George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
Ah, I see
I always found that little conversation to be the funniest thing in Star Wars when I was a kid.
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Final Trailer
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I always found that little conversation to be the funniest thing in Star Wars when I was a kid.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
Were doomed
Seventy_X_Seven
Member
I mean, it's not like he's going very far.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Interesting that every Star Wars Marathon in theater's are playing everything 1-6 then 7 at midnight.
Just thought it was interesting for those
who still think you should watch 3-6 then 1-3 which is what I usually do.
Just thought it was interesting for those
who still think you should watch 3-6 then 1-3 which is what I usually do.
TomJoadsGhost
Member
Revenge of the sith is your fave, huh?
Sectorseven
Member
You probably want people excited before the new film rather than sour. Actually, whoever set it up probably saw the episode numbers and didn't give it any more thought.
OricWindstar
Member
That whole scene it what I'm hoping is present in the new movie. That interaction is genuinely hilarious.
WadiumArcadium
Member
For a marathon I can't see why they'd choose any other order than 1-6. It's not the best order for newcomers, but I doubt it'll be any people's first viewings of the films.
CadetMahoney
Member
will there be a "launch" trailer?
WadiumArcadium
Member
This was the final trailer. No more according to JJ. Just TV spots.
BrokenFiction
Member
JJ has said we've seen the last trailer. Everything else will be TV spots.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
I have no idea why the chronologic order shouldnt be not the best way to go for newcomers.
LegendofLex
Member
For a pre-7 marathon in particular, the goal should be to add as much continuity with the film you're about to see, which means ending with 6.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Second only to Empire.
WadiumArcadium
Member
If I was new to the series, I'd want to watch the better films first. They're also much more important in terms of how they connect with Episode VII.
No one would start with the fourth book in a six book series when there is interest in the seventh one.
Espescially since the people know that the first three arent that good.
Sorry, this doenst goes into my head.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
when has release order ever not been the right way to experience something
ever
ever
WadiumArcadium
Member
True, but the first book in a series is usually released before the fourth. You'd be missing a lot of information you'd need to understand that story. It's not the case with Star Wars. Jumping into Star Wars/A New Hope is the perfect entry point.
Lifejumper
Member
My cousin watched the prequels first. Now he can't get into the prequels because they are ''too boring'' according to him. 
They did that with the Chronicles of Narnia book series. They didn't always release them in chronological order. You can skip some of the prequels and not miss much so long as you read the books that were released first.
This is why I started my fiance on the original series.My cousin watched the prequels first. Now he can't get into the prequels because they are ''too boring'' according to him.
... Original original. Non-special edition. The way nature intended.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Just because you number the first book "4" doesn't mean it still didn't come first.
It's like arguing you shouldn't watch Memento unless you watch that one edit that puts all the pieces in chronological order. That's not how the story really works, though. Star Wars has big fat episode numbers up front, but those were implemented as more or less a gimmicky conceit referencing the inspiration source.
The original three films set the stage, explain the way the world works, and establish key concepts that the following three films build from. The numbers on them don't change that.
exactly
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
I hope everyone shows it 1 through 6 so it's easier to skip the first 3 and not have to find something else to do for 7 hours in the middle of my day
I like how GAF can't even agree on what order to watch the films, the OT for TFA will be a graveyard and we will wear each other's blood
I like how GAF can't even agree on what order to watch the films, the OT for TFA will be a graveyard and we will wear each other's blood
I have no idea how Memento fits in this discussion. Sorry Bobby, I like you, but this argument Makes zerso sense. And its not like you are left alone if you havent seen the OT before the prequels.
But ok, if you guys think that it would cool to kill of the momento of the victory celebration in the end of Jedi after you followed Han, Leia and Luke through the galactic civil war, then see three movies which are set three decades early and with some characters which you even see dying in the earlier movies, just to go back again in the end to see what happens to the three guys from three movies earlier again... It just makes zero sense. It actually hurts the whole experience.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I heard, I think it was a theater in Utah or something (it was a facebook post that popped up on my wall awhile ago) that is keeping names on standby for their marathon screenings.
Basically, they'll refund your money when you show up and explain to you that the seat you purchased was filled by someone who actually wants to watch all 7 movies.
Which seems weird, as I don't know why the theater would care if the paid-for seat goes empty for six hours before finally getting filled later in the day. They still have the money, and have less mess to clean up for that time.
BFIB
Member
You poor soul...
Watermelon through a garden hose........
Bobby Roberts
Banned
It is the whole experience, though. That's how they were made.
You basically just argued against there being prequels, period.
TomJoadsGhost
Member
If you choose show to show them numerically the only people who question the order are people who know star wars and will kind of understand/accept the decision.
If you show the in release order then theatre staff will have to explain the decision to the genuinely confused or terminally witty umpteen times a day until the event happens.
Its just simpler this way, I guess.
It was weirder (but still understandable) when ROTS was released and the marathons were 1,2,4,5,6,3.
If you show the in release order then theatre staff will have to explain the decision to the genuinely confused or terminally witty umpteen times a day until the event happens.
Its just simpler this way, I guess.
It was weirder (but still understandable) when ROTS was released and the marathons were 1,2,4,5,6,3.
LegendofLex
Member
How are the prequels intended to be watched now that they're part of the series, though? There's a reason they aren't numbered 4, 5, and 6 - there's no hard and fast rule saying that numbered orders must be chronological orders, so the OT could have been 1, 2, and 3 while the prequels were "next" in the series. Especially now that we're getting a sequel trilogy, it can't be overstated how much of a break in the narrative you'll get by putting the prequels in between Jedi and the sequels.
People often talk about wanting to be exposed to the universe in the way that the story was originally developed, but honestly the idea that OT characters in contexts set by the prequels encounter the Star Wars chronology in such a way that it appears to be a "first introduction" to the series seems to itself be a part of the series mythos and "generational" storytelling style.
I mean, one of the key points of the Ep VII trailer is that for Finn and Rey the events of the OT are a distant memory, with Han (a firsthand participant in those events) having to introduce us to them in much the same way that Obi-Wan and Yoda do for Luke in the OT.
So from a narrative perspective it actually makes a lot of sense that the PT era is one where the historical backdrop is taken for granted, that the OT heroes need to be formally acquainted with the "truths" of the PT era, and that the ST heroes also need to be introduced to the legacy they're inheriting. And given the way Lucas imagined the story, it also makes sense that it's been built out from the "middle" rather than strictly in sequence.
That said, I totally get the machete order if you want your viewing to preserve the world-building that we get in 4 and 5 while still having 6 "resolve" the fall observed in the PT (and, now, provide immediate lead-in to 7). But personally I think this disrupts the natural arc of the story, where the endpoint of 3 is designed to be a launching-off point for 4 in a very explicit fashion compared to the transition you get between 6 and 1/2 (or 5 and 1/2).
DiipuSurotu
Banned
TFA is a sequel to the OT and takes much of its artistic and thematical inspirations from the OT. The PT just feels different and might as well be a spinoff series that you just watch separately, similar to Clone Wars or Rebels.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
The reason there's numbers at all is, again, a gimmicky reference to a source of inspiration (old movie serials). That said gimmick ended up gaining undue importance when the series was picked back up doesn't change the basic fact that the prequels are completely built on the foundation the originals laid down. You can't remove that foundation, or overwrite it, even if the creator might have stated his intention is that you go through them in that numbered order. It's an inherently confused proposition. You can't fix the break in the narrative that you're seeing by simply shuffling those movies around in order. The break is still there. If anything, you've now compounded the problem because one of the few aspects of those films that works is now being moved out of the context they were made in. Which just disconnects them further.
You can watch them in numerical order, (or whatever chopped up order is popular this week) but it doesn't actually make anything better, basically.
And really, watching them all in the space of a single day is a bad idea, period.
The way I see it is, if you've seen all the movies up to this point, who gives a fuck? Like, just watch the movies you want to watch.
If you are introducing someone to the films for the first time, and want to preserve any kind of experiential cohesiveness to them, then you start with the 4/5/6. That's the only way that makes sense. A New Hope is the absolute best introduction to the universe. It's really the only proper introduction to the universe of any of the movies.
Past the OT, whatever. Release order probably makes the most sense considering that's how the films were presented to the world. The new films are a sequel to the OT so dive right into those if you feel like it though, who cares. The PT is such a self contained backstory that it could just as easily be viewed at any point separate from the continuity of anything else.
But watch the OT first. Don't be stupid.
If you are introducing someone to the films for the first time, and want to preserve any kind of experiential cohesiveness to them, then you start with the 4/5/6. That's the only way that makes sense. A New Hope is the absolute best introduction to the universe. It's really the only proper introduction to the universe of any of the movies.
Past the OT, whatever. Release order probably makes the most sense considering that's how the films were presented to the world. The new films are a sequel to the OT so dive right into those if you feel like it though, who cares. The PT is such a self contained backstory that it could just as easily be viewed at any point separate from the continuity of anything else.
But watch the OT first. Don't be stupid.
Here's the order to watch them in:
Star Wars, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
PeskyToaster
Member
I'm going to the marathon for those sweet OTs. I've never seen them in theaters.
LegendofLex
Member
I think what you really mean to say is it doesn't make watching the prequel trilogy better during a full viewing of the saga as a whole, which is true.
But I can't imagine that the OT-PT order will make a whole-saga viewing (that will now include VII) better given that I can't see the ST relying less on the context of/continuity with the OT than the PT did (or more on the context of/continuity with the PT than with the OT).
The fall of Vader/rise of the Empire for me seems like it'll make more sense as part of the narrative experience when viewed before the OT than as an intermission between the OT and ST. (Or simply omitted entirely, if you really don't think it benefits the saga, but I think doing that will ultimately wind up being problematic given how much VII seems to be
leaning on Anakin/Vader's relationship with the Dark Side, which wasn't explored with any depth in the OT
But I could be wrong, and watching the PT second could make more sense.
There are some interesting unresolved threads from ROTS that I could see being explored in the new films, such as Palpatine's declaration that "Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us." Kylo Ren's Vader obsession could very well provide some resolution to that idea.
(I also think Luke's decision at the end of VI has much more dramatic impact when viewed as a response to Anakin''s fall in III, rather than the PT being viewed as a follow-up story to the context established in the OT. Plus, I have a strong hunch that VI is the film you want to end with prior to going into VII.)
Bobby Roberts
Banned
It doesn't make the Original Trilogy any better, either. It doesn't improve anything, period. Watching the movies out of production order doesn't actually change the context behind how and why they were made. The movies stay the same. The sets of influences and experiences that led to their creation and execution don't change, and the quality of the stories being told in those movies isn't enhanced by moving around the order you watch them in.
But again - it doesn't really matter because watching all of them in a single day is a bad idea, period. So if you're already indulging one bad idea, you might as well add a couple more bad ideas to the pot and stir em up.
LegendofLex
Member
I've offered at least one reason why:
Luke's decision to reject the Dark Side in VI has better dramatic impact after witnessing the fall of Anakin in III, and likewise Anakin's fall in III produces a more coherent story arc and a better dramatic structure when viewed ahead of the OT than when viewed after.
Also, since we're discussing the idea of how best to view the films prior to approaching VII, I'd argue that everything we've seen of VII seems to suggest that it's a follow-on story to VI rather than simply "the next new story in the Star Wars universe" and thus a viewing order that concludes with VI will probably offer the biggest benefit when viewing VII.
I don't think "the production order shows the influences and experiences that led to their creation" is an end-all, be-all reason to decide on a viewing order. It's just as true that the PT was produced to complete the dramatic structure of the story of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker/the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force as it is that the fundamental pieces of the Star Wars universe were first laid bare in the OT and built upon with subsequent installments. (And if the ST is faithful to the stylistic and narrative conventions of the OT, it ought to further extend the dramatic structure of the OT films just as much as it extends the universe, too, which further lends to a numerical-order viewing.)
Why is release order a more compelling order than the numerical order? What does a repeat viewing gain from presenting the films in release order that is lost with the numerical order? In particular, why would you recommend release order to someone who wants to get their head in the universe of the films before watching VII?
Heh, I have no intention of doing a one-day marathon. One movie a week every Friday between the 6th and the open of VII. No one should ever watch a serial TV show or film franchise for more than 3-4 hours in a single day.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
I consider myself lucky that I'm old enough to have seen Empire and Jedi's original theatrical versions in the theaters. All I remember about the original movie is STAR WARS exploding on the screen and scaring the shit out of me so bad I started screaming. My parents had to drag me out of there. It's an oddly vivid memory for a 1 year old. It was the first movie they ever took me to and I don't think they brought me to another until Empire.
I don't really agree with that. There's more than enough context within 4/5/6 to lend impact to that scene based on Luke's own personal journey. We don't need the subpar fall of Anakin as seen in the prequels to enhance that.
And that single reason is counteracted by a bunch of others, like the reveal of Vader being Luke's dad, or half the shit in Phantom Menace requiring knowledge of the OT in order to land. I'd argue that knowledge of 4/5/6 enhances the prequels more than the other way around.
Like, I wouldn't tell someone to watch The Hobbit films before The Lord of the Rings, even though The Hobbit is a prequel based on a story written before LOTR. Since The Hobbit was conceived as a film after LOTR, it actually references stuff from LOTR. There are callbacks to LOTR even though the events take place chronologically before. Music cues have impact due to their reference to LOTR scenes. The entire prologue/epilogue only has impact and makes contextual sense if you've already seen LOTR.
Most of that stuff is actually the same of the PT in regards to the OT as well.
PeskyToaster
Member
My dad is also going because he hasn't seen them in theaters since he was a kid. Going to be fun I think.
LegendofLex
Member
Sure, the OT works fine as a self-contained narrative without any other trilogies. But I'm not talking about viewing the OT without viewing the PT at all. (Though, of course, if you really just want to watch good Star Wars, definitely do this.)
I'm talking about:
- Someone who has already viewed all the films before
- Who wants to view the entire saga
- As a way of getting their head in the complete story and universe ahead of VII
Since people were talking about going to marathons, and then the idea of the best order for a marathon came up.
Personally, I think the best decision for someone who wants to set up the story beats before watching VII is to go in with the mindset of "fall to the dark side --> redemption --> ???." If the new films are enhanced by watching the PT at all, I can't imagine the dramatic beats being struck better by an OT-PT-ST viewing order.
That said, OT-PT is a fine viewing order on its own merits (for all the reasons mentioned), and OT-ST is probably going to be better if you just don't care for the PT at all.
Sure, but you're talking about the "surprises" that make a first-time viewing more satisfying. If you're doing a repeat viewing, you simply aren't going to get hit with the surprise that Vader is actually Luke's father, so why prioritize it? And you of course already have all the cultural memory you need to latch on to the callbacks in the prequels.
The question is what order makes more sense for a fan going into VII, not what order is the best first introduction to the films. And I can't wrap my head around the idea that anyone viewing all the films should even think about viewing the PT after the OT and right before watching VII in particular.
And I already covered that in an earlier post when I said:
That doesn't change the fact that I don't think watching the PT first enhances anything about the OT. If you want to watch the films in chronological order as a silly exercise to hype yourself up for the new films because you are able to do that, that's fine. It's not gonna make the OT any better in that order though.
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