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New Empire Covers For 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Revealed

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unless there's more than one pornstar with a rebel tattoo
That's not the one I have seen, so there must be at least 2.

I was in Las Vegas last week and met 2 guys on the elevator with Rebel Alliance tattoos. They pulled up their shorts a bit to show me. They saw my Rebel tattoo and wanted to show me theirs.
 
People getting hung up on the fictional safety features of an imaginary laser-sword, but I think that motherfucker just looks cool.

Same here.
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I love how mean the thing looks and the little touches from what little we've seen like how unstable it is to the point that sparks fly off it when it's swung around.
 
Yup, this is something new isn't it? I wonder how the iconic shots of the OT would look if the lightsabers actually lit up the fog and characters.

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They definitely played with it a bit in at least one scene that I recall during the prequels. Can't find a gif, but I think it was Anakin vs. Dooku in Attack of the Clones maybe? During the fight the lights briefly go out and they are lit up by the lightsabers. But it's definitely kind of been a quiet blindspot with the effects in Star Wars all throughout the series.
 
Yup, this is something new in the saga isn't it? I wonder how the iconic shots of the OT would look if the lightsabers actually lit up the fog and characters.

http://i.imgur.com/ho0oItw.jpg[/mg][/QUOTE]

I've wished for this for a long time. There was only one time I know of when this was done in the movies, and that was a quick couple of shots in the Anakin x Dooku fight at the end of Attack of the Clones. It was shitty too, just two closeups of each of them just twirling their lightsaber around.

There's a lot of potential for visual spectacle with this. Surely it cant be that hard to come up with an illuminated lightsaber that would survive a choreographed fight?
 
Same here.
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I love how mean the thing looks and the little touches from what little we've seen like how unstable it is to the point that sparks fly off it when it's swung around.

I know right? Since everything Star Wars is generally run through a crime lab-worthy level of scrutiny, what's the talk around why dude's light saber looks so unstable? I seem to recall the OT and Prequel sabers being fairly narrow and well-contained but Ren's looks like it's on fire and I love it.
 
I think the reason the villain's lightsaber initially bothered me was because it just kinda reminded me of all those gimmicky lightsaber variations found in the Expanded Universe. Isn't there a sithlord or something that literally has lightsabers coming out of his knees?

But, for what it's worth, this one isn't quite as goofy as those.
 
What's awesome is that, wherever you fall on the design of the crossguard, the design work around the physical properties of the blade are super interesting. The crackling and sparks being spit out, the thing freaking steaming in that Hasbro pic a couple posts up (is that thing gonna steam up the air when he pulls it out in that snowy forest from the first trailer and be fucking awesome!?), lighting up the character and fog etc. It all makes the saber feel more tangible in a way they never really have. It kind of finally matches visually what the sound effects always evoked.

I can't wait to see a "proper" lightsaber to see how that looks with these updated effects. Even if it visually looks more "clean" like the OT and prequels, the other tangible physical properties might still carry over and be very impactful.
 
Same here.
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I love how mean the thing looks and the little touches from what little we've seen like how unstable it is to the point that sparks fly off it when it's swung around.

This looks amazing. I almost feel like making a new thread, but if the magazine hits subscribers tomorrow I guess those details will justify one.

This is my most anticipated movie of the year for me. Which is weird because I waited for 'Jurassic Park 4' for so long.

from the hasbro catalogue

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Any link to this catalog?
 
What's awesome is that, wherever you fall on the design of the crossguard, the design work around the physical properties of the blade are super interesting. The crackling and sparks being spit out, the thing freaking steaming in that Hasbro pic a couple posts up (is that thing gonna steam up the air when he pulls it out in that snowy forest from the first trailer and be fucking awesome!?), lighting up the character and fog etc. It all makes the saber feel more tangible in a way they never really have. It kind of finally matches visually what the sound effects alway of evoked.

I can't wait to see a "proper" lightsaber to see how that looks with these updated effects. Even if it visually looks more "clean" like the OT and prequels, the other tangible physical properties might still carry over and be very impactful.

This is one of things I'm most interested to see. I have no doubt that the methods of creating the effect will be modern but I hope they study the subtle flickers and errors that the rotoscope sabers had. From shot to shot the sabers had different widths and shapes. It made them seem more rough and dangerous. Unstable. It's reassuring that this new saber has that in spades. But the 'classic' sabers should to a degree too. Inconstancy instead of uniformity.
 
What's awesome is that, wherever you fall on the design of the crossguard, the design work around the physical properties of the blade are super interesting. The crackling and sparks being spit out, the thing freaking steaming in that Hasbro pic a couple posts up (is that thing gonna steam up the air when he pulls it out in that snowy forest from the first trailer and be fucking awesome!?), lighting up the character and fog etc. It all makes the saber feel more tangible in a way they never really have. It kind of finally matches visually what the sound effects always evoked.

I can't wait to see a "proper" lightsaber to see how that looks with these updated effects. Even if it visually looks more "clean" like the OT and prequels, the other tangible physical properties might still carry over and be very impactful.

I concur, the design is much more physical in a way we've never seen before. I think it's a better reflection of a Sith apprentice than the old design in that it's rougher and so more full of emotion compared to the polished predecessors. You can see the violence in the design.
 
Same here.
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I love how mean the thing looks and the little touches from what little we've seen like how unstable it is to the point that sparks fly off it when it's swung around.
I really love how messy and sinister his lightsaber energy is. It looks so untamed compared to the usual solid and calm lightsaber beams that we're used to seeing. Gives it a nice bit of personality as if it's trying to break free and slaughter a bunch of people.
 
Same here.
YIQPYgb.jpg


I love how mean the thing looks and the little touches from what little we've seen like how unstable it is to the point that sparks fly off it when it's swung around.

wow. dude looks sinister as fuck. darth quack gonna go nuts this winter. i'm loving every piece of visual media (except for the struzan poster lmao) so far. it's doing all the right things.
 
Same here.
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I love how mean the thing looks and the little touches from what little we've seen like how unstable it is to the point that sparks fly off it when it's swung around.

See sometimes I think he looks amazing. Like this is incredible

from the hasbro catalogue

6KYjwoD.jpg


But then here he looks like a straight up Duck. I wonder if there is an actual lore reason why his mask looks like this
 
But then here he looks like a straight up Duck. I wonder if there is an actual lore reason why his mask looks like this

According to J. J. himself:

J J Abrams said:
“The movie explains the origins of the mask and where it’s from, but the design was meant to be a nod to the Vader mask,” Abrams tells EW. “[Ren] is well aware of what’s come before, and that’s very much a part of the story of the film.”
 
Same here.
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I love how mean the thing looks and the little touches from what little we've seen like how unstable it is to the point that sparks fly off it when it's swung around.

It's like a sci-fi flame sword. Way better than a "sword-staff."
 
Hot damn Ren's design is awesome, hopefully he'll be a much more worthwhile villain and not the wasted opportunity that Maul was.
 
I know right? Since everything Star Wars is generally run through a crime lab-worthy level of scrutiny, what's the talk around why dude's light saber looks so unstable? I seem to recall the OT and Prequel sabers being fairly narrow and well-contained but Ren's looks like it's on fire and I love it.

I think it has somehting to do with how the crystal is placed inside the handle. The novel Heir to the Jedi, about Lukes adventures after EP4 explains it. If you are connected with the force you place and level the crystal and the other thingymajigs with your mind, not touching them, just to get them to the exact position. Supposedly, one might argue, if you are not connected with the force you cant level them perfectly and you end up with an unstable one.
 
They definitely played with it a bit in at least one scene that I recall during the prequels. Can't find a gif, but I think it was Anakin vs. Dooku in Attack of the Clones maybe? During the fight the lights briefly go out and they are lit up by the lightsabers. But it's definitely kind of been a quiet blindspot with the effects in Star Wars all throughout the series.

This?

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JJ gives out some more info on Kylo Ren, Snoke, and not-Siths:

While we’ve already learned that Kylo Ren is obsessed, in his way, with Darth Vader, and that his mask and general appearance are a nod to that character, director J.J. Abrams confirms in the story that Driver’s character “is not a Sith.” Abrams goes onto say, “[Kylo Ren] works under Supreme Leader Snoke, who is a powerful figure on the Dark Side of the Force.”

On the Empire:

“That all came out of conversations about what would have happened if the Nazis all went to Argentina but then started working together again? What could be born of that? Could The First Order exist as a group that actually admired The Empire? Could the work of The Empire be seen as unfulfilled? And could Vader be a martyr? Could there be a need to see through what didn’t get done?”

http://collider.com/star-wars-7-kylo-ren-not-a-sith-says-jj-abrams-andy-serkis-character-revealed/
 

Yup that's exactly what I was thinking of. It's ultimately disappointing because the lighting effect only happens in the closeups and not the wideshots, and then it's just bad editing/choreography because it looks like they are just swinging aimlessly in the closeups to show off that lighting. But that's a whole other digression.
 
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