The Greatness of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Anyone who knows that I am a Star Wars fan, should also know that I am a Prequel lover and that Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is my favorite Star Wars movie and one of my all time favorite movies. There are many reasons for this and I was recently reminded of some of them. In an article published on The Chronicle of Higher Education's website in October 2012, the author of the essay, Camila Paglia, enumerates on why Episode III is an artistic masterpiece. The essay is lengthy and discusses George Lucas' beginnings and how he came into Star Wars starting from Star Wars in 1977, but the end of the essay delves into Revenge of the Sith. This essay is actually an excerpt from her book, "Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt to Star Wars", which I have yet to read but plan to do so at some point.

“Who is the greatest artist of our time? Normally, we would look to literature and the fine arts to make that judgment. But Pop Art's happy marriage to commercial mass media marked the end of an era. The supreme artists of the half century following Jackson Pollock were not painters but innovators who had embraced technology—such as the film director Ingmar Bergman and the singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. During the decades bridging the 20th and 21st centuries, as the fine arts steadily shrank in visibility and importance, only one cultural figure had the pioneering boldness and world impact that we associate with the early masters of avant-garde modernism: George Lucas, an epic filmmaker who turned dazzling new technology into an expressive personal genre.”

https://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-George-Lucas-Is-the/134942

Who's Excited For Solo: A Star Wars Story?

Here's a great write up of Solo: A Star Wars Story by Variety by Kristopher Tapley. If you're on the fence about seeing Solo, this article breaks it down and puts the movie into perspective and as to how it fits into the Star Wars Saga. The article also outlines how Lucasfilm has misfired on hiring the right directors for over half of the Star Wars films (except Episode 7 and 8) since the Disney buyout, and how they made the right choice with Ron Howard for Solo.

“Solo” is the fourth film in Disney’s revamped franchise machine to creatively malfunction: Director Josh Trank exited a still-unmade Boba Fett spinoff in 2015; Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tony Gilroy was brought in to save 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” when director Gareth Edwards’ efforts missed the mark; and “Jurassic World” helmer Colin Trevorrow — who was originally hired to direct the next “Star Wars” movie, “Episode IX,” in 2019 — was shown the door following clashes over the script.

Making a Star Wars film isn't easy and is serious business, not only from a financial perspective, but from a producer/actor/filmmaker's perspective, and a fan's perspective. It's not easy to have a successful Star Wars film without scoring big on those three perspectives, something even George Lucas had to work hard to do.

The article also lets the reader know which scene George Lucas had a little bit of input on, so check it out!

While I am looking forward to Solo, I'm a little more excited about seeing it after reading this article from Variety. The Nerds will be seeing this film on Friday! We'll be giving a reaction video and a review show as usual, so stay tuned! Anyone else have tickets yet?

Which Is Your Favorite Star Wars Movie?

Which is your favorite Star Wars movie? StarWars.com is having a poll on their official website, that you can vote in. Are you old school with the Original Trilogy? Or are you down with the Prequels? Perhaps you’re loving the Disney-era films and the new stories being told?

I don’t think there can be a wrong answer as they all bring something awesome and fun to the Saga! But we all have our favorite - which is yours?

My favorite - and yes it’s hard to choose just one, is Episode 3-Revenge of the Sith. For me it’s the pivotal point in the Saga, everything changes in this film. It’s the heart of Star Wars - the Prequels come to a dramatic end, and it provides a deep, dark hole for the Original Trilogy to climb out of and bring us that hope that we know and love that culminates in Return of the Jedi. - J

May the Fourth Be With You!

Yes, it's that time of year again, May 4th to be specific, where Star Wars fans around the world post various memes, photos, and other Star Wars pictures on social media to celebrate this punny day - May the Fourth.

In the Star Wars movies, there is a phrase used by the heroes, "May the Force be with you." that they say to each other as a way to wish those around them good luck or to offer them well wishes.  May the Fourth is a fun way to play off of that sentiment. Believe it or not, this pun was actually created way back in 1979, but has only recently taken the world by storm since the rise of social media.

"Apocryphally, the reference was first used on May 4, 1979, the day Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. An online news article from the Danish public broadcaster says her political party, the Conservatives, placed a congratulatory advertisement in The London Evening News, saying "May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. " Congratulations." - Wikipedia

As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I appreciate and celebrate this day; but for me, as you may well know, Star Wars day is everyday!

But for the less casual fans, please join in on the revelry and eat some Wookiee Cookies, drink some Yoda Soda, or a Darth Malt. Put on a Star Wars shirt, and watch your favorite Star Wars movie with family and friends, because that's what this day is really about. Celebrating a fun movie franchise with those that matter the most to you.

May The Fourth Be With You - Always!

Star Wars Forces of Destiny Season 2

Disney has released its second wave of animated shorts, Forces of Destiny. We get to see some more adventures of Rey, Jyn, Leia, Rose, Padme, and Luke on Dagobah.  

https://youtu.be/SIRtw4WufsA

Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Home Video

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi is coming to home video on March 13th, 2018! This release will be on digital download. Then on March 27th, 2018, The Last Jedi will be released on Blu-Ray, and  4K Ultra Blu-Ray. If you plan on ordering a copy from Amazon, please support Random Angst Productions and click on the pre-order/order links below!

Here's the release trailer for the home video release:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecd4eA067P0

From StarWars.com:

The latest film in the Star Wars saga is coming home. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will arrive, it was announced today, on Digital (in HD and 4K Ultra HD) and via Movies Anywhere on March 13, and on Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and On-Demand on March 27. And along with the number one movie of 2017 comes a galaxy of bonus features, including The Director and the Jedi — an intimate journey into the creation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with writer-director Rian Johnson — as well as 14 deleted scenes, an audio commentary, and much more. The full list includes*:

• The Director and the Jedi – Go deep behind the scenes with writer-director Rian Johnson on an intimate and personal journey through the production of the movie—and experience what it’s like to helm a global franchise and cultural phenomenon.
• Balance of the Force – Explore the mythology of the Force and why Rian Johnson chose to interpret its role in such a unique way.
• Scene Breakdowns
  • Lighting the Spark: Creating the Space Battle – Get a close-up look at the epic space battle, from the sounds that help propel the action, through the practical and visual effects, to the characters who bring it all to life.
  • Snoke and Mirrors – Motion capture and Star Wars collide as the filmmakers take us through the detailed process of creating the movie’s malevolent master villain.
  • Showdown on Crait – Break down everything that went into creating the stunning world seen in the movie’s final confrontation, including the interplay between real-word locations and visual effects, reimagining the walkers, designing the crystal foxes, and much more.
• Andy Serkis Live! (One Night Only) – Writer-director Rian Johnson presents two exclusive sequences from the movie featuring Andy Serkis’ riveting, raw on-set performance before his digital makeover into Snoke.
• Deleted Scenes – With an introduction and optional commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.
• Audio Commentary – View the movie with in-depth feature audio commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.

* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will come in a variety of packages, including the Multi-screen Edition (includes Blu-ray and a Digital copy), the 4K Ultra HD Collector’s Edition (including 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and a Digital copy), and Best Buy and Target retailer exclusives. The 4K Ultra HD version features the extraordinary color, contrast, and brightness of Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range, paired with fully immersive picture and sound with Dolby Atmos audio.

I'll be buying the Steelbook exclusive version from Best Buy to go with my other Star Wars Episodes 1-7 and Rogue One Steelbook collection.

Ages of Fandoms

Which fandom/universe if your favorite? Which one do you secretly love? Is there one you constantly find yourself going back to for the nostalgia factor? Is there one that no matter what happens, it'll be your favorite until the end?

Is there one not pictured here, and how old is it?