The Hobbit is out in the United States! And I'm going to go see it Saturday, because I'm in a play!

I've always found that to be a bad move if you finish it right before the film comes out.

If you read a book right before you watch the film, the contrast between the book and the film is very easily seen. It makes the movie look bad because basically all the way through you just see every single thing that was messed up.  Especially if you forget that it's going to be different.

I like having read the book a few months before it comes out, as to get it in, but not too fresh.

(I haven't read the Great Gatsby, though, and I haven't any idea what happens in it)

For me, that won't be any problem, because I've just read--and intensively analysed and dissected--The Great Gatsby for my English classes, and am actually writing an essay about it right now.  Besides, the film is first coming out in May, which should give you enough time to read and "digest" the book if you want to.

Anyway, I'm excited about the film, and want to see it when it comes out. Judging from the trailers, it looks really stylized, Art-Deco-esque, and colourful [in the sense that specific colours are accentuated at different parts], which I think fits the style of the book perfectly.

I was very pleased with JJ's last film based off of a popular franchise that I really like beginning with Star.

Naturally, I'm looking forward to this.

STOKER is set for a limited release in the U.S. near the end of February/start of March. The film is directed by Park Chan-wook, a South Korean film director known for his film Oldboy. The film was shown at Sundance and so far has received mostly positive reviews.

Trailer #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2odd1CVyTk
Trailer #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNpDG4WR_74
Trailer #3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cph_wVKjrbc
Nicole Kidman's Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y9FQNHlfM8

I believe nothing can save Star Wars simply because The Expanded Universe and the Prequels suck.

Well, OK, they don't all suck. The prequels suck, but there are some good Expanded Universe stories. However, the Expanded Universe still has the same fatal flaw of the prequels: its all just back-story and context. Yes, its fine to have a comic explaining exactly who the hell Master Sifo-Dias was (although nearly all of the comics/novels concerning the prequels are basically just filling in all the plot-holes) but when you make a film that's supposed to be placed along with the Original Trilogy as an equally important element of the overarching plot - as important as The Empire Strikes Back was to A New Hope - then that's just screwing the entire story up.

The Empire is defeated. What other story can one possibly tell that will be just as interesting? Is Luke and his gang going to spend three more films just wandering around the galaxy looking for any academies or fast-food restaurants Palpatine used to own? Or will they fight 'new' bad guys - who will probably just be the poorman's version of the Empire the same way Bane was the poorman's Joker. The fact that the Expanded Universe had to bring back both the Emperor and Boba Fett proves that the only thing the Expanded Universe can do is just re-do the Original Trilogy slightly differently.

Star Trek 11 worked because Star Trek is more free for new stories. Its based on a TV show that had a different plot each episode (occasionally ending on a cliffhanger), and thus had the freedom to make eleven films without it feeling like eight of them were just build-up or context. Star Trek: The Motion Picture didn't feel like just backstory for The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek 5 didn't feel like it was just prolonging the party after Star Trek 4.

Even if the prequels were good, they still wouldn't have been able to touch the Originals. The only good thing that kept us watching the prequels was the knowledge that eventually everything would turn into the Original Trilogy - which is why Episode 3 is considered by far the best prequel: because your finally seeing Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and the Empire itself. But then I realise I could just watch the Original Trilogy where I can see these guys all the time. All the back-story I needed for the Original films was Obi-Wan's speech after he gives Luke his lightsaber, and the opening text crawl. You look at both these pieces of exposition and think "OK. The galaxy has been taken over by Space-Nazis and now a load of people are going to come and set things right"

Same with the upcoming sequels. I've never looked at the end of Lord of the Rings and thought "No! I want to know exactly where Frodo goes and what he gets up to with the Elves!"

Less is more. 1984 would suck if there was a prequel that told everyone how Big Brother came to power, or a sequel where we find out exactly what happens to everyone afterwards. But 1984 isn't a franchise - and eventually all franchises get overblown. It just shocks me that Star Wars is one of the largest franchises ever when the Original Trilogy is such a contained story.

I hope Darth Maul returns with a new taxation scheme for Naboo!!!

I think everyone's set on there own paths here, and nobody's views are going to change at this stage (not that I want to dictate a viewpoint to anyone, 'cos that'd be mean) but I'll throw in my two cents.

Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith were atrocious. Really, truly terrible. I still watch them from time to time, not because it's the only current version of Star Wars, but because I kind of enjoyed the action sequences. To me, the Original Trilogy will always be how I see Star Wars, with the Prequels as "fun" additions. Therefore, to me Star Wars hasn't been ruined.

The Force Unleashed was simply amazing. After Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, it's my favourite video game of all time. I was really excited about the second TFU, but it sucked. Terrible. An incredibly disappointing addition to the Expanded Universe. And yet, that's not how I remember the two games. I remember it as the first, and barely think about the second. Therefore, to me The Force Unleashed hasn't been ruined.

Do you see what I'm saying? Just because the latest addition to something was bad doesn't mean that it ruins the whole franchise or saga. For instance, Zack Snyder made 300, which rocked, but Sucker Punch was a huge let-down. Still, I don't see him as a bad director, because he did 300, and so I have faith in Man of Steel and his new Star Wras movie (if the rumours are true).

Now I'm not trying to change your view Max, because if everyone thought the same way as me then the world would be a boring place. Not only would I have nobody to argue with but all movies and books and video games would be frighteningly similar. Diversity fuels variety, and variety's a good thing.

What I am trying to say is that we shouldn't judge JJ and the new Star Wars movies until we see them, or at the very least some kind of trailer.

And as for the story being over, have you seen the Star Wars Expanded Universe? Since Episode IV came out, there have been books, comics and video games spanning more than 4,000 years of the Star Wars galaxy's timeline, and some of it's been "meh" or mediocre, or even plain bad, but some of it has been truly inspired and brilliant, and as long as there's a galaxy out there, there are stories to be told. In the books, Luke, Leia and Han all have families, who fight enemies of their own. What of the Empire? Palpatine's death alone wouldn't destroy it completely, so there's still a war to be fought against the remnant Empire. And are there any Jedi in hiding that Luke could recruit. Do you see?

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I honestly believe that even if that's the case, I have good reason to be. My reason? The Avengers was awesome, even after terrible Marvel movies in the past. Skyfall was fantastic, even after Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale. Even Star Trek made a decent comeback!

But that's just my view on things.

"Nothing goes down 'less I'm involved. No nuggets. No onion rings. No nothin'. A cheeseburger gets sold in the park, I want in! You got fat while we starved on the streets...now it's my turn!" -Harley Morenstein

Wow, huge bump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kYmrjongg

Alright, I'm intrigued by this film. I can see how this could go really wrong but it could be a great film at the same time. But that's the worst CGI car I think I've ever seen at 0:30.

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