Lewya

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Has Best Picture Potential (Analysis) - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/oscars-star-wars-force-awakens-848906 THR's awards analyst argues J.J. Abrams' film could become the franchise's first installment since the original to land above-the-line noms. (Spoiler free.) Seeing any movie at its premiere — complete with a red carpet, stars, food and booze — has a way of making that movie seem extra special. And seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens at its world premiere on Monday night — the biggest Hollywood premiere in the 21st century — undoubtedly boosted the way I and others felt about it. Even accounting for inflation, though, I still think the movie turned out as well as anyone reasonably could have hoped, and could be a player in an Oscar race that already was shaping up to be pretty unconventional before this latest twist. (See Mad Max: Fury Road, Creed, etc.) Why? Because people inside and outside of the industry really want to love The Force Awakens — that's why anticipation has been so great that tracking suggests it could set a new record for opening weekend and achieve an enormous box-office gross. J.J. Abrams, in essentially rebooting Star Wars following three disappointing installments around the turn of the century, takes the franchise back to its roots in story, look and feel. The three original stars — Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill — all are in tow, along with a host of talented up-and-comers like Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o and Daisy Ridley. Do you remember how the first Star Wars, released in 1977, went over with the Academy, a group that famously is averse to genre pics? It not only won for its art direction, costume design, film editing, score, sound and visual effects, but it also was nominated in four above-the-line categories: picture, director, original screenplay and supporting actor. (Subsequent installments were limited entirely to below-the-line noms.) READ MORE Inside the 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' World Premiere and Party Admittedly, the first Star Wars and the new one appeal in very different ways. The first was special because it was so unlike anything that had preceded it, while the current film is special because it evokes the original. But I think The Force Awakens could resonate with the Academy, too, seeing how much that organization loves an ambitious, well-made mega-hit (see: Titanic's best picture win and Avatar's best picture nom), and keeping in mind that there now can be five to 10 best picture nominees, rather than just five, as was the case in 1977. Frankly, I wouldn't be shocked if Abrams scores a best director nom. Indeed, much of the praise for the film after the premiere was reserved for him, and thanks to vocal champions like Steven Spielberg and Ava DuVernay, I could see enough members of the directors branch getting behind him to land him in the race. It's a year with a lot of movies that many people like, but not a lot of movies that many people love, and the passion that Academy members feel for a film or the people associated with it — as reflected on a preferential ballot — really matters. We'll have to wait and see how the film goes over once more people get a chance to watch it. But for now, as I mull over my own thoughts and conversations from the premiere of The Force Awakens and read tweets from Academy members to the effect that it "might be the best blockbuster since the original... delivers on every level" (doc branch member Brett Morgen) and that it "totally delivers... just wow" (acting branch member Elizabeth Banks) and "Great. Nothing more to say. Just go." (short films and feature animation branch member Andrew Stanton) and that it's "a movie that DELIVERS... cried like a baby, whooped like a teen" (acting branch member Rob Lowe), I think the film stands a great shot of firing up a lot of people.

First trailer out now -

Don't think we will know that much about the music after today, but guess we'll see. Edit: Nvm, false alarm.

At 2.05 JJ. Abrams names the binary sunset scene as one of his his favorite moments from the original movies and says that at least 51% of that scene is the music.

One more new picture:

Yep. Still no "real" comments on the music... not that I can find at least. Maybe Thor will be the first one to comment on it?

First possible comment on the song by no other than Patton Oswalt: "Only thing I didn't like in #StarWarsForceAwakens was Abba's "Super Trouper" on the soundtrack whenever there were stormtroopers." - https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/676660385705951232

We want extensive comments on the score. Promise that! Still haven't seen anyone mention the music safe for one... someone said it was GREAT other than that I haven't found comments on it.

Might say a thing or two about the prominence of the new themes: "Order of cast prominence, in ascending order 5) Driver 4) Boyega 3) BB-8 2) Ford 1)Ridley."

Big spoiler below so read on your own risk, a reference to a track title in the dialogue: Lol at that woman confusing Frank Oz for John Williams.

Not sure but I think people are watching the movie right now.

Let's collect the public reactions in this thread. Also from movie reviews later on when they come out. We will get something pretty soon from the people who are seeing it right now I think. Maybe not that much but it might be interesting anyway...

70%-75%. Most likely low 70's. Edit: Ops, I meant on Metacritic, not rottentomates, not sure about that one.

Not if it leaks before the official release on the same day.

Can you see Williams talk on the livestream? When if so?

Doesn't seem much new but not gone through most of it as I said... and the stuff I don't recognize is most likely not Williams.

You can scroll back in the stream and listen to the earlier stuff. You can hear it at 1 hour 1 minute 20 seconds in or something like that. Yeah, it sounds like something from The Rebells by Kiner.

Much of it is old but some stuff sounded new, but I haven't gone through most of it. That version of the Imperial March is new for instance, I haven't heard it at least but might be something else from The Rebels by Kiner or something i'm not familar with. Need to give it another listen, I didn't recognize it at least.

www.starwars.com. The music that plays before the livestream. Of course much of it is old, but some of it could be new, listening now.

New music on starwars.com? Scroll back and listen.

You can watch it live here: http://www.starwars.com/ Edit: Wait a tick, is that new music? Scroll back, it might have something new.

I really wonder if it will leak before the 18th. If it hasn't leaked before that, I will try record the audio on my phone when I go see it on the 16th, might as well do that anyway to get my head around the score, what we have and what's missing and so on. Not sure if it the sound will be good though but it is worth a try.

Is there more Williams in the 60 minutes "main program" or is this it? Does anyone know? Edit: Ok, I don't think it has started yet - http://www.cbsnews.com/live/

Dat version of the Force Theme is awesome.