May 28th, 2007

A Success!

     Thanks to everyone who participated in the Star Wars Blog-a-Thon! We got a bunch of great posts and thoughts; as well as some new YouTube videos I’d never seen before. We’re closing down the open enrollment for posting, but feel free to leave comments on already published posts.

For the last Star Wars post, I’ll be submitting to you our top ten Star Wars moments within the next couple of days. Until then, we’ll now be returning to our regularaly scheduled program, but maybe we’ll do this again sometime for something else. It was a lot of fun (and a lot of work). Thanks again everyone. This was great!

May 26th, 2007

Lightsabers

     Haven’t you always wanted your very own lightsaber? Ever since I was a kid, I can’t think of anything I’ve wanted to own more (other than maybe a Milleniunm Falcon or an AT-AT). But if I had a lightsaber, what color would I want it to be? Judging from what is available in all of the films, these are my choices of color (in order from least wanting to most wanting). Yes, I’m a dork…

5) Yellow = I’m lame
4) Purple = I’m unique
3) Blue = I’m old school
2) Red = You talkin’ to ME?
1) Green = I’m the shit

May 26th, 2007

Another YouTube SW Post

     We’re almost done with the Star Wars blog-a-thon. But thanks to Jonathan over at Cinema Fusion, I saw a new YouTube video I’ve never seen. I thought it was pretty well done and inspired me to do my next post (coming soon). Raise your hand if you’re tired of Star Wars yet.

May 26th, 2007

Ryan vs. Dorkman II

     W‘ve posted this before. But it’s still the best SW fan made film I’ve seen yet. Well, next to TROOPS. Anyway, check this film out. Nice job guys. I think you’ve actually outdone Lucas for the best lightsaber duel of all time…


May 25th, 2007

My two bits for the Star Wars Blog-a-majigger…

Lucas is Vader!

[Posted previously over at www.twitchfilm.net. Used with my approval since I wrote them!]

     I haven’t toodled around the web tonight for fear of being inidated with gushing Star Wars posts. Yep, on this day in 1977 that little old movie opened up, set off a tidlewave of fandom and it changed a bunch of lives and most of us haven’t left our parents’ basement since. I read an interesting article from local critic Peter Howell this past Saturday. He’s not as warm and fluffy about the anniversary as I am [I just can’t contain myself you see]. Follow the link… Empire strikes out - Star Wars is turning 30 this week, but is there anything left for fans to celebrate about the once-beloved franchise?

     But prior to this article I had the pleasure of reviewing a great mock-doc called A Great Disturbance. It goes a little something like this… In April 2005, a film crew followed five delusional fans during their preparation, trip, and return from the third Star Wars Celebration in Indianapolis. Phil, a computer repairman who thinks he is the greatest and funniest fan of all time. Lee, debuting his homemade Stormtrooper costume. Doug, a competitive tabletop gamer who trash talks elementary school challengers. Derek and Smitty; two college preps searching for girls among the Jedi and Wookies. See the hilarious and biting satire of us Star Wars fans, the conventions we attend, and all the characters, costumes, long lines, exhibits, games, and fanny packs that come with it. Watch the film evolve from a great documentary into A GREAT DISTURBANCE.

     Imagine we’re sitting in a twelve step recovery group. ‘Hello, my name is Mack and I am a Star Wars fan. Near as I can remember Star Wars has always been a part of my life. My parents say they took me to see the first Star Wars back in 1977 but that would have made me three and half. I think they meant Return of the Jedi. In grade one my best friend was Craig and he had a lot of Star Wars figures so I would go over to his house and look at them. My brother and I had some figures and a Millennium Falcon but not much else. We were war mongers and collected G.I.Joe toys like it was crack, but back to our Star Wars years. Each Christmas we would take empty rolls from wrapping paper and have light saber battles in the living room. Star Wars was my life when I was a child and I remained committed to it throughout the rest of my life. I have toyed with the idea of shooting a fan film; the storyboards still exist. I believe Han Shot First. I have a collection of light sabers on the desk beside my computer desk. But I don’t consider myself to be a hardcore fan any more. I am somewhere in the middle ground, likely two or three steps away from dressing up in a costume and attending a convention like Celebration. I believe that thanks to the prequels that will never happen and I will remain a closet Star Wars fan’.

     Five friends who share common interests in Star Wars and filmmaking make up the creative team behind this film, Aegis Films. They cite shows like The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm as influences on their work and there is certainly that element of comedic style to their approach. Though it doesn’t work some of the time it is still largely successful in soliciting big laughs. This group of friends produced, wrote, filmed, and even acted in their own mockumentary A Great Disturbance about the different types of Star Wars fans. They each adopt an extreme personality from that cross section of fans then interact with other fans at the convention. What you get is that very awkward yet realistic approach of comedic storytelling that is standard in those shows.

     And as a testament to their filmmaking skills though I screened this film without doing any research prior to screening it the first time I caught on pretty early that this was a mockumentary. When you ask someone to act and they have never acted before they are very obvious – case in point, the girl who hands Lee his asthma puffer in line. She gives the camera the ‘I’m not an actor but I am trying to be’ look. But, my roommate, who fancies himself as some sort of actor and filmmaker, didn’t have a clue until I told him otherwise after it ended. Well done guys. You fooled the fine arts high school graduate into thinking it was real.

     The characters are brilliant. Phil is the most hardcore of them all and therefore the most puritan of the lot. Even the sight of something non-Star Wars makes him seethe and soon what he perceives as a lack of true fandom draws him into a downward spiral. The same goes for Doug. An elementary school teacher, Doug is very caught up in tabletop game Star Wars miniatures. Unwilling to leave success in the game to pure chance and luck of the roll Doug has elevated playing the game to exceptional heights, so high that all that is left is the fall, and he does fall very hard. Derek and Smitty are closet Star Wars fans. Content to stand on the outside looking in at Star Wars fandom they come to Celebration out of curiosity and to pick up chicks. Derek spends most of the time looking to ‘get his drink on’ but Smitty approaches the convention with cautious optimism. And then there is Lee Sagowitz. God bless you Lee Sagowitz. The clear hero of the film, Lee loves Star Wars because it just makes him happy. He can hardly wait to put on his homemade Stormtrooper costume [it took him two years to make] and meets other fans. Lee is the heart of this film.

     The success of A Great Disturbance is the honesty in which each character is portrayed. Staying true to their characters, the circumstances create themselves and the actors are confident enough to pull off each incident with the goal for each character still in mind. What is also great about this film is that you don’t need to be Star Wars fan to enjoy it. This is a film that can be enjoyed by all. It is very funny and even heart warming in a sense because a clear hero emerges in this film- perhaps two. Lee, with his gentle and pure heart, wins out in the end and kind of gets the girl [Karen Sarna as the Femtrooper. Very hot and very married. Sorry guys]. Smitty as well comes out of the convention on the winner’s side with a hook up. Both Smitty and Lee, with their humble spirits and true hearts, emerge with their character intact and are both winners in the end.

     It is also interesting to note that the filmmakers openly acknowledge this as well, citing of all things a verse from the Bible at the end of their film. In the Book of Psalm, Chapter 37, Verse 11 reads, ‘But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.’. You go to any good Bible commentary and you will find that the meekness is ‘Partly of outward peace and prosperity, which God in his due time will give them: but principally of inward peace, in the sense of God’s favour and the assurance of endless happiness.’. Lee is the epitome of this verse, though I hardly think he realizes it.

     So what is the greatest disturbance of all? It is not that these fans exist. I’ve stood in three lineups for midnight screenings for the prequels. Believe me, I know the hardcore exist. I think what is most disturbing of all is that inside this kingdom of the geeks there still exists a hierarchy of social standing. That even inside this gathering of the presumably scorned and humiliated Star Wars fans there is the out casting of their own. That even inside a convention, this safe harbor of the Star Wars geek, there is the cool and uncool. The steady flow of mocking looks and sarcasm directed at Lee and his homemade costume is astonishing. For such a great collective to admonish one of their own is a sad testimony to this particular fan base.

     Where do I sit on the scale of Star Wars fans among this cross section? Most likely it would be Smitty but without the frat boy esthetic. The character of Smitty is someone who likes Star Wars but stand mostly on the peripheral of its fan base. Smitty is someone who grew up with Star Wars but he has never taken those final steps to indoctrinate himself into Star Wars fandom and devotion. Would I go to a Celebration? Maybe. Like him I would go mostly out of curiosity. Would I be comfortable at a Celebration? Only if I found comfort in the bosom of someone dressed as Princess Leia in the Return of the Jedi metal bikini.

     I can still admit that is the shit.

DVD Extras: Deleted Scenes [was a bit screwy on my copy. image and sound got out of synch. shame], Lee Sagowitz’s Trilogy Synopsis and Trailers.

Scripture and Commentary pages
Karen Sarna’s MySpace and Rebel Legion pages
Aegis Films and A Great Disturbance Myspace. Buy you copy of A Great Disturbance through the Aegis home page.

May 25th, 2007

Darth Vader is a Jerk

     I‘m having to much fun browsing YouTube right now. :)

May 25th, 2007
May 25th, 2007

Shatner Sings to Lucas

     I don’t have too much to say about this other than its worth a watch.


May 25th, 2007

Yoda

     Our little green friend, as Emperor Palaptine calls him, has become an international icon and hero. With his strange dialect and seemingly backwards talk (that is actually correct English) he always seemed to be the frail old Jedi that is the wisest creature in the universe. If the prequels taught us anything, we know that Yoda is not so frail and actually quite agile and can be dangerous as hell if provoked.

     He’s become such a favorite of so many fans around the world, that he’s actually become part of pop culture. Observe:

     Weird Al Yankovic produced a gold selling album entitled “Dare to Be Stupid.” The album was so popular mostly because of this parody of a popular Kinks song:

icon for podpress  Yoda [3:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Simpons have used him a number of times:


simpsons_yoda.jpg

Even Apple has gotten into the act…


yoda_apple.jpg

     Accurate it is, to say that a hero and an inspirational figure, Yoda has become.

May 25th, 2007

Discovering Star Wars at 15

     You read right. I didn’t discover Star Wars until I was 15 years old. Growing up in a remote village in Europe can have some serious disadvantages.

     My first brush with SW was in highschool when I caught a portion of “Return of the Jedi” on tv. Yeah, I’d heard about the movies but I’d never made an effort to see them.

     And then I met the husband. The single, biggest SW fans I’ve ever met. His quiet demeanor shatters whenever someone even mentions anything remotely related to SW and trust me, that’s a huge deal. In 9 years, this is the only thing I’ve found that really makes him happy. Just don’t mention the words “Star Wars” and “Holiday Special” together in the same sentence.

     For last year’s celebration, a local sci-fi group showed a long lost copy of the Star Wars Holiday Special. The single worst thing ever made in the SW franchise and a project that Lucas has been burying for years. No special edition DVD here. Actually, not even an official release. Just lost to oblivion.

     When hubby refused to go, I knew something was up. Something was seriously wrong. After seeing it, I understood what that fear was. It was fear of pain. Of watching so bad that it killed a little part of your SW loving heart.

     But I’ll admit that it wasn’t all bad, there were a couple of less bad moments. Including this one which I’d like to share with you today.


     I may have discovered SW late and I many not even be as big a fan as most but I can appreciate the greatness of these movies and what they’ve brought to film making and film lovers everywhere. Happy Birthday!

May 25th, 2007
May 25th, 2007

Donny and Marie do Star Wars

     I‘ve copied this from: http://www.timewarptv.com. I’d suggest heading over to it so you can check out some of the other Star Wars stuff they’ve got.

     The Donny & Marie Star Wars skit begins with footage of two Imperial star destroyers and the Millenium Falcon (actual film footage), spliced with cheap matte painting of planets (very non-Star Wars like). The scene fades and an opening crawl (as in the movies) begins;

Tony The Tiger sound-alike - “A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY, THERE WAS AN EVIL FORCE AT WORK TO DESTROY THE VALUES BY WHICH DECENT PEOPLE LIVED. VALUES LIKE PATRIOTISM, CLEANLINESS, THRIFT AND GOOD DENTAL HYGIENE. DID THE EVIL FORCE WIN THE BATTLE? THAT’S FOR US TO KNOW AND YOU TO FIND OUT.”

Luke and Leia, apparently running from something, enter stage-left.

Luke(singing) “Princess Leia our goose is cooked unless we lift off of this star.”

Leia (singing) “Luke I know you’re right, but we’ve got to hang five before they find out where we are.”

Both “Darth will keep searching up and down, until they find our hiding place. Before very long, they’ll know we’re gone. We’ve got to get lost in space. Riders to the stars, we are flying, we are falling and I can see the clouds rolling by, Riders to the stars we are sailing we are soaring. The only thing we can do is try to get the first available flight out of sight… We are Riders to the stars!”

Luke “Oh, look!”

R2-D2 and C-3PO enter from where Luke and Leia had just come running. R2-D2 is beeping wildly and C-3PO does his best to run to Luke and Leia.

Leia(Gasping) “Oh! Oh, You made it!”

Threepio(glaring down at Artoo, who is still beeping insanely) “Certainly not, that would never work!”

Leia(looking at Luke) “Oh, I wish Okey Ben Pinocchi was here!”

Luke “Yeah, he’d tell us what to do.”

Above the quartet of heroes, appears the head of the ghost of Okey Ben Pinocchi. He stares down upon them.

Pinocchi “I’ll tell you what to do! Why don’t you look over there? It’s your chance for escape.”

Leia(turning and pointing) “Oh, look over there! It’s our chance for escape!”

Pinocchi(somewhat annoyed) “I knew I heard it somewhere.”

Luke(walks in the direction in which Leia pointed) “Hey taxi!”

Standing to the far right of the stage is a man who attempts to bear some resemblance to Han Solo, however, he is standing in the doorway of a cardboard rocket ship, complete with fins, a ramp, a helmet that looks like something the original Mercury astronauts wore, and cheap sunglasses.

Artoo(low muttering beeps.)

Threepio(to Luke) “Pardon me sir, but that’s not a taxi. It’s a spaceship. But that’s exactly what we need.”

Luke, Leia, and Threepio approach the spaceship. Han remains motionless, leaning on the doorway of his craft.

Threepio(tapping Han on the arm) “Excuse me, sir.”

Slow to react, he removes his sunglasses as if he just awoke from a nap(or a drunken stupor), and looks down at Threepio.

Han “What can I do for you?”

Threepio(looking over to Luke and Leia) “Perhaps you two can explain?”

Luke and Leia look at each other and nod. Both begin to sing.

Both “Show us the way to get out of this world, for that’s where everything is. If everything is going, I don’t want to stay here. Who want’s to stick around and watch the world disappear?”

Leia(dancing towards Artoo) “His transistors are in trouble and his chips are weak.”

Luke(catching up with Leia) “And if we stay our chances for survival are bleak.”

Both “So show us the way to get out of this world, for that’s where everything is!”

Leia(running back to Han) “Can you help us escape?”

Han “If I can’t, I know someone who can!”

Han attempts a really sad attempt at a whistle, and from behind him, in the darkened spaceship emerges Chewbacca, the Wookie. Leia and Threepio retreat in surprise and fear, hiding behind our fearless R2-D2 unit. Han laughs maniacally as he delights in seeing everyone’s fear.

Han (singing) “Hey, hey, hey, hey!”… what follows is some of the worst, most indiscernible music and lyrics I’ve ever heard. Even after multiple viewing, I still couldn’t make out but a few words. I’ll spare you the gory details. Han, Chewbacca, Threepio, Luke and Leia all climb aboard the cardboard ship.

Everyone(waving) “BYE!”

The door slams shut. The spirit of Okey Ben Pinocchi appears again, over the now empty courtyard.

Pinocchi “You know, things are changing out here in space. I come from a distant planet called Sanford. My planet has it’s own moon, it’s own stars and it’s own galaxy… but this year, Sanford has no SON!”

The scene changes to view of our heroes escaping in their… uh… Saturn 5 rocket. Yeah, they actually used footage of a Saturn 5 rocket. The camera pulls back revealing that the rocket is actually on a view-screen of an Imperial Officer(Paul Lynde). Behind him march Stormtrooper babes(Ice Angel dancers in white nylons and motorcycle helmets… no kidding).

Officer(singing) “Hear my voice, where you are. Hop a plane. Grab a car. On a cloud. On a star. Come back to me! Have you gone to the moon? On a lushly lagoon? On a cosmic monsoon? What’s your course?!? Where the Force, can you be! Come back to me! Come back to me! Come back to me!”

The music ends, and the Imperial Officer is surrounded by twelve stormtrooper babes all laughing and pointing him.

Officer “I didn’t expect a standing ovation, but what’s so funny?”

Darth Vader enters from the left, at a quickened pace.

Vader(pointing at the Imperial officer) “You, you intergalactic fool! You’ll never get them back that way!”

Officer “I suppose you have a better plan?”

Vader “No plan at all, just a little Force.”

The scene cuts to the Imperial Officer and Vader watching the viewscreen. On the screen is footage of a Saturn 5 rocket taking off, run backwards!

Officer “Ah ha! You see, they’ve come back!”

Vader “They had no choice”

The scene cuts to the courtyard. Smoke billows from under the cardboard cutout rocket. The door drops and out walks out heros.

Han (proudly) “How about it? Was that a perfect landing?”

Threepio “That’s not what we need”

Leia “But you landed on the same planet.”

Han “But the landing part was perfect.”

Luke “I knew we should have taken a cab!”

To the left of the courtyard, two doors burst open and quartet of real Stormtroopers enter. They begin to sing and dance and are joined by the Stormtrooper babes, as they all surround our heros in an orgy of bad song and dance.

Stormtroopers(singing) “We’re Darth Vader’s raiders and we can’t believe the things that you do. We never met a troupe that play hide and seek the way that you do. But Fe Fi Foe Fum, look out people cause here we come. We know just what to do with you, so get ready, get ready! Cause you’re though when we’re through with you, so get ready, get ready. Here we come!

Stormtrooper Babes(chorus) “Get ready, cause here we come! Get ready, cause here we come! Get ready, get ready! Get ready, cause here we come! Get ready, cause here we come! Gotcha!”

Our heros are now completely surrounded by Stormtroopers. From the left, Darth Vader and the Imperial Officer stroll in.

Officer “You thought you’d get away? Don’t you know you’ll never escape from The Farce?”

Vader “That’s The Force!”

Officer(to Vader) “Oh, don’t bother me with grammer at a time like this!”

While the Imperial Officer is still scolding Vader, Chewbacca grabs him by the shoulders and neck.

Officer “Get your big ape hands off me!”

Vader raises his hand, as if he plans to choke someone, then retreats.

Vader
“You’ll never capture me! And I vow by the power of my Force, I shall return”

The scene fades back to Okey Ben Pinocchi.

Pinocchi “The Force can’t touch me. I come from a planet 10 million light years away. Uh, shorter if the lights are with you.”

The scene fades back to the courtyard. The Imperial Officer is still held captive my Chewbacca.

Officer(yelling to a departed Vader) “Well, where does that leave me Mr. Ungrateful!”

Chewbacca pulls the Imperial Officer into the cardboard ship.

Everyone(singing, including the reformed stormtroopers) “You’re leaving on a jet plane, Don’t know when you’ll be back again!”

The ship door slams shut and everyone cheers again, including the Stormtroopers and Stormtrooper Babes.

Leia “Thank you all, your princess is safe at last. Your work is finished.”

Artoo (sighs with relief)

Threepio “Yes Artoo…”

Everyone(singing & dancing) “Up we go, into the wild blue yonder, striding high into the sky… Riders to the stars, we are flying, we are falling and I can see the clouds rolling away. Riders to the stars we are sailing we are soaring into a brand new brighter day. We are riders to the stars!”

Pinocchi “Can you imagine trying to find your luggage when this trip ends?”

The screen fades to a star field. The helmet of Darth Vader appears and disolves into a shot of the Millenium Falcon zooming away.

Vader “I vow by the power of my Force, I shall return.”

THE END

May 25th, 2007

The Best Star Wars Video Games

     I wrote this for my own site and my personal blog for today, but thought I would share it here too, since it’s obviously fitting.

     Star Wars: some of the greatest movies of all time that spawned some of the greatest video games of all time. Of course, there have been dozens upon dozens of games based on these movies and as expected, plenty of them range from mediocre to just plain terrible. One of those terrible ones that come to mind was the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies. The extremity of the excitement I had for this game was only overshadowed by my severe disappointment after finally playing it. I tried to convince myself that it was enjoyable and wasn’t a waste of the $50 plus the $15 per month I paid, but I was only kidding myself. It was horrible - and soon even the most hardcore of Star Wars fans realized this as well and Galaxies merely faded in oblivion; now, only a few extremely dedicated (or just really delusional) people are still playing the game, but there are faint rumors that a Knights of the Old Republic MMORPG may be in the works and maybe, just maybe, it will help freshen the bad taste that Galaxies left in my mouth (honestly, I haven’t touched an MMORPG since). Read on though, and find out some of the Star Wars games that weren’t massive disappointments and kept me playing for hours upon hours not so long ago, in a basement not too far away… from my parents’ room.

8. Star Wars: Empire at War (2006; PC)
Combine elements of Age of Empires and Starcraft with the Star Wars universe and you have yourself an insanely addictive game. Play as the Rebels or the Empire and skirmish in space or on land. It’s a little repetitive at times maybe, as most RTS games are, but that doesn’t take away from the great Star Wars experience that this is.

7. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (1996; N64)
Coming out shortly after the launch of the Nintendo 64, this game focused on the time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. You played as mercenary Dash Rendar and the main jist of the story was trying to help Luke Skywalker rescue Princess Leia from the evil Prince Xizor. It has a lot of familiar faces, and while the story isn’t anything special now that I take a step back and think about it, to the child that I still was, it was an amazingly cinematic experience and was just as good as any of the movies (and still, it’s better than the first two prequels anyway).

6. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (2003; PC, Xbox)
The story was pretty lame and it hurt that you no longer played as the franchise character Kyle Katarn but a new student into the Academy. Still, the game - most notably the insanely fun multiplayer - was a blast and the lightsaber dueling and force battling was incomparable. Getting a dozen friends together to multiplayer this game up was as fun as any Halo or Age of Empires shindig, and this made the game worthwhile and easily worth the money.

5. Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1994; SNES)
I couldn’t decide which of the three Super Star Wars games to put on here, but in the end, I feel this was the most fun (and probably the hardest) of the three. While the game really isn’t much like the movie (see the NES games for ones that are even less like the movies), it was a lot of fun to play as Luke, Chewie, or an Ewok and jumping around killing various beasts that were never in the movies and dying most of the time. It’s still stands up as a fun game and every few months I get out my SNES, dust it off, and play it a little bit - just for old times sake… and a serious challenge.

4. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004; Xbox, PC)
The story wasn’t as good as the first game, but the gameplay was just as good. In fact, it was almost identical to the first. It was more like a 50-hour, huge expansion pack to the first game than anything else - which wasn’t really a problem, since the awesomeness of the first game still hasn’t been surpassed. This game was loads of fun, was packed with content and entertainment, and was more addictive than crack. If you’d like to become a Star Wars junky along with the rest of us, you can purchase this game for $10 used on Amazon!

3. Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995; PC)
I was about nine or ten years old when this came out and I remember I had never experienced anything quite like it. It felt so real. The graphics felt so life-like. After this, I no longer felt the need to play Doom or Wolfenstein 3D, because in my ten year old mind, this surpassed them both. It introduced us to Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial agent and now a mercenary (and eventual Jedi in later games), around the times of A New Hope. While it wasn’t nearly as revolutionary as Doom or Wolfenstein 3D, the fun factor was equal, and for a huge Star Wars fan like myself, it may have been even a little more fun.

2. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002; PC, Xbox, GameCube)
To me, this is unarguably the best of the Kyle Katarn saga. It starts with Kyle who has given up on the force and his Jedi ways. Thus, the game begins as an exciting first-person shooter (much like the first game was entirely), for all Kyle uses is guns. A handful of levels into the game though, Kyle realizes if he doesn’t rekindle his ways with the Force and the Jedi, all hope may be lost, and this is when the amazement and the story of the game really kick in. This is the most fun you’ll ever have with a lightsaber (there’s a multiplayer aspect too, which is just as fun) - and the force powers are just as great to boot. You’ll never get tired of force pushing Storm Troopers off of cliffs. I promise.

1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003; Xbox, PC)
Not only is this the best Star Wars game, it has a cinematic element and story that matches the greatness of the original trilogy. Some even argue that it’s more exciting and that some of the revelations match that of the “No, I am your father” moment from The Empire Strikes Back. I wouldn’t argue. The blend of RPG with action-game elements, the ability to make an insane amount of choices that changed the story, choosing the light or dark side, along with the amazingly well-written story and developed characters makes for one of the most rewarding gaming experiences ever. It really is that good. If you haven’t played it, you can buy it used on Amazon for the PC for under $10, so there is no excuse! A third game in the franchise is (sadly) yet to be announced, but let’s hope within the next few weeks and once Bioware has finished its current game, we might get some sort of news.

     That’s my list and I’m sticking to it. There are dozens more games out there, many that I haven’t even played, so there is no question I probably didn’t include a favorite of yours. So, which Star Wars game is your favorite and why?

-Jonathan

May 25th, 2007

Cinematic and Literary Allusions of the great Star Wars Ep.4

Source: Wikipedia.com

     According to Lucas, the film was inspired by numerous sources, such as Beowulf and King Arthur for the origins of myth and world religions.[1] Lucas originally wanted to rely heavily on 1930s Flash Gordon film serials; however, Lucas resorted to Akira Kurosawa’s film The Hidden Fortress and Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a Thousand Faces because of copyright issues with Flash Gordon. The scene in which Princess Leia awards Han and Luke is similar to a scene in Leni Riefenstahl’s 1934 film Triumph of the Will; both scenes have large, enthusiastic crowds seated in a shallow amphitheater bounded by columns, with a low dais where the leader stands.

     The throne room of the Massassi Temple in Star Wars

The throne room of the Massassi Temple in Star Wars

A similar shot from Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will

     A similar shot from Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the WillStar Wars features several parallels to Flash Gordon, such as the conflict between Rebels and Imperial Forces, the “soft wipes” between scenes, and the famous “opening crawl” that begins each film. A concept borrowed from Flash Gordon — a fusion of futuristic technology and traditional magic — was originally developed by one of the founders of science fiction, H.G. Wells. Wells believed the Industrial Revolution had quietly destroyed the idea that fairy-tale magic might be real. Thus, he found that plausibility was required to allow myth to work properly, and substituted elements of the Industrial Era: time machines instead of magic carpets, Martians instead of dragons, and scientists instead of wizards. Wells called his new genre “scientific fantasia“.Star Wars was influenced by the 1958 Kurosawa film The Hidden Fortress; for instance, the two bickering peasants evolved into C-3PO and R2-D2, and a Japanese family crest seen in the film is similar to the Imperial Crest. Star Wars borrows heavily from another Kurosawa film, Yojimbo. In both films, several men threaten the hero, bragging how wanted they are by authorities. The situation ends with an arm being cut off by a blade. Mifune is offered “twenty-five ryo now, twenty-five when you complete the mission.” whereas Han Solo is offered “Two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan.” Lucas’ affection for Kurosawa may have influenced his decision to visit Japan in the early 1970s, where he borrowed the name “Jedi” from jidaigeki (which in English means “period dramas”, and refers to films typically featuring samurai). Lucas drew inspiration from J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy book The Lord of the Rings, in that Obi-Wan Kenobi is the Wizard Gandalf reincarnate, albeit in differing fashions, and Darth Vader and the Witch-king of Angmar are the chief servants of a higher evil power and dress in black. Luke watches the duel of Obi-Wan and Vader from across a chasm as Frodo witnessed the duel between Gandalf and the Balrog; both feature their respective blue and red melee weapons. Tatooine is similar to Arrakis from Frank Herbert’s book Dune. Arrakis is the only known source of a longevity drug called the Spice Melange; Han Solo is a spice smuggler who has been through the spice mines of Kessel. Lucas’ original concept of the film dealt heavily with the transport of spice, although the nature of the material remained unexplored. In the conversation at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s home between Obi-Wan and Luke, Luke expresses a belief that his father was a navigator on a spice freighter. Other similarities include those between Princess Leia and Princess Alia (pronounced [ə.ˈliː.ə]), and between Jedi mind tricks and “The Voice”, a controlling ability used by Bene Gesserit. In passing, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are “Moisture Farmers”; in Dune, Dew Collectors are used by Fremen to “provide a small but reliable source of water”.There are subtle parallels to the Japanese serial Space Cruiser Yamato (Star Blazers); both Wildstar and Skywalker are young and hot-headed but grow into mature leaders; Captain Avatar and Obi-Wan each portray the wizened old warrior; the similarities between R2-D2 and IQ-9 are unmistakable. Additionally, in both stories the heroes fly fighter plane-type spacecraft; the Death Star and the Comet Empire perform similar functions and the chief villains (Darth Vader and Desslok) meet similar fates.The Death Star assault scene was modeled after the 1950s movie The Dam Busters, in which Royal Air Force Lancaster bombers fly along heavily defended reservoirs and aim “bouncing bombs” at their man-made dams to cripple the heavy industry of the Ruhr. Some of the dialogue in The Dam Busters is repeated in the A New Hope climax; Gilbert Taylor also filmed the special effects sequences in The Dam Busters. In addition, the sequence was partially inspired by the climax of the film 633 Squadron directed by Walter Grauman.

     The opening shot of Star Wars, in which a detailed spaceship fills the screen overhead, is a nod to the scene introducing the interplanetary spacecraft Discovery One in Stanley Kubrick’s seminal 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The earlier big-budget science fiction film influenced the look of A New Hope in many other ways, including the use of EVA pods, hexagonal corridors, and primitive computer graphics. The orbiting space station in 2001 has a docking bay reminiscent of the one on the Death Star. The film also draws on The Wizard of Oz: similarities exist between Jawas and Munchkins, the main characters disguise themselves as enemy soldiers, and Obi-Wan dies, leaving only his empty robe in the same fashion as the Wicked Witch of the West. Although golden and male, C-3PO is inspired by the robot Maria from Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis. His whirring sounds were speculated to be inspired by the clanking noises of the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard of Oz.

May 25th, 2007

Star Wars Rated and Ranked!

     Since Andrew and Kurt did THEIR list on the Movie Patron Cinecast Episode #48 I thought I would do the same. So this is Star Wars according to MY standards!:

Rated, ranked and ordered:

 6. Revenge of the Sith (No rating) - As much as I HATED the number five film  on my list I HAVE to put this dead last because I simply haven’t seen it yet. So until I get around to it it stays firmly at the bottom.

5. Attack of the Clones (1/5) - I don’t remember all that much about this but I just remember HATING everything about it.

4. The Phantom Menace (2/5)- I put this first with regards to the new trilogy for one reason and one reason ONLY. Two words; Darth Maul. My favourite character out of ALL the Star Wars films (except for Han Solo, of course).

3. Return of the Jedi (3/5)- By FAR my least favourite of the original trilogy. I don’t what it is by I just have a big problem with this film. It’s pretty good, but not THAT good. Sorry folks…

2. Empire Strikes Back (4/5) - It probably has a lot to do with the shocking revelation at the end. Although, and this may shock you, I didn’t see the original trilogy until recently, EVERYONE knows the twist ending it still shocks you. “It can’t be true!”

1. A New Hope (4/5) - By FAR my favourite of the six. Possibly because I like the more story element that is very predominant in this one more than the others.

May 25th, 2007

A Long Time Ago…

     In a Galaxy not so far away, a man named George Lucas released his little known art film called Star Wars to the world and changed the way movies are made forever. It was the first film I ever saw in a theater and it has been my favorite film of all time ever since. I still watch the original (episode IV) about once a month or so and it is absolutely brilliant on every level, every time I watch it.

     All you have to do is imagine yourself as a 10 year old kid in a theater in 1977 (I actually saw it when I was 4 when it was rereleased in late 1979); not having any idea of what you’re about to see. All of a sudden, an explosion of music hits the screen with a smattering of stars as the backdrop for those famous yellow words that slowly drift into the infinite distance. Then, out of nowhere, a small space ship flies overhead being fired upon by… another ship a much larger ship. Already your jaw is wide open. Then, this larger ship flies over your head and the sheer size of the thing keeps going on and on and on and on and on. By now, your jaw is on the floor and your eyes are practically popping out of your head. “Holy Crap!!” You vaguely hear your friend next to you say over the laser blasts and heaving, blue flame engines and explosions. From then on, you’re hooked.

     After this was the marketing. Toys galore. I remember opening Christmas presents one year and in every single package (even if it was stupid old socks), there was a different Star Wars figure at the bottom of the box. It was awesome and I remember it being one of the best Christmases ever. I remember my sister spraying me with the garden hose while I was wearing my brand new Return of the Jedi shirt. I raced into the house in traumatic tears thinking she’d ruined it forever… haha. My mom once punished me for something (who cares what) by not letting me watch Star Wars for the umpteenth time one night when it was on cable. I cried myself to sleep.

     Then, of course, were the sequels and the prequels. I took a week off from school and waited in line for tickets to see Episode I; a month in advance. I then waited in line for another week for our seats (which I believe happened to be over spring break, so I didn’t miss more school). It was so much fun. I remember being so excited to get there, I was driving a bit fast. A cop pulled me over in a small town and asked where I was going in such a hurry. I explained about Star Wars and getting in line, etc. He said, “well, you don’t want to be late for that. I’m taking my son to see that when it opens. If I need tickets, can I call you?” I laughed and said sure and he let me on my way with only a warning. Then it was rows of tents, lots of new friends and it rained to beat the band for pretty much the entire week. Our “leader” built a make-shift movie screen out of 2×4s and a bed sheet, then used his F-150 truck to power a projector to show Star Wars (and other films) every night. We became the subject of much interest from other Movie Patrons as they strolled in to see Entrapment or The Matrix. we also took abuse from some passers-by, but also made the local news just about everyday. Football and beer in the parking lot, NTN Star Wars trivia at the bar on the corner (we came in 3rd in the nation all week). A blast.

     As I’ve gotten older, my love for the films has not waned. But my love for the extraneous stuff has a bit. I’m not as fond of my boxes of memorabilia that take up space in my apartment as I once was. The books are seeming to really reach for ideas and the prequels were… well, less than amazing. The new TV shows (one CG-animated and one live action) have piqued my interest. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit excited, but I also feel GL should leave the franchise alone. It’s become his life (and others of us as well) and it really shouldn’t. He should move on.

      Still, we’ll remember what George has created and given the world: the finest reel of celluloid the world has ever known called The Star Wars Trilogy. I remember being genuinely choked up a bit when I first saw the trailers that told us the originals were to be re-released in theaters back in the late 90s. I waited in line all day for those as well. I also remember seeing the Episode 1 trailer online for the first time. Even though the film itself isn’t the greatest, I still think it is easily my favorite trailer of all time and watch it agin from time to time. The excitement it brought (and stills does to an extent) is indescribable. Thanks George - you’re probably the biggest reason why I even have a movie web site and watch as much film as I do. Happy Anniversary Star Wars and may the force be with you… always.

May 24th, 2007

Star Wars!

     What comes to my mind when someone mentions “Star Wars”?

     The first thing that would pop up is the theme song trumpeting triumphantly in my brain.

     The next thing would be how “Star Wars” reigned supreme in my family for years.  In some ways it still does, thus I’m posting here.

     Thirdly, because one member of my family has been totally and completely addicted to anything even remotely related to SW since the first time he saw the first SW movie, it became a part of our family life.  I think it might have been the first movie, EVER, for him.  He was four, and we sat in that theater,