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Topic: Disney Says ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ May Pose Seizure Risk

Frank Cox
Film God

Posts: 2234
From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 12-08-2019 11:30 PM

‘Star Wars’ Epilepsy Hazard?

quote:
The Walt Disney Co. is asking exhibitors worldwide to warn moviegoers that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may pose a seizure risk to audience members with photosensitive epilepsy. The Disney/Lucasfilm fantasy film opens Dec. 20.

In an unusual move, Disney has sent a letter to theater owners and operators worldwide with a recommendation that special steps should be taken to alert moviegoers about the visual effects and flashing lights in the J.J. Abrams-directed interstellar adventure.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” the letter opens, “we recommend that you provide at your venue box office and online, and at other appropriate places where your customers will see it, a notice containing the following information: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker contains several sequences with imagery and sustained flashing lights that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photosensitivities.”

The Burbank-based Disney is also working with the Epilepsy Foundation, which issued an advisory of its own and commended the studio for taking the initiative on the audience safety issue. About 3.4 million Americans have epilepsy and about three percent have photosensitivity issues that puts them at risk of seizures triggered by flashing lights or other visual patterns.

“We thank Disney for reaching out to us and proactively providing information to movie theatres and moviegoers in advance of the movie’s release,” the Epilepsy Foundation advisory stated. “If you or someone you know are sensitive to lights, please consider the following as you make plans to watch the movie: Ask a friend to watch the movie first. Take your friend with you when you go see the film to alert you to which scenes contain the flashing lights so you block your eyes during those scenes. Teach your friend the three simple steps of seizure first aid — Stay, Safe, Side — so that they can assist if you have a seizure.”
Epilepsy Foundation logoEpilepsy Foundation logo

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is directed by Abrams and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams and Michelle Rejwan. Callum Greene, Tommy Gormley and Jason McGatlin serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Chris Terrio & J.J. Abrams and the story is by Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow and Abrams & Chris Terrio, based on characters created by George Lucas.

The film stars the late Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, with Ian McDiarmid and Billy Dee Williams.

Today, Abrams and three cast members — Ridley, Boyega, and Isaac — previewed the film at CCXP in Sao Paulo.

This isn't the first time.

After having gone down this road at least twice before that I can recall (one of the Twilight movies and one other whose title I don't remember at the moment) wouldn't you think those guys might have learned something and not included these problematic flashing light scenes in their movies? Surely they can have a special effect that isn't going to be a health hazard to people in the audience.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-08-2019 11:43 PM

Maybe this will answer it...

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/08/disney-nears-10-billion-global-box-office-record.html

Disney nears $10 billion global box office record and ‘Rise of Skywalker’ isn’t even out yet.

Published Sun, Dec 8 20194:08 PM EST

quote:
Key Points

• Disney’s has garnered nearly $10 billion at the global box office so far this year.

• The company currently has five films that have hauled in more than $1 billion worldwide.

• “Frozen II” is expected to cross the $1 billion benchmark this week.

It's all in the spirit of "No Publicity is Bad Publicity."

A very thinly disguised attempt to boost their box office receipts so they can set an all-time record by the end of the year.

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Carl Martin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1424
From: Oakland, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 12-09-2019 01:20 AM

we just had an apparent seizure during muppet christmas carol. there was quite the commotion and i had to stop the movie until paramedics got the fella out. i don't think it was related to what was on screen (dcp did seem on the contrasty side at the start though), but fwiw it was about 15 minutes in. hope he's ok!

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-09-2019 03:03 AM

Yeah, I was watching a movie as a civilian when a woman in the theater had a seizure or a stroke of some kind.

I was the one who had to go out to the lobby and find the manager to have him call the paramedics.

I wasn't trying to play down the seriousness of strokes and seizures. I was just commenting on the timing of Disney releasing this statement.

It's funny how there were reports of photosensitive epileptic seizures during "Incredibles 2" but they weren't given much attention last year.

I just find it interesting how this issue gets so much press, right at the end of the year, right at the beginning of one of the biggest box office weeks of the season, two weeks before one of the most anticipated movies is to be released.

Sounds fishy to me.

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 12-09-2019 03:10 AM

IT 2 had a similar alert. We had it up at the box office and a generic trailer in front of the feature.

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Mark Ogden
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 943
From: Little Falls, N.J.
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-09-2019 02:18 PM

quote: Randy Stankey
It's all in the spirit of "No Publicity is Bad Publicity."

I HARDLY think that is the reason. This is a cover-your-ass move, because photosensitive epilepsy is a very real, potentially serious, and probably ligitable thing.

If anybody here is following Watchmen on HBO, then you know that they put up the same warning before an episode a couple of weeks ago. I am not photosensitive at all, but I found the scene difficult to watch anyway, and had to look away.

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Jarod Reddig
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 513
From: Hays, Ks
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 12-09-2019 02:38 PM

I use to live with a person with epilepsy and ANY movie, wether on tv or in a theater, could cause a seizure. Especially in a dark room with a bright picture, AKA a commercial theater, enhances the strobe effect. Even just going from a dark to bright scene and back. It is definitely a cover their butts move.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 12-09-2019 03:41 PM

I don't know if Rise of Skywalker will have different elements from previous movies, but all of the Star Wars movies have had light flashes of one type of another. Whether it's light saber battles or things blowing up. I think this is more of a CYA than anything else.

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 12-09-2019 06:13 PM

Next up: Stickers on the disc stating:

Warning: Content may hurt people's feelings...

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-10-2019 01:01 PM

While I try not to be too cynical (and I admit, it's VERY difficult especially when it comes to the Rodent House), I'll give them that it is a good thing for folks with that kind of issue to be forewarned, but as Mark and Justin point out, it certainly is also and I'll say primarily a legal Cover Your Ass move for them. Thing is, you have to assume that people who do have this condition are probably well aware that many, MANY movies have visual elements that can be a trigger. Any quick, repetitive changes from very bright to very dark will do it, and that can occur in almost any action movie, so I don't think there is any particular warning that needs to be pointed out to photosensitive people about this particular movie. Anybody know if Disney put this warning in their trailers and 1-sheets?

And not for nuthin, Randy does have a point about publicity (any is always good -- except if you're Harvey Weinstein) although the need for extra, sneaky sort of publicity for this title seems unnecessary given that Disney is making sure that every person on the planet will have heard about it before the first frame ever hits the screen.

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Kenneth Wuepper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1026
From: Saginaw, MI, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 12-10-2019 02:58 PM

All of our live children's shows that incorporate flashing light have an audio announcement before the show and sometimes announce the strobe lights will be in the next section of the performance.

This is a very good technique as some teachers have removed sensitive students from the audience before the flashing light segment begins.

KEN

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 12-10-2019 05:24 PM

I've seen a former colleague collapsing as a result of a seizure once. It wasn't a pretty sight and it just happened, in broad daylight, with no obvious reason for the trigger. He just fell to the ground, his body was making all kinds of spastic movements and he was totally unresponsive to any external input for the entire duration. Not much more you can do than to call the ambulance and closely monitor the situation.

Case in point: It can happen anywhere at any time and most cases of epilepsy don't seem to be of the photosensitive kind.

So, those warnings are mostly moot. Like stated before, they're either simple ass-coverage or a cry for attention... or both.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-10-2019 07:44 PM

quote: Marcel Birgelen
I've seen a former colleague collapsing as a result of a seizure once. It wasn't a pretty sight and it just happened, in broad daylight, with no obvious reason for the trigger. He just fell to the ground, his body was making all kinds of spastic movements and he was totally unresponsive to any external input for the entire duration. Not much more you can do

My sister had an epileptic seizure when she was 12. It was exactly as you described, except she was in bed at the time luckily. It scared the crap out of all of us. I remember her eyes were spread wide open like I've never seen, but she didn't seem to know what was happening.

From what we were told back then, the only thing you can do beyond holding the person's arms and legs, is maybe try to put some soft object into their mouth so they don't bite down on their tongue accidentally (make sure it's something that can't be swallowed). Then call medical help.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-11-2019 02:14 AM

The woman in the theater who I helped never had a seizure before, either. She didn't want to go in the ambulance. Her husband and I had to kinda' team up and get in her face about it. It could have been nothing but it also could have been a TIA. (Transient Ischemic Attack. AKA: "Mini Stroke") If it was, it could have been a precursor to a major stroke or grand mal. If anything like that happened, she might not wake up again.

I have also seen two instances of photosensitive seizures in a theater while I was working. One was a teenager playing video games in the arcade. The other was somebody leaving a movie who was with friends/family. Both of those people knew that they were susceptible. Both of them knew the risk. The kid in the arcade fell down and split his head open so we called the ambulance. The other just sat in the lobby until he felt better.

I'm not any kind of expert on these things but I know from experience that these sorts of things aren't to be taken lightly.

I don't take them lightly.

Yes, I am sure that Disney is putting out this warning with "an abundance of caution." I'm glad they did. As I say, this is an important matter, not to be taken lightly.

All I was saying is that, in the face of Disney's record breaking year, I have no doubt in my mind that they are also looking at this from the publicity angle.

Given other movies that were known to trigger seizures and the lack of publicity that many of them have seen, it just seems a little fishy to me. Especially coming from Disney.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 12-11-2019 10:34 AM

I have the feeling anyone getting their panties in a twist over these photosensitive warnings (perhaps offended for what they see as yet another act of runaway political correctness) has probably never seen anyone have a serious seizure in real life. That stuff will scare the living hell out of just about anyone.

One my classmates way back in middle school had a grand mal seizure during gym class. We were playing volleyball. This kid was kind of a class clown, and was joking around earlier. In the middle of the game he just started standing there like a statue looking straight ahead while the others were moving around trying to get to the ball. It seemed like a joke until one of the other students touched him on the shoulder. The kid let out this loud groan and fell backwards, hitting the wood floor. And then he went to town convulsing like crazy. The coach and a couple other students tried holding him to keep his head from smacking the floor. After maybe 30 seconds that seemed to go on forever the seizure stopped and the kid was out cold. Everyone was upset. Most of the girls were crying. The kid made a full recovery, but we all felt sorry he had to go through some terrible shit like that.

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