Illustrator Tom Whalen sells prints on Etsy in the Strong Stuff shop, including these two for Star Wars (sold out, sadly) and The Empire Strikes Back. See even more on his site or on DeviantArt. (via)
Star Wars (and everyone else) makes it on Empire’s 500 greatest movies
Lists are all well and good, but Empire’s list of the 500 greatest movies of all time is ridiculous. Luckily for you, I skimmed it so you can have that half-hour of your life to do with as you will.
The original trilogy makes a nice showing, with Empire Strikes Back at #3, A New Hope at #22 and Return of the Jedi at #91. (Plus, Raiders of the Lost Ark is #2.) The prequel trilogy clocks in with The Phantom Menace at #449 and Revenge of the Sith at #330.
As for other movies of interest: Serenity (#383,) Clerks (#361,) Shaun of the Dead (#231,) The Princess Bride (#122,) Batman Begins (#81,) Evil Dead (#49,) The Matrix (#39,) Terminator 2 (#35,) Aliens (#30,) Blade Runner (#20,) 2001 (#16,) and The Dark Knight (#15.) I think all of LOTR was in the top 100 too, but I lost track because 500 MOVIES IS RIDICULOUS.
Counting down: Ten top Star Wars moments
From Hutt-choking to impromptu family reunions, Heckler Spray has theirs. What are yours? We need a new argument to replace the tired old “your favorite episode” shtick. (via)
Mapping the influence of Star Wars
The interactive map ‘How Star Wars Changed the World’ was published by Wired during the Revenge of the Sith madness back in 2005, but it’s new to me! I think.
UPDATE: Kottke has the chart as single GIF, much easier to read.
The fandom minute: The dark side of ‘I know;’ Vader vs. Q; Raise your kids on ANH; Cardboard Fett
- Comic: xkcd imagines Harrison Ford’s less-successful ad-libs.
- Poll: io9 has a villain cage match between Darth Vader and Q. So far? Q is winning. Go do your thing.
- Lists: Star Wars is #1 on GeekDad’s ten geeky movies to raise your kids on.
- Crafts: Build a cardboard Boba Fett costume on the cheap!
Make the Mos Eisley beer run at 25 mph in the life-size, driveable landspeeder
Daniel Deutsch and friends created this fiberglass lifesize replica of Luke’s landspeeder from A New Hope. Just the thing to enjoy the last of summer! (via)
The Dark Knight moves to #3…
Batman kicked ass at the box office yet again this weekend, netting $441.5 million and moving it ever closer to A New Hope’s domestic box office record…
Will The Dark Knight beat Star Wars?
Batman’s latest had taken in $324.3 million by Monday, putting it on the fast track to beat out Star Wars for the #2 spot on the domestic list of top grossing films Personally, I find TDK’s slim chances at taking out that Titanic schlockfest far more disheartening.
Quick and easy ways to ruin a movie scene
Kottke has a nice collection move scenes ‘ruined’ by inappropriate music replacement. The ‘Under Pressure’ garbage compact scene is pretty basic, but some of the others, mainly Monsters Inc. and 2001, are pretty hilarious.
Star Wars has galactic Green cred
EarthFirst’s Ben Ray reads between the lines of the galaxy far, far away with a look at the environmentalism of Star Wars. (Well, A New Hope, at least.)