Star Wars Sith Trailer and the O.C.

williamw83 writes "CNN is reporting that the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith trailer will make its debut during none other than Fox's "The O.C." The article is candid in pointing out that 'as an avid superhero fan, Seth Cohen, the main character of "The O.C." played by Adam Brody, would likely relish the event.' The trailer will air during the March 10 episode, at sometime between 8 and 9PM EST. The article also makes note for those not wishing to tune into the TV drama that "the new trailer will be released in movie theaters beginning March 11.""

Comments

payola

[wattersa]

Hilarious. Do we think the network that runs "The O.C." had to pay for the chance to double its viewership in the 18 and under demographic, or is it a symbiotic relationship?

Re:payola

[kacymartin]

Doubt it since the OC is on Fox, and Fox distributes Star Wars...

Re:payola

[Martin Blank]

Internal budgets probably still mattered. Movie marketing execs have to justify their budgets, and the TV ad execs need to reach their sales quotas.

Re:payola

[demachina]

Yawn.....

So Slashdot editors decided it was front page worthy to plug both a trailer(a.k.a an ad) for a so far bad trilogy, premiering on a bad TV show.

What demographic does it boost for O.C. when Slashdot geeks, who need a life and think Star Wars is still cool even though Lucas has butchered his franchise with the prequels, rush to Slashdot O.C. with their TV remotes?

How much do you think Lucas and O.C. paid Slashdot editors to plug their lame ass media "event" to the one demographic most vulnerable to their manipulation, Slashdot geeks?

Re:payola

[shitdrummer]

Not even a Star Wars trailer is enough to get me to watch another episode of The O.C.

I watched half of one episode and I'm still scared to turn the TV on on a Tuesday night (in Australia). :D

At least Battlestar Galactica is on now, although seeing as though we are watching series 1 in Australia right now, I have been able to download the entire first season, so no more channel 10 for me on Wednesday nights. :D

Shitdrummer

Re:payola

[Muvlo Redond]

Who's the more foolish, the fool who posted the article or the fool that takes time to write a response to something he apparently holds in such disdain?

Re:payola

[suso]

Make fun of The O.C. all you want,
I will actually be watching The O.C. for The O.C., not for some Star Wars trailer.

I watch the O.C. because I think it is produced quite well, decent drama, good music, good camera work and is funny once in a while. Besides that, it focuses a lot on adult problems as well as teenager problems, so its not specifically targeted at the 13-19 demographic.

From my point of view, my viewing of "The O.C." will be interupted with the broadcast of a crappy trailer for what looks like will be a crappy movie.

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

when Slashdot geeks, who need a life

Well, at least you admit what you are.

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not surprised that the creators of the OC did this, here's what they've done so far this season.

had constant guest appearances by bands

include music from the Top 40

have a lesbian storyline with two hot girls who are main characters

a Spiderman movie homage at the end of last episode.
Basically this show does anything to keep on top, and I love it!

Re:payola

[Golias]

The most blatant display I'd ever seen along these lines was a few years ago. I was channel surfing when I hit something that I had to stop and behold:

A prime-time "special"...

Featuring Britney Spears and several other acts (who also happened to be on Disney-owned labels)...

With trailers of upcoming Disney-produced movies...

Filmed at Disney World...

On ABC.

Yup. The company ran an infomercial for their biggest theme park while pimping their pop stars and promoting their films, and tried to use it as a ratings draw for their network.

I was a little bit in awe.

Re:payola

[saden1]

That's how corporate America works. Many large companies have subsidiaries and they get first dibs at contracts. Still, you must offer value to the parent company otherwise you'll be sold or dissolved in no time. In any case, if you're going to pay why not pay yourself? You will probably give yourself some money.

Re:payola

[BlueHands]

can go wrong with some hot lesbians...... i certain hope lucas got Ms. Portman to help out..... I have a feeling that many geeks would watch...for the instructional value......

Re:payola

[Dizzle]

The poster.

Re:payola

[zonker]

that's called "synergy", something that jimmy kimmel immediately found lacking when his show first aired. he complained that abc liked to talk about how it was this big company with lots of different divisions and they tried to "synergize" with the rest of the divisions by cross advertising and such. however when he first started getting guests, disney wouldn't allow their top stars (alias's jennifer garner at the time) on the show. he complained of it on his show by saying, "synergy my ass"... ;p

Re:payola

[Hobbex]

I appreciate the effort, but in real life she is 19, so you can stop rationalizing...

Re:payola

[kyojin the clown]

and english! take that, bad teeth stereotype!

Re:payola

[xanadu-xtroot.com]

What demographic does it boost for O.C. when Slashdot geeks, who need a life and think Star Wars is still cool even though Lucas has butchered his franchise with the prequels

Which Demographic? Hmmm... Well, I'm 31. Yea, EP 1 sucked... REALLY bad. EP 2, if you track past all the love scenes, really wasn't any where near as bad as people make it out to be. What's in store in EP 3 for those people who have been able to see all of the flicks, thus far, in the theaters (and not some pimple-faced teen born in the late 80's / early 90's who has only seen them on TV)? I dunno. Closure. I do know that I am going to do my God Damnedest to get tickets so I *AND* my Son can see it.

Oh, and will I be tuning into whatever this O.C. show is for the sole reason of being able to tape the trailer? You'd better bet I am.

*THAT* is the target audience...

P.S.
No. I am, by far and large, no Lucas whor^H^H^H^H fan, I have just been a fan of the flicks (and genre) for quite a long time. You'd better bet I want to actually *WATCH* Obi-Wan kick Anakin's ass...

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

The fool who posted the article.

Re:payola

[tommertron]

I don't know why more Slashdotters don't appreciate the OC. Seth Cohen is a nerd! And he gets laid (sometimes.) Okay, he never talks about Linux, but he talks about comics a lot. And the music's good... not just your regular teeny-bop stuff. They've had The Walkmen, The Shins... definitely a nerd show.

Re:payola

[XMyth]

Don't be so bitter. You'd have a happier life if you just ignored those things that bother you so much.

Re:payola

[Refrag]

Maybe you should watch Lucas' THX 1138 instead of Episode 3...

Re:payola

[emilymildew]

You know, there are those of us who are past the legal drinking age who are no longer pimple-faced teens and who are actually (wait for this) productive members of society who were not old enough to watch the first ones in the theater.

I believe I was born when the third one came out, but I'll be darned if I can recall being 8 months old.

Re:payola

[yammosk]

Mod the parent funny! Am I the only one who go this Star Wars reference?

Re:payola

[yammosk]

Sounds like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Only BtVS had at LEAST 3 Geek/SciFi/Comic reference every episode. Oh, and good dialogue. Oh, and one of the lesbians was a hacker.

Re:payola

[artemis67]

There's an opportunity cost associated with it, though. Opportunity cost is the cost of the next best alternative that you are giving up. In this case, it would be the amount that Fox Studios would have made by running the trailer on another network.

Money may not have changed hands, but this was by no means "free".

Re:payola

[JJRRutgers]

ABC-Disney has been doing this for years. I remember when they ran an infomercial with a couple of actors from the Indiana Jones films (John-Rhys "Gimli" Davies I remember was a part of it) advertising the new Indiana Jones ride at one of their theme parks. They are ABC-Disney, they can run this kind of stuff at their own network at basically their own expense.

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

When "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" used to appear in primetime on ABC, I would occassionally see them asking questions in the early easy rounds that were thinly disguised advertisements. Can't remember any exactly, but they were of the form: "Which of the following names is not a character in the upcoming Disney animated film Hercules?"

Re:payola

[MissTuxie]

AND, she was the freakish ghost kid in Sixth Sense!

Re:payola

[demachina]

THX-1138 was a great effort, though the ending is pretty weak. Lucas has a great imagination but really can't write a script.

To borrow a THX-1138'ism I am quite convinced the state made Lucas resume his full daily dose of meds before he started work on the prequels, which is why they are the sad pieces of work they are.

I'd be overjoyed if Sith recaptures the magic of the first two installments of the original trilogies, kids in particular deserve some of the magic the original Star Wars brought to the big screen, but there is zero reason to be fanatics about it this franchise after the disappointment of the first two prequels.

Re:payola

[Glsai]

Well I'm in your camp. The recent movies are lacking a bit of the magic of the first trilogy. But they are still entertaining. I don't plan on watching the OC because I never have, but I'll record it on my DVR and what might be a first for me in the last sixth months will actually watch a commercial (with the exception of the Super Bowl)

Re:payola

[Refrag]

When I mentioned THX-1138, I was hinting at the shameless consumerism of xanadu-xtroot.com (450073).

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you sure you weren't in awe over Britany's bountiful... er... superb.. um.. notes?

Re:payola

[demachina]

God damn, you are SOOO right.

I really need to stop getting hacked off watching American's in particular obsess over stuff like bad Star Wars sequels, O.C., reality TV and video games.

Me I'm getting all worried for no reason about scenarios like this. This article is a bit alarmist but the economic issues cited are VERY real and anyone with a clue about economics is deeply concerned about the precarious postition the U.S. is in today and I've heard it from multiple independent and generall relaiable source in recent weeks.

It does bother me when Americans in particular are obsessing over meaningluss crap lik movies, TV and video games, while we've basicly stopped most productive economic activity, and our government is shredding basic civil liberties, and the Bush administration is doleing out hundreds of billions of our tax dollars to their rich friends and miring us in a debt hole we will never get out of.

America has turned in to the world biggest debtor nation to the tune of $7-8 trillion dollars. Someone, usually foreign, has to buy $2 billion dollars worth of our debt a DAY just to keep us afloat, mostly thanks to a $600 billion a year trade deficit and a $400 billion a year budget deficit both of which are exploding. Our wealth as a nation is disappearing at a rate of maybe a trillion dollars a year, and accelerating.

And the key problem TODAY is, most foreign central banks and investors are coming to the conclusion that it is insane to be buying U.S. dollars and U.S. debt when the dollar is tanking and the U.S. economy is being managed by incompetents. As the U.S. dollar is plunging all those foreign investors are taking a bath holding dollars, and if it continues they are going to dump the U.S. and try to salvage their positions before things go really bad.

We are THIS close to seeing the rest of the world start dumping dollars and move the global economy to the Euro, including trading oil in Euro's. If that happens and there is a run on the U.S. dollar this country is going to be in a world of hurt like that Thailand and Korea saw a few years ago when there were runs on their currencies, though this run could be 100 times larger.

If oil producers switch to selling oil in Euros the price of oil in the U.S. is going to spike due to the collapse of the dollar. That aside people in OPEC are predicting oil demand is about to oustripe supply on a strucutural basis and oil could easily spike to $80 a barell.

I wager the only reasong foreign central banks haven't started dumping dollars is fear of the global economic crisis that would ensue if the dollar and the U.S. economy collapse.

I assure there is significant risk of this happening. Greenspan testified yesterday the Fed is watching anxiously for it to happen, it hasn't yet but it could at any moment. Greenspan also vented his strongest warning yet on the dangers of the U.S. continue to borrow $2 billion dollars a day, unfortunately it is falling on deaf ears in Washington.

Another key point is the Bush administration's arrogant contempt for the rest of the world has used up every ounce of good will the U.S. has in the world, so most places would be delighted if the U.S. economy collapsed if only it could happen without taking the rest of the world with it.

All in all, yea I think we should probably focus our attention on bad movies, bad ads, and bad TV.

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

Going for that male audience, like most shows... Funny how each gender appreciates same sex stuff, as long as it's the opposite sex. I wonder, would a show with two gay guys attract the females, because they find that "so hot"?

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe Lucas should remake THX 1138, put in all those special effects that keep the kiddies and the Happy Meals coming.

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

So your point is you gotta be mad and upset about something, might as well make it bad movies and TV? Here's a thought: Why get upset at all over the things you have no chance of changing? Conversely, if you think you CAN change them, why are you upset?

Re:payola

[demachina]

I think you are missing the problem here assuming you are American. You see 99% of Americans are so used to the giant free ride they've had since the end of World War II they have settling in to thinking:

A. The American gravy train will never end, no matter how much our government or we as a people cock it up so why care.

B. American's as a whole have resigned themselves to the fact there is nothing they can do about anything which is completely wrong. First off we need to get together and stop putting incompetents in to government, as a people we need to stop ignoring economic and political issues that matter while we obsess over issues that for the most part don't matter like gay marriage, abortion, gun control, or whose stabbing who in the back on the current reality TV rage.

America's preeminence over the last 50 years is mostly due to an accident of geography allowing it to be the only major industrial nation not flattened in World War II. Current American superiority is not inherent in the American people or the Amercan system like most American's delude themselves in to thinking. By thinking they are inherently superior they've created a trap they are now falling it (i.e. no matter how much we hose our government and economics we will still rule the world).

I assure you most of the world is way hungrier than America is now and they are working a LOT hard and a lot smarter to get ahead.

Bad movies, TV and video games are real close to being at the heart of the problem, if not the problem. Americans would way rather obsess over and hear about the lastest sensational celebrity trial than news that actually matters for something. They would way rather be told how to think about economics and politics by whomever controls the TV than thinking for themselves and spot all the lies the government and the media are telling on a daily basis. As an example there is apparently a right wing group pissed at AARP for opposing private social security accounts so they've started a propaganda campaign claiming AARP supports gay marriage, just because that worked to well destroying their opponents in November. Geeez.

Most Americans would rather escape in to the fantasy world of TV, movies or video games than deal with the real world. Trust me living your life inside a MMORPG or an FPS is a sweet job if you can get it but for 99.9% of the people doing it you can't make a living at it and are slowly wasting away your life instead of doing something useful and productive like developing real world skills, or being productive. Only real world skill I can see from FPS's is you are being trained to kill people using high tech weapons (which is why the Army ships their own FPS).

Lord knows ranting here does absolutely no good but it makes you feel a little better knowing you are at least slightly differentiated from the rest of the sheeple.

Re:payola

[wattersa]

The funny thing is, you're right! The O.C. is one symptom of Southern California's shift from being a defense manufacturing center to a solely entertainment-based economy (as explained by a professor of mine). We have these irrelevant characters playing people who are obsessed with status, money, and clothes rather than the things that matter in life: self-development, learning, and friendships.

As someone who went to college in southern california (UCLA '02), I have to say that The O.C. exaggerates only slightly the lives of the children of moderately wealthy parents living in Newport Beach. I've had a moderate amount of contact with people who grew up in Orange County. The great part is, these kids are often unmotivated and/or moronic so it's satisfying to have a sort of "revenge of the nerds" going on. Someone said the main character is a geek; the only reason he could be a geek is by being an outsider (I seem to recall he moved to the O.C. from somewhere more normal). It's not "normal" to be a geek in Orange County, is what the writers are telling us. Well whatever, the kids there go to USC and grow up to work in sales and marketing.

At the same time, there's something in most of us that likes to see people succeed in adversity. To me that explains why we have hero comic books and movies like Spider Man 2. I've concluded that there are several fundamentally different types of people, separated mainly by the differences in value they place on being "cool." I've long since accepted that I'm one of the ones who cares less about being cool. Of course, in the O.C. that's what matters. That's why I only spent 4 years in Southern California.

Re:payola

[xoombeeny]

Key words, "..I hit something that I had to stop and behold."

Implication.

You DID watch it.

If you don't want to support the blatant scum marketing, turn off the boob tube and go outside. There's an entire world out there just waiting to be seen.

Re:payola

[Golias]

You DID watch it.

If you don't want to support the blatant scum marketing, turn off the boob tube and go outside.

Yes I did. For a whole 20 minutes of the 1-hour show. I didn't even like any of the entertainers involved. It was fascinating to witness.

I didn't say it was evil, just that it was amazingly blatent. You seldom see naked corporate greed displayed in such an obvious fashion. That, in itself, is like a strange new form of art.

But something I should fight against? Nah. Naked corporate greed puts food on people's tables and money into my 401K. As long as people are willing to buy what they are selling, I say "good for them."

Oh, funniest part of all about this infomercial-disguised-as-a-special: They interrupted it to run ads, just as they would with any other show, and some of the ads were for Disney World and the Brittany Spears album.

Breaking into a commercial to run commercials. Brilliant!

Re:payola

[Darby]

Heh, this totally reminds me of a Bad Religion song:

See there's a girl who sits and watches the world from her blue screen.
Also a boy who truly wants to destroy his hometown scene.
They both want to travel to the land of competition.
Southern California will destroy them,
And they won't be the best, they'll be the poseurs who dress
Like the plastic idiots who they can't be.

That last line is awesome. It's a big fuck you to everybody involved in the process ;-)

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

What about Special Edition? I was born in 85 and I have seen all 5 films in theaters at least 4 times each.

Re:payola

[ShawnDoc]

Does this surprise you? Walt Disney pioneered this with the original "Disneyland" TV program. In order to finance the creation of Disneyland park, he sold (I want to say to CBS, but I'm not sure) a series of 1 hour programs. He named the show Disneyland and each week it played a program that fit one of four themes that just happened to be named after the 4 major themed areas in his upcoming Disneyland park. He was pretty much free to create whatever programming he wanted, so several of the episodes revolved around the construction and grand opening of Disneyland Park. Walt also used the park (once it opened) to promote new theatrical releases, and continued to use Disneyland/Wonderful World of Disney/Etc as a place to promote his park and movie ambitions.

Walt was one of the world's best marketers and the Disney company still uses many of his innovations today to continue to cross-promote their products.

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

They've had The Walkmen, The Shins... definitely a nerd show.

Will Sasso: "...what's in now is "the". The Strokes, the...I can't see you, the Vines, the Hives, the White Stripes. You see this isn't new. The Led Zeppelins? Right, are you feeling me? Check this out....The Sums!"

Re:payola

[Guppy06]

"Seth Cohen is a nerd! And he gets laid (sometimes.)"

The two are mutually exclusive.

Re:payola

[robinlh12]

But I think I saw the trailer on one of the movie networks (either AMC or TCM) over the February 20th weekend. I forget what movie I was watching, but when it ended, with time before the next film, they showed Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. The rest of the day on the same channel they showed Winn Dixie. Maybe it was a mistake, but the scenes from the trailer were fantastic!

Re:payola

[Anonymous Coward]

I do know that I am going to do my God Damnedest to get tickets so I *AND* my Son can see it.

Is that you, God?

Convergence?

[Anonymous Coward]

Convergence...?

What you mean by that?

It's that time of the year

[nate nice]

Must be sweeps month! This is what Tivo was made for.

Re:It's that time of the year

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, tonight was the last night of sweeps.

dupity

[Anonymous Coward]

dupe.

Star Wars = Superhero???

[AtariAmarok]

"'as an avid superhero fan, Seth Cohen"

I, for one, look forward to the moment young Anakin is disfigured and takes puts on a mask and cape, and dedicates his life to fighting the Fantastic Four.

Re:Star Wars = Superhero???

[netrangerrr]

I, for one, look forward to the moment old Lucas is disfigured and finds a writer who can do dialog!

Re:Star Wars = Superhero???

[mirko]

Alec ? Is that you ? (see 1st item in "trivia")

Re:Star Wars = Superhero???

[Anonymous Coward]

oops bad link : Alec Guinness.

Re:Star Wars = Superhero???

[netrangerrr]

"You can't win, George... if you strike me down, I will become more powerful that you could possibly imagine...

Re:Star Wars = Superhero???

[screwballicus]

This may be an older outlook on the franchise, but there is certainly good precedent for the position that, among the many sources on which Lucas drew to create Star Wars, were quite a few notions and cinematic approaches common to and drawn from contemporary superhero genre. When I read the association of superhero genre with Star Wars, I didn't react, as I just considered it natural, as I would consider someone associating the Western or the Sword and Sorcery genres with Star Wars.

Re:Star Wars = Superhero???

[LaminatorX]

"There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. You do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover you power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy. Finally, we shall defeat the acursed Reed Richards!"

Didn't They Do This Last Time?

[carninja]

I seem to recall them doing this with Episode II (and possibly Episode I as well)... Why am I not surprised they are doing it again?

Re:Didn't They Do This Last Time?

[heptapod]

Pish posh, The O.C. wasn't on TV until 2003!

Re:Didn't They Do This Last Time?

[carninja]

i meant with fox in general.

torrent?

[Maskirovka]

Whoever posts the *.torrent first gets a cookie.

Re:torrent?

[Anonymous Coward]

Whoever posts me a cookie gets a torrent.

Re:torrent?

[Suburbanpride]

The OC (minus the comericals of course) is one of the most consistantly busy torrents I see. I have enver seen it with less than 2500 seeds. It must be all those college kids using up all the university bandwidth.

Re:torrent?

[MiKM]

I thought Slashdot already gave out cookies for free.

Re:torrent?

[lfrandom]

The OC, is one of the best seeded torrents I have seen as well, but I've never seen 2500 + seeds, where do you see that at? I am one of the few guys I know who actually enjoys the show, and to make matters worse I am 21. Yay teenage melodrama.

Re:torrent?

[Reziac]

Somehow I read that as "Whoever posts the *.torrent first gets a wookiee."

Eeep!!

Re:torrent?

[nzkbuk]

Is that the torrent for the trailer or the film ?

Re:torrent?

[Maskirovka]

Somehow I read that as "Whoever posts the *.torrent first gets a wookiee."

That'd be a good joke to make tomorrow when the story gets duplicated.

Re:torrent?

[mbrewthx]

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury my client did not "share" the OC on this torrent thing. Look he has a Wookie. And his name is Chewbacca.. And do you know where he lived????....

Re:torrent?

[Reziac]

And by the time the film comes out, we'll have a whole planetful of wookiees!! ;)

Re:torrent?

[RevAaron]

It's March 10th already?

Re:torrent?

[fm6]

Gee, thanks.

Re:torrent?

[RangerRick98]

Only if you login. ;)

Re:torrent?

[Anonymous Coward]

Some good mention of two different downloads, one torrent can be found here (http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.ph p?p=3571663#post3571663).

Re:torrent?

[keithosu]

Try this one. Found it on Gooooogle! http://www.torrentbox.com/download.php/12823/star. wars.3.trailer.torrent

Let me be the first to say...

[The-Bus]

...the what???

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Martin Blank]

That's what I said the first time I heard the name of the show, and I live in the very same Orange County in which the show is set. Because of the people my brothers hang out with, I know people from a fairly wide age and geographic range, and prior to this show coming along, no one I knew had ever heard of, let alone used, the term "the O.C." to refer to the area. We'd sometimes say we were "in OC," or "heading back to OC," but putting that particular article in front of it was completely new to us.

Now I have to add people to my hit-list when they use it, much like the people who continue to use "shock and awe" (over-used) or "WMD" (it's NBC, BCNR, or unconventional weapons, people).

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[DAldredge]

I has going to make a joke using the P word and the ISH words but I could not bring myself to do it.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[ackthpt]

no one I knew had ever heard of, let alone used, the term "the O.C." to refer to the area.

Yeah, well TV and movies have a way of distorting reality. People who use catch-phrases they learn on TV shows are like the tourists who wear a Santa Cruz t-shirt in Santa Cruz ('geez, what a hick').

There's some stupid competition among newspaper people and civic leaders (self-appointed I'm sure) over who owns the title Surf City, SC or Huntington Beach. Rare that anyone locally refers to SC as 'Surf City' (lest they be made fun of, 'geez, what a hick') as they're too busy surfing or having to fight it out with out of townies who come in and try to steal waves. Surfing's too important here to get caught up in something as lame as ownership of some title. I'm sure actual denizens of Orange County will be duking it out soon with citizens of OC (Ocean City) Maryland for ownership of 'OC'.

Meanwhile, I'll be first in line at my TV set, ensuring it's turned off during the trailer. I'd rather see it all for the first time at the theater, good or bad.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Nerull]

Now you know how we felt when they flimed Hard Rain...

"Huntin' Burg" my ass. We are close to the south, but not that close. (Mix of northern and southern accents, but I have never, ever, heard anyone say "Huntin' Berg")

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[eamonman]

Well, I certainly hope you'd never hear anyone say that; That's so pretentious... almost as bad as referring to yourself in the first-person. The only real and similar case is when I hear NoCal people say, "we were just leaving a party in the city" to someone who doesn't even live there (or maybe that's just the SoCal we-have-the-highest-strip-malls-per-capita and no-downtown-after-sundown inferiority complex.)

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Maserati]

It's worse than that, in San Francisco we assume anyone from the US will recognize San Francisco as "the city".

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[angrist]

I'm not from california (quite the opposite actually, NJ), but anyway,

as far as i know the only specific location that should be referenced as "the X" is The Bronx.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Anonymous Coward]

People from NoCal call it "The City". The rest of us just call it Frisco.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what I said the first time I heard the name of the show, and I live in the very same Orange County in which the show is set. Because of the people my brothers hang out with, I know people from a fairly wide age and geographic range, and prior to this show coming along, no one I knew had ever heard of, let alone used, the term "the O.C." to refer to the area. We'd sometimes say we were "in OC," or "heading back to OC," but putting that particular article in front of it was completely new to us.

Hell, I live in Newport Beach. Someone wanna show me where the fuck all these debutante balls and rich slutty bi girls are? Cuz I sure as hell can't find 'em.

Rich slutty bi high school girls notwithstanding.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Anonymous Coward]

The Hague.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Kiryat Malachi]

I live in Chicago.

Burb kids get "the city" from me. When I lived in Detroit, burb kids got "the city" from me.

And yes, I would use it with people who didn't live locally too; if you don't live in "the city", whatever my current definition of "the city" is, you're a burb kid.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[doubledoh]

Actually, The OC is not set in OC, it's set in LA. What a sham. Oh, it's also one of the worst shows in the universe. Strangely, Smallville is even more cringeworthy. It's set in Canada.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Anonymous Coward]

The vast spread of city and suburbia around Dallas/Fort Worth, TX is called "The Metroplex."

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Achoi77]

Must be a largest-on-the-coast thing. I live right between Philadelphia and NYC, and everybody here knows NYC as "the city" and Philadelphia as Philly. Atlantic City which is about an 90 mins away is always referred to as "AC" and if anyone calls it 'the city' than all the locals will look at your funny. My friend down south in Florida referrs to Miami as "the city" and Orlando as Orlando. I guess we are all just lazy like that. :-)

Personally anything that doesn't have an underground transit system I don't really consider a city. Well except for Gotham City, maybe. Oh and Metropolis.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Anonymous Coward]

It's Norcal not NoCal, dude. NoCal is a type of health food...or something. Now where's my weed?

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[gobbo]

...or "WMD" (it's NBC, BCNR, or unconventional weapons, people)

Um, actually it's "Weapons of Mass Distraction," which is a conventional weapon.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Martin Blank]

Bzzt. Wrong. It's set in Newport Beach, CA, which is in Orange County, not LA County. It's about 45 minutes to two hours away (depending on driver and traffic).

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[doubledoh]

I understand that the producers of the show want you to THINK it's set in Newport Beach (which I used to live in by the way), but the show is actually filmed in LA. Some Proof I knew it wasn't Newport Beach because I used to go to both the Newport and Balboa piers all the time when I lived in OC, and those piers are definately not the piers used in the show. I think they film beach/pier shots at Hermosa Beach, which is part of LA county. So, Bzzz, I'm not wrong.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Dirk Pitt]

Well, actually, you are still a little wrong. You said 'The OC is not set in OC, it's set in LA', but I think you meant 'The OC is not filmed in OC'. It's correct to say, for instance, that the beginning of A New Hope was set on Tatooine, when in reality it was filmed on Earth. Just a nitpick, but in your first post you did sound like you were saying that the show was depicting itself as being in LA.

Not that I..uh..urr..watch the show...

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Anonymous Coward]

And for the oh-so-full-of-themselves:
The Ohio State University

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Martin Blank]

X-Files was filmed in British Columbia, but was set all over the country. Where it's filmed is not where it's set.

Therefore, bzzzt, you're still wrong. :)

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Darby]

Totally.
I live in Chicago, but I work in the burbs.
Most of the people I work with drive into the burbs from even farther out.

Screw Pace for cutting off my shuttle bus so I can't take Metra anymore :-(

Know anyone who's hiring in the City? Blue line preferred.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Kiryat Malachi]

Shit, man, I am in the *same* situation. I work out near Arlington Heights, live on the blue line. If I knew anyone who was hiring EE in the city, I'd already be working there.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[kaatochacha]

Sort of like my damn cousin in Nebraska, who keeps referring to California as "Cali". sigh.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Darby]

Oh Arlington Heights. In my day (well every day) I work in Vernon Hills, live in Wicker Park and drive even further. Uphill both ways.
Through waist high snow ;-)

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Kiryat Malachi]

Oh, we only got waist-high snow once this year. That's not so bad.

The traffic, on other hand, is that bad.

Re:Let me be the first to say...

[Dirtside]

That's what I said the first time I heard the name of the show, and I live in the very same Orange County in which the show is set. Because of the people my brothers hang out with, I know people from a fairly wide age and geographic range, and prior to this show coming along, no one I knew had ever heard of, let alone used, the term "the O.C." to refer to the area. We'd sometimes say we were "in OC," or "heading back to OC," but putting that particular article in front of it was completely new to us.

That's okay. Up here in L.A., we just refer to you as "behind the Orange Curtain."

In a related story

[AtariAmarok]

In a related story which shows the convergence, Jar Jar Binks is set to play a recurring character on the "O.C." next season. Jar Jar was quoted as saying "Meesa learn to say Californisa!".

Re:In a related story

[Anonymous Coward]

...and the following season, jar jar will be elected governor of california following a controversial recall election of arnie.

Re:In a related story

[AtariAmarok]

"and the following season, jar jar will be elected governor of california following a controversial recall election of arnie."

I know. The "Meesa Recall" campaign has already been working on slogans, like "California in deep poodoo. Meesa lick it clean!". He's already paid Perot for permission to make use of the "I'm all ears" catch phrase.

Re:In a related story

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, a Jar Jar Binks joke, it's like seven years ago all over again.

Re:In a related story

[puckylunk]

And Seth Cohen formally has his name changed to Sith Cohen. (?) Nevermind.

Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[H_Fisher]

"So, like, how many, y'know, total losers are going to, like, stop navel-gazing down at Gap and, y'know, go and see this movie? Because - uh! - I tell you, this show? The O.C.? It's, like, so NOT for sci-fi geeks ... I mean, for real! It's like, y'know, that time the chick in the band? Tried to get me to ask her out one time, and, like, I know she's into that shit because, like, she TOTALLY camped out for that movie - the other one, with that Jar-Jar guy? I mean, get real, I'm in student council, I work at Abercrombie and fucking Fitch, y'know? Like I'm going out with some weirdo geeky chick... Jesus ... pass me a Smirnoff Ice, dude..."

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[Anonymous Coward]

why did you do this to me? what have I done to you to cause you to hurt me like this?

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

Oh god, blood just shot out my nose..

How did you manage to type that out without falling over dead?

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[H_Fisher]

I was raised on M*A*S*H and original Star Trek reruns. Go figure. :-)

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[itchy92]

I read about a quarter of this and my eyes just glazed over...

Off-topic, I guess, but I hate these teen shows... all of them. I'm their target demographic (age-wise) and I cannot understand how people relate to these damned things. I mean, I know TV is about living vicariously through fake people with lives far more interesting than your own pathetic, hollow shell of an existence, but these things read worse than soap operas. And all the actors are late-30's portraying 16-18 year-olds... I just find that a little weird. Sorry for the pointless rant, but perhaps someone could enlighten me as to what the appeal of these things is?

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[sahonen]

I have no clue, and I'm in the same boat. I simply can't watch mainstream television at all, except sports.

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[Osty]

And all the actors are late-30's portraying 16-18 year-olds... I just find that a little weird.

Not that I'm a fan or anything, but would it hurt to do a little bit of research first? The oldest "kid" on the show is played by an actor in his late 20s (1978). the youngest is actually the correct age (1986). None of the "kids" are late-30s. Late-20s, maybe, and I agree that's a little weird having an actor play 10+ years younger than he/she is, but late-20s is a lot closer to teens than late-30s.

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[anitha cn-]

As far as I can tell, most people watch that type of TV show either because they think one of the actors is attractive, or because everybody else thinks so and they feel they're missing something.
I don't really know what the O.C. is, though. I'm basing that observation off other TV shows meant for teens that I've been forced to watch.

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[DynamiteNeon]

Everytime I think of bad marketing, I can't help but think of the Simpsons and Poochie.

Krusty (brainstorming Poochie): So he's proactive, huh?
Network Exec: Oh God, yes, we're talking about a totally outrageous paradigm.
Writer: Excuse me, but "proactive" and paradigm"? Aren't those just buzzwords that dumb people use to sound important? Not that I'm accusing you of anything like that. ...I'm fired, aren't I?
Roger Meyers Jr.: Oh, yes.

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[BakaHoushi]

Well, I'm 18, so I think I'd fit in their target demographic, but quite frankly, there's very little television out there I find worth watching. I can't stand these teen dramas and I am the group they're targeting. The only channel with characters I can identify with is, ironically, Cartoon Network. So the only semi-identifiable characters are fictional people. (Thank you, Adult Swim, for shows like Fullmetal Alchemist and Ghost in the Shell.)

As to the appeal of these shows, I'm really at just as much of a loss as you. What I've seen of these shows is nothing at all like anyone's real life. I did ask one girl who said she liked it and she told me it was because the protagonist was hot. I think that says it all, really.

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[Ilgaz]

We are arguing about which shows middle the ad airs on?

Thing is.. O.C. TV series star, teen idol is starring in Starwars?

Suddenly all my 1% interest in starwars went lower. Aka 0%

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[ndogg]

'Cause, y'know, it's, like, good, and stuff.

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[Anonymous Coward]

I was raised on M*A*S*H and original Star Trek reruns. Go figure. :-)

But those were good shows and even at their worst the dialog was never THAT bad!

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I'm 18, so I think I'd fit in their target demographic, but quite frankly, there's very little television out there I find worth watching. I can't stand these teen dramas and I am the group they're targeting. The only channel with characters I can identify with is, ironically, Cartoon Network. So the only semi-identifiable characters are fictional people. (Thank you, Adult Swim, for shows like Fullmetal Alchemist and Ghost in the Shell.)

IMHO, if you post on Slashdot and can identify with characters on Adult Swim (especially the anime) that probably means you are out of their target demographic, no matter what age you are.

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[isil]

Did you meet her at band camp?

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[H_Fisher]

Yeah - and, oh my GOD, let me tell you what she did with that flute... sicko ...

Re:Bad marketing: A Dramatization

[itchy92]

no, you're absolutely right... I meant late-20's, not late-30's. Just a typo. The point still stands, however.

Is it needed?

[gimpynerd]

Does Star Wars really need trailers? People will see it anyway just because it is "Star Wars". I wonder if this will be the last one or if George Lucas will make more...

Re:Is it needed?

[theparanoidcynic]

I think that he's made quite enough . . . . .

Re:Is it needed?

[gimpynerd]

Indeed, that is the current sentiment as he managed to do a spledid job of botching the last two. Maybe if Episode III is better the public opinion might change. You also have to look at the fact that George Lucas is making tons of money of these movies. Why not make some more?

Re:Is it needed?

[doubledoh]

Jesus, I hope he doesn't make more. George Lucas is the worst thing to happen to Star Wars since, well, George Lucas.

Re:Is it needed?

[artemis67]

IMO, Lucas is terrified that this movie is going to be a flop, and that he'll be remembered for the worst sci-fi triliogy ever, not the best. I can't believe how much info they've released on the movie already. They've leaked the entire plotline, they've leaked a bazillion photos, they've even released the opening crawl. Now they're going to open Cannes.

Fox and Lucas are definitely kicking the hype machine into high-gear on this one. I sure hope it lives up the the hype.

Re:Is it needed?

[alienspanke]

"I wonder if this will be the last one or if George Lucas will make more..."

--- Any /. reader asking if lucas will make more SW movies obviously shouln't be reading /. This is the official website for Nerds and Geeks, any Geek/Nerd that doesnt know that Episode III is the last Star Wars that Lucas will ever make cannot consider themselves a Geek/Nerd and therefore may reconsider their ablilty effectively portray true Nerdom/Geekdom.

As a self proclaimed Geek, I am embarassed.

Bold prediction

[Mukaikubo]

There will be more lightsabers than spoken words by a character in this trailer. If only the real movie like that, it will automatically beat Episodes 1 and 2. Because lightsabers are neat, but the dialogue will reek.

Re:Bold prediction

[Captain Splendid]

Because lightsabers are neat, but the dialogue will reek.

Dang, that's my new sig! Thanks!

No fair.

[Lisandro]

I'm running out of jokes about Episode III. It's amazing, they actually beat me to it every single time!

Re:No fair.

[LordPhantom]

I wouldn't worry about it... just wait until the movie comes out ;)

Ahem.

[Anonymous Coward]

You do realise that the "Funny" moderations which will eventually be applied to this gut-buster are actually a hazard to your overall karma, right?

Heheh

[winstonmeister]

The article is candid in pointing out that 'as an avid superhero fan, Seth Cohen, the main character of "The O.C." played by Adam Brody, would likely relish the event.'

They neglected to mention that, like Seth, the only people who are still interested in Star Wars are fictional characters.

Re:Heheh

[shrewd]

the only people who are still interested in Star Wars are fictional characters

well i'm interested in star wars, just not the new ones.....

Re:Heheh

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm, thats an interesting idea actually. Develop a product targeted at fictional characters (e.g. hyper moisturising cream, for dealing with that super-hero sweat rash between the thighs from running at super speeds). The people who then write those fictional characters would then be compelled to mention your product to maintain their fiction (Mrs Incredible: "Honey, can you pick up some Hyper-Moisturising Cream today - Dash has been going supersoncic in his cordoroy pants again"), and hence would have to pay you royalties. So, you make money off your product, and never even need to make it!

1. Invent fictional product that appeals to fictional characters.
2. ...
3. PROFIT!

cool tie in

[Anonymous Coward]

The O.C. rocks...all star wars fans will love it!

Re:cool tie in

[nate nice]

That's exactally the point. They know people like those on Slashdot will see this thing regardless so there is no point in showing this preview during Star Trek or something of that nature. (I don't watch TV much...what's something a nerd would watch?...Adult Swim?)

Use the huge OC crowd that may not see Star Wars and use all the glits you can to convinve them they must see it. Not to mention all the Star Wars freaks will tune into the OC now and at least one of them will watch it again because of this.

I'm wasting my breath as you probably knew this too but were just making a comment. Either way you're AC so deal with it.

Re:cool tie in

[Suburbanpride]

most of the guys I know justify their OC habits based on all the hot girls on the show.

How did I justify seeign ATOC, even thouhg i knew it was going to be horrible? two words Natalie Portman.

Re:cool tie in

[nate nice]

"That's exactally the point"

Ahh yes, posting below my own comment. Anyways, sorry that I spelled exactaly wrong as I have this habit of typing the 'l' twice for some reason on that word. Forgive me.

Re:cool tie in

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't they know any hot girls? Hanging out with hot girls who won't have sex with you for the sole fact that they're hot girls is sad, but doing so with recorded pixils takes it to an all new level of sad.

Re:cool tie in

[Suburbanpride]

real hot girls get mad when you sit and stare at them for an hour. the girls on the OC don't.

Re:cool tie in

[Bambi Dee]

Hee. You spelled it wrong again ;) (drop the second 'a')

Re:cool tie in

[drsquare]

American TV generally has a much higher concentration of hot girls than real life. In real life maybe 1 in 50 girls might be attractive, on something like the OC it's probably more like 3 in 4 mininum. Also on TV there's a good chance you will get to see them take their clothes off.

Re:cool tie in

[nate nice]

Jesus! Thanx.

I need that spell checker the new Google bar has.

Oompah Loompah

[Anonymous Coward]

Dupity Dupe.

There's a song parody here somewhere but I'm too wiped out to write it...

Barring that.

[AtariAmarok]

Barring that, I hope a merciful sound mixer risks the wrath of Lucas and makes sure that lightsabre sounds, speeder whooses, droid bleep-farts, and Wookiee growls (or even birds tweeting on Naboo) are ALWAYS mixed so loud that you can't hear the characters read their "Saved by a Bell"-reject dialogue.:

Padme, I always, like, wanted to say.. WHOOSH BLEEP BLAP BZZZZZT WHOOSH... like, ya know?"

Actually, no

[FunWithHeadlines]

Sweeps months are November, February, and May. How can you tell without looking at the calendar? Listen to your local news for lead-ins of the nature, "Something in your kitchen cabinet can KILL you! More after sports." Or "Think your local restaurant is safe and germ free? You'll be throwing up after this story."

Re:Actually, no

[Suburbanpride]

fox actually won the february sweeps for the first time in history, although only due to the superbowl.

The OC still is doing great, attracting lots of young people. Its all anyone talks about friday mornings here on campus. That used to be dominated by friends.

the story is

Re:Actually, no

[Anonymous Coward]

Fox won sweeps, even taking out the Super Bowl, because of American Idol.

Re:Actually, no

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

My local news programs have been doing stuff like that..

The Lurking threat on the intarweb *cuts to way too close up of fat guy* "I was browsin teh information superhighway when I gots an ehe-meil sayin to verify my amazon account an when i clicked, dey done stole my credit card!" *cuts back to anchor* Tune in tonight at 11 for more from our I-Team after CSI!"

Re:Actually, no

[Suburbanpride]

him the link didn't work, maybe that will teach me to use the preview button. lets try this again

Re:Actually, no

[nate nice]

I guess I don't watch TV. I really thought it was in March though. Can't remember the last time I watched a local newscast because, as you pointed out, I would probably puke. Thanx for the info though!

Re:Actually, no

[Nerull]

A local tv station got a huge boost in its ratings with something like that recently. First time ive seen a news report about how well a news report did. :P

A reporter was investigating some scum company, and when he was leaving someone punched him in the face. I didn't see it, but apparently it made the cable news networks as well.

Re:Actually, no

[Anonymous Coward]

Growing up in Houston, I knew it was sweeps month when the news reporters "investigated" strip clubs. Trying to sex up the news, so to speak.

I don't think they ever once showed archive footage in those reports.

Re:Actually, no

[BakaHoushi]

Sadly, all of my news stations do that pretty much all year round.

"Next on FOX 5 news at 5, a serial rapist has escaped prison, and he wants to hunt down YOUR family. Tune in to FOX 5 news at 5 to learn how you can save your family!"
"Tonight on Eyewitness news at 11, your TV might actually be an explosive! Tune in tonight to find out which brands may suddenly turn your house into a raging inferno!"

Once again, this proves that no news show is worth watching, excluding the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (Better to just get your news from other non-TV sources, too)

Re:Actually, no

[jensend]

The World in Crisis!

Target Audience?

[Colgate2003]

So, what does the placement of this trailer debut say about the target audience for Episode III?

Re:Target Audience?

[superflippy]

Most of the people I know (both personally and online) who watch the O.C. are women in their 20's and 30's. But the advertising during the show looks like it's aimed at high school to college-age.

So I guess that says that Episode III will appeal to the MTV demographic with lots of tricked-out machines and rich, whiny sorority girls.

Re:Target Audience?

[Zed2K]

Ep 3 is distributed by Fox. The OC is currently one of fox's hottest shows. Seems more about placement than target audience.

Best place to put it to reach the most viewers.

The OC is the current 90210.

The O.C. - Crap!

[XanC]

The O.C. is a ridiculous waste of time. It's an overblown soap opera. It has no redeeming qualities.

...And yet I can't look away!

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Da Masta]

It has no redeeming qualities ???

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Suburbanpride]

The OC is my dirty little secert. the only tv I watch is PBS and some sports. and then there's the OC. the girls in my dorm got me hooked last year and one of my roomates is keeping me hooke this year. Its totaly ridiculous but oh so fulfilling.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Punk Walrus]

Just like the trailer it will show during commercial! ... perfect match.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Kris_J]

Well, maybe it has one. Doesn't mean I can sit through the rest of it though.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Anonymous Coward]

Christ, anyone actually watching a tv show because there's a fully clothed hot chick in it needs to find some porn. Anything below a 100% chance of her getting naked makes it a waste of time.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Anonymous Coward]

You probably have never watched the OC but I bet if you gave it a chance you would actually like it. Seth would def be a slashdotter!

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Anonymous Coward]

The O.C. is a ridiculous waste of time. It's an overblown soap opera. It has no redeeming qualities.

I would put the writing, acting, drama, cimenatography, and storylines up against any of the modern Star Wars films. The OC wins that hands down.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Anonymous Coward]

Never watched it but I do watch OTH.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Refrag]

Dude, just go buy a Playboy.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[dusanv]

Holy sh*t. I can't believe I haven't even heard about this show. I gotta start watching this pronto.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[91degrees]

Pah! None of those images had a pic of the brunette dressed as Wonder Woman!

Total disappointment! ;)

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[NardofDoom]

Well, if you live in your mom's basement, have an "internet girlfriend" and your only human contact is what you see on TV, I can see the allure of the OC.

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Caiwyn]

So they're advertising a space opera on a soap opera. Perhaps "Tommy" by the Who will be on the show's soundtrack?

Re:The O.C. - Crap!

[Anonymous Coward]

You're just proven that we don't need to watch the show at all. We can jerk off to the chicks on it using the internet just fine, thank-you-very-much.

I hope

[WormholeFiend]

I hope someone TiVos and Torrents it, in case of slashdotting...

Re:I hope

[diogenes57]

Yeah, if we slashdot the TV the Nielson ratings boxes will surely smolder.

Old News

[Anonymous Coward]

The real trailer has already been out for some time now.

Re:Old News

[Anonymous Coward]

I love that trailer! I show it to everyone I can.

Re:Old News

[gorjusborg]

bookmark

Who Will See it?

[Anusien]

So in order to see the trailer and tell me friends, I have to admit I watched the OC? Shit.

Re:Who Will See it?

[Mishura]

No dude! Thats what torrents are for!

OC? Fuck that. If I wanted to bleed from my eyes and ears, I'd watch Episode 1, dammit.

bah, not very interested

[Anonymous Coward]

as technically and graphically nice the new star wars are, the storylines suck compared to the original series.

Say hello to the sci-fi equivalent to Weekend At Bernie's III

Three strikes, you're out

[Dancin_Santa]

Here's the windup... And the pitch!

Return of the Jedi *foul*

The windup... And the pitch!

Phantom Menace *STRIKE*

The windup... And the pitch!

Attack of the Clones *YEEEERR OUT*

Re:Three strikes, you're out

[Anonymous Coward]

foul for Return of the Jedi? Your mind is weak!

If there could be a battle between the JarJars and the Ewoks, you can bet your last dollar that the Ewoks would rape em. If there's one thing we learned, it's that rocks can beat armored stormtroopers!

Re:Three strikes, you're out

[Quobobo]

To be fair, I've gone back and watched the original trilogy recently (unedited version btw), and they're simply not as good as I remember. I remember being awed by them as a kid, but I'm not so sure anymore. I agree with you about Phantom Menace, but I actually enjoyed AotC. Ignore most of what Anakin says, and it's pretty good. The special effects are also finally being put to good use; to name one thing, the cloner aliens looked fantastic and fit into the Star Wars universe very well.

I've basically come to this conclusion: George Lucas may be a hack of a director, but he's created a universe for his characters that's interesting enough to sustain all the mediocre parts.

Re:Three strikes, you're out

[Anonymous Coward]

George Lucas may be a hack of a director, but he's created a universe for his characters that's interesting enough to sustain all the mediocre parts.

Substitute "J.R.R. Tolkein" for "George Lucas" and "author" for "director", and this still holds absolutely true.

As read by Courage the Insult Comic Dog

[savage1r]

Oh great, a crappy nerd trailer during an even more crappy teen soap operah! George Lucas, here's a spoiler for you, YOU WILL DIE ALONE!

Re:As read by Courage the Insult Comic Dog

[Anonymous Coward]

No, no, no. I kid, I kid. I'm sure it will be a wonderful movie, a great movie...

For me to POOP on!

Re:As read by Courage the Insult Comic Dog

[Anonymous Coward]

holly shit the force is strong with that one, http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/ is immune to being pooped on. Just have to settle for this story

Re:As read by Courage the Insult Comic Dog

[cmburns69]

"Oh great, a crappy nerd trailer during an even more crappy teen soap operah! George Lucas, here's a spoiler for you, YOU WILL DIE ALONE"

.. but very, very rich.

rest assured

[AtariAmarok]

Rest assured, that, in whatever country you are in, "Revenge of the Sith" will be a huge hit among your countryfolk....few of whom (unfortunately!) have heard of Snowcrash, either.

Re:rest assured

[untaken_name]

I'm glad you've interviewed every person in every country where slashdot is read. How did you find the time? Perhaps you are simply talking out of your ass, as so many do on this site. So many baseless assertions for such a small post.

Re:rest assured

[AtariAmarok]

" So many baseless assertions for such a small post."

Yet, everyone one of them true. The Star Wars movies do intend to be popular in many many countries, and in places where they are not, no one has even heard of "Snow Crash" (unfortunately). I don't have to interview everyone. Global box offices receipt figures broken down by country do just fine.

"Perhaps you are simply talking out of your ass, as so many do on this site"

Speak for yourself.

Re:rest assured

[untaken_name]

First of all, movies don't intend to do anything. They aren't capable of intending. Next: How do you know that even a single country exists where *no one* has heard of snow crash? You cannot POSSIBLY have definitive knowledge of this. Claiming that you do is ridiculous. You might have said 'where relatively few people have heard of snow crash' or something like that, but to claim that you know absolutely is rubbish. You are rubbish. You don't even know the meaning of the word 'intend'.

Speak for yourself.

Do you honestly think I'd speak for you? You wish.

Lucas Ripoff

[netrangerrr]

Lucas' great movie, Star Wars, was a ripoff of Akira Kurosawa's "Kakushi toride no san akunin" AKA - The Hidden Fortress. Lucas copied the characters, plot, even cinematography style!
Check out Amazon product: B00005B1ZL
Now if somone could just write dialog and decent plot for poor George...

Re:Lucas Ripoff

[soulctcher]

Not defending Lucas here, but it's WIDELY known that Fortress was one of the main influences before and during creation of SW. It's no secret that he borrowed plenty of techniques from it. Sure, it has a princess and two comic reliefs, screen wipes, etc. Not like that hasn't been done before.

Get off the "bash Lucas" bandwagon. The guy just likes to make films and money. What the hell is wrong with that?

Re:Lucas Ripoff

[netrangerrr]

"The guy just likes to make films and money. What the hell is wrong with that?"
But they SUUUUUUUCK. I have to see the movie because my 11yr son thinks it's cool. I'd like to see some real sci-fi like William Gibson get to the screen, but George sucks up all the money to make this crap geared for marketing to for pre-teen boys.

Jar-Jar action figures anyone????

Re:Lucas Ripoff

[AsylumWraith]

Gibson's been done, and guess what? It sucked. Johnny Mnemonic was a great short story, but whoever it was that got it onto the big screen oughta be shot.

mutually beneficial

[SuperBanana]

Do we think the network that runs "The O.C." had to pay for the chance to double its viewership in the 18 and under demographic, or is it a symbiotic relationship?

Probably not, because the demographic they already have represents exactly the demographic Star Wars has targeted since day one.

Re:mutually beneficial

[eexlebots]

you...you don't mean that Star Wars isn't meant for...not meant to be...for adults?!

Re:mutually beneficial

[xanadu-xtroot.com]

So... you're about 16, right?

Re:mutually beneficial

[Anonymous Coward]

you...you don't mean that Star Wars isn't meant for...not meant to be...for adults?!

For anyone who doubts this, drive by any fast food restaurant and see what's in the kid's meals. Want to see what movies kids are clamouring for? No need to read reviews or see commercials, just see what figures are displayed in the fat & sugar vendor window.

Not just that but 5 songs from the new BECK cd

[infonography]

The fix is in folks. I for one welcome our new Teen-angst ridden-drama masters.

But....

[AtariAmarok]

But, did the Kurosawa masterpiece have things blowing up all the time real good? Did it have actors saying funny things while wearing rubber masks? Did it contain one or two belching Muppets like "Return of the Jedi" did?

Oh, it didn't? That's what matters, that's what matters....

Re:But....

[myowntrueself]

I havn't seen 'the hidden fortress' (yet) but Sanjuro does have one 'explosive' special effect... right at the end. And its quite cool too.

:)

Oooh goody. Karma time.

[TrappedByMyself]

Oh joy, an Episode III thread!!! If I make a comment about the dialog I'm sure to get some karma!!

Ok, ok, here I go.... I'm sure that Episode III will have plenty of action, but what about the dialog? We all know that the dialog in I and II left much to be desired.

Woot!!! Mod me up baby!!

Re:Oooh goody. Karma time.

[complete loony]

And the really funny part is that funny mods won't get you karma...

Special appearance by the Star Wars Kid?

[Orion Blastar]

The one all hyper and jumping with a toy lightsaber, wanting to be in the movie?

What if Lucas cast him as a young Jedi in Episode III that Anakin slaughters after he turns to the Dark Side?

The SWK jumps around, all hyper, waving his lightsaber. Anakin just looks bored, yawns, and then strikes him down with force lightning. ;)

spoiler alert!

[yincrash]

CNN should warn you when they are giving out the storyline!

Re:spoiler alert!

[TLSPRWR]

Come on now, we've known what was going to happen in this episode since a New Hope came out. It is after all the 3rd prequel released, there's not much room for plot changes in this one...

the million dollar (or download) question

[Savatte]

will the trailer be included in the torrent of this episode?

I must be new here...

[frakir]

Dear slashdot.

I keep clicking around and can't find any option to block that starwars crap from displaying on my Main page every 2 days. Same for boreship galactica.

Is adding 'Movies' section to preferences-home page too much of a troll? How about 'Paid Stories' section?

Wait....I think I've seen this? (spoiler?)

[dmorin]

I'm confused. Weeks ago I was at "Meet the Fockers" and saw a trailer for EpIII. Is this not publicly released? There's the obligatory badass shots of Mace Windu and Yoda, what appeared to be Anakin with red eyes (very quickly), and the emperor saying "Rise, Vader...." as Darth Vader is lifted on what appears to be some sort of surgical table.

Or was I hallucinating? is that a different trailer?

Re:Wait....I think I've seen this? (spoiler?)

[betaguy9000]

No, that was the publicly available teaser trailer.

Or perhaps...

[Pollux]

...the concept of debuting an actual movie trailer as part of a plot in an actual TV program could not fit as seemlessly into too many other television shows.

I mean, imagine how it would sound debuting on Enterprise...

Mayweather: "Sir, we seem to be getting a faint signal eminating from the planet Zeridian-4 in the Bravidian System."

Captain Archer: "Damnit. We just got done smearing Klingon blood across the galaxy. What now?"

Mayweather: "Actually sir...it appears to be a very faint television signal!"

Captain Archer: "Wow. We're witnessing a new species develop radio technology for the first time. Just imagine how it must of felt when Earth transmitted its first wireless signals into space. Well, let's tune in, shall we?"

[STAR WARS trailor ensues...]

Mayweather: "Uh, sir, what the..."

Captain Archer: "Not a clue. What the hell is a "meesa" anyway? Hoshi, can you translate any of it? Are they hostile?"

Hoshi: "I don't know, captain. I didn't get enough of a sample of their language. But this "force" doesn't sound very friendly..."

Re:Or perhaps...

[batkiwi]

That's honestly a bit of a bad example since "Star Trek" itself doesn't fit into Enterprise in any way I can see.

Re:Or perhaps...

[Anonymous Coward]

"Just imagine how it must of felt"

Must HAVE felt. It's HAVE, not OF.

Re:Or perhaps...

[SithLordOfLanc]

I didn't see anything that implied that the trailer would be part of the show. Won't it just be a commercial? Or did I miss something?

Re:Or perhaps...

[Trogre]

Maybe, but it's a hell of a lot closer to Roddenberrys vision of Trek than DS9 or Voyager.

Re:Or perhaps...

[Anonymous Coward]

seamlessly.

must have felt.

trailer.

Please learn to spell.

Re:Or perhaps...

[AndroidCat]

That's not what Ziggy says. Something about having to save a TV show or help found something called the Federation.

O.C. ?

[shpoffo]

Am I the only one who hasn't heard of "The O.C."? I'm not really upset by my own ignorance of it as I am at CNN for printing the acronym O.C. without evena parenthetical reference to what it stands for.

and I don't care enough to look it up....

.
-shpoffo

Re:O.C. ?

[Pxtl]

Well, the show is called "The O.C." - so its not like the producers of the show need to explain themselves, so why should Slashdot?

Re:O.C. ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Orange County

That's called a teaser

[p3d0]

This one is presumably a real trailer.

Yeah right

[Anonymous Coward]

"The article also makes note for those not wishing to tune into the TV drama that "the new trailer will be released to every BitTorrent site imaginable 15.2 seconds after it airs."

So, will this be availible online?

[assassinator42]

Hopefully on their site in a high res quicktime files. They might make it Hyperspace exclusive like the teaser. Hopefully it will be on AOL's site also, with no security if one has the link, like with the high res teaser.

It's been bothering me since Phantom Menace...

[rinkjustice]

Is Sith going to have that fuzzy, soft porn look like the previous two? What's with that anyway? Why can't they use a punchier, crisper look to the video? The movies suck bad enough without having to deal with niggling visual problems.

Re:It's been bothering me since Phantom Menace...

[Infinity Salad]

Good question. I got the impression it was from the digital projection (or digital production or whatever it was). When I saw Ep. II I noticed that high-contrast areas were a bit blurred and upon closer scrutiny noticed quite a bit of pixelization; the little field-of-flowers scene where Anakin declares his contempt for democratic institutions comes to mind.

Re:It's been bothering me since Phantom Menace...

[Zog The Undeniable]

Maybe you should hire the DVD instead of downloading it from Bit Torrent? ;-)

Re:It's been bothering me since Phantom Menace...

[MrMickS]

Its your eyes. You need new digital ones to be able to appreciate the new digital format of the movies.

O.C?

[SailingDeity]

Star Wars: Obi-wan's Conquest...

Maybe if EP 3 pans out well....

[failedlogic]

Instead of releasing an EP I to EP III box set since IV to VI are out .....

He can just save EVERYONE the pain and cut episodes I to III into ONE DVD-length movie. In fact, he can almost completely remove Anakin from the first movie (annoying), Jar Jar from I to III (I hope he dies a horrible, quick death) and make some other cuts to speed up the pace of the movies.

Re:Maybe if EP 3 pans out well....

[Captain DaFt]

Horrible? Yesssss. Quick? I ain't that nice.
GRILL'IM SLOWLY! (Creamed potatoes and corn suggested as side dishes.) };-)

Re:Maybe if EP 3 pans out well....

[Anonymous Coward]

And dub Anakin in the second movie, plus removing all the C3PO head jokes. That would be good.

Re:Maybe if EP 3 pans out well....

[Kehvarl]

Do you really want Jar Jar, even in agony and slow painful death, taking up -more- movie time? give him a 3 second torture shot, do something else, come back with a caption that says [6 years later] and have him gasp his last and expire.

The OC

[issaco]

When I first heard about the OC I thought it was a show about teenage overclockers... Too bad it wasn't.

Re:The OC

[imagin8or]

Well, it pretty much covers the other main hobby of geeks across the globe, namely pretty girls. It's the only reason I watch it, I'll admit. I'm only proud of that because otherwise I'd have to be liking the plot, and I haven't found one yet. No matter how hard I stare at her. Hmm?

HDTV?

[Will_Malverson]

The last two Super Bowls have featured HDTV movie trailers. Any chance this trailer will be in HD?

Is OC broadcast in HD?

Re:HDTV?

[dr_dank]

Is OC broadcast in HD?

If HD stands for Horrible Drama, then yes.

Re:HDTV?

[realitybath1]

You misspelt Diarrhea.

Re:HDTV?

[idobi]

The O.C. is broadcast in HD... at least that's what I, uh, I mean, my "friend" has been downloading...

Already on planning stage

[Blue damned]

I heard that there will be a Star Wars 3½: The Passion Of Yoda. A kind of spin off of The Passion Of The Christ but in a swamp. The question is: Will we, at last, see Yoda nude in it?

Spoiler

[jebiester]

This blog (just a little down on the page) seems to contain the entire story line for Episode 3. The movie looks ok. Massive Spoiler though.

Re:Spoiler

[larsoncc]

What, no wookies? The trailer promised furballs, after all!

Re:Spoiler

[nEoN nOoDlE]

Spoiler? They released the spoiler over 30 years ago.

Re:Spoiler

[ALeavitt]

Aaah, but where are the Wookiees? This isn't the entire storyline.

Re:Spoiler

[jebiester]

You mean 6 years ago, with Episode I. That was the main Star Wars Spoiler...

nope, nope, nope...

[jdw242b]

nothing to do with this release surprises me; not until I am sitting with my large drink and large popcorn at viewing time. This in NO WAY includes the obligatory PEE during the WORTHLESS ATTEMPT AT MARKETING called pre-movie ads. I do have a company provided cell phone to aid in my avoidance of these non-sensical portrayals of 'we have to make a buck' films. Nice try; I feel for you... NOT go pander on the streets for all I care. I've been poor before - I can prove it!

O.C = OC12?

[VanWEric]

"CNN is reporting that the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith trailer will make its debut on none other than the f0x's OC12. The article is candid in pointing out that 'as an avid video pirate host, Abusebox, the main server on "The OC", would likely relish the event.' The trailer will air on March 10, at sometime between 8 and 9PM EST, at which point it will be a smoldering slashdotted heap of silicon. The article also makes note for those not wishing to steal his bandwidth that "the new trailer will be re-released on all other major channels beginning March 11.""

Thank God It's Almost Over

[mveloso]

They don't need trailers, really.

Everyone on Earth who saw the original Star Wars is compelled by some unknown force to watch these god-awful movies.

Just think for a minute: the Republic was so feeble that Jar-Jar binks was allowed to be a representative in the Senate - and people listened to him! The Jedi were so clueless that they were funding the creation of a clone army - and didn't notice the expense for years!

Heck, the Jedi were so all-powerful that they were almost wiped out, and the last two were reduced to hiding out in a swamp (Yoda) and hiding out stalking a young boy (Obi-Wan).

This is what the rebels were fighting for?

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[ultranova]

Everyone on Earth who saw the original Star Wars is compelled by some unknown force to watch these god-awful movies.

After 6 movies, you should know the Force, and especially that it has a strong effect on the weak-minded...

That said, AotC was perfectly watchable, and much better than many scifi and action movies I've seen.

Just think for a minute: the Republic was so feeble that Jar-Jar binks was allowed to be a representative in the Senate - and people listened to him! The Jedi were so clueless that they were funding the creation of a clone army - and didn't notice the expense for years!

To be fair, the Jedis were apparently an official part of Republic government, and the with the amount that government seems to be spending (for flying senate chairs, for example, and the Jedi temple) a clone army is going to amount to a rounding error.

That said, Jedis were complete idiots to not become the least bit suspicious of Palpatine after two Sith-related crisis, both of which ended up benefitting him.

This is what the rebels were fighting for?

No, of course not. Leia was fighting to avenge her homeworld, Luke was trying to avenge his family, Lando was trying to avenge losing his business, Han was trying to get into Leia's panties, and the rest just tagged along.

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[shadowmatter]

Everyone on Earth who saw the original Star Wars is compelled by some unknown force to watch these god-awful movies.

If you had gone to see the first god-awful movie, you would have found out that the unknown force is actually mitochlorians!

And knowing that is the first step toward developing an antidote, right? We only have until May 19... Please say my sacrifice to learn this was not in vain!

- shadowmatter

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[eibon]

That said, AotC was perfectly watchable, and much better than many scifi and action movies I've seen.
AotC would've been a pretty decent flick, hadn't it been for one minor detail: The "actor" who "played" Anakin Skywalker made me want to puncture my eyeballs with a spoon. Granted, the dialog he had to work with wasn't Oscar material, but there HAD to be someone better out there.
Drying paint would've portrayed a more believable human being.

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[rollerbob]

Everyone on Earth who saw the original Star Wars is compelled by some unknown force to watch these god-awful movies.

You must feel this compelling force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes.

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[Anonymous Coward]

> Just think for a minute: the Republic was so feeble that Jar-Jar binks was allowed to be a representative in the Senate - and people listened to him!

George Bush is *president* of the USA...

> The Jedi were so clueless that they were funding the creation of a clone army - and didn't notice the expense for years!

Anybody say Iraq?

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[drew]

i agree. i liked AotC the first time i saw it (mainly i think because my expectations were so low going in) but when i watched it the second time, i realized just how painfully bad the scenes with anakin and padme on naboo really were.

i wouldn't blame it entirely on the actor though. even the people who we know to be good actors from their other work (ewan mcgregor, natalie portman, samuel jackson, etc.) were amazingly awkward in that movie. i think christopher lee was the only non-digital actor in the whole movie that really managed to pull off a convincing character.

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[Wybaar]

Heck, the Jedi were so all-powerful that they were almost wiped out, and the last two were reduced to hiding out in a swamp (Yoda) and hiding out stalking a young boy (Obi-Wan).

It doesn't matter how powerful you are, if someone detonates a nuclear weapon (for instance) inside the building you're in, you're screwed.

As for two of the last Jedi [I believe that the novels set after the Return of the Jedi indicate that a few other Jedi managed to survive the elimination of the Jedi order, generally by being in some remote corner of the galaxy and hiding out until the search died down] it's likely that Obi-Wan was ordered by the Council or took it upon himself to hide Luke and Leia from Anakin and hid himself in order to be available as a mentor to them if they became aware of their heritage. As for Yoda ... maybe he was on vacation when the Sith made their move?

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[Deagol]

I knew a Star Wars book geek in college. He said in the novels (supposedly canon, blessed by the Lucas Publishing Empire) explained "the cave" on Degobah. I hope tthey touch on this in RotS.

As I was told, Yoda went to hang out in exile on Degobah, and some bad-ass in the Dark Side camp came by to punch Yoda's ticket. Yoda, of course, being the Crouching Yoda Flying Jedi that he is, soundly defeated said enemy in the cave. This supposedly explained why the Dark Side imprint was there during Luke's (failed) test in ESB. It also might explain why the most powerful Good Side Jedia went so many years undetected by Vader and Palpatine, as the Dark Side imprint cloaked him some how.

But that's just what I heard -- I never read the books.

And is it me, or should it be obvious to the Jedi that Anakin "bringing balance to the Force" really means increasing the number of Dark Siders or wiping out the Good Side? I mean, there are some odd glances between Yoda and Mace Windu in the first two movies, so maybe they already know what's coming but don't tell anyone 'cause fate is already written. Maybe this stuff is obvious to anyone with half a brain (characters in the movie as well as the fans), but it seems poorly written and/or presented in the films.

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[imr]

No, of course not. Leia was fighting to avenge her homeworld, Luke was trying to avenge his family, Lando was trying to avenge losing his business, Han was trying to get into Leia's panties, and the rest just tagged along.

So, basically, han solo is the only one that succeded?
But did he shot first that night?

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[drew]

i was under the impression that a powerful sith had died on degobah long before yoda went there, and the 'shadow' of the dark side that was left behind helped mask yoda's presence. of course i may be wrong, i never read any of the books myself.

basically, though, as yoda briefly explains in empire strikes back, the force is present in all living things. in the books, they explain further that if someone in whom the force is particularly strong wants to mask his presence there are basically two ways to go about it.
1) go to a place that is so overflowing and abundant with life that it is impossible for anyone to sense the presense any individual life form.
2) go to a place that is so deserted and devoid of life that the presence of the force as a whole is almost unnoticeable.

of course, given what we now know about anakin/vader's history, it seems a litle absurd that no one had ever thought to look for luke on tatooine, and if they had looked, they probably would have noticed obi-wan's presence as well.

as far as the whole balance of the force thing, i had always wondered about that myself, although there are different ways to interpret what the prophecies about balance would actually refer to. (wonderful thing about prophecies- make one vague enough and it could refer to anything) the impression i got is that the majority of the council expects 'balance' to refer to the elimination of the dark side of the force- balance in this case referring more to the eliminiation of the ongoing struggle than the balance between light/dark. a few of the more senior jedi have their doubts about this interpretation (hence the odd glances between yoda and windu) but prefer to keep their suspicions to themselves rather than shouting down obi-wan in front of the council.

and in the end, anakin may have fulfilled the prophesy by either interpratiation- first by hunting down and killing all of the jedi except 2, thus balancing out the jedi and the sith, and then, years later, by throwing palpatine down the chute, shortly before dying himself, thus eliminating the sith, and leaving luke as the sole surviving jedi.

Re:Thank God It's Almost Over

[ErikZ]

You put way too much effort into your post. Here's how to achieve the same effect with minimal effort. Ahem:

Midichlorians.

I was expecting this

[joNDoty]

The connections between Star Wars and the O.C. are so obvious, I don't know how anyone could miss them. Honestly, I've seen this coming for a long time:

The O.C. series has two really hot chicks, Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson; Star Wars also has two hot chicks, Natalie Portman and Carrie Fisher (in metallic swimwear).
The O.C. teaches us that love is a powerful force; Star Wars made us love the force.
"California Here We Come, Right back where we started from" is in the OC's theme song; Star Wars was originally filmed in California!
Phantom planet sings the OC's theme song; Star Wars has phantom menaces AND planets.
Oh, and where do you think the people on the OC live? That's right, a PLANET. It couldn't be more obvious if they called their cars pod racers.

The similarities are screaming you in the face. Need I go on?

Re:I was expecting this

[Anonymous Coward]

Right, except Star Wars was filmed in England and Tunisia.

Re:I was expecting this

[1000101]

You didn't even mention the hottest chick on the show - Olivia Wilde. She is the girl who is constantly making out with Mischa Barton.

Re:I was expecting this

[bryane]

Seth? Sith? Coincidence?

I think not!

I predict:

[Trogre]

Record tv ratings for the O.C. that night.

People might actually want to watch it for once.

Re:I predict:

[Anonymous Coward]

You are clearly not very familiar with the show.

There are several very hot chicks in the cast, and since 2005 began there's been a lesbian storyline and girl/girl kisses aplenty.

Re:I predict:

[British]

Or it will be just like when EP1 trailer was in the movies. People would pack a theater for some crappy movie, watch the previews, then leave when the movie starts.

3. profit!

Re:I predict:

[Trogre]

Okay, so introducing that element might appeal to lesbians and perverts.

But what incentive is that for the rest of us to watch it?

Admit it

[Infinity Salad]

You just watch it for the lesbians!

Good camera work, my ass.

LOL

[Anonymous Coward]

Heh. Am I the only one who can't wait for TV waching American public to get so dumb they can't use a tv or sound like ever other twit from SoCal.

How are they going to deal with the UK?

[Anonymous Coward]

Over here in the UK, we have something called the ITC. Basically, TV programmes aren't allowed to include blatant advertising in this manner - it's okay during commercial breaks, but plugging things purportedly as part of the story is a no-no.

I've seen the adverts for the OC, so I know it airs over here. How will they resolve this?

Re:How are they going to deal with the UK?

[The Wicked Priest]

No, no, it's not going to be integrated into the story. The bit about how Seth Cohen would enjoy it was just a fatuous comment by the CNN reporter.

Re:How are they going to deal with the UK?

[The Wicked Priest]

Scratch that -- the AP reporter.

Meanwhile, back in reality....

[TheoB]

"the new trailer will be released in movie theaters beginning March 11." -And online eighteen seconds after airing.

Kurosawa is just a good director

[courseB]

dude after seeing Seven Samurai, lots of anime and films in this genre easily took some cues and copied ideas. this is what generally happens in lots of popular art

it's great someone like Kurosawa has made such works of film to inspire other minds to such a degree as Lucas.

Inappropriate placement

[istewart]

They could be real assholes and play the trailer during the series finale of Enterprise.

Re:Inappropriate placement

[ghettoboy22]

No they couldn't - Ep III comes out before the Series Finale of Enterprise...

Who cares?

[Kris_J]

This is neither news for nerds nor stuff that matters. Slashdot: News for children, stuff that's created by some marketing department.

Coming Soon in "Episode VII"

[jpiggot]

"Dude...you're not...like...my father, are you ? Whoaaa..total bummer, dude !!"

Sith

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know why everyone's so concerned with Revenge of the Sith. Just extract the cutscenes from KotOR2 and edit them into a movie-- it's 10x better.

That's the point!

[Gorimek]

That's actually a large part of the attraction. The O.C. is a soap opera on steroids. You get all the cliches of the genre, but done very smartly and 4 times as fast. What a traditional soap opera drags out for half a season, the O.C. fits in three episodes, with a twist, and with room to spare.

Re:That's the point!

[BluhDeBluh]

Yep, that's exactly the point of the show.

The O.C. is a soap opera. But it's a soap opera that doesn't take itself seriously, knows it's ridiculously overblown, often has comedy moments for the sake of comedy moments, has much better production values than the average soap and even mocks itself. It isn't The West Wing, but it isn't trying to be.

I would also like to point out to people that the show is called The O.C. because the original name, Orange County, was used in a certain 2002 Jack Black movie and using the same name would just be asking for trouble.

and it will be on

[Anonymous Coward]

bittorrent within half an hour of appearing on the O.C...

Official PR from starwars.com.

[antdude]

Bah, CNN. Here, read the detailed official PR. Thanks to The Digital Bits for this link from a few days ago.

Ep 3 Plot

[Anonymous Coward]

h12p://s29.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0BHVENKEML0O02L 7DW8YHS6RBG
Nearly complete ep 3 plot in text, MAJOR SPOILERS.

I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[B747SP]

I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV and frankly, you Americans have a lot to answer for!

We forgave you for Mork and Mindy, we even forgave you for Knight Rider, but this! /gazes at the heavens/ Lord, why do they punish us so?

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[inkswamp]

Sorry my Australian friend, but I will feel no guilt until you folks can answer for the unpardonable act of unleashing the abomination called The Wiggles on the world. ;^)

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[HuguesT]

The Australian Wiggles are not the same as those in America. In Australia they are pretty watchable, at least my 4-yo thinks so.

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[eboot]

Hate to say it but The O.C. is Shakespeare compared to Neighbours. Then again Phantom Menace is still worse than Crocodile Dundee.

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[markov_chain]

It seems like someone has been watching the show :)

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[softspokenrevolution]

How about that Crocodile Hunter guy? When are you folks gonna put a leash on him?

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[soliptic]

You realise nobody in Australia watches Neighbours, right?

Same as Fosters (lager) - it's purely an export, a true Aussie wouldn't even contemplate watching/drinking that crap!

Disclaimer: I am not an Australian. This is just what I've been told by my Australian friends :)

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[eboot]

Sure I knew that, but Australians still export it. Very few English people took opium but we still exported it. And I think if you ever watched Neighbours you would think it even more insidious than Opium, not only because it is mind draining drivel but also because it creates a poor perception of Australian people, portraying them as mindless idiots AND bad actors!

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[soliptic]

Oh, believe me I've seen Neighbours, and I completely agree :)

Re:I've seen The O.C. here on Australian TV...

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks like australia ins't ready for the real world TV yet!
And "You forgave us"?
We don't do what we do for "you" .
We do it for ourselves; you just like to get in the mix.

Frankly, who is interested in trailers?

[DoctorNathaniel]

This seems to have been a gradual phenomenon that people want to see movie trailers: downloaded, in theatres, whatever.

Why?

If I look at old or new movie trailers, they are inevitably very bad edits conveying nothing of the spirit of the film. They usually have only cheap laughs. Naturally, they have no plot, no dialog (although they do have snippets of monologue), just a few big explosions. (Like I haven't seen those before.)

Who cares? I'm honestly mystified why anyone would care about a movie trailer.. even for a movie they really want to see.

This looks an awful lot like Holywood pushing it's values on the rest of us by sheer force of marketing.

Re:Frankly, who is interested in trailers?

[chinton]

They usually have only cheap laughs. Naturally, they have no plot, no dialog (although they do have snippets of monologue), just a few big explosions. (Like I haven't seen those before.)

You realize you just described Star Wars: Episodes I and II, don't you?

What is the 'O.C.' ?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am not american. I don't have the slighest clue about what 'The O.C.' is.

+4/5 post don't say anything, and the related links (which were usefull some years ago), now only point to commercial-buy-my-shit sites.

Lame slashdot.

Re:What is the 'O.C.' ?

[tao]

Ever heard of IMDB? It's useful for things like this... Here's the entry for The O.C.

Six Years

[DoasFu]

To think, six years ago I actually payed $7.50* to watch that god-awful Will Smith vehicle "The State" just to see the Phantom Menace Trailer. Soon after that I wore an armband for a week to save my spot in line to buy opening night tickets.

I think I saw Episode II about a week after it came out.

Episode III I'll probably save for Netflix. Sigh.

*Which would be worth something like $7.53 in 2005 dollars.

Re:Six Years

[Anonymous Coward]

Sigh.

Whiny nerds use *sigh*
Please remember this for next time. If you're going to cliche post (moan and groan, new star wars sucks), then please use correct form.

Thank you.

Didnt I see the trailer yesterday

[iduno]

Is the one to be shown the same that is already showing in australia. Went to the cinima yesterday and saw a trailer for it during the previews.

Re:Wait....I think I've seen this? (spoiler?)

[doubledoh]

Yep. I was in California back in October on vacation (I live in the Caribbean), and I saw a bunch of movies. I could have sworn I saw the trailer already.

Lucas Wars

[Quixadhal]

In a time before time, there was a vision! Dark forces of marketing swarmed over the country, and One Man answered the call, that man was George Lucas. After furiously using his super powers of Film Studentness to produce a classic of our time, he turned to the Dark Side with Ewoks, Jar-Jar, and a Teenage Weresith in Dagobah.

Now, decades later, our hero strives to redeem himself in one last marketing extravaganza! Can the Hype of another Star Wars overcome the budding realization that all the talent was used up in Episode 5? Can Jar-Jar sweep in at the last second and save the senate action-figures? Can the theatrical run produce enough money to pay for the DVD pressings?

Coming soon.

I also want to see the trailer

[Anonymous Coward]

but not bad enought to watch the OC.

Tempting fate with the lameness filter...

[Tavor]

Will this OC episode have any petrification or hot grits, by any chance?

umm, yeah...'candid'. Sure.

[Anonymous Coward]

You like...do know what the word "candid" means, right? How is saying that a fictional character would like something 'candid'? "Candidly, I made a claim about a fictional character."
lol.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

More importantly....

[StressGuy]

Will Mark Hamill reprise his role as an older Luke Skywalker?

[I suddenly feel a strange disturbance in the force, as if millions of sci-fi fans all shuddered at once]

Only one thing...

[Simon Garlick]

...could convince me to see "Revenge of the Sith": the DVD moving from the "New Releases" shelf to the "weekly" shelf at the local rental store. And even then, something with zombies would probably get my $1 first.

I feel silly but...

[MissTuxie]

Begin OC Fangirl mode

Someone must already have said that, but it popped to my mind as soon as I saw the news:

Episode III: Revenge of the Seth

End OC Fangirl mode

this joke is for insiders only, thank you.

YAWWWN

[TheDoctorWho]

But that's STAR WARS for ya.

Obligatory O.C./Star Wars joke....

[Anonymous Coward]

"Welcome to the Dark Side, bitch!"

Thank you, I'll be here all week....

DAMN YOU!!!!

[StressGuy]

I thought I really *was* funny and insightful...

{sniff...}

DMCA?

[AIX-Hood]

I'd host it on Filerush like the last one, but you should have seen the DMCA warning they hit me with because it got mentioned on aintitcool... they forced me to take it down even though 30 other sites were unaffected and left theirs up.

but wait...

[circusboy]

isn't orange county in the north east?

Re:Sorry wrong answer....

[Anonymous Coward]

J.R.R. Tolkein, was not a hack author. You might not like his style, but that doesn't mean his stories lack depth or thought put into them. George Lucas on the other hand....

People, people...

[Cooler1011]

Look at the bright side!

At least The O.C. sucks.

Really?

[abb3w]

This is what Tivo was made for.

That's odd; how do you get Tivo to skip the program and only show the commercials?

seen already

[Anonymous Coward]

Some trailer pemiered on German TV stations weeks ago already. First part featuring the space battle looked impressive. The rest was the usual pathetic stuff.

Starwars Nerds

[Awestruckin]

http://www.essexracers.com/video/starwars.wmv

Get em Spock!

The only time in history . . .

[Leroy_Brown242]

. . . that so many geeks will admit to having watched 'The OC'.

Who needs quotation marks...

[ipso_facto]

"Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Trailer"?

So the Sith have trailer parks too?

You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[gosand]

Yup. The company ran an infomercial for their biggest theme park while pimping their pop stars and promoting their films, and tried to use it as a ratings draw for their network.

Kind of like the new smash hit movie Robots. Which hasn't been released yet. But is called a "smash hit". And has a "making of/behind the scenes" special coming out on TV to make kids want to go see it and buy their crap.

It may sound niave of me, but when did all this marketing get so ... scummy? Am I just more sensitive to it since I got older?

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[The Only Druid]

Marketing has always been (and always will be, and always should be) "scummy". By definition, it is the practice of making people want things that they don't yet want. It is convincing someone that despite not needing your product before, they need it now.

What do you want them to do? Seriously, what should they do? Just blandly (and uninterestedly) present the bare facts and let you decide for yourself?

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[gosand]

Marketing has always been (and always will be, and always should be) "scummy". By definition, it is the practice of making people want things that they don't yet want. It is convincing someone that despite not needing your product before, they need it now.

What do you want them to do? Seriously, what should they do? Just blandly (and uninterestedly) present the bare facts and let you decide for yourself?

It just seems the WAY that they make people want things is getting worse. Maybe it is because I am getting ready to become a parent, and I am noticing all the ways they target kids. I know parents who drive around to different McDonalds to get their kids that one movie-tie-in-product that they don't have. Maybe that is just the parent's fault, but it just seems that the kids are the ones who are the consumers, the parents are just the vehicles. That scares me.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[Golias]

I think it's just you noticing it more. As fun as it is to comment on, and laugh at how thinly-veiled it often is, this is really nothing new.

The chubby red-suited Santa Clause we all think is synonymous with the Christmas season was invented for Coca-Cola ads.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[Pfhreakaz0id]

Dude, have you seen the enema that is Yugio? (maybe wrong spelling).

My son watches it... the show is.. them playing the card game that is sold in stores. That's it. The movie was, them playing the card game a long time.

Oh, there's some crap about ancient monsters becoming real and they have holographs for the duels so you don't just see a couple guys playing cards, but it's pretty much just them playing the game. It's brutal. The most blatant thing I've ever seen.

Even Pokemon (my son watched it too) at least had some stories and the card game was a GAME of the duels that took place on the show. The dudes on the game didn't use the cards and the EXACT same products.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[Anonymous Coward]

The chubby red-suited Santa Clause we all think is synonymous with the Christmas season was invented for Coca-Cola ads.

I think "The Night Before Christmas", a poem depicting Santa Claus in what would be the traditional way was written a few decades before the original Coca-Cola ads. That said, Coca-Cola did much to popularize the Santa Claus image.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[Golias]

The color of Santa's outfit is never mentioned in that poem.

It describes "St. Nick" as a "Little old driver" and a "jolly old elf."

Here is how his clothing is described:

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;


The poem was obviously the inspiration for the mamoth red-suited Santa which Coke used in their famous ad, but there's no doubt that the huge, black-booted, red-jacketed old man with reading spectacles which every Salvation Army bell-ringer and every "Get your picture taken with Santa" model pretends to be is a Coca-Cola Santa.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[Golias]

IIRC, it's "Yu-Gi-Oh"

And yep, the highest points of "drama" in the show involves explaining tactical quirks of the rules of the card came. I'm not sure which makes them more money, the show or the card sales.

But is this really all that different from having John Madden explain to audiences of Monday Night Football how a nickle defense is supposed to function, which in turn teaches the viewer how to play Madden Football more effectively on their Playstation or X-Box?

There are people (not me) who watch Yu-Gi-Oh for it's own entertainment value with zero interest in buying the game, just as there are a lot of people who watch MNF who don't play Madden.

As long as you are aware of what those rascals are up to, I don't see it as a huge deal... although the card game companies are slightly more alarming in that: 1. They are so naked and transparent about it. 2. They are mostly using these tactics to sell to children.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[TIMxPx]

It just seems the WAY that they make people want things is getting worse.

I think C.S. Lewis noted this back in the thirties when he talked about people selling silly products, using even sillier advertisements to sell them. Still, maybe advertising *is* getting worse. It's probably a combination of a slippery slope and diminishing marginal utility. In other words, it keeps getting worse because people keep thinking that it's going to help them sell their products, and all of the idiocy gains them little and for a short time. That's why i try to support only products that are advertised sensibly (no popups, no infomercials, no sex-induced sales, etc.)

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[Anonymous Coward]

On the other hand, you could look at this problem as a symptom of vast prosperity.

If we weren't all doing well, there would be no market for "silly" products, and a lot less of this sort of advertising.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[gosand]

On the other hand, you could look at this problem as a symptom of vast prosperity.

If we weren't all doing well, there would be no market for "silly" products, and a lot less of this sort of advertising.

And for the same reasons, you could view it as the decline of our society.

Re:You mean like the upcoming "Robots"

[An ominous Cow art]

>What do you want them to do? Seriously, what should they do? Just blandly (and uninterestedly) present the bare facts and let you decide for yourself?

YES! Why should anything else be necessary?

Thanks for clearing that up

[hey!]

I'd guessed it was a show about overclockers, only unrealistically attractive and well groomed.

I have to get out less often.

Very Glad ....

[Dan667]

That they put all the things I don't want to see in one place....

Count yourself lucky

[freeweed]

Up here, the trailer for ep1 first got shown before Wing Commander.

No, I'm not kidding. I wish I was.

They actually made up special signs saying "no refunds after the trailers start" for the obvious reasons.

Then again, it could have been Battlefield Earth.

Most pointless statement ever.

[DroopyStonx]

So, because the guy is a "superhero fan", he'll "likely relish" this?

Hahaha, am I the only one that drew a blank on this? WTF do they have to do with each other? I could see if it was something like Spiderman 3 or X-Men 3, but Star Wars and superheroes?

Mmmmkay then.

Revenge of the Seth

[fallendragon]

I predict that in this episode Seth will finally twat that useless boyfriend of Summer's

Shameless

[Jebediah21]

I feel as though I've turned on Access Hollywood.

Amazing Awkwardness Explained - Read More

[Anonymous Coward]

There is one thing that struck me right away when watching AotC. I noticed very quickly that almost NO CONTRACTIONS ARE USED IN THE MOVIE'S DIALOGUE. Seriously. Watch it again and you'll see that it's true. No one ever says "I'm", they say "I am". No one ever says "can't", they say "cannot". So on and so forth.

The end result is that the dialogue sounds extremely awkward and robotic, no matter WHO says it.

I, Personally, Love the Wiggles

[Anonymous Coward]

Those crazy guys Greg, Murray, Anthony, and Jeff are so happy and gay, I immensely enjoy watching them.

But my favorite is Capt. Feathersword, with his five-o-clock shadow and his long, feathery sword.

OC = over clockers

[Anonymous Coward]

Why didnt you geeks make any reference to over clocking yet? SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!

Yawn...

[suitepotato]

This would be much better news if they announced they were going to play the actual movie INSTEAD OF "The OC". Then I'd watch. Instead, I'll live with the knowledge that I can download the trailer endlessly online from now until Star Wars:The TV Series wraps up after 11 seasons and my grandkids are taunting me as to how pathetic the Atari was.

*blinks*

[tgd]

*makes airplane sound, with hand gesture over head*

Re:Sorry wrong answer....

[Anonymous Coward]

Tolkein was an English professor who couldn't write his way out of a paper bag. Luckily, he had a good imagination and was able to spew some of it into written form. Unfortunately, as a writer, he sucks.

But that isn't to say that the mini-universe he created isn't interesting. Just that Tolkein, as a writer, is pretty bad. Those who claim he is a great writer, I find, are those who spend all their time with Anne McCaffrey and Larry Niven novels and no time with any other authors.

See that wasn't so bad

[suso]

The O.C. turned out to be pretty good. What happened to the Star Wars trailer? In the words of the Simpsons. Ha Ha.

Re:See that wasn't so bad

[suso]

Ok, appearently I can't read. March 10th.

Re:Doesnt affect me any...

[f0rt0r]

As long as it is in Xvid or DivX format, I am all for it. Otherwise...nevermind.

Re:Wait....I think I've seen this? (spoiler?)

[nibelung]

Yeah, i've seen that when i went to see The Aviator. The 'Rise Vader...' shot was funny. A nice reference to Frankenstein.

Is Yugioh japanese for "sucker"?

[gosand]

Dude, have you seen the enema that is Yugio? (maybe wrong spelling).

My son watches it... the show is.. them playing the card game that is sold in stores. That's it. The movie was, them playing the card game a long time.

Nope, haven't seen it, but I have heard of it. The person I mentioned before - who would drive around to McDonalds for toys - bought 3 hard to find Yugioh cards off of eBay for $60 - for her 6 year old son. Because he didn't have them. So he could be cool with his friends. I was apalled and had no idea what to say, other than "I hope he loses them". Then I laughed, and she kind of laughed. But I really did hope that he lost them.

Re:Is Yugioh japanese for "sucker"?

[Pfhreakaz0id]

My son spent $20 on a single card off ebay. But it was his money, he raked a bunch of leaves for that money.

He doesn't even really play the card game much and that card isn't even "tournament legal" or some such nonsense. I found the card (in it's case) sitting on top of the microwave last month :)

You got me.

[AtariAmarok]

You got me! You flamed me for misspelling a word. It is the one valid thing you had to say. As for the rest, it does not take a rocket scientist to know that a huge hit movie is much more well known than an obscure genre book. If one wants, they can do the research. I did. I suggest it for you. You might learn not to call "rubbish" those who know more on a certain matter than you.

Re:You got me.

[untaken_name]

You didn't misspell a word. You used it incorrectly. There's a large difference there. Also, how can episode three be a huge hit movie before it's even out? I can see that you have some rather major flaws, and you might consider taking a remedial English class in order to get your skills up to third-grade level.
I also wouldn't call a book with sales as high as snow crash 'an obscure genre book'. Then again, I like to be correct. You apparently prefer to be wrong. That's your choice, I suppose. Good luck with that.
Have a nice life!

Re:You got me.

[Anonymous Coward]

"You didn't misspell a word. You used it incorrectly. There's a large difference there"

There is a huge difference, but that does not apply to the situation. I misspelled the word by adding "in" to the front of it (the word "tend" was indeed "intended"). Why do you insist on spelling flames as if they matter?

Re:You got me.

[untaken_name]

You used the wrong word. It doesn't matter if you spelled the word you meant to use incorrectly or if you chose the wrong word. The result is the same. You used a word that exists but which does not mean what you were trying to convey. It's important to use words properly, otherwise meaning becomes more difficult to determine. Sure, people might be able to extract meaning from context *now*, when the differences are small. However, as more words are used improperly, leading to more confusion, it becomes more difficult. That's why it's important to use the correct word. For the same reason, correct spelling is important. I don't believe spelling is quite as important as correct word usage, but poor spelling does contribute to lessened comprehension. It's particularly important to proofread when you tend to use words you didn't intend to use. This is because spell-checking software won't alert you to those types of errors. If you don't want people like me pointing out your improper word usage, I have a very simple solution for you: proofread your work.

Why do you insist on spelling flames as if they matter?

I spell flames as if they matter? Did you mean why do I insist on correcting poor spelling and improper word usage? If so, I've answered that question above. So far, your rebuttals haven't suggested that your error was an anomaly. You obviously can't use the language properly on your own. If you could, I wouldn't have to correct you, now would I?

OC is crap

[Anonymous Coward]

anyone know what time the trailer is so we don't have to watch this trash.

Heres the trailer

[priyajeet]

Do a right click and save as over the image at http://www.priyajeet.com/ The movie website is already under slashdot effect.