It's a big week for me; the week that a brand new Star Wars film is released. Yeah, I know, loads of you couldn't care less. You think Disney is milking Star Wars for all its worth. Blah blah. Boring. Let's all crap over something that lots of people enjoy.
Unfortunately for you, sufficient millions of people still love Star Wars enough to ensure that Disney/LucasFilm continue the milking for the foreseeable future.
Star Wars has always been synonymous with Christmas for me. The original Star Wars was released on the 27th of December 1977 in the UK. Though the next two movies were released in May and June, respectively, it began for me an association between Christmas and Star Wars. For my entire childhood, my Christmas wish lists were comprised almost entirely of Star Wars toys.
So, when LucasFilm started releasing these new Star Wars movies in December, it felt right. Furthermore, it sort of adds to the excitement of them.
The world premiere of The Last Jedi was held last Saturday night, which means that people have now seen the film. Reactions have been overwhelming positive (though lest we forget that they were for The Phantom Menace too, until the grim reality sunk in). The thing is, now that those outside of LucasFilm and Disney have seen the movie, there's a big chance that the film's surprises are going to leak.
Unfortunately, my issue isn't one of whether they leak... it's whether I can control myself enough not to go looking for those leaks.
Unfortunately for you, sufficient millions of people still love Star Wars enough to ensure that Disney/LucasFilm continue the milking for the foreseeable future.
Star Wars has always been synonymous with Christmas for me. The original Star Wars was released on the 27th of December 1977 in the UK. Though the next two movies were released in May and June, respectively, it began for me an association between Christmas and Star Wars. For my entire childhood, my Christmas wish lists were comprised almost entirely of Star Wars toys.
So, when LucasFilm started releasing these new Star Wars movies in December, it felt right. Furthermore, it sort of adds to the excitement of them.
The world premiere of The Last Jedi was held last Saturday night, which means that people have now seen the film. Reactions have been overwhelming positive (though lest we forget that they were for The Phantom Menace too, until the grim reality sunk in). The thing is, now that those outside of LucasFilm and Disney have seen the movie, there's a big chance that the film's surprises are going to leak.
Unfortunately, my issue isn't one of whether they leak... it's whether I can control myself enough not to go looking for those leaks.
SPOILED ROTTEN
When Han Solo was killed in The Force Awakens, I'd known it was coming. I mean, when Harrison Ford signed on, I'd been pretty certain that it was only on the proviso that the character was killed off; he begged George Lucas to kill off Han Solo twice during the original trilogy.
Plus, narratively, it made sense; if they were following the classic hero's journey template, then Rey's mentor/father figure had to die. Plus plus plus... I'd read about Han Solo being killed online about a week before.
This is my problem; it isn't other people I have to worry about when it comes to spoilers - it's me. It's my own inability to resist the urge to go and seek them out. Only when it matters to me of course. Most films and TV shows I don't bother looking up spoilers for. Heck, I've managed to avoid all spoilers about Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad in case I ever actually get around to watching them.
I'm feeling strong, I have to say. I probably know less going into The Last Jedi than I did either of the last two Star Wars films, and that's testament to how tightly controlled the production has been this time; far more than either The Force Awakens or Rogue One were. I'm so close to the film being released now that I'm pretty certain I can hold out just a few more days.
But... I'm not entirely confident.
When a load of Doctor Who scripts were leaked online a few years ago I couldn't resist reading them. Oddly, they didn't spoil the show for me, but in recent years I've grown a bit bored with Doctor Who anyway. Peter Capaldi's final episode is coming up on Christmas Day, and - frankly - the only bit I really give a toss about are the last couple of minutes where he turns into Jodie Whittaker. And that's hardly a spoiler.
When Han Solo was killed in The Force Awakens, I'd known it was coming. I mean, when Harrison Ford signed on, I'd been pretty certain that it was only on the proviso that the character was killed off; he begged George Lucas to kill off Han Solo twice during the original trilogy.
Plus, narratively, it made sense; if they were following the classic hero's journey template, then Rey's mentor/father figure had to die. Plus plus plus... I'd read about Han Solo being killed online about a week before.
This is my problem; it isn't other people I have to worry about when it comes to spoilers - it's me. It's my own inability to resist the urge to go and seek them out. Only when it matters to me of course. Most films and TV shows I don't bother looking up spoilers for. Heck, I've managed to avoid all spoilers about Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad in case I ever actually get around to watching them.
I'm feeling strong, I have to say. I probably know less going into The Last Jedi than I did either of the last two Star Wars films, and that's testament to how tightly controlled the production has been this time; far more than either The Force Awakens or Rogue One were. I'm so close to the film being released now that I'm pretty certain I can hold out just a few more days.
But... I'm not entirely confident.
When a load of Doctor Who scripts were leaked online a few years ago I couldn't resist reading them. Oddly, they didn't spoil the show for me, but in recent years I've grown a bit bored with Doctor Who anyway. Peter Capaldi's final episode is coming up on Christmas Day, and - frankly - the only bit I really give a toss about are the last couple of minutes where he turns into Jodie Whittaker. And that's hardly a spoiler.
THE SPOILING DEAD
It's like... I've got a love-hate thing going on with The Walking Dead at the moment. I'm not sure how much I enjoy the series anymore. Indeed, though I keep watching it, I think its spin-off, Fear The Walking Dead, is the far better show now.
Nevertheless, this morning I stumbled across a spoiler for tonight's mid-season finale (because the show airs on Sunday nights in the US); I saw a headline about a major character death, and sort of half-sleepily, half-without thinking, clicked on the article. Now the episode is spoiled for me... in part because the potential for surprise is about the only thing left that the show has to offer me. And thanks to my idle browsing even that has been taken away.
Sometimes I don't care about spoilers; I don't think knowing that Han Solo died really ruined The Force Awakens for me, but I do wonder how much more I'd have enjoyed the movie that first time if I had seen it not knowing that.
So, I'm going to take that spoiler for The Walking Dead and consider it a warning shot, telling me to avoid all The Last Jedi spoilers for the next few days. See, I remember watching The Empire Strikes Back for the first time, and having my mind blown at the whole "I am your father thing". I came home and built a Bespin out of Lego, and re-enacted the scene with my Star Warts figures. It was an attempt to process it. Until Return of the Jedi, I ended up convincing myself that Darth Vader had been lying.
Avoiding spoilers for The Last Jedi won't be easy; the review embargo lifts tomorrow night, and reviews - even when they're "spoiler-free" - can imply enough that I can fill in the blanks. Right now, I honestly don't know what to expect from the film, and it's a rare and precious position to find myself in.
It's like... I've got a love-hate thing going on with The Walking Dead at the moment. I'm not sure how much I enjoy the series anymore. Indeed, though I keep watching it, I think its spin-off, Fear The Walking Dead, is the far better show now.
Nevertheless, this morning I stumbled across a spoiler for tonight's mid-season finale (because the show airs on Sunday nights in the US); I saw a headline about a major character death, and sort of half-sleepily, half-without thinking, clicked on the article. Now the episode is spoiled for me... in part because the potential for surprise is about the only thing left that the show has to offer me. And thanks to my idle browsing even that has been taken away.
Sometimes I don't care about spoilers; I don't think knowing that Han Solo died really ruined The Force Awakens for me, but I do wonder how much more I'd have enjoyed the movie that first time if I had seen it not knowing that.
So, I'm going to take that spoiler for The Walking Dead and consider it a warning shot, telling me to avoid all The Last Jedi spoilers for the next few days. See, I remember watching The Empire Strikes Back for the first time, and having my mind blown at the whole "I am your father thing". I came home and built a Bespin out of Lego, and re-enacted the scene with my Star Warts figures. It was an attempt to process it. Until Return of the Jedi, I ended up convincing myself that Darth Vader had been lying.
Avoiding spoilers for The Last Jedi won't be easy; the review embargo lifts tomorrow night, and reviews - even when they're "spoiler-free" - can imply enough that I can fill in the blanks. Right now, I honestly don't know what to expect from the film, and it's a rare and precious position to find myself in.
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T-shirts! Hoodies! Mugs! Order now in time for Christmas; just five days left get 15% off with the code welcome-100221015! Loads of designs; Mr T, Snakes, Goujon John, The Man, Wozniak, Xenoxxx, Insincere Dave, Morse & Lewis etc! Sexy sexy!
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