references to it being enjoyed, as a starting point.

    If dislike is a starting point for something impacting on your life, but something outside of the usual "I didn't like that film" reaction, then yeah, this thread is for that. There's plenty of places to just post about issues with the film.
     
  10. Metal Lord

    Metal Lord Jedi Knight star 1

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    Jan 27, 2016
    :)
    I can think of a small but nice positive impact: TFA was the first movie my wife has seen in a cinema / movie theater and I have the feeling that she liked it enough to visit more Star Wars movies / films with me in the future.
     
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  11. EHT

    EHT Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 13, 2007
    I approved this thread when clinteastwoodbradfield asked me about it. I thought it was a great idea, and it has mostly been a great thread with good input. Regarding it only being for gushing, that was not how I interpreted the intent. Which I think clinteastwoodbradfield makes clear here:
     
  12. Darth__Syphilis

    Darth__Syphilis Jedi Master star 1

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    Nov 26, 2010
    It impacted my life in turning me from a hardcore Star Wars fan to someone who's completely lost interest in new Star Wars products. I'll always love and cherish what came before, but I have no enthusiasm for TFA and what comes next.
     
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  13. Gobi-1

    Gobi-1 Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Dec 22, 2002
    TFA has had less of an impact on me then the original or the prequels. I was obsessed with Star Wars from 1995 when the Original Trilogy hit VHS for the last time and I got my first action figure, Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise from Froot Loops...

    [​IMG]

    ...until 2005 when Revenge of the Sith debuted. I lived and breathed Star Wars and soaked it all up with a sponge. This was a tough period in my life where I really needed an escape and Star Wars was there to embrace. Finally getting internet access in 2002 allowed my fandom to grow even more as I started to create fan art posters for Star Wars and other film franchises. Star Wars helped me focus and provided a place to work out my problems. That eventually led me to digital graphics and film making in college.

    During this time my life revolved around making films and while I still kept up with the Clone Wars tv series Star Wars moved a few notches down. I matured, my interests expanded, and with no new episodes on the horizon I moved on to other things.

    When they announced the new trilogy I was excited but never to the extent as I was with the prequels. Without Lucas' involvement I knew it would be different. Which was fine as I had other things going on in my life to work on and to pursue. It also helped that the media campaign was so secretive. With no news for lengthy periods of time my focus could be on my thesis film project which would consume all of my life until I graduated.

    When Force Friday hit I of course had to check out all the new merchandise but I would limit myself on what I bought. I had already funded one trilogy and I no longer had the money or the space to do so again. I only bought a few things. A Kylo Ren action figure, a few Hot Wheel ships, and a BB-8 bobble head. Everything else I eventually purchased was clearance items. Because it's Star Wars I still end up buying more then I really should have but limiting myself to mark down items did help.

    I knew going in that my connection to Star Wars wouldn't be the same. I had changed a lot in ten years and I couldn't go back. I didn't want to go back. That was a wonderful period in my life but I had moved on to bigger and better things, in part because of Star Wars, but moved on I had. I didn't want to fall into the trap of having my "childhood ruined" and being a "bitter fanboy." Good or bad the movie would simply be a movie. It wouldn't change the experience I had a decade earlier.

    When the film finally arrived I enjoyed it for what it was: an entertaining big budget Star Wars fan film. That's not a slight to regard the film that way. Without Lucas' involvement every Star Wars from now on will have to contend with living in his monumental shadow and that's OKAY. Some films will be good, others may be bad, some may even be masterpieces. What's really wonderful though is that George opened his sand box for others to play in.

    I hope to build a castle in one of the corners someday.
     
  14. thejeditraitor

    thejeditraitor Chosen One star 6

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    Aug 19, 2003
    yes. it's called age and it sucks.
     
  15. Rock-N-Roll Jedi

    Rock-N-Roll Jedi Jedi Knight

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    Feb 29, 2016
    The Force Awakens got me to love Star Wars once again. I figured it was pretty much over following my disappointment with the prequel trilogy, but TFA was exactly what was needed to rekindle my interest. I'm not fanatically collecting SW merchandise like I used to, but I'm excited about the franchise and looking forward to seeing how the sequel trilogy plays out.
     
  16. Darth Palpadious

    Darth Palpadious Jedi Master star 3

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    May 31, 2013
    TFA had an enormous impact on my life. The Star Wars saga continuing, with new characters as well as Luke, Han and Leia onboard was something that I spent so much time daydreaming about but never even in my wildest hopes did I imagine it would ever happen. As it all started to be revealed - the readthrough picture was a big moment - it began to feel real, and very quickly, I became more excited for the film than I had ever been for anything else.

    This was amplified by the fact that I had a really bad year in 2015 - I had finished 2014 in hospital after major life-saving surgery. Watching Teaser 1 made me hysterically happy and I relied on it to keep me perked up as I spent the few months of 2015 confined to a bed and then to a menial part-time job in a supermarket, struggling to pay the bills and battle the anxiety and depression that had partly led to my situation.

    In April we got Teaser 2, and our first reveal of Han and Chewie, and I was crying with happiness. I was hugely invigorated and as I managed to get back on my feet around this time, things looked brighter and this trailer - full of life, colour and joy - became a weird sort of symbol of hope for the future for me.

    Over the summer I nailed myself a great job, got a lovely new flat with my partner, and made a ton of new friends at work. At the end of my first week, Force Friday arrived and as I stood in the Disney Store surrounded by fans, John Williams' music and a whole bunch of brand new toys, I felt truly, deeply content for the first time in a long while. The full trailer arrived soon afterwards and it seemed the closer the film was getting, the better things were becoming for me - as though Star Wars was returning to my life in order to heal me.

    All this gave me the not-unwarranted fear that I had built the film up to be such a momentous event that it had given me impossibly high expectations. I was ready for disappointment. It was not the case - it was possibly the most joyous, nostalgic and emotional 2 hours in a cinema that I've ever experienced. The film was even better than I expected and I've been watching it on an almost weekly basis ever since.

    Although it was all a coincidence and I am aware of it - I will always remember the year when Star Wars returned to make my life a happy one once again.
     
  17. Darth_Articulate

    Darth_Articulate Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Nov 1, 2012
    TFA, though far more enjoyable to watch than TPM, had far less resonance with me, and not just because I'm older. TFA simply doesn't respond to any narrative requirements and TPM did. It had to. By all appearances, the personal journey of Anakin Skywalker was the only reason TPM was made, and it's the only reason I didn't leave the theatre on the first viewing. As bad as TPM was and detracted from the enjoyment of the series, it was still integral to the series because of the holistic requirements it satisfied within the drama. After ROTJ, there are no more holistic requirements, so to me, it loses a basic engine of dramatic power. Probably THE basic engine of dramatic power. The most holistic aspect of the series TFA can contribute to is the political story of how the Jedi knights were exterminated and reborn, and that's only if they end up being reborn. That's a great story, but it is no longer personal. Any personal potential surrounding Luke is diminished by being irrelevant to the prequels. To me, TFA is almost the exact opposite of TPM in almost every way. TPM had a vital structural role and very little entertainment value. TFA had a lot of entertainment value, but is excessive structurally.
     
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  18. CEB

    CEB Force Ghost star 5

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    Dec 3, 2014
    Slight update; though it's unlikely that anything will ever come of it, I've submitted the main piece of work from my OP to lucasfilm's art licensing company, to see if anything comes of it
     
  19. EHT

    EHT Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 13, 2007
    Good luck :)
     
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  20. StoneRiver

    StoneRiver Force Ghost star 4

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    Oct 6, 2004
    Your art is very very good. Best of luck. My fingers are crossed for you
     
  21. SpecForce Trooper

    SpecForce Trooper Jedi Master star 4

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    Jun 19, 2016
    After seeing it I made a conscious effort not to let it change my view on SW and the EU. I generally don't think about it much, and consequentially, it hasn't really affected me. The Expanded Universe, and especially the comics have always held my interest in SW, and the "Legends" retcon has made me dislike most new story material.
     
  22. VadersFollower

    VadersFollower Jedi Knight star 1

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    Jul 18, 2011
    It didnt really have any impact on my life per say, but it did bring me tremendous joy, I mean how great was it to follow this universe again with the unmatched music by John Williams, its something truly magical. Its very emotional, very uplifting and deep at the same time. Sure, its really missing Lucas' touch, but still has a heart and magic
     
  23. Talos of Atmora

    Talos of Atmora Force Ghost star 5

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    Jul 3, 2016

    Yeah, while I have caught up on the new material (mostly through the library), I was really unhappy with the retcon and the Legends bashing bandwagon that was spawned from it.
     
  24. JediChipKelly

    JediChipKelly Jedi Knight star 2

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    Jan 3, 2016
    I get what you are saying, but isn't being entertained what it really is about? I don't argue that the PT is a much more bolder story to tell, but in the end it still comes down to whether I liked it or not? It's like saying I'm going to try this bold approach to build this sports team that has never been tried before, so it may be fascinating to watch how it is constructed. But in the end if the team doesn't win, what is the point?

    That's why I am sort of confused about fans reactions who seem to enjoy TFA, but can't bring themselves to like it because it is not as bold as the OT or PT on the surface right now? I can understand anyone who didn't like the film, simply because they didn't like the film, but I think our fanbase forgets that SW is supposed to be fun to watch, and people are missing out on it sometimes. :)
     
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  25. Darth_Articulate

    Darth_Articulate Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Nov 1, 2012
    You can be extremely entertained by something without it having much of an impact on your life. You go, you see it, you have a great time, and then you basically forget about it the next day. You paid your money and you were entertained. That's great. It doesn't mean it impacts your life.

    Vader's final act in Return of the Jedi, however, actually had a profound impact on my life. Every time I watched it, it renewed my hope for the idea that there is good in everyone no matter how it may appear from the outside. The emperor represented temptation, and Luke represented resistance, but it was Vader/Anakin that represented the flawed nature of humanity. This made the character of Anakin the most realistic of the characters to me. Like David Mamet said, "everyone is capable of atrocity, just as everyone is capable of heroism.".m. The PT was tasked with strengthening the impact of Anakin's redemption. If you watch them all in episode order, that works. It's just that it's a struggle to get through the first 2 steps because of how poorly they were constructed.

    Not sure if that's an apt analogy, but it's certainly an unfortunate one. Most would agree that there are things more important than winning, like how you play the game. The big picture is that for Lucas, Star Wars was both an artistic and a commercial enterprise. Artistically, taking risks is essential. Obviously, it won't always win the day, but you aren't going to create anything worthwhile without it. Commercially, it's the exact opposite. Risks should be kept to a minimum and one shouldn't stray too far from what's been proven to draw the crowds. I think your reasoning is good commercial reasoning, but is not sufficient when creating something new.

    I enjoyed TFA very much, had loads of fun watching it, and don't hesitate to say it! Just because it didn't impact my life as much as TPM, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it better! Let me put it this way: TPM enhanced the power of ROTJ to influence my attitude towards humanity. TFA was an entertaining way to pass the time.
     
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