Interesting Links for 25-01-2013

[andrewducker]

• A detailed report into the state of the Edinburgh tram work.
  (tags: trams edinburgh )
• MPs to plan for gay royals marrying same-sex partners and their children becoming king or queen
  (tags: lgbt monarchy uk )
• The Great Face-Paint Debate
  (tags: society women feminism )
• The USA is about to have an unsigned artist at #1 for the first time ever.

Comments

[bart_calendar]

I thought for sure you'd be pushing the star wars news today.

[andrewducker]

As soon as it's confirmed by JJ or Disney, I will!

So far everyone is quoting "a person close to the production" or similar.

So it may be true, or it might be the same kind of thing as the hoax about XBox games I liked to yesterday.

[bart_calendar]

Yeah, but Forbes doesn't tend to fuck around. If it was on a Gawker media site I'd be less inclined to believe it.

Plus, my local Virgin Records sent me an ad today with the new logo containing J.J.'s name - and I doubt a major chain store just happened to have a fake logo on hand to send out, or would risk being sued by Disney for sending out a fake logo.

[andrewducker]

If you mean this Forbes article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2013/01/24/star-trek-director-j-j-abrams-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii/

then it's a comment piece, put up by someone whose only source is The Wrap, which is still quoting "an individual with knowledge of the production".

Which doesn't mean it's not happening (you'll note that there's not been a denial). But as Disney haven't officially confirmed it, there's not a chance that they've sent out art to local record stores to hand out - that would count as an official source!

[bart_calendar]

Right, which is why I'm taking Virgin sending out that logo this morning as confirmation.

It came over as a paid Facebook post, which must have cost Virgin a fortune to do on Facebook.

[andrewducker]

I cannot see any way on earth that Disney are going to officially confirm things via the method of Facebook posts by Virgin.

[bart_calendar]

Me neither. But I can't see any way on Earth that Virgin would send that out otherwise.

The only thing that makes sense is that they had the art ready for an official announcement next week, saw the news this morning and decided they may as well jump the gun.

I mean, if Virgin just made up the logo on their own, won't Disney sue them forever?

[andrewducker]

Naah. Not for something that's selling more Disney-owned DVDs!

Is it, by any chance, a Star Wars logo with some Lens Flare photoshopped over it? I've seen several variants of that over the last day - people seem to think that Abrams is going to make Star Wars look like his Star Trek movies.

[bart_calendar]

I don't know what lens flare is.

I stuck it on my blog.

[andrewducker]

It's the effect you get when you move a lens past a bright light. the first Trek reboot movie was full of it, a sa deliberate choice. I liked it, but not everyone did.

Looks like this.

Or like the one that's been photoshopped onto a Star Wars logo that you now have on your journal!

[bart_calendar]

It seems really dumb for Virgin to have done that.

Then again, this is a company that is trying to close down, but is being prevented from closing their doors by the French government so who knows who the fuck is doing what for them.

[andrewducker]

It'll get people buying stuff, so I guess it's a risk worth taking for them!

And I'd be happy for JJ to get the role, so if the rumours are true then it's better than it being handed off to M. Night Shyamalan (or George Lucas).

I must get around to watching Super 8!

[bart_calendar]

MTV now says they have confirmation that it's JJ.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700760/jj-abrams-star-wars-episode-vii.jhtml

[bart_calendar]

And the Los Angeles Times also has confirmation.

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2013/01/24/j-j-abrams-set-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii/#/0

[andrewducker]

"MTV News has confirmed the report with a source close to the production. Emails and calls to representatives at Disney and Abrams' Bad Robot were not immediately returned."

The LA Time says "Sources have confirmed"

Which does all make it look like it got leaked a couple of days early. I'm not going to be completely convinced until either JJ or Disney says "Ok, yeah, you got us."

[bart_calendar]

Disney confirmed it overnight.