Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
Head on over to StarWars.com for a 23-page Fate of the Jedi primer featuring series background, character profiles and an 11-page excerpt of next week’s big release, Aaron Allston’s Outcast. And don’t forget Allston is going on tour, beginning Tuesday in Kentucky.
Last night we got word that Natasha Richardson has succumbed to her injuries. The family released a brief statement:
Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.
Appreciations for Richardson’s work and career have come from all quarters, including Entertainment Weekly, the Los Angeles Times and director Ken Russell. EW also has a gallery of her key roles.
Our sympathies to Neeson, their sons, and their friends and family.
io9’s Meredith Woerner has a fantastic report from the floor of last night’s Battlestar Galactica retrospective at the United Nations. Ronald D. Moore, Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell and David Eick were on hand to talk about the human rights and other issues that BSG has addressed over its four seasons. I really hope there’s video, particularly after Woerner wrote this:
At one point the discussion lit a fire under the Admiral, and the talk of human rights turned personal for Edward James Olmos. The “Old Man” launched into a passionate speech about casting off the idea of race as a cultural determinant, and said we were one race, the human race. His voice echoed throughout the chamber growing louder until – I kid you not – he was yelling, “So Say We All,” and the crowd answered right back.
That proved a bit controversial to some of io9’s commentators… But in short, sounds like a rousing night and a real example of how science fiction can address and open up dialogue on real-life issues.
Cad Bane, bounty hunters… The buzz for this episode is already pretty steady, but it is the finale, so I suppose I can allow it. (Kidding! No, really!) See the clip (and some pics) at a slightly better quality over at io9. And as James already linked, Filoni talks up Bane over at StarWars.com.
Also, something I’ve been pondering… The same organization who didn’t want there to be an Anakin Skywalker and an Anakin Solo in two completely different time periods is perfectly okay with a Darth Bane and a Cad Bane? Is this progress, or is something fishy at work? (Perhaps a Mon Calamari Sith lord?) Or has ‘Bane’ simply become badass shorthand over the years? We’ll just have to see if this flavor-of-the-week survives his debut.
StarWars.com has the cover and official blurb for Karen Traviss’ Imperial Commando: 501st.
The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic Commandos — the galaxy’s finest special forces troops, cloned from Jango Fett — find themselves on opposing sides and in very different armor. Some have deserted and fled to Mandalore with the mercenaries, renegade clone troopers, and rogue Jedi who make up Kal Skirata’s ragtag resistance to Imperial occupation. Others — including men from Delta and Omega squads — now serve as Imperial Commandos, a black ops unit within Vader’s own 501st Legion, tasked to hunt down fugitive Jedi and clone deserters.
For a bigger look at the cover and the rest of the blurb, including some possible spoilers for Order 66, head over to the StarWars.com link above.
What’s the word on last week’s episode of The Clone Wars? We’ve heard from Stooge in his guest review here on Club Jade that “‘Liberty on Ryloth’ is as good as it gets”, and here’s what the other voices in the online world have to say:
And preparing us for this week’s finale episode “Hostage Crisis”, Dave Filoni talks up the new villain, the Duros gunslinger, Cad Bane.
Head over to Book View Cafe for the second installment of Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff’s A Padawan’s Journal, where she tells the (sadly detail-free) story of how Holostar was pitched.
Reports emerged yesterday that actress Natasha Richardson has been seriously injured in a ski accident outside of Montreal. She was flown into New York in the afternoon and The New York Times has confirmed that she is in very serious condition… Other reports have claimed brain damage or swelling. Others report that friends and family are gathering in New York to “say goodbye.”
Richardson and Neeson have been married since 1994 and have two sons. She has played a variety of roles on both screen and stage, winning a Tony in 1998 for her Sally Bowles.
In any case, our thoughts go out to Richardson, Neeson and their family…
The actor behind the original trilogy’s Darth Vader revealed he’s been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer today on British Radio.
Hoping to raise money for London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, the actor, 73, told the Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show: “I’m involved with the Royal Marsden Hospital appeal because I’m undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, would you believe. I’m having my very last treatment this morning.
“I’ve had two months’ radiotherapy treatment at the Royal Marsden. It’s the most fantastic hospital you could ever wish to go to.”
He went on to say he now feels “fantastic”. Our best wishes go out to Mr. Prowse for a continued recovery!
Do we really need more Clone Wars? Clearly somebody thinks so, because The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has a Clone-themed exhibit opening later this month.