Jay G.

Yeah, there's different rules for public figures, which US Presidents definitely are. Forest Gump likely had to license the copyright on that news footage though.

There are also limits on how long "personality rights" persist, typically for a period after death. The laws actually vary by state, with Indiana protecting people 100 years after death. So even if Lincoln hadn't been a public figure, he'd be free to use in films now. Tennessee's statute provides rights that do not ever expire if use is continuous, so if Lincoln's estate had been continually licensing his likeness since death, as a non-public figure, his likeness would still be protected there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person...#United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_figure

devilshalo

I thought news footage were archival and can be used license free. Kind of like the State of the Union address, since it's not beholden to any network. Same with sound bites. In fact, isn't that where most media get their clips?

Josh-da-man

Yeah, presidents and politicians lose the rights to control their image when they enter public arena, and their likeness becomes public domain.

This is why you can go into a costume shop and buy a Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or Donald Trump mask.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor of California, the Halloween stores started carrying masks with his likeness because he lost exclusive control of his likeness. Can’t do the same with Tom Cruise or John Travolta unless they run for office.

IBJoel

The Force isn't a concept with human logic. The closest ideas we have to it in the real world are the Dao and Brahman. You can try and rationalize and understand but ultimately these things are arguably a type of consciousness that falls outside human comprehension. The Force isn't just "superpowers" it's a spiritual system that you are seriously overthinking in the wrong direction.

IBJoel

In this sense it is much like the Crucifixion: A sacrifice that is theoretically easily escapable but required by a higher power for a greater goal.

Jay G.

News footage can be copyright protected, unless it's footage generated by the federal government. There's often a "fair use" exception for showing notable footage, even if copyright protected, as if it's "newsworthy" it needs to be seen/heard to be reported on. But there's limitations to that.
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/g..._news_reviews/

The Associated Press and Reuters entire business model is to produce news content (articles, photos, and/or videos), that other news agencies license.
https://www.ap.org/about/our-causes/...ctual-property
https://www.reutersagency.com/en/con...ypes/pictures/

OldBoy

I swear the more I see this, the more I love it. It fits so perfectly as a prequel to the OT. The gritty look, the same look as OT. It just fits so well. Gels so perfectly. Feels like OT. Just amazing storytelling and leads into A New Hope perfectly. And to know what it all leads to is mind boggling to get a movie that is so iconic in SW and have a movie made today, feels so much like it was made and came out in 1977. Just an amazing OT SW like movie. The Lucas prequels are just such an oddity and in no way feels the same as OT. It’s beautiful and technologically amazing, but OT was models, real effects. The prequels are just ugly and oddities in SW universe and have yet to see second time.

Kurt D

It's one of my top three SW movies ...

GoldenJCJ

I’m sure I’ve posted my thoughts a time or two in these 22 pages but I agree, it definitely fits squarely with the OT and it’s become my favorite of the last series going back to when the PT was released.

Cassian Andor has become one of my favorite characters in all of Star Wars. Totally underrated. And although the character isn’t perfect, Jyn Erso beats Rey Skywhateverthefuck any day.

milo bloom

Absolutely yes.
Same with me, the more I watch the more I fall deeply in love with it. It fits so well with the OT, I could even see a 4K box set of just those four films working perfectly, like a "Galactic Civil War" set.
I don't hate the prequels, but I do think the aesthetic should have been closer to the OT, there's only 19 years between Eps 3 and 4, and for a civilization that old, that's barely a blink in time.


Cassian is one of the most nuanced characters we've seen in Star Wars, showing someone working for a good cause but with dirty hands.
And I can't hate on Rey, the sequence in TFA where she's making her meal and sitting outside with the pilot's helmet on is almost Miyazaki-esque in feel, and I wish we could have seen more of that in the ST.

Again, if you follow me on tumblr at scottysmurf, I created the " #always reblog rogue one" hashtag so any fan content and discussion I see gets reblogged.

GoldenJCJ

You’re right. Rey’s first 10-15 minutes of the series were her best. They started out setting her up well. Then the other 2 and 3/4 of the films they just didn’t quite know what to do with her. They seemed to have a handful of decent ideas for her character that were either never realized or done so haphazardly that they didn’t make a ton of sense or have much satisfaction for the fans.

I’m sure I praised her character immediately after I saw TFA, thinking she would end up being one of the better characters of the series. Then as the series progressed, with no real plan, it became obvious that they were going to give her some quick, unearned resolution and ultimately end up with her being a weird squatter, identity thief…

Dan

Always good to see this thread bumped with love for this movie. It deserves it.

With that, I'll requote a video I shared last November, which is long but very good.

Obi-Wanma

I'll be the negative Nancy and say that this film is vastly overrated because of the awesome last 30-40 minutes. Everything leading up to it was a snooze, and I didn't care about any of the new characters, and didn't feel anything when they all died. Maybe a little bit for the droid, but not any of the humans.

OldBoy

watch again. i think it gets better and better and better with each viewing. the human emotion is more than we have seen in any SW movie simply bc the heroes all die and you do care that they do, but what they accomplished was the build up to a fantastic and what i think was just a perfect ending.

Obi-Wanma

I've seen in 3 or 4 times. I think that I've seen it enough. I think what most people love about the movie is firmly tied up in nostalgia for the original movies and not for the new characters.

Josh-da-man

Can't disagree. The last act of the movie is aces, but the first two acts and are rather glacial in pace.

Jyn and Cassian are interesting enough (this is Star Wars; you don't really go into looking for complex characterization) but everyone else is just kind of there for the ride. I'd say that some of this comes down to a lot of behind-the-scenes reworking of the story.

candyrocket786

I'll take an awesome 30-40 mins over anything in TLJ or ROS. Neither film can compete with that.

SmackDaddy

Still my favorite of all the non OT movies (and it's not even close) and it moves between 1-3 with An New Hope and Empire. For the record, I can barely watch the prequels and actually enjoyed the sequel trilogy as a whole even with it's fractured storytelling. It's funny that people mention nostalgia as a reason that some people may like it (Rogue One) so much and not see it's shortcomings, but it's that same nostalgia that tricks us into thinking the OT was as amazing as we thought it was growing up.

The last act is amazing in that it finally shows us the "fight" that both sides were willing to go through. It always gets me when you see the look on Bodhi's face when he realizes he's done knowing that he got the redemption he was seeking. The score and imagery when the Destroyers brake through the shield gate and heck, Stormtroopers actually doing there thing and not being a running joke of missed shots. It reshaped the way I see ANH.

I can't wait to see more of the seedy/dark side of the rebellion with the Andor series.

GoldenJCJ

It’s not a perfect movie and there’s definitely some reworking of the story that didn’t quite come together in the end, particularly with a couple of the underdeveloped supporting characters (Bodhi’s character’s brain scrambling stuff being a particular head-scratcher). Overall, the way it turned out DESPITE the re-writes, makes for an even more impressive final result.

I’ve never watched any behind the scenes stuff for this movie but it’s one of love to learn more about.

OldBoy

first 2 being ANH and ESB?

OldBoy

well fucking said. The great build up shows what ANH was for and future events. And I disagree with above poster who thought characters were lacking. I think they were anything but and best of all characters in NT, Solo, all of theatrical since OT. Even the droid who saved them I got emotional. He was total heart and soul. Even my man Mads. Short but sweet. Tarkin was ok and get used to it as well as young Leah, but this movie was probably 2nd most emotional after ESB.

GoldenJCJ

^ I still maintain that there were some supporting characters that could have been more developed but K2-SO is without a doubt the best droid in the entire franchise! Yes, even better than R2 and 3PO and worlds better than BB-8.

SmackDaddy

I know he won't be on Andor right away, but I'm really looking forward to his introduction in that series.

Kurt D

I go further off the map here: ROS, ESB, Rogue One, in no particular order

OldBoy

Ok. Didn’t expect first, but I really got to see again.