May The Fourth Be With You ~ Happy Star Wars Day 2014!!!

[Purusha]

I'm guessing you're a glass half empty sort of person....

Am i? I believe in beauty, transcendence, the existence of the divine and God. Moderns believe in nothing, and everything they do reeks of cynicism and nihilism.

[Karl Henning]

Moderns believe in nothing, and everything they do reeks of cynicism and nihilism.

Have some more straw?

[NikF]

I suppose that like a lot of people I'll probably watch the new film for reasons rooted in nostalgia. I remember seeing the first one in the cinema at the end of the street urchin years when my little friends and I never had any money. So we sneaked in via the fire exit and (pro tip here) split up and sat far apart, making it more difficult for the manager to easily identify the group who had come in.
I've an additional memory of that era and how a couple of the guys came into school after lunchtime, having shoplifted numerous copies of a Star Wars tie-in book titled 'Splinter in the Eye'(?) which to our dismay contained no steamy sex scenes featuring Princess Leia. Woe. But I used that book and a similarly stolen magazine dedicated to customising road cars (which strangely enough, featured photos of topless women posing in the cars) to teach one of my friends how to read and do simple arithmetic "Four multiplied by two equals eight. No? Okay, a V8 engine has two sets of four cylinders, so...  ...yeah, you've got it. And then if we add to that the number of breasts that nice lady lounging on the roof has?"
Note: I have never made a lightsabre sound in my life.

[71 dB]

I wonder why Purusha does use electricity, computers and the internet, all manifestations of the modern civilization Purusha thinks is rotten to the core. Purusha seems to want Transcendence (superstition?) and Truth (flat Earth?). I wonder how anyone can have such opinions. I can try to respect them, but I could never understand them.

[Karl Henning]

I wonder why Purusha does use electricity, computers and the internet, all manifestations of the modern civilization Purusha thinks is rotten to the core.

Perhaps he's a cynical nihilist?

[Purusha]

I wonder why Purusha does use electricity, computers and the internet, all manifestations of the modern civilization Purusha thinks is rotten to the core.

Because there is no alternative? I guess you are one of those who swallowed the progressivist cool-aid hook, line and sinker and really believes ancient life was no different from how the Amish live today, except more primitive and miserable (even as the produces of those civilizations adorn the halls of our museums). Traditional life has been completely obliterated by modernity. To argue that one inimical to modern life ought to check out of modern civilization when checking out of modern civilization means to starve to death is a bit silly. Restore to me what the ancient world had to offer and i'll gladly throw your electricity, computers and internet in the gutter. Those advantages simply do not justify what has been lost.

[North Star]

It's either Internet forums and computer games or starvation!

[71 dB]

Because there is no alternative?

No alternative? Who forces you to write here? Why don't you write your thoughs with ink on papyrus instead? Just start living the way people lived before renaissance. As long as you keep using modern inventions while telling how rotten the civilization has come you are a hypocrite.

[mc ukrneal]

Because there is no alternative? I guess you are one of those who swallowed the progressivist cool-aid hook, line and sinker and really believes ancient life was no different from how the Amish live today, except more primitive and miserable (even as the produces of those civilizations adorn the halls of our museums). Traditional life has been completely obliterated by modernity. To argue that one inimical to modern life ought to check out of modern civilization when checking out of modern civilization means to starve to death is a bit silly. Restore to me what the ancient world had to offer and i'll gladly throw your electricity, computers and internet in the gutter. Those advantages simply do not justify what has been lost.

That is unexpected! You're a romantic! Who would of guessed....

[Sergeant Rock]

i'll gladly throw your electricity, computers and internet in the gutter. Those advantages simply do not justify what has been lost.

Absolutely nothing has been lost. If you want to lead a medieval lifestyle, with nothing but medieval thoughts and morals permeating your conscious, go right ahead. Many individuals live in the past. You could do the same. But the truth is, I suspect, you don't really want to give up your modern, decadent existence. It's just too comfortable...and entertaining. Give up your computer games? I don't think you're ready to give that up  But acting superior to the rest of us is certainly comforting to you, isn't it.

Sarge

[Todd]

I guess you are one of those who swallowed the progressivist cool-aid hook, line and sinker and really believes ancient life was no different from how the Amish live today, except more primitive and miserable (even as the produces of those civilizations adorn the halls of our museums).

So much straw, so little time.

[jochanaan]

The issue isn't that this particular movie is going to be bad. The issue is that everything is bad and nobody seems to either notice or care. Is there anyone with a functioning brain left in this God forsaken culture anymore? I don't get it.

Some of us prefer to engage the culture by creating art we like, rather than take pot shots at art we don't like.

[Purusha]

So much straw, so little time.

As opposed to the red herring that has been fueling this last page.

[Mirror Image]

I don't know about any of you guys, but I personally love reveling in the decadence of the past century.

[Mirror Image]

Getting back to Star Wars since this what this thread is about, that new trailer looks rather good. I also think just because it's J. J. Abrams directing that it's somehow going to be a 'bad' film by many people is just preposterous as these so-called 'haters' haven't even seen the film yet. Let's stop jumping to conclusions and give it a chance. Star Wars has never been a series that has been 'thought-provoking' or 'life affirming,' these films are supposed to be fun with a decent storyline. The special effects, costumes, general atmosphere, and the cool characters are why people return to this series over and over again.

[71 dB]

Getting back to Star Wars since this what this thread is about, that new trailer looks rather good.

Yes, it looks good with all the X-wings and Millennium Falcon flying around. It's exactly what people want to see and that's worrying me. I want decisions by movie-makers, not by people. I don't want to see Millennium Falcon because Lisa and Matt in Florida wants to see Millennium Falcon. I want to see the artistic vision of movie-makers. People didn't create Star Wars in the first place, George Lucas did. People think they know better than Lucas how Star Wars movies should be made (demonstrated by the PT hate). How naive they are. George Lucas is an extraordinary film-maker and visionary. Lesser movie-makers don't create such cultural phenomenona as Star Wars. Now, the question is whether J. J. Abrams has tried to direct the movie as Lucas would have or is he just trying to please the crowd? I don't know and it remains to be seen when the movie comes out.

I also think just because it's J. J. Abrams directing that it's somehow going to be a 'bad' film by many people is just preposterous as these so-called 'haters' haven't even seen the film yet. Let's stop jumping to conclusions and give it a chance.

I agree. Judging the movie before seeing it is arrogant. My thoughts at the moment are based on the trailers and other information available. That's very limited.

Star Wars has never been a series that has been 'thought-provoking' or 'life affirming,' these films are supposed to be fun with a decent storyline. The special effects, costumes, general atmosphere, and the cool characters are why people return to this series over and over again.

Star Wars is about telling old mythical stories that have been told throughout the human history in a new way relevant to new generations. Star Wars deals with themes common and familiar to all cultures. As Lucas himself says: "Every generation finds a new way to tell the same stories over and over again". 

[TheGSMoeller]

Perhaps this is trailer that everyone's been waiting for.

https://www.youtube.com/v/qFu_dxwU-sk

[Rinaldo]

A new trailer, for the Asian market. Lots of new shots and some of them are quite juicy!

https://www.youtube.com/v/SdAUiyeJMFQ

[TheGSMoeller]

A new trailer, for the Asian market. Lots of new shots and some of them are quite juicy!

https://www.youtube.com/v/SdAUiyeJMFQ

More focus on the young woman this time. Interesting.
Thanks for the posting, Rinaldo!

[Rinaldo]

More focus on the young woman this time. Interesting.
Thanks for the posting, Rinaldo!

Judging by the poster, she's the main character.