Tag Archives: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

All of the trailers and TV spots for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (with screencaps)

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By this point, every glimpse, shot, or tidbit of Star Wars: The Force Awakens we’ve seen thus far has been analyzed, dissected, and picked apart by anyone and everyone in the hopes of finding all of the clues to unlocking the story’s secrets. I’ve talked enough about my concerns about The Force Awakens as well as my feelings about how the film has been treated by the general populace, and I’m not going to go into that any more now. But I thought it’d be fun to take a look back at all of the trailers released for the film thus far with an eye not to solving all of the mysteries but instead looking at the larger picture. What I love most about trailers is the way they can evoke emotions with just a few images, a handful of musical notes, or the slightest bit of context. So let’s take it from the top with the very first trailer for The Force Awakens, which conveyed quite a lot from very little.

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The Force Awakens, George Lucas, and one blogger’s Star Wars-induced writer’s block

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My blogging has slowed down over the past six months or so, and I think Star Wars: The Force Awakens is to blame. It’s like I have a mental block that’s been in place since around the time the 2nd teaser trailer was released (you know, the one with Han saying “Chewie, we’re home”). I used to feature a weekly trailer analysis, but I haven’t done one since the first trailer was released. I haven’t written nearly as many analyses of movies as I would have liked, my Friday Favorites feature has ground to a halt, and in all honesty I even have trouble getting regular movie reviews and TV recaps done. It’s not as if I’ve run out of things to say, and I desperately love writing about movies, but Star Wars is blocking me at every turn. Every time I sit down to write something, I feel like I should be writing about Star Wars and yet I’ve been avoiding discussing my favorite film series any more than I must. But even beyond that, The Force Awakens has almost (but not quite) diminished my ability to enjoy the world of film in the first place. So in an effort to clear my mind of this block, I’ve got to just put my thoughts about the current state of Star Wars before my brain explodes.

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Why I’m worried about Star Wars: The Force Awakens – All-Reel Drive: Episode 2

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All-Reel Drive is back (finally), with a new episode all about Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Specifically, my unpopular feelings of worry over the new film, whose final trailer was released last night. I’ve written about Star Wars before, and the series is not only one of my all time favorites but was instrumental in developing my appreciation for storytelling in general. So I’m very excited for The Force Awakens, but I also have some major concerns, which I discuss in the video. I’ve already purchased my tickets for opening night, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be going in ready to blindly accept what they put on the screen.

In other news, my The Force Awakens poster giveaway was something of a bust, but I’m keeping it open a little longer in case the new trailer ups the interest level. If not, I’ll be giving the poster to one of the handful of people who actually entered. You can find the giveaway here.

Let me know how crazy I am for being worried about The Force Awakens! Or tell me I’m crazy for defending George Lucas and wishing he was still involved! Or just tell me what you think of the video! Either way, leave me a comment, hit me up on twitter or tumblr, or head to the “Feedback” page to send me a direct message. I’m always looking for suggestions for future video topics.

Final Trailer: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last hour, here’s the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer which debuted tonight during Monday Night Football. I’m going to do an analysis of it with screencaps this week, along with every other blog and website that has anything remotely to do with movies, but for now take a look and tell me your first thoughts below. My first impression is that this is a killer trailer, but I still have concerns about the film in general which will only be dealt with once it comes out in two months.

Introducing “All-Reel Drive” – A new video series/podcast

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I’ve started a new video series and podcast called “All-Reel Drive,” in which I talk about movies while in the car commuting to work. The first episode, split into two parts, is now up on YouTube, and it’s all about the movie news from the D23 Expo! You can watch both episodes embedded below, or scroll further down for the podcast versions you can take on the go. I hope you enjoy it!

Videos

Podcasts

The podcast versions of Episode 1A and 1B are embedded below. I’ve also included links to the mp3 files, so you can download them to your computer and then upload them to the portable device of your choice. Simply right-click and choose “Save Link as…” to save it to your computer. (My goal is to eventually have them available on iTunes, but I’m not to that point quite yet.)

All-Reel Drive – Episode 1A – D23 Expo Movie Round-Up – Animation

Dowload Link

All-Reel Drive – Episode 1B – D23 Expo Movie Round-Up – Live-Action

Download Link

Thanks for watching and listening! I’d love to hear what you think!

My Top 10 (and Bottom 3) at the Movies in 2014

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2014 has come and gone, and while there were some definite highlights to the year of movies, overall I’d say it was a bit disappointing compared to years past.  There were some movies that I really loved, but I wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic in 2014 as I usually am for the world of cinema.  However, things are looking up for 2015, with a lot to be excited about, plus there are still a few movies I need to catch up on from 2014 that I either missed or haven’t gotten around to (Big Eyes, Selma, The Imitation Game, etc.).  But now that 2015 is underway it’s time to take a look back at the highs and lows of 2014 at the movies.  Instead of a traditional top 10 list of movies, I like to list out my favorite cinema-related things from the year.  Some of them are movies, but others might be scenes, characters, moments, or even just announcements.  So without further ado, here are my top 10 and bottom 3 of 2014 at the movies.

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Trailer Friday: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Logo

I have vivid memories of seeing the trailer for The Phantom Menace for the first time, and dissolving into a puddle of tears and emotion.  Of course, it was 1998, so it was on the big screen instead of on my phone, but the new trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens still had the same effect all these years later.  You can see the trailer on the big screen this weekend in front of any movie at 30 select theaters across the country, or you can see it right now right here.  Check it out below and read on for my thoughts and analysis.

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