Looks like the fantastic movie poster blog Posterwire is highlighting the posters of the original trilogy this week: so far, the ANH “circus” and ESB “Gone with the Wind” posters have been featured. They also covered the ROTS poster back in March.
Move along…
From the far away land of wherever-she-happens-to-be-right now, Yav sends us this delightful Episode 3 work excuse letter from the Geek Squad.
“Don’t get cocky.”
Nice long article exploring the character of Anakin Skywalker (and, by extension, Luke) by the AP.
As a prodigy with skills beyond his years, Anakin became seduced by the thought that he was destined for greater things than the average Jedi, said Lucas pal Steven Spielberg.
“I think it was simple ambition that turned him to the dark side,” Spielberg said. “The trilogy says to me it’s the dangers of that ambition. Look, he was in pod races at too young of an age. In this case, it was sort of the evil result of ambitions, being too ambitious for his own good.”
Usually you have to depend on fringe fan sites or delve into scary fanboy message boards for character analysis like this – nice to see it mainstreamed.
What we’ll be watching… maybe.
Networks are announcing schedules for next year. Since I’m only bothering with the genre stuff, a full sked is available here.
ABC
Lost moves up the the 9p.m. slot on Wednesday; Alias to Thursdays at 8p.m, verses Survivor. Following Alias is a remake of Kolchak: Night Stalker from Frank Spotnitz, former executive producer of The X-Files, starring Stuart “Almost Aragorn” Townsend.
NBC
New drama Fathom “revolves around the search for mysterious creatures of the ocean.”
CBS
Would Joan of Arcadia be considered genre? Hmm. Reportedly, it’s on the bubble; CBS announces their new schedule tomorrow, but may be adding several genre shows. However, one of them stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, so chances are it’s doomed one way or another.
Fox
Genre be damned, Arrested Development is renewed! They’ll be announcing the schedule on Thursday, but here are a few pilots that may get the green light: David Boreanaz (Angel) stars in Bones, a crime investigations drama; also Briar & Graves, a “drama about religious phenomena”.
The WB
Charmed remains on Sunday; Smallville moves to Thursday. A new show, Supernatural, debuts Tuesday at 9p.m., capitalizing on star Jared Padalecki’s stance as former Gilmore Girls good boy. Also starring is Jensen Ackles, who may be recognized by fans of Smallville, Dark Angel, and Days of our Lives.
UPN
More Veronica Mars next year… That’s about it. Unless you’re a big
Shannen Doherty fan.
A dark time for the fandom?
The Cleveland Plain Dealer mourns the end of optimistic science fiction. At least for now.
Seacrest, out!
On David Letterman last night: “Top Ten Things Never Before Said by a Star Wars Character”
“Are you an angel?”
Trying to keep up, but my internet is still fond of taking long vacations and I have to go to work tomorrow. Work? In the middle of this? What was I thinking?
On starwars.com: another new commercial, and a blogging service for Hyperspace members.
ROTS is up and off at Cannes, and they loved it. Although possibly for political reasons, but you take what you can get. ( Lucas says differently.) TFN has more Cannes stuff, if you have an overwhelming urge to see what Natalie Portman looks like bald.
The movie is still riding high with 81% fresh at Rotten Tomatoes, bless their review-gathering hearts.
However, any review that starts with a paragraph about things coming out of nostrils is probably not going to be positive. Sure enough, The New Yorker was unimpressed with ROTS. I also have to wonder if the reviewer has ever seen A New Hope or his eyes ever registered the Millenium Falcon, with him going on about how ‘sterilized’ the GFFA is. And, horror of horrors, he quotes some Anakin/Padme dialouge that might make me retch more than the “angel” line from TPM. That’s about when I stopped reading. (Via kottke)
Luckily, I got to cleanse my brain with an article on Ian McDiarmid, a slideshow from Forbes on Star Wars flops , and for extra bitterness, IGN’s list of the lamest characters, half of which, if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably forgotten existed. If that’s a little too much bitterness, they also have a 10 best background character list. Corpsey the Ewok. Hehe.
The usual suspects…
Two new commercials: “Brothers” and “Celebration“. Alas, I am on a computer with no Quicktime, but I’m guessing they’re light on Palpy action. There’s also a “Science of Star Wars” special airing on Discovery.
Hayden Christensen is on the cover of tomorrow’s Entertainment Weekly. It appears that this time there may actually be a real article to go with it.
Crazy fans at Grauman’s refuse an offer from George himself to be escorted by Stormies to the ArcLight.
The Scotsman on why Star Wars has universal appeal.
CNN Money explores the financial impact of ROTS on Lucasfilm, theatres, and the toy industry.
From the Christian Science Monitor (via CBS), yet another George Lucas article.
Master Replicas! You want one. Hell, I want one. And it looks like they’ll be making costumes by Halloween…
I’ve stopped counting
Must stop doing these things at midnight…
The Reader’s Digest article starring our Supreme Chancellor and featuring quotes from the fearsome PG is now online. You will read it.
The New York Sun says Star Wars fans may have a “psychological disorder” and “don’t really have a clear sense of self”. No one’s going to deny that the fandom doesn’t have a few wackos, but you don’t have to generalize. Maybe they need to take a look at Reader’s Digest.
My hometown paper The Detroit News has a 1A article today on the films and the fans. I strongly advise you to answer the Cybersurvey. The Free Press and their Knight Ridder cohorts have a wealth of coverage as well.
Finally, CNN covers the charity premieres, featuring the shocking news that Kelsey Grammer, of all people, auditioned for the Han Solo role.
Six to go…
Got my tickets for the 12:01 am show next week – they’re playing it in three theaters at my local multiplex. Three! So now I feel like a bit of an idiot for heading straight to the theater after work. But now I’m wondering – should I try to convince my friends to relive our high school days and get there early enough to be at the front of the line? (We did that for the Special Editions… yes, I’m just a youngling, I know.)
First off, another new commercial sporting more of the lovely Palpatine footage that makes us Sith get all giggly and excited… Note to Lucasfilm: Less of Padme. More of Palpy. Sell the evil.
The highlight of today’s articles – Anthony Daniels on what kind of wine to drink while watching Revenge of the Sith.
The BBC looks at why Star Wars still matters. Because, you know, all this media coverage apparently has people wondering. Includes testimonials from fans. Meanwhile, Reuters wonders if its good for cinema.
Would you pay $500 to see ROTS early?
And now for something completely different… a bit on Lucasfilm’s new Presidio headquarters. Pretty!