Category: people

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A Long Way…to your movie theater

Many of you probably remember when Ewan McGregor and his pal, Charlie Boorman, decided to take a trip around the world on motorcycle right around the time Episode III came out.  Long Way ‘Round ended up being very popular with even people who aren’t Star Wars geeks.

They had so much fun that they did it again last year, but the other way ’round.

It’s finally make its way to the US on August 2nd, on Fox Reality Channel.  But you can catch a special, one-night only, HD movie theater cut on July 31st in theaters all over the US.  I’m sure it’ll be breath-taking (and not just for the Wantons who drool over Ewan).

Thanks to Trace for the heads up!

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In the news: Auctions, exhibit crowds, TFU

The TIE fighter model in the Profiles in History auction is expected to fetch up to £100,000, the highest-priced (or, well, estimated) item in the collection. That’s about about $200,000 American. Gotta love the exchange rate… The Crusade Grail is only expected to go for about £12,500, or $25,000.

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GateGeek – It’s Premiere Week!

It’s the time that makes the Stargate fan’s heart go pitter-pat.  (Hear it?)  Yes, Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis premieres in the US this Friday!

(Sure.  Some of you couldn’t wait and watched the leak.  But some of us have decided to wait and enjoy the suspense.)

This, of course, brings us all sorts of promotional goodies to enjoy:

Other Stargate stuff of note:

  • GateWorld has launched an image gallery with much nicer pictures
  • And there are lovely tributes to Don S. Davis in the LA Times and  E! (who appears to have a Stargate fan now working there)
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Video: George helps get out the vote

George Lucas is among the celebrities in this new PSA from Vote For It ’08:

VFI08 is a joint initiative between the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN), and online ad network and marketing company, CPX Interactive. The overarching purpose of the joint initiative is to serve as a call-to-action to America’s youth vote, emphasizing the importance of connectivity to the growing national political spirit and the necessity of empowering one’s self thru the exercise of the most basic responsibility…that is the right to vote.

The VFI08 site will launch Monday. (via)

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Support a Canadian charity on Canada Day

A Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian members and friends.  There’s something you can do in celebration.

We’ve told you previously about Michael Shank‘s on-going auction to support the Canadian National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Looking over the list today, there are some cool items from Firefly (Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk) and SuperNatural (Jared Padelecki, Jenson Ackles) that aren’t getting much action.  This might be your chance to pick up some nice items from those fandoms and still support a good cause.

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Rest in Peace – Don S. Davis

It is with great sadness that I report that one of the true gentleman of sci-fi passed away yesterday.

Don S. Davis was known to most of us as General Hammond of Stargate SG1, but he also had roles in The X-Files as Scully’s father, the role of Major Briggs in Twin Peaks, and even a few spots in MacGyver that ultimately brought him to the Stargate universe. He was also a talented artist; a passion he decided to indulge in recent years.

Mostly, he was known as a good, kind man who was truly a “Papa Bear” to everyone he encountered; always ready with a hug, a raunchy joke, or to stand up to anyone at a convention who would dare to treat a fan poorly.

I don’t think I will ever forget how emotional he got at Dragon*Con two years ago when he tried to describe what the show and its fans meant to him.

He will be missed.

Instead of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the American Heart Association.

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More from Steve on the Force-Cast: Complete Encyclopedia, The Clone Wars, and a future project

I try to only listen to about one podcast a year – life, or rather, the amount of it I allot to blogging, is far too short – but I couldn’t avoid the latest Force-Cast since it’s basically an extended interview with Lucasfilm’s Head of Fan Relations, Steve Sansweet. (Yes, it was worth it, though the intro… I need to paraphrase Lorelei Gilmore: Shorten it, decute it.) Anyway, here’s what I learned:

  • A bit about about Celebration Japan – and C5. (Listen for yourself, or see previous entry.)
  • The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia is a project of not just Steve and Pablo, but an entire team – containing such luminaries as Dan Wallace, Bob Vitas, Mary Franklin and… Chris Cassidy!
  • The Encyclopedia will contain “close to a million words” and their intention is not to create new canon (at least not on purpose) but to “take advantage of what’s out there.”
  • Steve has another collecting book in the pipeline… Not a price guide, there’s one of those coming from Gus Lopez and Duncan Jenkins.
  • There’s no Grievous in The Clone Wars movie – his presence in the trailer is due to tv show footage.
  • Host Jimmy Mac sings Steve a song. It’s mildly amusing.

The podcast on the whole is a manageable 23 minutes, so I would recommend you listen to it yourself – at least if you want to hear more about Celebration Japan or the Encyclopedia.