Victoria. BC TO KNOW OR NOT TO KNOW---THAT IS THE QUESTION

Are you one of those fans who simply has to know everything about the next movie before it's released? Are you someone who likes to tell all their friends what you know about the upcoming movie? Do you tell friends all about the movie before they have a chance to see it for themselves? In essence: Can you keep a secret?

Just curious.

Personally, I like to be surprised. I avoid most references to the next installment so I can be pleasantly surprised. I enjoy the challenge of trying to figure out exactly which way George is going to have his characters jump. Must be the writer in me.

 

I unfortunately like to read into alot of spoilers because I actually have alot of friends who don't know much about what Star Wars is all about so the more I break it down to them they seem to understand a bit more they said, and having a subscription to HYPERSPACE.COM I can't help but watch all of the web documentaries for EP.III But I don't want to spoil anything for people in our Fan force so I do have to keep my mouth shut here....a small price to pay for dealing with such cool peeps though!

Dave

 

Semi-spoiled rotten. I love poring over what people have noted Lucas is planning, and find it heightens my anticipation for the next film, as I know that whatever rumours or even scripting that has gotten out won't compare to the experience of what it will look and sound like once it actually hits the screen.

I don't avoid mention or discussion, but I'm not hanging out in the Spoilers allowed forums here on the JC or elswehere. (who has time?) However, I try very hard to respect my unSpoiled friends' wishes, and don't discuss anything that may be a spoiler to them in their presence. I think this is just a point of courtesy for the rest of the club, too.

Great topic for discussion, Haru!


*Derisa*

 

I remember being a pre-teen, anxiously awaiting the release of ROTJ, to find out if Vader had really lied to Luke about being his father in ESB (I was praying it wasn't true). Not only did it turn out to be true, but Leia turned out to be Luke's twin sister! (Eww!)

In the long stretch of time between ROTJ and TPM, my personal level of SW fandom faded a lot. I didn't really feel any anticipation for the first prequel, and didn't even go to see it until after it had been out in the theatres for weeks. It wasn't until after the movie that my love for Star Wars had been rekindled.

I spoiled myself rotten for the second movie, and there was a part of me that regretted it. It wasn't that the movie itself was any better or worse for it, but I think there might have been some magic lost to me on premiere night.

This time around, I thought I'd try to reclaim some of that anticipation I felt in waiting for ANH's sequels. Back then I was a kid, we had no home computer until after ROTJ, and spoiler magazines and SW fan clubs weren't something that was available to me at that age. I had no choice but to be spoiler-free, and now that I have a choice, I'm voluntarily trying it again.

As for others being spoiler-free, I've always respected their choices and like Derisa I've tried to avoid spoiling them. I appreciate it when they're equally respectful of me and others and aren't rabid about being spoiler-free to the point of total rudeness. Things slip, people make mistakes, and it's virtually impossible to be 100% spoiler free when one is regularly logging on to TF.N. If one is willing to take the risk of being spoiled by coming here, one should also accept the possible consequences with grace. Too often, though, I've seen the opposite.

 

I know what you mean about having the anticipation spoiled by knowing too much. Back in 1983, on the Wednesday before ROTJ was released, I received a phone call from a friend in NY who had just picked up the comic. The company had released it against their contractual agreement with LFL. Fred proceeded to tell me several titbits before I could hang up, even though I asked him repeatedly not to. After hanging up I thought about what he had said for several minutes. Then I called Sid Ganis at Marketing. Maureen Garrett had introduced me to Sid in 1982 in Chicago and we've remained quite close over the years. Anyway, I told Sid about the call. Naturally he asked me for proof, so I told him two things: DV is really Anakin Skywalker, and he's Luke's dad. The rest is history. The company lost their exclusive with LFL.

I was at NorWesCon in Seattle the year CLONES was released (the Con was in March). There was a guy there giving a panel on upcoming movies. I went because, like a fool I thought this guy would give out teasers. Not him. He told the audience the ENTIRE PLOT! Boy was I ****!!! Never again. It ruined the film for me.

I guess it's the writer in me. I much prefer the anticipation.