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The Phantom Menace 3D (Movie Review) & Other Star Wars Rants

Gregg Senko — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:20:19 +0000

It was only a matter of time before FX guru and Star Wars creator George Lucas jumped on the 3D bandwagon. This past Friday, Episode I: The Phantom Menace made its arrival in theaters. With massive cardboard standups in cinemas months ago promoting the upcoming release/re-release, hopes were high that Lucas would deliver on the conflicted visual technology. At the end of the day, however, the only thing that was high was the ticket price.

I have said from its original release back in 1999 that The Phantom Menace (TPM) is great sci-fi but terrible Star Wars. If you didn’t care for it then, the 3D release isn’t going to make you like it any more than you did 13 years ago. Let’s cut to the chase. The use of 3D here was nothing short of offensive. It was dispicable and an epic fail at an attempt to use 3D on a mega-blockbuster such as Star Wars. Basically, you are watching the Blu-ray release of TPM, which means minus the puppet Yoda and replace him with the much better CGI Yoda. A lot of the visuals were cleaned up, but the 3D effects were lackluster at best. They merely added minor subtle depth to the existing scenes while failing to provide that in-your-face sense that 3D is very capable of.

For a $13 ticket, I felt ripped off, plain and simple. Sure, TPM is my least favorite of the six films, even though it has the best sword fight in Hollywood history, but the application of 3D here didn’t alleviate my woes with this movie at all. It wasn’t even a laughable attempt, but rather, tear-inducing. Shame on the team that worked on this movie and its supervisor. When the best 3D effect in the film is the big ‘Lucasfilm’ marquee at the very beginning, that speaks extremely anemically for the rest of the film where the actual content is. One word to sum this up…Booooooo. If the capacity crowd of 7 (including me) in the screen I was in is any indicator for how TPM in 3D will do, well, it goes without saying that I predict poor returns at the box office for this film, which I wouldn’t even call 3D.

While we’re on the subject of Star Wars, let’s talk about George Lucas’ recent comments that he’s done making movies in lieu of the legions of fans tearing him down for his original trilogy additions and changes. Yes, they are his films and he can certainly do whatever he wants with them, but who else does that and where do the changes end? Star Wars topped my Blu-ray list for 2011 and I would never change that. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t say I wasn’t 100% satisfied. Let me put it to you this way. Take a masterpiece painting in an art museum. It has been there several decades and everyone truly admires it. Then after 30 years or so, the artist takes it down and adds to that very same canvas. Another stroke here, a new color there…what in the world would the original artist expect when fans say, “What the heck are you doing?” I’m not saying that’s right or wrong or good or bad, and yeah, it’s his or her painting and they can do whatever they want to it, but now what made it great has been paved over, at least partially, and that original feel is no longer present. That’s not opinion, that’s reality.

Sylvester Stallone acknowledges that movie-making is part creative process from yourself and part for the fans (hence his comments on Rocky V when he said he screwed up and should’ve listened to the fans). After all, unless you’re Howard Hughes and have near endless amounts of cash to make sub-par pictures, you need to make something people want to see. Otherwise, what’s the point of making the movie? Lucas is a pioneer in the film industry and created some of my all-time favorite films like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and American Graffiti, and while it’s too late now, he needs or needed to recognize and listen to his fans. That goes for any business and movie making is indeed a business. If all Why So Blu readers wanted more music postings, why would we as the content providers not listen simply because it’s our site? Sure, critics will always exist in any capacity, but why go out of your way to scare everyone off?

Star Wars: The Old Republic (Beta Test Review)

Gregg Senko — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:12:36 +0000

The wait is nearly over. On December 20th, PC gamers will finally be able to get their hands on an official copy of the latest MMO (massive multiplayer online) title to hit store shelves; Star Wars: The Old Republic. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity of being selected as a beta tester. This past weeked, I managed to grab a few hours of adventure in a galaxy far, far away…

There are a handful of well known MMO’s out on the market today. The most successful, however, would be none other than World of Warcraft. The folks at Electronic Arts and Bioware hope to steal some of that online thunder by staking their claim in the land of MMO’s. Originally slated as a single-player Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3, the developers soon realized the more lucrative and greater realm of possibilities with a massive multiplayer PC game. Taking place 3,000 years before the Star Wars movies, you get to choose between either the Republic (good guys) or the Empire (not good guys). Once you make your selection, you then choose your class, followed by your race. Classes consist of Jedi Knights, Jedi Consulars, Smugglers, Rebel Troopers, Sith Warriors, Sith Inquisitors, Bounty Hunters and Imperial Officers. You are then to select a race and not all races are available for each class. The races range from Zabrak (think Darth Maul), Human, Twi’lek, Miraluka, Chiss, Cyborg, Rattataki, and Sith (the species, not the Dark Jedi), each with their own unique ability. With a plethora of decisions at my disposal, I made three characters. The first was that of a Sith-species Sith Inquisitor. While you can also play as a Sith Warrior (focuses on saber combat), I chose the Inquisitor (focuses on Force abilities) as there’s something fascinating about electrocuting someone from the other end of the room with Force lightning.

I started off on the Sith homeworld of Korriban. I found my quest work rather average, though still somewhat entertaining. As an Inquisitor, you start off with three basic combat abilities; a single saber strike, a triple saber strike that utilizes Force points, and finally Force lightning. Oddly enough, you’re entrusted with the ability to throw lightning but your melee weapon is a shock stick, not a lightsaber. There were several side missions, but unfortunately, if I completed a main quest, any side quests within there were now null and void. Hopefully it isn’t like this in the final cut.

Next I chose a Rebel Trooper. My character was a cyborg and a rather boring one at that. Combat options consisted of a a basic blaster rifle shot and a grenade toss. Speaking with this guy was also less than spectacular. While you’re usually presented with three response choices in a conversation, I found them unimpressive and the Trooper as a whole just plain boring. So, after trading some blaster fire, I opted back for the Dark Side choosing an Imperial Officer of the Chiss race (think Grand Admiral Thrawn’s species). When faced with an adversary, I was given the option of a basic blaster rifle shot and the ability to take cover. Once behind cover, the Officer can engage his or her sniping abilities, which I found more fun than a barrell of monkeys. In addition, the Officer utilizes the concept of espionage to drive this class, and overall, I found it the most engaging of the three classes I played. The downside was the frustrating zig-zag patterns many of my side quests involved. It was like traveling from Cleveland to Chicago by way of Dallas. Express travel is offered but only after you’ve discovered certain waypoints. The presence of repeated enemies along the way didn’t help here either, though this class’s story and dialogue were still fun to run through.

The graphics were decent enough (never a strong point of MMO’s), but the voice acting was stellar. If there was one aspect to be impressed with in this game, it was the different characters’ delivery. Whether it was your own or the PC, the diaogue was intelligent and clear (save for the dumbed-down Trooper with vanilla conversational abilities). So with that being said, here comes my inevitable comparison between The Old Republic (TOR) and World of Warcraft (WoW). The graphics are better on TOR so the nod goes to Bioware’s creation in that category. In addition, the stories are so much better in TOR than WoW. However, don’t count out the Orcs and Dwarves just yet. I found WoW more entertaining right out of the box. The early quests and character building in WoW felt quicker and more enjoyable than TOR. As I didn’t get beyond a level 5 character in TOR, it remains to be seen how much fun it will be to play as an advanced character. Once I get that lightsaber, it may change my opinion of TOR. In the end, I felt The Old Republic offered too few new twists to MMO gaming. Honestly, it felt a lot like World of Warcraft with a Star Wars badge on it. While you can choose servers of P vs. E (player versus environment), where you have to agree with another online character to fight one another, or P vs. P (player versus player), where you can attack any online body of an opposing faction, everything feels a lot like you’re in your own little world. This probably isn’t a good thing since the main concept of an MMO is to immerse you in a world with other live players.

I’ll pass on a buy of this title as it just didn’t light my fire. I had high hopes for this game, especially since all the build-up and press it has received over the past couple of years. The cinematics are stunning and are nearly worth the price of admission right there, but the game as a whole, well, maybe another day.

LEGO Star Wars – The Padawan Menace (Blu-ray Review)

Sean Ferguson — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 23:02:50 +0000

A routine Jedi Academy field trip is turned into a rip-roaring comic adventure in LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace. Tour guide Master Yoda leads a group of rambunctious Jedi younglings through Senate chambers when he senses a disturbance in the Force. Summoned to help save the Republic, he discovers that one of the Younglings secretly boarded his ship…and has a taste for adventure! Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 are put in charge of the boisterous group and find themselves in over their heads. As the evil Sith prepare to wreak havoc, it’s up to Yoda and the Droids to ensure that their young charges aren’t torn to bricks! The 22-minute original standalone special will feature the charm, action and irreverent humor that have become the signature style of LEGO Star Wars animation collaborations and will include five LEGO Star Wars shorts, as well as an exclusive, collectible mini-figure. Featuring situations, characters and locations from throughout the entire Star Wars Saga, the original adventure is written by Emmy Award winner Michael Price (The Simpsons) and produced by Oscar-winning Animal Logic, the production company behind Happy Feet.

Film

Star Wars and LEGOS go together like chocolate and peanut butter. The Star Wars franchise was the first and most successful LEGO licensed product collection in the company’s history, generating more than 200 LEGO models and approximately 275 LEGO mini-figures inspired by the Saga, which has also spawned a hit collection of video-games set in both the classic and prequels eras, selling 25 million units to date worldwide. After the blockbuster success of both the toy-lines and the video-games, Lucasfilm and LEGO have joined forces again to make some family friendly short films that have all been collected on this Blu-ray. Following the humorous tone set by the video-games, these short animated films are fun for the whole family and they encompass the entire Star Wars saga. The added help from Lucasfilm is evident from the spectacular special effect shots of planets, space, and more from the movies. They’ve also generously turned over the sound effect library so between the visuals and the audio, these feels like Star Wars which adds quite a bit to the short films.

The Padawan Menace opens with a shot of a yellow school bus ship making it’s way to Coruscant for a field trip. Yoda, along with C-3PO (actually portrayed by Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 is chaperoning the children until they land and he senses a disturbance in the Force. Leaving C-3PO in charge of the younglings, Yoda leaves to try to discover the hidden danger. While C-3PO may be programmed to be fluent in over six million languages, he isn’t programmed to supervise children and the younglings soon go on a rampage. Surreptitiously joining them is a young Han Solo who joins the group in an attempt to evade the local security officers looking for him. Even at this young age, Han Solo is a scoundrel with a heart of gold and we see his skills as a smooth talker were present even then. Meanwhile, Count Dooku’s apprentice Asajj Ventriss has stolen secret battle plans and planted a bomb in the Senate chamber. Although Yoda was able to take care of the bomb, the secret plans are stolen and he is forced to pursue them with Han Solo in tow.

The youngling however accidentally end up in space and their ship goes into hyperspace and they crash on Tatooine. While C-3PO and Artoo argue about what to do, their crashed ship is quickly salvaged by some Jawas leaving them without a ship to return in. They make their way to the newly opened Mos Eisley cantina where we see some familiar faces from Star Wars, as C-3PO goes in disguised as a human after Artoo shows the clip from Star Wars where Luke is told droids aren’t allowed. It’s obvious that the saga’s time-line isn’t sacred as we see from the clip and a scene where we see an older Han blast Greedo in the cantina. When the younglings are mistaken for the house band (Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes weren’t around I guess) and they have fun until they accidentally destroy a wall to reveal a very angry Jabba the Hutt who has them captured. Meanwhile, having tracked the stolen secret plans to Hoth, Yoda and Han encounter Wampas, AT-ATs, Rebel soldiers, and more as they attempt to retrieve the plans from the battle droid that escaped. Both groups will have to work together to be successful against the forces of evil and some knowledge of brick building can’t hurt either.

My son and I watched this together and we both liked it although I suspect that he enjoyed it more than me. All of these shorts are done very well and are very cute, but the Star Wars geek in me kept getting hun up on the time-line inconsistencies. How two Han Solos could be in the same place or why Artoo has footage from an event that won’t occur for another twenty some years is beyond me. I know it’s nitpicking and the LEGO movies are meant to be light-hearted and fun so I can let it go but it still bothers me a little. All of these short films are a lot fun to watch though and they have a lot of funny moments like the idea that there’s a show called “Keeping up with the Calrissians.” There’s also a good running gag where Darth Vader keeps trying to participate in what’s going on only to be chastised by George Lucas. The special effects and animation are top notch and they looked great on Blu-ray and John Williams’ legendary music from the saga is also used well. This is fun that the whole family will enjoy and it’s even more enjoyable if they happen to be Star Wars fans too.

Video

This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer look fantastic which isn’t too surprising considering the property. The LEGO bricks that make up the figures look real enought to touch even though this isn’t even in 3D. They have a texture and detail that is very impressive to see and I hope that at some point they re-release this in 3D since it would be perfect for it. Colors are bright and varied and true to their movie counterparts. Black levels are excellent and the contrast is perfect. The highest compliment I could say is that this looks like a Star Wars movie.

Audio

The Padawan Menace is no slouch in the audio department either as its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix sounds great although it can’t match the superb 6.1 mixes that were done for the actual Star Wars Saga that was recently released on Blu-ray. This release may not reach that lofty pinnacle, but that’s not to say that this mix is bad as it’s actually very good. From the fanfare and music from John Williams, to the sound of a LEGO Jar Jar Binks getting blasted into a hundered bricks, this is a very satisfying mix. The dialogue is clear and clean and well balanced with the awesome sound effects and music. I probably would have given it a five rating if I hadn’t just watched and heard the saga it is based on which blew me away. Nevertheless, I think fans will be very happy with this very impressive track.

Special Features

While I liked all of these extras, I wish there had been more considering that they are charging full price for the Blu-ray even though the main feature is a twenty-two minute short film. On the plus side, you do get a free toy, and several fun extra short films that are all in high definition.

Exclusive LEGO Minifigure: A nice bonus is an actual LEGO Young Han Solo who is packaged along with the case. My son was very happy to get a new toy to play with.
The Quest for R2-D2 – When Artoo goes missing along with top secret information, Jedi and Sith are on the hunt for him. Pay attention for the cameo of Indiana Jones searching a junk pile during the Jawa Garage Sale scene.
Bombad Bounty – This short film starts in Star Wars with Vader boarding Princess Leia’s ship and slipping on the water on the floor left by Jar Jar Binks after he mopped it and didn’t put up warning sign in time. Vader is so enraged that he hires Boba Fett to take Binks out and we see him try to eliminate Jar Jar through all of the classic era movies. Every time he is thwarted in his mission by something including at one point the boulder from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I really liked this short film as it was a lot of fun.
Star Wars in 2 Minutes – Parts 1 and 2 – The entire saga (broken into two parts by era) is covered in two minutes by stop motion real LEGO bricks. Not only is the stop motion animation very cool, but this is a lot of fun with some excellent production values. It’s impressive. Most impressive.

Final Thoughts

All of these short films are a lot of fun to watch and there’s a lot of playful humor that the whole family can enjoy whether or not they are Star Wars fans (although they would like it more if they were). This Blu-ray looks and sounds great and the extras including the toy figure of Han Solo add a lot to the release. Now if they would just release an Indiana Jones LEGO movie I would be set! This is highly recommended!

Order your copy today!

Star Wars Novels on the Horizon

Gregg Senko — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:38:57 +0000

What was once a small collection of Star Wars novels that set the foundation for the Expanded Universe, has now grown into a seemingly endless library of material spawned from mere name-dropping in the films or additional backstory from the many Star Wars video games. Two such novels due to be released in the coming months are Revan and Darth Plagueis.

One of the most successful Star Wars video games of all time is a PC and Xbox favorite; Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Sometimes simply known as KOTOR, the RPG-style game featured a story taking place thousands of years before the first Star Wars film. It was a time when the Sith were as numerous as the Jedi, and where the Jedi had Coruscant, the Sith had Korriban. The Mandalorians were war-mongering the galaxy until one Jedi stepped up to cease victories of both opponents, only to take the side of one. The Jedi Revan was the character you played as in KOTOR, collecting friends, making enemies and building your lightsaber along the way. Though a lot of questions were unanswered (and even more so in the game’s sequel), be prepared to become enlightened with the upcoming release of Drew Karpyshyn’s novel on the character, titled Star Wars: The Old Republic - Revan. Karpyshyn commandeered the Darth Bane trilogy of novels, which personally are my favorite fictional stories of all time. With Karphyshyn’s masterful literary tactics in delivering a story, we can expect Revan to expound on the Knights of the Old Republic figurehead while providing a solid tale at the same rate. Revan comes out November 15th.

In Revenge of the Sith, you may remember Palpatine’s coercive discussion at the opera with one very impressionable Anakin Skywalker. The corrupt Palpatine spoke of a story about a man known as Darth Plagueis the Wise. Plagueis allegedly had the ability to avert the natural causes of death, prolonging his life to unknown measures until his apprentice murdered him. As fans of the franchise, we knew all too well that Palpatine was either providing a well-crafted fallacy, or more likely, the actual story whereas Palpatine was the bloodthirsty apprentice. This little bit of dialogue fascinated hardcore fans of the franchise and opened a whole new door to possibly explain how Palpatine became so masterful in the dark arts. Our questions may soon be answered as author James Luceno brings us a novel exclusively on Palpatine’s probable teacher, titled Star Wars: Darth Plagueis. No stranger to the Star Wars universe, Luceno has also penned big sellers like the The Dark Lord Trilogy, Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, and Labrynth of Evil. Darth Plagueis comes out December 27th.

LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace Arrives on Blu-ray Sept. 16th!

Sean Ferguson — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 01:54:30 +0000

After the Cartoon Network debut of their first-ever original television special, The LEGO Group and Lucasfilm will join forces once again to bring LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace to Blu-ray Disc and DVD. Launching on September 16, the 22-minute original standalone special will feature the charm, action and irreverent humor that have become the signature style of LEGO Star Wars animation collaborations and will include five LEGO Star Wars shorts, as well as an exclusive, collectible minifigure. You’ve probably already bought the Star Wars Saga on Blu-ray so make sure you add this to your collection too!

LEGO STAR WARS: The Padawan Menace

Animated Special Arrives on Blu-ray and DVD September 16

Features Signature Family-Friendly Fun, Spirited Action and Irreverent Humor

– Along with Two Bonus Shorts and an Exclusive Minifigure!

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (September 12, 2011) – A routine Jedi Academy field trip is turned into a rip-roaring comic adventure in LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace. Tour guide Master Yoda leads a group of rambunctious Jedi Younglings through Senate chambers when he senses a disturbance in the Force. Summoned to help save the Republic, he discovers that one of the Younglings secretly boarded his ship…and has a taste for adventure! Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 are put in charge of the boisterous group and find themselves in over their heads. As the evil Sith prepare to wreak havoc, it’s up to Yoda and the Droids to ensure that their young charges aren’t torn to bricks!

Featuring situations, characters and locations from throughout the entire Star Wars Saga, the original adventure is written by Emmy Award winner Michael Price (The Simpsons) and produced by Oscar-winning Animal Logic, the production company behind Happy Feet.

To date, Star Wars is the first and most successful LEGO licensed product collection in the company’s history, generating more than 200 LEGO models and approximately 275 LEGO minifigures inspired by the Saga, which has also spurred a blockbuster collection of videogames, selling 25 million units to date worldwide. In addition to its popularity among younger fans, a significant portion of the LEGO Star Wars consumer fan base is made up of adult fans and franchise collectors.

BONUS MATERIAL :

● Hunt for R2D2

● Bombad Bounty

● Star Wars in Two Minutes (Part 1)

● Star Wars in 2 Minutes (Part 2)

● Star Wars Clone Wars In Cinema

Order your copy today!

Star Wars: Dark Times—Out of the Wilderness #2

Gerard Iribe — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:39:44 +0000

Everyone is after fugitive Jedi Dass Jennir. An assassin broke into an Imperial facility seeking information about Jennir’s whereabouts, and the specifics of what was stolen have put Darth Vader on Jennir’s trail-with the Emperor’s blessing! Even the outlaw crew of the Uhumele are searching for their erstwhile companion.

* Swashbuckling adventure in the Star Wars tradition!

* The “Verpine Jedi” in action!

Pre-Order Star Wars: Dark Times—Out of the Wilderness #2 Now @ TFAW.com

Creators

Writer:

Mick Harrison

Artist:

Douglas Wheatley

Colorist:

Dan Jackson

Cover Artist:

Pablo Correa

Genre: Star Wars

Publication Date:

September 07, 2011

Format:

FC, 32 pages

Price:

$2.99

UPC:

7 61568 18817 2 00211

The Future is Always in Motion – New Details on the Star Wars Saga’s Blu-rays! Updated with Cover Art!

Sean Ferguson — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:31:43 +0000

Today as part of Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm finally spilled the beans on the details on the upcoming Star Wars Blu-ray box sets. While I don’t think they’ve told us everything, there is still a lot to be excited about. They will now be in 6.1 DTS Surround Sound and there’s over forty hours of special features! There’s still no word on whether or not the original theatrical editions will be included or not, but hopefully that’s something they are saving as a surprise for later. I’m sure there will be more information given at Comic-Con this year, but there’s still been a lot of cool things revealed today! Take a look at the details below and May the Fourth Be With You!

Updated to include the actual cover art for the upcoming Blu-ray sets!

Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars™ with your whole family – when STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments – in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.

Special Features:

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:

DISC ONE – STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC TWO – STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC THREE – STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FOUR – STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC FIVE – STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SIX – STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI

Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

DISC SEVEN – NEW! STAR WARSARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III

Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more

DISC EIGHT – NEW! STAR WARSARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI

Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more

DISC NINE – THE STAR WARS DOCUMENTARIES

NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) – Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures…these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.

NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) – George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.

NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) – The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don’t miss “Weird Al” Yankovic’s one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!

The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) – Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) – Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!

Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) – Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billie Dee Williams.

Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) – See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.

Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) – Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.
Put Captain Solo and this box set in the cargo hold. Pre-order yours today!

Fox sets release date for ‘Star Wars 3D’ !

Sean Ferguson — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:49:24 +0000

It will be a day long remembered! The Star Wars Saga will be back in theaters next February in 3D starting with Episode I – The Phantom Menace and followed by the rest of the legendary series! I know some people will inevitably complain that it will be in 3D but the conversion is being supervised by ILM and George Lucas personally and it will look fantastic I’m sure. Besides, does it really matter? This is the Star Wars movies back on the big screen where they belong!

According to Variety:

Saga to preem in theaters on Feb. 10, 2012

It’ll be a happy Valentine’s Day weekend for fans of the force next year, as the first installment of 3D version of the Star Wars saga will preem in theaters Feb. 10, 2012.

The 3D versions are being released in numberical order, so first up is “Episode I: The Phantom Menace.”

Apparently sensitive to criticism of recent 3D conversions, studio said “Supervised by Industrial Light & Magic, the meticulous conversion is being done with utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions.”

Pre-order the Star Wars Blu-rays today!

Family Guy – It’s a Trap! (Blu-ray Review)

Sean Ferguson — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:26:05 +0000

If you enjoyed the first two Family Guy Star Wars spoofs (Blue Harvest and Something Something Dark Side) like me, then you will probably enjoy the final installment in the saga, It’s a Trap! I’ve always been impressed with how much effort the Family Guy team puts into matching the source movies down to the smallest details such as the music cues and the editing with its dead on accuracy that thrills the inner Star Wars geek in me.

It doesn’t hurt that George Lucas has generously instructed Lucasfilm to provide any assistance or material they need to pull these spoofs off. When you combine authentic sound effects and music from Lucasfilm with the trademarked off the wall humor Family Guy is known for, you have a hilariously fun ride that lovingly skewers the Star Wars saga for the first two movies. This third entry however, feels a little more mean-spirited which takes away some of the fun.

Film

Like the previous movies, this spoof follows the basic framework of its source movie, in this case Return of the Jedi. In this final chapter, Luke Skywalker (Chris) and Princess Leia (Lois) travel to Tatooine to free Han Solo (Peter) by journeying to the fortress of Jabba the Hutt (Joe). From there Luke goes to Dagobah to see Yoda and then rejoins the rebels to plan their attack on the shield generator and the Death Star. Meanwhile the Emperor (Carter Pewterschmidt) and Darth Vader (Stewie) plan to turn Luke to the dark side, while Luke is determined to spend time with his Dad and turn him to the light side of the force.

Adding to the fun, the movie is loaded with cameos – including Patrick Stewart and Michael Dorn reprising their roles from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Adam West returns as Tarkin, Carrie Fisher (the original Princess Leia) voices Mon Mothma, and Rush Limbaugh stars as the voice of the Rancor.

Like a lot of Family Guy episodes, this hour long movie had moments that I thought were completely stupid and others that made me laugh hard. My problem with Family Guy is that they sometimes run things into the ground deliberately and to the point of annoyance. It’s almost like they want to provoke you since there is no other explanation for scenes like one of the sail barge where the characters nod to each other in acknowledgment of the plan that’s about to be enacted. In the real movie, this lasts about seven seconds but here it’s drawn out to about five minutes. I can understand poking fun at something that stood out for ridicule, but I have no idea why this sequence was extended as much as it was.

Although there’s a lot of laughs in the movie, it seems to pale compared to the previous two spoofs of the saga. Even in the opening scrawl, there’s mention of burnout and being forced to make the movie to appease their Fox masters. It all shows with a script that could have used more work by people who know Return of the Jedi better than the two credited writers. (That’s no joke either as you can see their knowledge in one of the extras showing them playing Star Wars Trivial Pursuit). You know you may be in trouble when the opening scrawl has lines like, “Look, just do me a huge favor and lower your expectations, okay? Just this one time. I promise I’ll make it up to you. I mean, Star Wars, fine. Empire, still not bad. But on this one we ran out of gas.”

The movie’s saving grace ironically enough, is when they capture the feel from the original movie. These spoofs have always done an excellent job replicating the action and scenes from the original saga and this one does it even better than the previous two. There’s also more action in this movie than the others and it seems like there’s been a lot more finesse in this production over the other two. Visually it looks great and it really made me want to pull out the original Return of the Jedi and watch it. Between the visuals and some funny parts, combined with my deep love for the Star Wars movies, I’m giving this a higher rating than it probably deserves.

Video

This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer looks incredible. The first Family Guy spoof to go wide-screen, the picture is laser sharp and visually very pleasing. Colors pop and black levels are appropriately dark and inky and I especially liked the lighting and color design of the Emperor’s throne room which was very true to the movie. The seamless blend of traditional and computer animation looks amazing and it’s really the highlight of this disc.

Audio

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is equally good. The Star Wars movies have always sounded fantastic and this spoof is no different. The music and effects from the film are used well here, as is John William’s fantastic score from the film. The sound can be so good that it can almost hurt when you hear Patrick Warburton’s rumbling voice as Jabba the Hutt. For some reason, the menu’s volume is a lot lower than the rest of the movie so be prepared to adjust it once the movie starts.

Special Features

I have to say that these extras are very disappointing. It’s almost as if no one involved in the film even bothered to care about providing worthwhile special features which is even more of a travesty for a full priced Blu-ray that contains only an hour long Family Guy episode, which I think is shameful.

Audio Commentary—Seth MacFarlane (who only stays for about 30 minutes), executive producer/co-writer David Goodman, co-writer Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, producer Shannon Smith, and supervising director Peter Shin. It’s obvious that with the exception of director Peter Shin, the rest of these people are more worried about what makes them laugh than the audience. This is a fairly obnoxious commentary and Shin wisely keeps out of it as much as he can.

Animatic - The rough draft of the movie done in an animatic form. There’s a few differences but it’s really not that interesting.

Star Wars Trivial Pursuit: Ultimate Championship - The Family Guy: It’s a Trap production team plays Trivial Pursuit and you can watch them fail at Star Wars questions for over 30 minutes. I can’t believe this is something that they believe that consumers will want to watch. Not only does it show their lack of Star Wars knowledge, but who likes watching other people play Trivial Pursuit?

Drawing with Peter Shin - The director shows us how he draws the characters. While this will be completely boring to most, I think some kids might like to see how he does it and he seems like a nice guy.

Making the Scene - The directs shows us the transition of two animatics to their finished versions. It’s not that interesting.

Lost Voice Mail from Darth to Luke - It’s not really funny and a missed opportunity.

Sock Puppet Outtakes – The most demoralising point of this disc. Not only was the addition of a sock puppet into Jabba’s throne room not funny in the movie, it definitely doesn’t deserve to have an extra devoted to it.

Digital Copy

Final Thoughts

While the movie has some funny parts, overall I am disappointed despite the excellent audio/visual presentation. The special features are an additional slap to the face and I think that it’s probably a good thing that this is the final Star Wars spoof they are doing. The addition of characters from American Dad and The Cleveland Show also diluted my enjoyment of the movie. The movie is at it’s best when it’s focused more on riffing on Jedi than on extraneous Family Guy tangents. I just wish the actual Star Wars saga was out on Blu-ray!

Order your copy today!

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (PS3 Game Review)

Gregg Senko — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:21:28 +0000

And then there was light…sabers…two actually. Yes, after the impressive sales of 2008′s Star Wars The Force Unleashed, it only made sense to build on that success and deliver a sequel. After all, the first one wasn’t just a video game, it was the only piece of Star Wars non-movie material that George Lucas declared official Star Wars canon. That means what you saw and played in that game, officially took place and is on par with the movies (between episode III and IV to be exact). The game opened up a whole new world in Star Wars gaming as it provided a straight on action experience with Sith abilities and an array of enemies and environments in front of you to lay waste to.  With The Force Unleashed II being released this past Tuesday, the sequel has some serious shoes to fill.

To recap the story of the first game, you played the first level as Darth Vader himself, destroying wicker huts and throwing wookies across the Kashyyyk landscape. At the end of the road, you are tasked with eliminating a Jedi on the run. Upon dispatching the do-gooder, Vader finds the knight had a young son who is very sensitive in the Force. That boy becomes known simply as the Apprentice, but covertly as Starkiller (a name Lucas had come up with 30+ years ago for Luke Skywalker’s original last name). The story had plenty of twists and turns as it took you from the Chewbacca’s homeworld to a massive scrapyard planet to the Coruscant and several points in between. Starkiller’s talent makes him arguably the greatest Force user of all time, though he falls in the end to the hands of Vader and Emperor Palpatine. In Force Unleashed II, you begin as what appears to be a clone of the former villain turned hero on the rain-soaked planet of Kamino. The Apprentice’s travels will highlight new locations for him, previously unvisited in the previous installment, such as Kato Neimoidia and Dagobah. After throwing a few stormtroopers around and jacking Vader’s ride, the chase begins.

Overview

The game can play at a pretty feverish pace at times (regardless of which of the three difficulty settings you use),especially when turning a corner and running into a nest of Imperials. You begin with twin lightsabers and a core set of Force abilities which include the Force push, Force lightning and a levitating grab-and-throw. As you progress, you can utilize the lightsaber throw and Force bubble that releases a shockwave of energy in all directions. One new addition to this title is the mind control ability. Using this will either cause an enemy to leap from the nearest ledge or turn him against his comrades. In addition, you will also find the level-up concept back in a slightly different form (cubes instead of spheres). Red cubes provide different lightsaber abilities, but as Starkiller has two sabers, you need to get both crystals of the same type to be able to use them.

With the red cubes unlabled, you won’t know what the box holds in store until you obtain it. Yellow cubes provide Force points which allow you to upgrade your abilities, blue cubes increase your in-play Force meter while green adds on to your health. Quite often, just as before, these are creatively hiddenAs far as the story goes, this time you’re out to rescue love interest Juno Eclipse who’s been captured by Vader. In the meantime, Starkiller is blinded by his pursuit of the blonde while the new Rebellion takes a beating at the hands of the Empire.

Control

As with the first Force Unleashed, the sequel also runs off of the proven God of War engine.  Melee actions revolve around combos which are uber easy and fun to perform. Believe me when I say I sucked at just about any street fighting game that ever game out. The ability to look like an acrobat with glowing swords is pretty darn sweet when all I had to do is enter a random sequence of three buttons.  Defeating level bosses works the same as before (and in God of War). After taking down the villain to a certain energy level, the player is prompted with a button sequence that they must exactly follow and within a fairly quick amount of time. For those of you that haven’t played either game, it’s not the difficult. The square button will appear on screen and you have a few seconds to tap it on the controller. If you do it correctly, another prompt will appear and so on. If you wait too long or botch it, it’s time to bring the boss’s energy down a bit again and start the sequence all over.

Directing your attacks, using your Force abilities in the heat of the moment, and mastering the art of the double-jump require minimal effort. All of this adds to the attractiveness of the game and the ability to play it right out of the box. Tensions teeter in Kamino’s cloning facility as you make one leap of faith after another, trying to position the character at just the location above a seemingly bottomless pit. Combine this with the ease of use of the Force dash in mid-air and you’ve got yourself one wicked clone to be reckon with.

Graphics & Sound

The animation sequences are nothing short of incredible. In-game play movements and backgrounds are fluid and detailed for the most part. There are occasional glitches with something just doesn’t jive…let me explain. In one scene, you’ll see Vader taking a knee. Somehow, the foot he’s supporting himself with is gone. It looks like a black-clad stump in the floor grating. I’ve also experienced a few hiccups in frame rate in the form of two slowdowns. These occurred when there were so many enemies on the screen, the system didn’t know how to handle it all.

One massive improvement in this game over the original is the animations. In the first game, your lightsaber was pretty much a scorching baseball bat. It would do little more than leave a few burn marks and knock guys across the playing field. Now, however, you will find that limb dismemberment is ever present. A few well-timed slashes to any Imperial troop can sever limbs like the old hot knife through butter. My personal favorite animation has to be the realism of a jammed gun. From time to time, you will find a very frustrated and panicking Imperial who’s trying to get a few shots off on you, only to discover his gun won’t fire. The enjoyment in walking up to one of these poor saps is a true highlight.

The sound surpasses the graphics on the ground level. NPC chatter during gameplay adds a great deal to the atmosphere of the game, most notably when allies or enemies are off in the distance. Blaster bolts, saber strikes, explosions, grunts, groans, and vehicle thrust all come across with a beautiful resonance here. This attribute is certainly a standout here and outdoes its predecessor by a recongnizable margin. More sound effects and their impeccable timing (except during those hiccups) will dazzle any surround sound system fortunate enough to relay the sounds of this game.

Final Thoughts

Whether or not George Lucas categorizes Force Unleashed II as official storyline material remains to be seen. Nevertheless, LucasArts delivered yet another solid title here. This game can suit button mashers as well as those looking for a more definite sequence of attacking the opposition through the Sony controller. The storyline does an impressive job of supporting the gameplay and the worlds you will embark upon. Game saves are enabled throughout, but don’t count on picking up EXACTLY where you left off in every case. This can make some situations annoying as you’ll have to likely go back and replay significant portions of a level you’ve already struggled through and completed. Speaking of the levels, they are definitely longer than in the first Force Unleashed. This can be good or bad. Good, because it’s more substance to the game. Bad, because you may wonder if it’s ever going to end. When all is said and done, this game easily earns a grade A for the sum of its parts, flaws included. Everybody wants to be a power-wielding Jedi and with the Force Unleashed II, you can return to that role.

CV: George Lucas Announces Star Wars on Blu-ray!

Blu-ray Brian — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:16:48 +0000

Saturday’s news from Celebration V really hit home with George Lucas’ official announcement that all 6 Star Wars films will be making their way to Blu-ray next year. There was no release date or no price information, but who the hell cares. I can finally watch Star Wars again (since my boycott of DVD in 2007)! But more importantly… I can watch Star Wars on Blu-ray! I was hoping for an “ultra” special edition where George Lucas would go back one last time and fix all those endless mistakes again, but it looks like we will at least be getting the Special Editions and not the original versions…thank God! All 6 films will be packaged in a Blu-ray set with documentaries, vintage behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, retrospectives and never-before-seen footage (deleted scenes too) from the Lucasfilm archives.

One of those special features, a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi, premiered at the convention on Saturday. In it, Darth Vader is seen and so is Luke Skywalker as he puts the finishing touches on his new lightsaber before going to the palace of Jabba the Hutt.

Family Guy’s Star Wars Spoof ‘It’s a Trap!’ Comes to Blu-ray

Sean Ferguson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:41:33 +0000

If you enjoyed the first two Family Guy Star Wars spoofs (Blue Harvest and Something Something Dark Side) like me, then you will love the final installment in the saga, It’s a Trap! I’ve always been impressed with how much effort the Family Guy team puts into matching the source movies down to the smallest details such as the escape from the Death Star scene from Star Wars where the Millennium Falcon evades a TIE Fighter. Even the editing is dead on accurate which thrills the inner Star Wars geek in me. It doesn’t hurt that George Lucas has generously instructed Lucasfilm to provide any assistance or material they need to pull these spoofs off. When you combine authentic sound effects and music from Lucasfilm with the trademarked off the wall humor Family Guy is known for, you have a hilariously fun ride that lovingly skewers the Star Wars saga. Check out the full press release below:

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 26, 2010) – Return to the Grffins’ version of that galaxy far, far away as their freakin’ sweet saga continues with “Family Guy: It’s A Trap!” – arriving exclusively on Blu-ray and DVD December 21 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. In the third installment of the hilarious Star Wars satire – following 2005’s “Family Guy: Blue Harvest” and last year’s “Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side“ – the Griffins reprise their intergalactic roles in an outrageous retelling of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.

Fans received an early peak of the epic farce at San Diego Comic-Con as Seth MacFarlane previewed 10 minutes of “Family Guy: It’s A Trap!” during the “Family Guy” panel this past weekend.

In this spectacular and offensively uproarious final chapter, Luke Skywalker (Chris) and Princess Leia (Lois) must travel to Tatooine to free Han Solo (Peter) by infiltrating the wretched stronghold of Jabba the Hutt (Joe), the galaxy’s most loathsome and dreadful gangster. Once reunited, the Rebels team up with a tribe of Ewoks to combat the Imperial forces on the forest moon of Endor. Meanwhile the Emperor (Carter Pewterschmidt) and Darth Vader (Stewie) conspire to turn Luke to the dark side, and young Skywalker is determined to rekindle the spirit of the Jedi within his father. The Galactic Civil War has never been more outrageous, as the Rebel forces gather to attack the seemingly defenseless and incomplete second Death Star in the battle that will determine the fate of the galaxy.

Adding to the fun, “Family Guy: It’s A Trap!” is loaded with hysterical cameo voice spots – including Patrick Stewart and Michael Dorn reprising their roles from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Adam West (“Batman”), Carrie Fisher (Star Wars Trilogy) and conservative talk radio juggernaut Rush Limbaugh as the voice of the large carnivorous reptomammal, the Rancor.

“The fan base for “Family Guy” and Star Wars, both enthusiastic, have embraced the first two hilarious spoofs,” said Mike Dunn, President, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “Bringing the distinctive storylines together for the trilogy of parodies has been enormously successful and lends itself to create unique home entertainment releases.”

As an added bonus, “Family Guy: It’s A Trap!” will also be available in Blu-ray and DVD triple-packs featuring all the “Family Guy” Star Wars spoofs…the perfect gift for the holiday season.

Pre-order your copy today and pick up the previous spoofs if you haven’t seen them!

Comic-Con 2010: Leia’s Metal Bikini Photo Shoot (Featuring Adrianne Curry)

Brian White — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:46:48 +0000

Here’s an event Why So Blu fellow photographer Scott T. Morrison and myself are always happy to be part of… the annual Leia’s Metal Bikini Photo Shoot at Comic-Con in usually, sunny San Diego, CA. Check out some of the exclusive photos below, taken by Scott T. Morrison, yesterday at the Gentle Giant booth and at the Marvel Studio’s booth on the new Thor display. We are going to have a lot more shots up very soon and also your chance to own your very own prints, but in the meantime we wanted to showcase someone very special that was part of the annual photo shoot… Adrianne Curry (winner of the first season on America’s Next Top Model). Enjoy!

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The Force is Strong at Star Wars Celebration V

Blu-ray Brian — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Having enjoyed myself so much at Celebration 3 and being the big Star Wars fan that I am I just had to put a plug in about Celebration V landing this summer in Orlando, FL. One way or another Why So Blu will have some coverage from down there. We were actually sitting around talking about this event today and it made me think about how much of a blast I had at C3.  I hope you are reading this Ed Henry. The event will take place at the Orange County Convention Center August 12-15. No guest announcements have been made as of yet, but we are promised bigger and better things than Celebrations of the past. Here’s hoping they deliver on that promise. In the meantime, check out the official press release below about the 4-day event. Registration for the event opened last month. May the force be with you!

Norwalk, CT, December 3, 2009: Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and the ongoing, weekly adventures of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Reed Exhibitions’ PopGroup will partner to produce what’s expected to be one of the largest official Star Wars fan events ever – featuring cast and crew celebrities, fanrun events, costumes, music, live entertainment, screenings, autographs, collectibles, panels and sneak peaks into the future of Star Wars.

Star Wars Celebration V will take place August 12-15, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. A website, www.starwarscelebration.com, is dedicated exclusively to the event, and tickets to Star Wars Celebration V will be available for purchase online starting Thursday, Dec. 10. As always, Celebration will bring together the best of the Star Wars universe in one exciting, dynamic event.

Lucasfilm Ltd launched Star Wars Celebrations in 1999. Since then, the official Star Wars “parties” have become mega events, attracting tens of thousands of loyal and devoted fans and families. To date, there have been four Star Wars Celebrations in America, as well as a Star Wars Celebration Europe (2007) and Star Wars Celebration Japan (2008). Star Wars Celebration V will be the first Star Wars Celebration produced jointly with Reed PopGroup, which is responsible for the successful New York Comic Con, the new Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) and more.

“We’re going to have a blast commemorating the 30th anniversary of fan-favorite The Empire Strikes Back as we welcome an entire new generation of fans watching our animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” said Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm’s head of Fan Relations. “There’s no doubt that Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando will be the ‘must attend’ event for Star Wars fans of all ages and from all parts of the galaxy,” he added. “We’re also very excited to launch our partnership with Reed PopGroup, which has shown great expertise in running large, fun-filled events that satisfy fans, show participants, and exhibitors. We’re expecting the biggest and best Celebration to date.

“This is an enormously exciting undertaking and a natural partnership,” said Lance Fensterman, Vice President of Reed PopGroup. “Star Wars is arguably the strongest brand in the pop culture world, while Reed PopGroup has established itself as a leader in creating amazing experiences for fans and customers. Additionally, Reed Exhibitions has a strong international presence and is able to create world-class events globally,” he added “We look forward to providing first-rate organizational and programming expertise for a fan-based event that is well established and already attracts an enormous audience. In tandem with Lucasfilm, I’m certain that Star Wars Celebration V will be bigger and better than ever. We look forward to many years of working with Lucasfilm.”

Star Wars Celebration is the official Lucasfilm convention celebrating all things Star Wars. The Celebrations are the biggest Star Wars events held, allowing friends and families to gather to have fun and celebrate their love of the Saga. From fans who first experienced A New Hope in theaters to kids just discovering Star Wars through Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Celebration touches on anything and everything connected with that galaxy far, far away.

The producers promise more interactive events than ever at Celebration V. Celebrity guests will sign in the Star Wars Celebration Autograph area as well as make presentations. The annual Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge prizes will be awarded and there will be a chance for budding filmmakers to get tips from more experienced ones. Star Wars Celebration V will feature scores of crowd-pleasing events that can be found only at an official Star Wars convention.

Ticketing, pricing, and exhibitor information follows:

• Tickets will be available starting Thursday, Dec. 10 via www.starwarscelebration.com.

Pre-sale Adult Four-Day Passes are $120; Kids Four-Day Passes are $50; pre-sale

Thursday, Friday, and Sunday Passes are $45; Saturday Passes are $50; and Kids One-Day Passes are $25. Children under six years old are admitted free.

• Limited VIP Packages are expected to be available in early 2010, with details to be announced on the website. Single or Four-Day Passes already purchased can be upgraded to VIP status as long as supplies last!

• Special hotel rates and other travel information will be announced on the website.

• Information for Exhibitors and Celebration Art Show participation at Star Wars

Celebration V will start to take shape in early 2010.

For the latest news on show exclusives and special announcements on featured guests and events, subscribe to the Star Wars Celebration Newsletter at www.starwarscelebration.com. Also follow the news about Celebration V at the Official Star Wars site, www.starwars.com. For general information and the latest news about the Reed Exhibitions’ PopGroup, please follow the group’s official blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

Star Wars: In Concert

Gregg Senko — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:07 +0000

Last we met, it was but a movie, now it is a concert. On December 3^rd, a very unique event landed in Cleveland, Ohio…Star Wars: In Concert, performed by the amazing talents of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and their accompanying choir. However, you know that if Star Wars is the sole focus of the evening, this will not be your average concert. I mean, after all, how many concerts can you go to where movie-used props and costumes adorn the main concourse of the evening’s venue? There were unholstered blasters, Imperial Guard costumes, a life-size Yoda and even the ‘Han in Carbonite’ prop from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (and that’s not even half of what was there). Several superfans also lined the halls of the arena donning authentic costumes of various classic trilogy characters, posing for photos with the kids.

While making our way to the floor, the pleasantly unconventional concert experience of the evening continued. As a gentle mist caressed the atmosphere of Quicken Loans Arena, affectionately known as ‘The Q,’ it was reminiscent of the same mist hovering above the surface of Dagobah; the perfect bit of ambiance if Yoda’s theme were to be played on the night. The stage was dotted with a variety of instruments while a spectrum of lights colored the orchestra’s tools of their trade. Crowning the stage was a billboard-sized LED screen, larger than any video screen I’ve seen at any rock concert. This television behemoth displayed a menagerie of clips from the six films, all assembled to match the music being performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The icing on the cake was evening’s master of ceremonies who is none other than everyone’s favorite protocol droid, Mr. Anthony Daniels. Good old C-3PO, I mean Anthony Daniels, provided a dramatic narrative before each piece, setting up the next delivery of visuals for the audience eyes to feast on. The laser light show that appeared for a handful of the numbers made for a perfect accent piece and seemed to capture the audience’s attention as much as the other sense-grabbing aspects of the evening. Let us certainly not overlook the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as their work was simply beautiful. There is something to be said for the powerful picture painted throughout the night by the string section. Not to overshadow any of the other instruments, but when you see twenty or so violin bows all rising and falling in unison on the stage, well, all I can say is ‘wow!’

One of the most serene and musically poetic pieces of the evening had to be when the harpist played his solo during the Padmé theme. The soft, yet empowering sound of each string pluck was pleasing to the ears as well as the soul. I know the question you’re all asking. Did they play the Cantina tune? You’re darn right they did. If you want to experience mass toe-tapping and smiles galore, take a look around at the audience when the orchestra chimes in with this crowd-favorite. The 2-hour performance (which includes a 20-minute intermission) came to a close, but the audience would have none of it. A standing ovation called for Daniels and conductor to come back out…and come back out they did. The final piece for the night was the rousing Imperial March. This ominous yet invigorating tune was a tremendous closure to a grand performance.

In closing, I wanted to point out two things. First off, the the term ‘genius’ is thrown around all too easily today. A singer or performer gets a little success and all of a sudden that singer or performer is a genius. Hey I’m a big Dave Matthews fan and no offense to him, but he is not a genius. A musical genius is someone like master composer John Williams, who is the man behind score that has provided the tone-setting backdrop for all of the Star Wars films as well as a variety of other blockbuster films (Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, etc.). It’s a significant accomplishment to configure notes on paper and make it work. It’s an entirely different matter to bring together a vast array of instruments to carry out those notes successfully.    This is awe-inspiring music, Mr. Williams, and we thank you for it.

The second item that caught my attention was all the kids that attended. Sure, they were there because it’s Star Wars, but they were exposed to live classical instruments in the process. There is so much canned music out there that is absolute trash, lacking creativity and substance. It was a beautiful thing to see these kids reveling in the concert’s music and enjoying everything from the note of a French horn to that of a cello.

To the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, I say, “Magnificent job, everyone!” while I commend the conductor with a, “Well done, Maestro!” There are only a few stops left on the tour so if they are coming to your area, I highly recommend this family-friendly event. For more information on the tour, visit the official website at www.starwarsinconcert.com.

Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil

Gregg Senko — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Once a fabled Sith mentioned only in passing, Darth Bane has gained significant notoriety with fans of the Star Wars universe and we have none other than author Drew Karpyshyn to thank for it. The accomplished wordsmith is the man behind the pages of these Old Republic-timeline novels that showed readers a new perspective in the world of Star Wars; life through the eyes of the Jedi’s deadliest enemy. Beginning with Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, we were introduced to a normal man’s fall from grace, his rise to power and his utter hatred unleashed on those that trained him. Karpyshyn’s follow-up was Darth Bane: Rule of Two, where the artifact-hungry Bane scours the galaxy in search of Sith power while grooming his very capable apprentice. It was Bane who ripped apart the Sith empire and created the infamous rule of two…a master and an apprentice.

Coming December 8^th is the third novel in the sinister tale of Darth Bane’s life; Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil. With his apprentice gaining significant power in the last story, it is going to be interesting, to say the least, as we see what darkness unravels in this highly anticipated book. If it’s anything like its predecessors, expect Dynasty of Evil to deliver cunning battles, mind-driven corruption and a struggle for power in Drew Karpyshyn’s long-awaited sequel in the Darth Bane series.

Head over to our friends at Amazon.com and pre-order your hardcover copy today!

Comic-Con 2009 Update #15 – The Leia’s Metal Bikini Photo Shoot

Blu-ray Brian — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:16:05 +0000

You know life is really hard when you have to labor an hour of your time helping your photographer arrange and take pictures of 17 scantily clad metal bikini wearing girls. Such was the painful work I suffered through on Friday, July 24^th at the Comic-Con exhibit hall booths of Gentle Giant and Lucasfilm. I am being facetious, but of course. I actually somewhat enjoyed myself!

Under the direction of www.leiasmetalbikini.com website owner/designer, Jamin, my photographer, Scott T. Morrison, and I worked diligently to still frame capture and ensure every man’s fantasy was met that day. This was my second year attending Comic-Con and this annual photo shoot is by far one of the most popular events that takes place in the exhibit hall drawing the attention of hundreds of nerfherders trying to catch a glimpse of what all the fuss is about. And the best part about it is that you never know who is standing among you in the crowds. Try this one on for size. Out of nowhere, actor Seth Green just popped out from behind me in the crowd and stopped to pose with the girls for a few pictures (see the images below).

If you were not one of the chosen few lucky enough to get in on the action, or for that matter, even been able to get a glimpse of what was going on, then we have a real treat in store for you. Now for a limited time, exclusively available through www.whysoblu.com, you can own what is sure to be the “2009 Star Wars Photograph of the Year” (see the below image), an honor that Scott T. Morrison was bestowed with in 2005 for his work at Celebration III. For details on how to order the exclusive Comic-Con 2009 Scott T. Morrison Leia’s Metal Bikini photo, pictured below, please scroll down to the bottom of this article and secure one now.

Special thanks to Gentle Giant LTD. and Lucasfilm for allowing us to shoot at their Comic-Con exhibit hall booths. And a very special thanks to the mastermind who engineered this all…a personal hero of mine…Jamin…webmaster and owner of Leia’s Metal Bikini. Make sure to visit the site that started it all, where fantasies do come true and slavery never looked so good.

Check out our exclusive event photos below you will!



To order Scott T. Morrison’s exclusive Comic-Con 2009 Leia’s Metal Bikini photo please fill out the contact form below. The photo measures 16×20 and is printed on archival photo paper (NOT an Inkjet print job). This folks, is a premium photo and a once in a lifetime keepsake for Comic-Con attendees who were there to witness this intergalactic photo shoot of a lifetime and for all the others who wish they could have been there and want in on the action. Now is your chance to bring this work of art home to hang in your space station. This limited edition print could be yours for only $30 plus $12 shipping in a heavy duty shipping tube. We are also offering an 8×10 for $18, which includes priority shipping. Please fill out the contact form below and Scott Morrison will personally be in touch with you to secure payment arrangements and furnish any special needs such as framing, autograph requests or what not. Thanks for your support!

Leia's Metal Bikini Photo Order Form

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