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Day: 22 September 2013

Contrary Corner: The force is strong with this one

Written by Suraj Vara on . Posted in Film.

When I heard that George Lucas had sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney for more than $4bn, like every other Star Wars fan, I couldn’t help but utter “I have a bad feeling about this”. Since Lucas has made many awful changes to the Star Wars films over the years, often with financial motivations not creative ones, die-hard fans seemed well within their rights to groan at Disney’s procuring of Lucasfilm. However, as pre-production begins to transform into filming, several new updates have made me feel more confident about the new films.

With the first film, Episode VII, expected in 2015, there is still uncertainty as to what the story will be. There are hundreds of different directions the films can take, and with the science fiction prowess of J.J Abrams in the directorial driving seat, fans should look a little more optimistically at the new sequels. After all, Abrams’ success with the recent Star Trek reboots makes him one of the best candidates to direct the new Star Wars franchise, especially as he will be creating a continuation of the original trilogy.

Extensions of the Star Wars story in comic books and cartoons suggest that we could see Leia and Han’s daughter, Jaina, who just happens to be a lightsabre wielding genius and badass fighter pilot extraordinaire; we could also see the coming of age story of Luke’s son, Ben, whose mother was a Sith apprentice, duelled into submission by Luke, kinky. However, from Abrams’ treatment of the Star Trek franchise, there’s no certainty that he will continue pre-recorded storylines.

Furthermore, rumours of the reappearance of original cast members, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, are becoming more prominent and should add a hint of nostalgia to the new films by bringing them back to their 1970’s and 80’s roots.

The next part of the new Star Wars franchise that I am excited about is the recent press release by Disney which stated that the Star Wars films would also include “stand alone origins films”. So far, Han Solo, Yoda and Boba Fett are the most likely candidates to have their beginnings translated to the silver screen. Who wouldn’t want to know about the mysterious beginnings of Master Yoda before he became head of the Jedi council? After Jango dies, how does Boba Fett find himself in his father’s armour? How does Han end up with the Millennium Falcon, and when did he do the Kessel run in under twelve parsecs?

The fact is the “origins” idea has worked for fictional comic book heroes like Superman, Batman, the Avengers, the X-Men and many others, and it ties in well with the way the new films will continue on from the originals, an overall revisiting of the past if you will.

Similarly, the Star Wars universe is just as vast as the Marvel and DC universes, and the production of comic books, the Clone Wars cartoons, and even the “Star Wars Lego” cartoons, which were released this year, suggests that a multitude of audience captivating films are, potentially, in the pipeline. With the influence and vision of new writers and directors, the franchise seems far away from burning out now.

Top 5: Travel Films

Written by Parizad Mangi on . Posted in Film.

5. Before Sunrise

This sweet and succinct love story unravels in the charming European city of Vienna. As the film progresses, you will fall in love not only with the two protagonists but also their surroundings, just as they fall in love with each other in the span of a day.

4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Evergreen beauty Audrey Hepburn stars in this cinematic classic that takes place in New York. Here we get to follow our heroine Holly Golightly on her eccentric and amorous adventures in the city that never sleeps (and looking fabulous and fashionable while doing so).

3. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

This little British gem brings you the colourful and vibrant allure of India with the trademark Brit humour you would expect. It’s the perfect mixture of spices that makes it a treat to watch.

2. Midnight In Paris

The old and the new charm of the city of love adorn our screens as we explore Paris through Woody Allen’s quixotic lenses. In what is probably his most successful and acclaimed work in recent times, this Parisian escapade will awaken your wanderlust.

1. Mamma Mia!

If this movie doesn’t fill you with the urge to immediately pack your bags and take the next flight out to Greece, you can sue me. Adapted to the big screen from the iconic musical, with sing-along numbers from ABBA and a joyous spirit, this takes the top spot for being the perfect getaway film to immerse your senses in. Let the goddess Aphrodite lead the way!

Rowling’s return to the wizarding world

Written by Jackson Ball on . Posted in Film.

It has been just a couple of years since the final Harry Potter film stormed the box-office, but it already seems time to hop back on our broomsticks for a triumphant return. J.K Rowling, author of the all-conquering series, has recently announced that she is planning a new feature set within the Potter universe. The new film will be based on one of the series’ spin-off books: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

For those of you who have never heard of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it acts as a purported text book that Harry and his friends study during their time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft a Wizardry. The book, which Rowling penned as fictional narrator ‘Newt Scamander’, is one of three similarly ‘academic’ spin-offs, with the others being Quidditch through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

As the title would suggest, Fabulous Beasts and Where to Find Them is a compilation of evidence and anecdotes on all sorts of magical creatures. As a leading ‘magizoologist’, Newt Scamander is at the forefront when it comes to a huge variety of monsters. So while the film version is likely to offer some old favourites, like the Hippogriff and the House-Elf, we can also expect a whole hoard of brand new beasties.

From what we know about the book, the events Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will take place 70 years before the first Harry Potter story, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. This makes it unlikely that many of your favourite Potter-verse characters will make an appearance, especially as the book contains no major links to the original series’ plot. However, avid fans among you will know that Rowling went to the unnecessary effort of marrying Scamander’s grandson Rolf to fan-favourite Luna Lovegood. Could we see a flash-forward in which Rolf and Luna are telling their children about their great grandfather? Or perhaps Newt himself may bump into a younger incarnation of Luna’s father Xenophilius Lovegood? For now we can only speculate.

While many of you might be thinking this new film will just be ‘more of the same’, it actually marks quite a considerable change of pace for the author herself. Despite being one of most successful writers of modern times, this latest project will be Rowling’s screenwriting debut. While she obviously had a massive role in the previous films, Rowling acted only as a story consultant figure, never touching pen to paper when it came to the actual script so this is really uncharted territory for her.

It suffices to say; writing a screenplay for a movie is a very different challenge to writing a novel. If someone excels on one platform of writing, it does not mean they will excel on others. For example, many of Stephen King’s stories have been adapted for film by other writers. When King’s initial stories have been adapted by others, they have gone on to become some of the most beloved works of cinema around, including The Shining and The Shawshank Redemption. However, when King took the adaption task upon himself and actually single-handedly wrote a screenplay, the result was the poorly-received 1986 film, Maximum Overdrive.

So how will Rowling fair in this new role? Only time will tell. In the meantime though, it can’t be denied that the author has once again sent Hollywood into a state of frenzy. They can change the stories, the cast and even the screenwriter, but one thing remains certain: a return to the Harry Potter universe will have fans flocking to cinemas in their thousands.