Star Wars fans at HC discuss seventh installment to the franchise
The Star Wars franchise has fans of all races, nationalities, genders, and ages including teachers and students here at HC. The franchise has a profound impact on many people who see it, leaving a large impact on their lives. The new film, Force Awakens will be coming out December 18th of this year.
“I was first introduced to Star Wars at the drive-in movie theater when my father took me to see A New Hope when I was two years old,”HC administrator Adam Stephens said. “Ever since then, I’ve been sort-of obsessed with Star Wars.”
Academy English teacher Matthew Logsdon had a similar experience with Star Wars as a young boy.
“I distinctly remember going to the theater over and over when Episode IV came out,” Logsdon said. “I was only seven, but I just couldn’t get enough of the story and the storytelling style of George Lucas.”
Academy English teacher Kevin Lentz agreed. Lentz is a Star Wars collector and holds the record for the most Star Wars read-along audio tapes in the galaxy.
“I hope to see a return to the type of storytelling that was done in the original trilogy, not the prequels,” Lentz said.
The prequel Star Wars movies (Episodes I, II, and III) are a topic of hot contention among diehard Star Wars fans.
“I was largely dissatisfied with the prequels,” Lentz said. “We already knew what was going to happen and that really ruined it for me.”
Many fans feel that nothing but the combination of George Lucas and the original cast can get a Star Wars movie right. Some even feel that this movie will join the prequels in mediocrity.
“Worst-case scenario, in my opinion, is that it is only a fun roller coaster ride,” Stephens said.“ And it doesn’t hone up to the hype that it’s been given”
And expectations for this movie are running high. The movie itself is projected to make over 1.75 billion dollars worldwide.
“I think it will definitely make more than 1.75 billion dollars,” Stephens said. “with the Star Wars fan-base being as big as it is, I don’t see why not.”
The amount of fans that attempted to preorder tickets was so vast that entire websites crashed, and were forced to shut down to repair damage.
“It doesn’t matter if they have already sold out in tickets,” Lentz said. “They will open more showings so they can appeal to everyone.”
In addition to high profit projections, the quality of the movie is expected to be phenomenal.
“There’s talk of it being the movie of the year, even of all time,” Lentz said. “ I believe that while it will be hugely successful, there will always be room for improvement.”
Some others say that the movie will fulfill expectations, and believe the old casts return will do just that.
“What I really love most is that the old cast is back,” Logsdon said. “They will bring the story new light, and it’ll really help the movie along in the long run. The new cast will be linked to the old cast and I am really anxious to see how it is done.”
The Star Wars story in and of itself has followed a certain pattern, one that this new story could follow, making it less original and less interesting. According to Logsdon, this doesn’t matter.
“The Star Wars mythos really follows a particular story arc that just never seems to get old,”Logsdon noted. “And as Luke is ending his journey, the new cast is beginning theirs, just going out into the Star Wars universe.”
Logsdon offered advice to Star Wars fans on their expectations.
“I just hope that fans to go into this movie with their expectations in check,” Logsdon said. “The film will be far less enjoyable if you sit there and nitpick at every little thing that you thought was right.”
Lentz agreed.
“Fans need to realize that everything can’t be the way that they want it,” Lentz said. “And they should just enjoy the fact that someone made another Star Wars movie.”