Doesn’t that just want to make you go videotape yourself doing something silly? Okay, maybe not. But it does make you want to watch other folks do it.
Surprise! Star Wars sound, fight stat books are coming
Once upon a Galaxy spied two new Star Wars offerings from Becker & Mayer: Star Wars Sounds: The Stories Behind the Effects by Jonathan Rinzler and Star Wars Head-to-Head, a fanboy-friendly tome perpetrated by Pablo Hidalgo. Amazon.com has a May 2010 release date for Head to Head.
Los Angeles goes Star Wars this weekend!
The Los Angeles area goes all Star Wars this weekend with the US premiere of Star Wars: In Concert tonight in Anaheim (and also Friday night), and then prepares for the LA concert on October 7th and 8th. The LA Times busts some headline rhymes with Yoda with Coda, and compares Star Wars and classical music as eating broccoli… or eating broccoli with cheese on top. But one little nugget in there: Updated The Phantom Menace footage, with puppet Yoda replaced by all digital Yoda.
Then as reported earlier, Saturday is Star Wars Night at Dodger Stadium and Geekdad reminds you to keep your lightsabers at home.
Looks like the City of Angels will be feeling the Force this weekend!
Gearing up for the second season of The Clone Wars
Here’s some of the top picks out of the media build-up for Friday’s premiere of the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (8 PM EST/PST on Cartoon Network – 1 hour):
Some of the reports coming from The Clone Wars press event held at LucasFilm Animation:
- IGN gets geeky at Lucasfilm Animation with some interviews and exclusive clips – and asks Dave Filoni about Ahsoka’s whereabouts in Revenge of the Sith, while the voice crew discuss the benefits of recording together.
- UGO.com also gets in some time with the Wookiee Cookies and chats with Dave Filoni about the role of comedy in Star Wars.
- TVSquad apparently isn’t as nerdy, but proclaims that in the small field of action shows, SW:TCW might just be the best and highlights the darker themes and greater threats coming this season.
- Putting a completely different spin on the event, the San Francisco ABC affiliate points out non-geeky angles, such as Ashley Eckstein’s husband, second baseman for the Padres, and also hypes a bit more on the upcoming Republic Heroes game.
Meanwhile, Geekdad at Wired talks up what the new season means in his household, and mentions that Seth Green will be doing the voice of Cad Bane’s droid, Todo 360.
And of course, StarWars.com gets busy:
- The Clone Wars web comic for season 2 will form a longer story instead of the episode lead-in comics that were made for season 1. “Act on Instinct”, written by the Internet’s Pablo Hidalgo, will unfold weekly, and will bring in new faces, like Padawan Tyzen Xebec.
- In a video, voice actor Dee Bradley Baker talks about the clones as the heroes the audience can relate to in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as gives examples of how he can turn characters with supposedly identical voices into distinct individuals.
- There’s some nifty screenshots from The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes video game, coming out on October 6.
- Episode Guide placeholders are now up for the season premiere double-feature of episodes (“Holocron Heist” and “Cargo of Doom“). Is the latter’s message of “Overconfidence is the most dangerous form of carelessness.” an issue for Cad Bane or for Anakin?
Pick a winner for the Death Troopers trailer
Suvudu has posted five finalists for the Death Troopers fan trailer, and now it’s our turn to have a say. Which one stands out for you? (Check back later this evening for my pick.)
Gate Geek – Stargate for the rest of us
Yes. Things are getting a bit hyped for Stargate Universe, but those of you who dismiss Stargate as a franchise might want to try this one out. It’s getting some good reviews by non-Stargate fans:
- TV Overmind – Stargate Universe – A Stargate for the rest of us
- AirlockAlpha – Stargate Universe gives franchise fresh new life
- Wormholdriders – Stargate Universe a hit? So say we all!
Just a few of the many positive reviews out there. And, quite honestly, I’m not seeing much in the way of negative reviews. So folks might want to give it a shot.
Plus, John Scalzi is a creative consultant. Can this be a bad thing?
In the news: Yoda hates the A’s, Hollywood and the 12-year-olds, movie music, Ming-Na, and George
I guess that explains the billboard. The Dodgers having a Star Wars night on October 3rd, while they play the Rockies. Doesn’t the Bay Area have a baseball team? Security better keep a close eye on Yoda that night, is all I’m saying.
…And the smell. Hollywood is courting 12-year old boys. Uhh, they stopped?
Fanboys turn the tide yet again. Star Wars has the best movie music, internet poll says. Well, I’m shocked. Are you shocked?
I should leave this for Paula, but… Stargate Universe’s Ming-Na “wanted to be Luke Skywalker.”
Obligatory George item. He could buy Guyana. Information you can use. Thanks, Forbes!
You know we’re hard up for live action news when..
There’s a door marked ‘LucasFilm Television’ at Skywalker Ranch, TV Squad claims. Offices! For the planning and billing and other exciting office-based television things! (Which could, maybe, date all the way back to The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles?)
Yes George, we are pathetic. (Announce something, please?)
A brief history of Star Wars concerts
As we gear up for the American debut of Star Wars: In Concert this Friday, StarWars.coms Pete Vilmur takes a look back at past Star Wars concert events.
(On that note, Ticketmaster has added just December dates for Omaha and St Louis.)
Also, it’s a trend!
How to get a job at Lucasfilm (in the 80’s)
Game designer Tim Schafer shares the tale (and scans) of how he got his first job in the industry, at Lucasfilm Games. (The LucasArts name didn’t join the party until 1990.) There’s some quality hilarity here:
I called David Fox right away and scribbled all the notes you see while I was talking to him. I told him how much I wanted to work at Lucasfilm, not because of Star Wars, but because I loved, “Ball Blaster.”
“Ball Blaster, eh?” he said.
“Yeah! I love Ball Blaster!” I said. It was true. I had broken a joystick playing that game on my Atari 800.
“Well, the name of the game is Ball Blazer.” Mr. Fox said, curtly. “It was only called Ball Blaster in the pirated version.”
Gulp.
But the best part may be his cover letter – which is in the style of a text adventure.