Small Talk: a.k.a. 'The Meet Market'

[Shanna Marie]

I'm trying not to get too excited. I decided against rewatching the older movies first because I want it to be more fresh with fewer comparisons to the way it was. It's already a jolt to see the characters so much older, and I think it might be worse if the way they looked back then was fresher in my mind. I figure this may be as close as I got to the first time I saw the first movie, back in 1977, when I went in expecting not to like it (and pissed at my dad for making me go because I wanted to see The Slipper and the Rose instead) and knowing nothing about it. I haven't even been watching the trailers other than when one played in front of another movie or when they've come up on TV. I haven't been avoiding all info, but I haven't been seeking it out, either.

 

I may stay off Twitter and Facebook starting tomorrow, though, to avoid spoilers. I think most of the people I follow will be cool, but you never know.

[KAOS Agent]

I learned my lesson with The Phantom Menace. I was there for the 12:01 screening of that and we all know how worthwhile that was. Now I live about 70 miles from the nearest theater, so I need assurances that it's damn well worth it before I'll even consider going. Add on the fact that the freeway just opened after a four day closure and I think I'll catch it when I'm in Minneapolis after the new year.

[OnceUponAJen]

I'm going this weekend to see it. Hey, even William Shatner praised it on Twitter. It must be really good! I may have to get off the internet soon to avoid being spoiled.

[HoodlumSheep]

We'll probably get to see it 3 months from now or something. Lol. I'm avoiding spoilers, but it won't be the end if I'm spoiled. Spoilers don't normally ruin my viewing experience. The only thing I really want to avoid is the #WhereIsLuke mystery. He's my fave (sorry Han!).

The most I'll do is mute the social media accounts I follow on twitter.

Google Chrome created a literal Star Wars spoiler block app/thing that blocks out pretty much all possible Star Wars spoiler related news, etc.

If any of you are interested in it, well there you go.

I'm also considering avoiding tumblr. I created an account last Tuesday, but I think I might get rid of it. I enjoy reblogging all the pretty stuff, but that's all I can do. Also, I use an ancient tumblr mobile app where I can't seem to do anything really. I rather like talking to the tumblr void though.

Ultimately I'm torn.

Anyways, yeah, I have no idea when we'll be able to see Star Wars.

[Shanna Marie]

The only thing I really want to avoid is the #WhereIsLuke mystery. He's my fave (sorry Han!).

Yay, another Luke girl! He was always my favorite, too, which always made me the oddball. Then again, I never had to fight over who got Han with my friends. I also have to admire Mark Hamill because he put his family ahead of really cashing in on fame. He had a recording studio built in his house and started doing cartoon voiceover work so that he wouldn't have to be away from his kids to work. He may not have had the kind of superstardom Harrison Ford had, but he seems to have had a happy life that he finds satisfying, and as far as I can tell he's still married to his first wife and his kids have turned out good, so good for him.

 

Though, really, my heart belongs to R2-D2. I still have my Kenner R2 action figure from sometime in 1978 -- one of the ones where his markings were just a sticker, and the sticker is still totally intact. I have new R2-D2 socks that I will be wearing to the movie on Friday.

[ABitOFluff]

Yay, another Luke girl! He was always my favorite, too, which always made me the oddball. Then again, I never had to fight over who got Han with my friends. I also have to admire Mark Hamill because he put his family ahead of really cashing in on fame. He had a recording studio built in his house and started doing cartoon voiceover work so that he wouldn't have to be away from his kids to work. He may not have had the kind of superstardom Harrison Ford had, but he seems to have had a happy life that he finds satisfying, and as far as I can tell he's still married to his first wife and his kids have turned out good, so good for him.

 

Though, really, my heart belongs to R2-D2. I still have my Kenner R2 action figure from sometime in 1978 -- one of the ones where his markings were just a sticker, and the sticker is still totally intact. I have new R2-D2 socks that I will be wearing to the movie on Friday.

I'm a Luke girl too. I stole my brother's 12-inch Luke Skywalker action figure when we were kids, and he still brings it up.Coincidentally, NBC showed Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas tonight, with Mark Hamill doing the voice of Buddy's dad.

 

I'm the same with R2-D2. I have my R2 thumbdrive, and the R2 I made at Disney's Droid Factory on my desk at all times.

[HoodlumSheep]

I think it's because Luke just seems so pure-hearted and good that I love him. Can't wait to see him again!

And yeah, Mark Hamill seems like a wonderful human being as well. His voice work is legendary. He's pretty much known as the definitive Joker from Batman (at least in the cartoon/videogame universe). He only recently retired from voicing the Joker.

[OnceUponAJen]

I'm a Luke girl too! What are the odds? :)

[daxx]

I'm a Luke girl too! What are the odds? :)

Never tell me the odds...

[Babs Gordon]

I have my tickets for 10:15 tonight! I feel like I've been waiting for this movie since I was kid so I had to see it as soon as possible. I got my tickets the night they were released which was an ordeal since the ticketing site was so overloaded it kept crashing. I binge watched all the originals with my best friend on Monday so I've been super pumped for days. I've also had the John Williams score playing in my head non-stop. 

 

I was a Luke girl when I was younger, I was really rooting for Luke and Leia until Return of the Jedi... and then, yikes.  But then I got super into Han Solo I was older. What can I say, I'm into bad-boy pirates with a heart of gold who adore badass princesses. It's a very specific niche. 

 

I do think Luke isn't appreciated enough though and Mark Hamill is amazing. He will always be the Joker for me and he's been awesome as the Trickster on The Flash. 

[Shanna Marie]

I think it's because Luke just seems so pure-hearted and good that I love him.

I think that's why some people consider him boring. I was rather surprised the last time I stumbled across the original film on cable and found myself sucked in, just how funny Luke is. There seems to be some general impression that as a hero type he's boring and humorless because he's so earnest, but in a lot of the interaction between Han and Luke, Han's the straight man. Luke is snarky and sarcastic, and he's good at manipulating Han. The scene where he cons Han into rescuing the princess is hilarious. It shouldn't be that surprising, given the comic timing Mark Hamill has gone on to demonstrate, but I guess there's this general impression people have of the good boy hero that keeps them from remembering Luke as a funny guy.

[OnceUponAJen]

I don't know what it was, but I never got into Han as a romantic hero type. I often think it's a shame there was no internet around when the first trilogy (IV, V & VI) came out. There would have been a war between the Luke/Leia and Han/Leia shippers. And oh the horror once the truth was revealed! LOL! We missed out on some high drama.

Edited December 17, 2015 by OnceUponAJen

[sharky]

I probably won't be seeing Star Wars until next week. We're taking my son, who's 6, so I wanted to wait a bit and go after the crowds have died down a bit. Plus, we'll be at my sister's for Christmas so I can leave my younger son behind. He's not good at sitting through movies yet, and I think this one may scare him a bit anyway. Maybe next time. :)

[KingOfHearts]

I don't know what it was, but I never got into Han as a romantic hero type. I often think it's a shame there was no internet around when the first trilogy (IV, V & VI) came out. There would have been a war between the Luke/Leia and Han/Leia shippers. And oh the horror once the truth was revealed! LOL! We missed out on some high drama.

I don't know... Emma and Regina are related and there's still mad shipping for that.

[Shanna Marie]

My friend is up to his usual tricks. It's now more than half an hour after the time he said he'd be leaving his house to go see Star Wars (and he was supposed to let me know when he left, and I haven't heard anything), which is an hour after the time he previously said he wanted to be at the theater so we could get in line to get good seats.

 

Time management is not his strong suit, and it's one of my hot buttons.

 

We have tickets, so we have seats. Where they'll be and whether they'll be together is another story. At this point, we'll barely be there half an hour before the movie starts.

[HoodlumSheep]

^ good luck and may the force be with you!

Time management is a hot button for me too. If so and so say we're leaving at 8:15, then we better be leaving at 8:15 and not 8:20. If someone says we'll start the movie at 9:00, we better be starting that movie at 9:00. It stresses me out.

My parents and I are leaving for Florida on tuesday/wednesday, so I'll probably miss out on a bunch of stuff (like Galavant and Sherlock),

If you happen to hear about a 22-yr-old gal on the news getting in trouble at Disney for stampeding over little kids to get to the rides...that'll be me. I will show no mercy.

Edited December 18, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[KAOS Agent]

I've been trying to head home for Christmas since Monday. Unfortunately, the freeway has yet to open long enough for that to happen. Last night, it was looking like today would be the day to go, so I told my mom that she'd need to be ready to leave at 9:30. So what happened when 9:30 rolled around this morning? She was still in bed sound asleep. I hate mornings too, but there's a reason we need to leave on time. We're driving across severely desolate country in the winter and that needs to happen during the daylight hours. Being late really, really sets me off. She doesn't care because she sleeps the whole time anyway, but night driving in the mountains with poor road conditions is not something I'm interested in. 

 

This morning it didn't matter because I checked on the roads when I got up and they were still closed (and remain that way), but I still waited until 9:30 and then woke her up and asked her why she wasn't ready to go. She muttered something and rolled over and went back to sleep. She did not know that the roads were closed, she just ignored the whole part where we planned to leave and decided not to bother getting up. It's so deeply frustrating.

[Shanna Marie]

Fortunately, it turned out that another person was joining us for the movie, and he was second in line, so it all worked out. And, oddly enough, the theater wasn't even full. We caught an afternoon show, so probably between the wave of people who saw the first shows last night and the wave of people coming to shows after work tonight. The lines for the evening shows were already forming when we were there.

 

I'm not a fan of 3D, but I have to say it was worth it here. They weren't obnoxious with it, and if you thought the shot of the Star Destroyer flying overhead at the start of the first movie was awesome, you should see what it's like when it really seems to be right over your head.

[OnceUponAJen]

That's the magic of Star Wars. Once I see it in 2D, I can also see it in 3D and IMAX 3D!

[Souris]

So, yeah, it's going to be a big culture-clash cognitive dissonance kind of day, from Star Wars to old-timey Christmas.

 

That sounds awesome!

 

I probably won't get to see Star Wars until next weekend. I'm doing my annual cookie-baking for work this weekend. Six kinds of cookies!

[Shanna Marie]

The combination of Star Wars, the crazy Christmas town, and cold medicine (a lurking cold hit full-force in the middle of the movie -- sneezing constantly is interesting in 3D glasses) resulted in a night of odd dreams about the Star Wars characters putting up Christmas lights in my living room.

[daxx]

I'm weak. I watched Star Wars...twice. *hides*

Loved it even though my tendency to over analyze caused me to be pulled out of the movie twice even the first time I watched...

[ABitOFluff]

I was really impressed with Star Wars, it was such good fun! Loved the new characters, especially Finn and BB-8, and it was awesome to see the old gang. I especially liked how they integrated some of the old special effects with the new, so everything blends pretty seamlessly with the earlier films.

 

It was such a nice change from the prequels. I can't wait for the next episode.

[KAOS Agent]

I haven't seen Star Wars although my dad is making noises about going to see it once I get to their place for Christmas. However, tonight I was at Pizza Hut and watched the ever so appropriate for restaurant dining documentary, "Dead of Winter: The Donner Party". They even showed them cutting up, cooking and preparing their people. I joked about it to the waitress, but it was pretty clear she had no idea what the Donner Party was and I didn't feel like explaining.

[HoodlumSheep]

Jumping in here to say have a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday/Winter Break! My parents and I are heading off to Florida tomorrow to spend Christmas with my aunt, so I'm not sure if I'll have time to pop in here to check on spoilers or news (even though they should be on break, about).

We just have to make peanut brittle and sea foam today, and then we'll be done with the baking. And I need to finish packing.

Also, tumblr seems to be broken? 75% of the search tags are spam and a lot of the pages seemed to have been wiped or have just vanished (besides the first 10ish posts (mainly spam)). I wonder if the tumblr staff is on vacation or something. I hope it gets fixed.

Anyways, have a great 2 weeks! Xoxox

[Selina K]

i will throw in my spoiler free Star Wars review here. 

 

We saw it in 3D and while I am not typically a fan, I think it was good here and used for effect and not gratuitously.  Same for the CGI which overwhelmed the prequels IMO, in this movie it was used as needed, but many shots used the older effects which were so effective in the first movies.

 

It was a little long for my six year old who was squirmy and ready to leave by the last half hour.

 

Surpassed all the prequels easily.  New characters were fun - liked them all!  I think we really got back to focusing on characters and their stories rather than "wow look at this awesome explosion / cool alien / huge CGI budget.  The story had heart, and I cared about what happened to the characters.

 

Not really spoilery, but in spoilers just in case someone is really 100% purist 

I hope Mark Hamill is laughing all the way to the bank.

 

I would see it.  I think my ranking is now 5, 4, 7, 6, 3, 1, 2.

[InsertWordHere]

I would see it.  I think my ranking is now 5, 4, 7, 6, 3, 1, 2.

Mine is 5, 4, 3, 7, 6----------------------------------->1 and 2. I really liked Episode 3. 

[MedievalGirl]

So in The Force Awakened one of the badies has slightly reddish hair and squared off side burns. I found myself referring to him as Prince Hans. Had to share with someone who might get it.

[Shanna Marie]

So in The Force Awakened one of the badies has slightly reddish hair and squared off side burns. I found myself referring to him as Prince Hans.

Oh no, now I can't unsee it!

 

I've just been notified that my whole block is going to have the power cut off for three hours tomorrow afternoon to replace a transformer (that's right in front of my house). I'm thinking that maybe going to see a movie might be a good plan. Hmm, what should I go see? (again)

 

In 1977, I was dependent on my parents taking me to the movie theater and giving me money, which meant I didn't get to see Star Wars again until the next summer when they brought it back again and my friend's mom took all the neighborhood kids. Now I'm an adult with a car, money, and total control of my own schedule. Mwa ha ha ha!!!

 

Though actually, what I really need to be doing is knitting like a madwoman. I'm making a shawl for my mom, and I'm nowhere near done. Fortunately, this one started at the wide end, so it's tapering as it goes, and each row is quicker than the last. There are a lot of rows to go, but the last couple of dozen will be really short.

[InsertWordHere]

So in The Force Awakened one of the badies has slightly reddish hair and squared off side burns. I found myself referring to him as Prince Hans. Had to share with someone who might get it.

Hans Weasley. 

[Selina K]

Mine is 5, 4, 3, 7, 6----------------------------------->1 and 2. I really liked Episode 3. 

 

I think I need to rewatch 3.  I've only seen it in full one time and parts of it at other times.  I've seen 1 a lot, my daughter liked it when she was younger.  I keep it high based on the pod race and the lightsaber battle, which I think was probably the best one in the franchise.

 

I've only seen 2 once.  It was awful.  My brother, with whom I used to recite #4 verbatim when we were growing up, and I went to see it together, and as we left the theater he said, "Well, now neither you nor I ever have to watch that ever again," and we've held true to that.  I asked my husband to show it to our kids when they were old enough so I didn't have to.

[Shanna Marie]

I actually like a lot about 2, if you skip most of the Anakin stuff. Mostly, I like all the parts with Obi-Wan, and that's where I found myself thinking that he really should have been the "hero" of the prequels, since we knew what was going to become of Anakin. Otherwise, as one of my friends puts it, it's like "the young Hitler chronicles, where he's the hero." The stuff near the beginning with the chase through the city is a lot of fun, as is the "detective" kind of plot and the battle near the end. It's just the whiny Anakin romance plot that really sinks the movie. As I muttered to my friend when I saw it, "so, basically the galaxy is screwed because this chick had a faulty asshole detector."

[MedievalGirl]

This article is kind of cool. It argues that if the prequels had...

http://www.gamesradar.com/george-lucas-nearly-wrote-perfect-prequel-trilogy-he-just-didnt-seem-notice/

[Dianthus]

So I FINALLY got to see the new Star Wars today. Overall, I loved it, but that one scene...ugh. Teared up a few times, I won't lie. I guess I've always had it bad for the (fictional) Bad Boy, 'cuz my heart's always been with charming rogues like Han Solo, Remington Steele, Spike, and now a certain one-handed pirate, too. OTOH, Star Trek TOS was my very first fandom (as a little baby geek), and Spock my favorite character (he's not your typical Bad Boy, but he did go to into Starfleet against his father's wishes), while Kirk's my favorite captain (in that 'verse).

[Alex]

Saw The Force Awakens last week,followed by three nights binge watching the firsts trilogy (4, 5, 6). For the moment I'm not watching the prequel trilogy because my brother has kidnapped and lost the first DVD and I don't want to buy it again!!!

Anyway, waiting for you guys to see it and then talk about it!

I'm at the airport, going home for Christmas, and it's so empty! First time I see so little people in here!

I wish you all a merry and serene Christmas, happy Holidays or winter break!

[daxx]

Merry Christmas everyone.

It's not very Christmassy but with a Starz trial on Amazon I started watching Black Sails. It's really violent and def for mature audiences but it's interesting so far.

[Dianthus]

Happy Holidays to one and all!

[OnceUponAJen]

Merry Christmas! I'm going to be baking a pie later, for Christmas dinner!

[Rumsy4]

To those who celebrate: Merry Christmas!! I sang in the special choir at church for the Christmas Eve service. Having a peaceful night at home. :-)

[Shanna Marie]

Merry Christmas! Just got home from singing in two different services, with a party in between. Whew. Now to get to bed so I can get up in the morning and drive over to my parents' house for Christmas day.

 

I figure it's a successful Christmas Eve when I don't end up with candle wax dripped on me.

[KingOfHearts]

Merry Christmas, everyone! I don't pop up in this thread very often, (my life is not that exciting, lol) but I wanted to say how fun it is to over-analyze something to death with other intelligent people. I've learned so much about story writing and TV filming techniques. It's great to read and post here. :)

[RadioGirl27]

Merry Christmas!!!!!

[Souris]

I hope everybody who celebrates had a merry Christmas!

 

It felt more like Memorial Day than Christmas here -- I had to turn on the freaking air conditioner!

[Shanna Marie]

I had the ceiling fan on in my room at my parents' house, but a front is coming through, so it will be colder tomorrow. I'm stuck at my parents' house for a little longer than I planned because I didn't want to drive cross-country during a tornado watch. Good thing, because there were several tornadoes between here and home, and then some big, deadly ones in the metro area. It looks like my house just got some rain, and I should have been home before the bad stuff hit, but things were popping up so quickly that I didn't want to risk it, and my mom was less stressed than she would have been if I'd been driving or if I'd been home alone during all the tornado warnings tonight. We spent the day watching the weather coverage. It's supposed to be non-stop heavy rain and flash flooding tomorrow. I may make it home Monday, unless the freezing line is farther east than they forecast and there's ice. Fortunately, I brought extra clothes and got some new clothes for Christmas.

 

Yikes, they just said there were at least 11 tornadoes in the state today.

[Souris]

My daffodils have come up. In December. Ugh, this weather!

[KAOS Agent]

I'll trade you weather. We got several inches of snow today and the high tomorrow isn't supposed to get out of the single digits. 

[OnceUponAJen]

I'm debating whether to try to leave town on Monday, since there's a chance for severe weather. Ugh...hating all this weather drama!

[HoodlumSheep]

Popping in here quickly to vent about one of the very few problems at Universal Studios in Orlando we had:

The Dragon Challenge Ride in Hogsmeade (the dragon coasters):

Apparently secure wrist wallets are unacceptable and have to be put in a locker because they could un-zip during the ride and stuff could fall out, but flip-flops are totally fine. Flip-flops. FLIP-FLOPS. The things you wear that aren't even securely attached to your feet, but oh-no, a secure wrist wallet is a no-no.

I should have taken it off and shoved it in my shoe, because then they wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) be able to say anything, because it'd be considered secure.

Where is the logic? Like, my brain can't compute? You're more likely to lose your flip-flops than having a wrist wallet un-zipping and having money/whatever fly out.

It just bugs me. Of all the things to get stopped for. Illogical.

Other than that, trip's going well. I've determined mine and my relative's personalities don't mix well because of our oddly contradictory quirks/ticks/ocd/anxiety. So basically a nice vacation is being hindered by high-blood pressure.

Like seriously, she has to have the vehicle doors unlocked while I can't stand that and like them locked, because then I sit there and imagine the doors being flung open,etc in some freak accident or something. Also, she made us 15ish minutes late for getting our day. started. One of the things that drives me insane. she cooked up chicken and carried it around (non-refrigerated after having been initially refrigerated) the park all day in 80 degree weather. First off: high potential for food poisoning, also cold chicken seriously freaks me out (I'm weird like that). There's plenty more contradicting quirks as well. Some of them my brain wants to explode because of the illogicalness. And because of this I get grouchy.

Basically, all these little (and some big) things are making my blood-pressure go through the roof.

I got a wand! Not from Ollivanders, but I got one! I treated myself. That was pretty much the one thing I allowed myself to buy (for myself--I still have to buy Christmas gifts for everyone).

Can't even afford to buy my siblings a key chain from Harry Potter. Twenty bucks a key chain. Everything is extremely overpriced. We were expecting that, for obvious reasons, but still, $11 for a single chocolate frog? $20 for a keychain? $50 for an interactive wand (I splurged big-time)?

So overpriced.

So basically, nice vacation is turning into stressful vacation. Heck, we even had vehicle issues coming down.

Also, I've determined no one in the south can drive, or at least should be allowed to drive (sorry if you're from the south :P). Maniac drivers everywhere. Accident after accident, hardly any blinkers, tons of fender benders, driving 80-90 miles per hour in a heavy rainstorm. Can't be very sympathetic for them when they get into a wreck. Sounds cruel, but it's how I feel. Hydroplaning is a real thing, people. speeding in a heavy rain storm is just plain dumb.

I feel a little better after venting.

Carry on, people.

Edited December 27, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[InsertWordHere]

I know Universal is getting very strict on their loose articles on rides policy. I wore a money belt under my shirt when I was there and had no problems. All I really wanted was some women's shorts with zip up pockets, but those are apparently as hard to come by as magic beans on OUaT. As to why they would allow flip flops and not an attached wallet, maybe it has more to do with the likelihood of someone fence-hopping to go retrieve their missing article as opposed to the articles hurting other people on the ride. Earlier this year, our local park, Cedar Point, had an incident with someone hopping the fence to go grab their cell phone which had fallen out during the ride. He was hit and killed by the Raptor, which is an inverted coaster, similar to Dueling Dragons. It was very sad as he could have waited until the park closed and an attendant would have retrieved the phone for him. Maybe the thought process is that people wouldn't bother doing something dangerous to retrieve a fallen flip flop (although as you say, with the prices there, I'd hate to imagine how much replacement foot wear would cost) but would for a wallet or phone.

 

Florida drivers are scary. Sorry, Floridians! 

 

I hope the rest of your vacation is less stressful! Did you ride Gringotts? It's amazing! I think it's definitely on my list of top 5 rides of all time.

[HoodlumSheep]

^ Gringotts was great! I liked Forbidden Journey too. I think most of my family liked Gringotts more, but they were about equal for me, with Forbidden Journey slightly edging out Gringotts. I think it had to do with the "scenery." While gringotts was cool, it was relatively cave-y (?) scenery, while FJ had you flying through everything (the quidditch field, hogwarts grounds, forbidden forest, chamber of secrets, etc). Deciding to go single rider, rather than groups was a lot faster for us.

Also, for anyone who wants any tips, people swarmed mainly to Hogsmeade near the later hours of the evening. The rest of Islands of Adventure were practically empty from 9 on.

All in all, I was expecting a much bigger crowd for Universal considering it was the day after christmas. It wasn't bad at all. Maybe everyone was recovering from their Christmas gatherings? Lol.

I think I'm forever going to be wondering what Bill Weasley (who appears in the ride) is up to during the Gringotts bank part of the last HP movie. Lol. The Golden Trio are going to be escaping and I'll be thinking about poor Bill frantically scurrying around tryingto fix things.

Most of the rides are surprisingly smooth (at least the HP ones were). The HP stuff is cool to see in both night and day. We only got to see Hogsmeade at night, but it was so pretty. You can definitely spend almost a whole day in the HP sections. That's what we did. So many details to look at.

I do hope they improve some small kinks though. The locker storage stuff is definitely needed to be improved (in all of the park). I hope they improve the interactive wands too. If it's too sunny and bright out or it's shining just right, it's almost impossible to get the little motion sensor cameras to pick up on the wand movements. At least, I think that's the reason. I know I had a lot easier time when it clouded over or when I was in Knockturn alley.