Star Wars Related

:swfight: :swfight: :swfight:

I just saw Star Wars: Revenege of the Sith (Episode III), and I thought it was really good. Even if you're not a Star Wars fan-geek, I think you'll like it.

It was way better than Eps I and II. The storyline was more interesting, and to me, it was easier to understand - it even helped me to understand some of the confusing morass that passed for political plots in Ep 2.

My all time favorite SW character had a few guest cameo shots in this SW film - Chewbacca!

As a matter of fact, Yoda takes a trip to the Wookie's home planet, Kashyyyk, where there are lots of Wookies. I just love wookies; they're like big, walking teddy bears.

More action for Yoda in this film, and for R2-D2 as well (at least in the first half of the movie, we don't see as much of him towards the second half).

Of course the big theme of the movie is showing how Anakin Skywalker gets transformed into Darth Vader. I won't come right out and say what it is (not in this post, at least) - but essentially, he's young, immature and naive. Add "impatience" to the list.

At the end of the film, there's a scene where Yoda, Ben Kenobi, and Senator Organa (or is he a senator? I know he's some kind of leader on Alderaan) discuss what to do with the twins who have just been born.

Anyway, Yoda tells Kenobi to go to Tatooine with baby Luke, and he says something about Kenobi continuing to study under Qui Gon (who was killed in Ep 1). What did Yoda mean about Kenobi continuing his studies or whatever? What was that about? Anyone know?

Surely I'm not the only one at the board who's seen Star Wars ROTS???

Sorry. I've seen the original three, but have never been a particular fan of that stuff.

I saw it, and liked it the best of the "prequels." Compared to my opinion of the first two, that isn't really saying much, but it was more on par with the originals in entertainment value. I do not agree with critics who are saying it's better than the originals though - I don't think that would be possible.

Anyone who is a fan of the originals is likely to enjoy this one - and if you haven't seen the first two, you're honestly not missing anything. I liked seeing R2D2, C3PO, and especially Chewbacca. R2 even gets a scene where he hacks into a ship computer, making me want to yell "shut down all the garbage compacters on the detention level!"

I won't elaborate on the "transformation" to Darth Vader, but it was very different from what I expected. I remember my older brother telling me sometime between Star Wars and Empire (late '79 or early '80) that Darth Vader had to wear the mask/was half machine because he'd fallen into lava. Apparently he'd read that somewhere, so I was expecting the lava planet (if that was what it was) but things did not unfold anywhere near like I had imagined.

I did wish there had been more elaboration on the mental transformation into DV - youth and impatience don't really equal evil IMO. I read that HC tried to get Lucas to let him do some foreshadowing, and Lucas wouldn't let him. That's exactly what I would have liked to see, from the first movie - little Anakin always curious about stuff, comes across the dark side by accident, is told to stay away - but because of his curiousity he just has to know more. That would have made more sense to me - curiousity being the driving force, with Anakin always thinking he could handle it (ala Ged in Earthsea).

I remember the discussion with Senator Organa, but I don't remember a reference to Qui Gon. Hey, now I have an excuse to catch a matinee! I could have missed it as I was, in all honesty, tearing up when Luke and Leia were handed over to their new families. I could put it down to pure sentimentality, but I know it was a combination of factors - seeing the first three by the age of nine, all on the big screen, the use of the original score in key scenes, they made Tatooine look just the same, stone "igloo" house and all - and I swear the actors who are Aunt Beru and Uncle Ben look like young versions from Star Wars.

Dang, I'm babbling like a fiend here!

*** This post will contain spoilers ****
------------------------------------------------
When I was a kid, I loved the first SW (Star Wars) and remember feeling a bit disappointed by ESB (The Empire Strikes Back) and ROTJ (Return of the Jedi).

But the first 2 recent prequels (Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones) I thought were terribly boring.

I think that ROTS is or may be as good as the first SW, maybe a tad better. It's hard for me to come to a decision because there's a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in SW. On the other hand, ROTS was so dark and serious, it makes SW look almost cartoonish by comparison.

Ooooh, this is weird! I have a brother, he's about 6 years older than I am, and he used to tell me stuff about the SW back story too, when we were kids!

My brother had read some of the science fiction magazines that I guess gave the background story for the characters, and my brother used to read the novels, which are part of what the fans on the fan sites call part of the "EU" (expanded universe).

I remember when I was about 6 or 7 years old, I asked my brother about the storm troopers, I asked him, 'Where did they all come from? Why doesn't Darth Vader just use robots for soldiers, why men in armor?'

My brother explained it was because
(1) he read that Lucas said that the special effects technology didn't exist at the time to use robots on a large scale in a film
and
(2) the empire *did* use robots, in the prequel stories, but because they could be shut down easily by an outside source, it was decided to use a human army of clones.

Anyway.

Yes, exactly! That's exactly what I thought.

The character didn't have an easy up bringing, but I just don't see anything in his past that would explain him turning into the evil bastard Darth Vader.

---SPOILER ALERT ---
The only reasons we were given for Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader were
a.) impatience / immaturity;
b.) premonitions of Padme's death in child birth;
c.) manipulation by Palpitine (however his name is spelled)

I know the kid (Anakin) was taken from his mom at a young age. He was a slave. His mom was a slave. His mom died in part 2 due to abuse/neglect by sand people.

I realize all that, but I don't see any of that as being necessarily tantamount to someone turning into a really evil mass murderer (remember, Darth Vader orders Princess Leia's planet blown up the first SW, and it's done - that's pretty damn evil).

Even given his crummy back ground - yes, he and his mom were slaves, but the mom had her own home. The boy had a roof over his head, food in his belly. You'll notice when Qui Gon showed up to her home, she was able to feed him, too. The mom loved the son. It's not like he was neglected, beaten, starved, and sexually abused day in and day out.

My ex-fiance had a far rougher upbringing than Anakin Skywalker, but he's one of the nicest guys I've ever known. My ex didn't turn into Darth Vader, so I just don't totally buy Anakin's transformation.

(In some ways, my mom's upbringing was worse than both of theirs put together, and she didn't turn into an evil bastard.)

I wonder if part of the problem is that Anakin's story was kind of glossed over. It felt rushed to me.

On the other hand, ROTS was already 2.5 hours long, and if Lucas spent any more time detailing Anakin's fall from grace, it would've been a lot longer than it already was.

There was one. Towards the end of the film, Yoda is sitting at a table with the Senator and Ben Obi Wan Kenobi. Yoda said something about Obi Wan continuing to train with or under Qui Gon. I was like, um, he's dead, so how is that possible?

So I went to a fan site, a fan board, and some of them said you can hear Qui Gon's voice in the film, but you don't see him.

They also said that Obi Wan was supposed to train with Qui Gon because Qui Gon was going to teach Obi Wan how to turn into a 'force ghost' (remember at the end of ROTJ, the ghosts of Yoda, Anakin, and Ben appear to Luke), and that's what Yoda meant.

If you hear anything different, please let me know! (Otherwise, I have no idea what Yoda is talking about when he tells Obi Wan that Obi Wan will continue to train with Qui Gon.)

I know what you mean about Anakin's transformation seeming rushed. His background just wasn't entirely bad enough to make him rotten, IMO.

My husband also had a rough childhood, not to mention my mom did, my grandmother, plenty of people I know had it bad. None of them are Darth Vader, or even kick puppies, for that matter. With ROTS being so long, I can understand Lucas not including extra stuff about Anakin's psyche, but I can't figure why he didn't put it in that abysmal Attack of the Clones, which could have easily been titled Star Wars: Absolutely nothing happens.. Since he's supposed to be training in that one anyway, that would have been an excellent opportunity to show him as fascinated by the dark side - possibly just starting out as curiousity, than convincing himself he has to know the dark side to fight it, to getting taken over by it in ROTS.

I'm definitely going to have to catch a matinee so I can watch the part about Qui Gon again. Can't believe I totally missed that.

I remember an issue of Mad Magazine that came out right after ROTJ. At Han and Leia's wedding, says, (paraphrasing) "This wedding is wild! There's the groom's side of the family, the bride's side of the family, and the dead side of the family!"

Did anyone else catch Conan O'Brien tonight?

He went to Lucasfilm and had George Lucas on his show.

At Lucasfilm, he went into their virtual studio where he became C3PO on screen. He had C3PO acting drunk and stuff.

While Lucas was on his show, he said they designed some new characters and was wondering if Lucas would consider using them in any new Star Wars shows or films.

So they brought out Liposuctioned Jabba (a very skinny Jabba the Hutt), R2 - Mr. T - D2 (R2D2 with a mohawk and lots of gold chains), and Jewbacca (a wookie wearing a prayer shawl and carrying a Bible).

Very funny stuff. Or maybe you have to be a Star Wars nerd to appreciate it.

A live-action Star Wars show is going to be made-

George Lucas Confirms Live Action "Star Wars" TV Show In The Works

Star Wars TV Series Coming Soon

Lucas plans Star Wars TV series without the stars

Film director George Lucas has begun work on a live action TV spin-off from the Star Wars movies, it emerged yesterday.

However, the project does not include any Skywalkers or other familiar characters from the six hit films.

"The Skywalkers aren't in it, and it's about minor characters," Lucas said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

"It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or any of those people. It's completely different. But it's a good idea, and it's going to be a lot of fun to do."

Star Wars coming to TV ... kinda

George Lucas Plans 'Star Wars' TV Series

An editorial dreading the new SW show:
Can Lucas be trusted with ‘Star Wars’ universe?

.... One of my readers alerted me to this story after I published yet another article agonizing over the vastly disturbing direction the Star Wars universe has taken since the release of the prequels and the much-maligned Special Apostasy Edition of the original trilogy.

He was a missionary in Africa at the time, and he sat down amidst the social unrest, the poverty and the rampant malaria to type very earnestly about the horrible injustice that is the insertion of Gungan celebratory footage in the last scenes of “Return of the Jedi.”

“Personally,” he concluded, “I've decided that George Lucas underwent some sort of serious personality alteration during the 80s that adversely affected his artistic judgment, even to the point of not being the same man.
Obviously, the man who invented Indiana Jones was, in some metaphysically substantive way, different from the one who thought that it was a good idea to have Anakin Skywalker use The Force to feed his girlfriend a fakey orange.”

Bear down, my people, and break the emergency glass on the highly cautious optimism, because George Lucas is now working on a “Star Wars” TV series.

If you had told me a decade ago that my reaction to this news would be “Oh. Oh dear,” I’d have lashed you across the face with my plastic lightsaber (but not an action figure, never an action figure; those need to be kept mint in box.) “Star Wars” fans are in an uneasy, perhaps unprecedented place: Many fear that we can’t trust George Lucas with his own universe.

Lucas has indicated that the series will not focus on the main characters normally associated with “Star Wars,” which, at least, bodes well. Most fan outrage at Lucas comes from his decision to befoul those we thought we knew so well in the “Special Edition,” most infamously digitally altering Han Solo’s famous cantina laser-blast scene so that it appeared that his adversary shot first.

From point-blank range. And missed. Han Solo 1977: Heartless smuggler who redeems himself in the final reel. Han Solo 2007: Adopts 14 starving Russian babies and a manatee before finally getting around to business.

What fans saw with the 1997 re-releases should have prepared them for what many regard as the debacle of the prequels, which gifted the world with, among other delights, the deployment of “I hate sand” as a pickup line and He Who Must Not Be Named, But Who Is Addressed By Words Which Rhyme With “Far-Far.”

But there were warning flares even earlier that Lucas was willing to, so to speak, pound a few toes off his marble Jesus.

The Lucas-sanctioned Thrawn trilogy novels, published in the mid-‘90’s and set soon after the end of “Return of the Jedi”, kickstarted the “Expanded Universe” in the days when all that was to be found in the way of fan merchandise was a dusty box of plastic Ewok catapults, maybe an Emperor action figure or two in the boy aisle of the Toys R Us.

The books were eagerly snatched up, and, at least initially, made sense; Leia and Han were married and installing car seats in the “Millennium Falcon”, Luke was starting a Jedi academy, and Chewbacca hung around roaring every now and then.

And then? As new authors ran short of options to introduce fresh danger and drama, post-original saga novels also went completely round the bend by marrying Luke to a smuggler and killing off Chewbacca by making a planet fall on him.

But at least Chewy died knowing that it took an entire freaking planet to kill him, unlike Padme, who simply faded away beneath a pile of hair extensions in “Revenge of the Sith,” dying of, essentially, Opheliaitis.

I remember seeing this when I was about 7 or 8 years old:

Star Wars Holiday Special

.... Still, fans clamor for it. One online petition calling for Lucas to release "The Star Wars Holiday Special" on DVD has collected hundreds of signatures.

But a spokeswoman for Lucas says there are no plans for a DVD release. Lucas himself said during an online chat with "Star Wars" fans: "The Holiday Special does not represent my vision. It will remain in the Lucasfilm archives."

But "The Star Wars Holiday Special" lingers like a bad prom picture. Made between the original "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back," the TV program featured movie stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and revolved around Chewbacca trying to get home to celebrate Life Day with his family: wife Malla, son Itchy and father Lumpy.

Yeah, what this guy said!!-

"It was kind of neat seeing 'Star Wars' at home, even those little snippets," he says. "When I was a kid, I loved it. I was so into it. I cried when the storm trooper broke little Lumpy's toys. I've talked to a lot of people who remember it as a dream.

They saw it, but it didn't seem real. It seemed more like a dream because nobody really talked about it until recently."

Over the years, I wondered if it was real or not, so I can relate to what he says.

Star Wars Holiday Special, part 2

The Internet has helped spread the word of "The Star Wars Holiday Special." In fact, type the name into a search engine and you'll find starwarsholidayspecial.com, a site created by Scott Kirkwood, a fan in Houston. He launched the site in 2003.

"Even though the Holiday Special is pretty well universally hated by just about everyone, there's still a curiosity value to it," Kirkwood says. "For people who haven't seen it, they want to know what was this fuss all about: How can it possibly be as bad as people say it is? They want to see for themselves. Š Sometimes they find out it's worse than people say it is, but occasionally you get someone who actually kind of likes it."

Kirkwood was 8 when the special aired. A big "Star Wars" fan, Kirkwood had read the novelization of the movie, collected the bubble-gum cards, played with the toys but never actually saw "Star Wars." He wouldn't until after it was released on home video in 1982. "This was not an exaggeration. I was the biggest 'Star Wars' fan in my school and I hadn't even seen 'Star Wars,' which was kind of ironic."

.... Like others, Kirkwood says he eventually began to wonder if he dreamed the special "because I couldn't find any evidence that it ever aired and nobody seemed to recall it. But I always kept my eye open for some kind of copy of it or some way to see it again.
One day I found this copy, a bootleg videotape of it, in a record store of all places. So I picked it up and watched it. It was a very exciting moment for me. It was kind of a vindication of all those years of telling people I'd seen this holiday special. They either didn't believe me or they were, at the very least, skeptical that such a thing ever existed."

.... Lucas' name doesn't appear on the credits of "The Star Wars Holiday Special," although the Internet Movie Database does give him credit for the story. Credit (or blame) belongs to five different writers and two different directors. But Lucas reportedly sketched out the plot, came to a couple of production meetings and then moved on to work on his next movie, "The Return of the Jedi."

20th Century Fox, which distributed "Star Wars," apparently was the force behind "The Star Wars Holiday Special," wanting something to capitalize on the unexpected success of "Star Wars." CBS then expanded the special from one hour to two so the network could sell more commercial time.

Lucas' initial idea of Chewbacca hurrying home to his family became twisted in the process.

Bruce Vilanch was one of the writers involved. He is best known today for writing jokes for the Academy Awards, appearances on "Hollywood Squares" and his starring role in the documentary "Get Bruce!" Vilanch has said the special was tough to write because the Wookies didn't speak English.

"Every line of dialogue is 'oh, ee, ahh.' How do you write that?" Vilanch explained to a fan Web site.

"The Wookies can't speak, but the Wookies were the central characters. So I said, 'Well, we have to load this up with stars who sing and dance and do shtick to cover up that the story is about these walking carpets.'
It was one nightmare after another, but it's a very funny show." The humor was unintentional, however.

And I can relate to this part, too:

"I was a manic 'Star Wars' fan," he [Dan Madsen of Colorado, who created the official "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" fan clubs.] says. "I was pumped and primed and ready. I was there sitting in front of the TV set ready to watch it. I vaguely remember that I loved it, but I loved anything 'Star Wars.'"

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

There is a lot of complaining going on at various discussion boards, movie review pages, etc. over the new animated Star Wars film.

Dave Filoni Talks Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Animation World Network

'Clone' draws out saga, but it's not awful

‘Clone Wars’ doesn’t add to the ‘Star Wars’ legacy

Clone Wars is a Pale Copy

'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' bores

The force is not with ‘Clone Wars’

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Boston Globe

'The Clone Wars': Cartoonish, in a bad way - USA Today

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (PG) - Chicago Sun Times

Even Yoda can’t save ‘Clone Wars’ - Boston Herald

Review: 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' - Los Angeles Times

Excerpts:

Despite excellent animation, 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' fails with bad dialogue and plot machinations.

---

And the maddeningly repetitious dialogue is the worst of the series. Even die-hard fans will admit that's an awfully low bar to crawl under.

Perhaps the greatest sin of "Clone Wars" is its abominable mimeographing of the "petulant apprentice/exasperated mentor" dynamic that so dragged down the last few movies.

Unstable hothead Anakin (the millstone around the series' neck) improbably gets a Padawan, or apprentice -- the carefully calculated-to-be-cute Ahsoka Tano -- and their relentless back and forth brainless sniping, often amid combat, is parsecs from engaging.

After some poorly thought-out action sequences, "Clone Wars" plunges into a nonsensical and ultimately inconsequential plot involving the kidnapping of Jabba the Hutt's baby. Seriously. Along the way we meet Sith henchwoman and likely series regular Asajj Ventress and Jabba's fey Southern uncle, apparently Capote the Hutt.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars'': Has "Star Wars'' worn out its welcome?

Excerpt:

George Lucas' prequel trilogy was so overloaded with computer-generated imagery that the digital animation of "Clone Wars'' isn't much of a leap. The somber tone of those three movies — chronicling the downfall of Anakin Skywalker from snotty, brooding teen to blackhearted Darth Vader — is gone, replaced with a variation of the campy humor and camaraderie that characterized the original trilogy.

Still, a "Star Wars'' movie should be an event — and whether because of its cartoony format or its relatively lightweight story, "Clone Wars'' definitely is not an event.

For fans, it serves as a fairly promising introduction to the "Clone Wars'' animated series debuting on Cartoon Network this fall. The movie centers on a fresh adventure of Anakin and his Jedi knight elder Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars that have been so pivotal to "Star Wars'' mythology since the beginning — but about which we've heard so little.

...."Clone Wars'' adapts a story arc director David Filoni (also the supervising director of the TV show) and company had been developing for the small screen. Anakin (voiced by Matt Lanter) and Obi-Wan (James Arnold Taylor) start off in the heat of battle, leading a band of the Republic's clone soldiers against the comically inept android troops of a separatist movement led by the evil Count Dooku (Christopher Lee, reprising his live-action role).

To show Anakin's soft, mushy, pre-Vader side, he's given his own Jedi apprentice, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), a spunky alien girl who quickly forges a wisecracking bond with her usually stoic mentor. The two are assigned to lead a rescue of giant slug crime lord Jabba the Hutt's squishy, squirmy baby Hutt, who has been kidnapped in a conspiracy that gives all our familiar prequel heroes a part to play.

Among them: Jedi masters Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson, also back from the live-action flicks) and Yoda, Anakin's future bride Padme Amidala, and androids R2-D2 and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels, who was featured in all six live-action movies).

The Hopes of a Long Suffering 'Star Wars' Fan

Aug 14, 2008 | by Christian Blauvelt

Clonewars_l

Like many a recovering Star Wars fan, I await the premiere this Friday of Star Wars: The Clone Wars with a mix of excitement and dread.

Excitement for the opportunity to see a new vision of George Lucas's beloved universe brought to the screen.

Dread that, if without meaningful character development or a coherent plot (did you see any hint of a story in those trailers?), director Dave Filoni's pixelfest could be as much fun as watching another person play a videogame.

And yet despite my frustrations with the franchise, I keep coming back. I love this mythology, this universe, and these characters.

That's why it was so refreshing to hear the rumor that fellow Star Wars aficionado Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), who's playing Scotty in the upcoming Star Trek, had declared his desire to write an episode of Lucas's long-gestating live action TV series, supposedly set between Episodes III and IV.

Pegg supposedly worried, however, that he may have alienated Lucasfilm by publicly criticizing The Phantom Menace.

Star Wars needs an overhaul, like what Christopher Nolan did for Batman or what J.J. Abrams intends to do for Star Trek. I'm not saying Pegg's the one to reinvent the saga from a galaxy far, far away, but it should be a fan of the series who knows it and loves it.

As the saga's creator, Lucas never felt what it was like sitting in a darkened theater as a young would-be fan not knowing what to expect, seeing "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." pop up for the first time, and bathing in John Williams' blaring fanfare as that imperial star destroyer first passed overhead.

Maybe because of his unique position of knowing and nurturing this universe from its inception, Lucas actually might not understand what it is that his fans want. Hence Jar Jar, "the taxation of trade routes," the Galactic Senate's parliamentary procedure, the "I hate sand" monologue, and Natalie Portman saying "Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo."

Why I am hopeful about this new Clone Wars movie and subsequent animated TV series is because some of the best Star Wars stories told since the original trilogy have come from people other than George Lucas.

Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire paved the way for a whole "expanded universe" of storytelling through dozens of novels, by authors like Steve Perry, Matthew Stover, and Troy Denning, that delve into a level of detail about the characters, alien cultures, and political events that make the films seem superficial by comparison.

Likewise, Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy's Dark Empire graphic novel series reveals a brooding, melancholy undercurrent to the Star Wars universe that would seem to be jarringly incompatible with the gleaming surfaces and Flash Gordon thrills of the movies.

Many fans consider the videogame Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to be the best Star Wars story since The Empire Strikes Back. And from 2003-2005, Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars micro-series injected new dynamism into a franchise that had apparently lost all of its kinetic charm.

These books, graphic novels, video games, and cartoons show that Star Wars has infinite possibilities.

But when it comes to live-action films (or even the upcoming live-action TV show), Lucas has made it clear it's his vision or nothing. Dale Pollock's biography Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas reveals Lucas even resented the psychologically-charged direction Irvin Kershner chose to take The Empire Strikes Back. (Check out this fascinating fan Q&A with Pollock in The Washington Post from 2005.)

It would be a final irony that the creator of the most popular sci-fi franchise in history would doom his own series to creative irrelevance by his unwillingness to field fresh perspectives for his live-action series.

I say, let Pegg have his shot writing an episode of the new series. For that matter, open up the franchise to other writers and directors for reinvention.

What do you think, PopWatchers? Should Lucas field fresh ideas from other filmmakers for the future of Star Wars? And what directors would you choose? Or is Lucas so synonymous with Star Wars that asking somebody else to try their hand at it would be like asking someone other than J.K. Rowling to write a Harry Potter book?

Check out these two headlines:

Movie review: New 'Star Wars' aimed at kids

'Clone Wars' is Animated, But It's Not Kid Stuff

My Little Pony Star Wars Characters

This is the hoodie you were looking for

Adventures in Stormtrooping

"The day to day activities of everybody's favorite Imperial thugs in white."

Funny Britney Spears mention on that site located here

Page has photos (including film stills from the "missing scene"):
Scene from Return of the Jedi that was not included in final film

Excerpts.

After Jabba's barge explodes, our heroes rendezvous once more before taking off and going their separate ways, but they end up having to struggle through a tremendous sandstorm to get to their ships. Chewbacca has been wounded during the battle, and is hobbling along with the help of Luke and Lando. They reach their ships and prepare to part, exchanging feelings and farewells.

This scene would explain how everyone got on and off the planet. Parked out in the desert here is the Milennium Falcon and Luke's X-wing. The script also mentions a two-seated Y-wing being there as well.

Although this scene was the first scene filmed for Jedi, none of it made it into the final film. Footage from this scene has shown up so far only as a snippet on one of the trailers for Jedi, as well as in still photographs in various places including the original West End Games Star Wars role-playing game books, the Behind The Magic CD ROM, and the Star Wars Insider.

....Soon, they can make out some large vague shapes in the blowing sand. It is the Millennium Falcon and, parked beside it, Luke's trusty X-wing and a two-seated Y-wing. They must shout to be heard.

HAN
I don't know. All I can see is a lot of blowing sand!

LEIA
That's all any of us can see.

HAN (blinking)
Then I guess I'm getting better.

As soon as the group huddles under the bulk of the Falcon, the wind dies down to something more describable as a severe weather condition. Threepio hits a switch, and the gang-plank lowers with a HUM.

HAN (turning to Luke)
I've got to hand it to you, kid, you were pretty good out there.

Han and Leia, wearing sand-protective goggles. From the Star Wars Insider #35. Luke with goggles. Image source unknown. Han congratulates Luke. Image source unknown.

LUKE (shrugging it off)
I had a lot of help. Think nothing of it.

HAN
No, I'm thinking a lot about it. That carbon freeze was the closest thing to dead there is. And it wasn't just sleepin'. It was a big wide awake nothing!

Luke nods, as Chewie growls affectionately at the young Jedi warrior, mussing his hair like a proud uncle. And Leia warmly hugs him.

LUKE (moving to his ship)
I'll see you back at the fleet.

HAN
Why don't you leave that crate and come with us?

LUKE
I have a promise I have to keep first... to an old friend.

Luke and Artoo take off in their spacecraft.

HAN (looking dubiously at Lando, obviously remembering his friend's betrayal and subsequent aide)
Guess I owe you some thanks, too, Lando.

LANDO
Figured if I left you frozen like that you'd just give me bad luck the rest of my life, so I might as well get you unfrozen sooner or later.

LEIA
He means "You're welcome."

LANDO
Come on, let's get off this miserable dust ball

16 Awesome Star Wars Papercraft Models
-scroll down page to view art

May 4th is "Star Wars Day," at least in some areas of the country.

Star Wars Day (May 4)

THESTAR.COM STAFF

If you notice the person next to you on the subway wearing a Darth Vader mask today, it's not just an elaborate way to avoid catching swine flu.

Today is Star Wars Day. "May the 4th be with you," as Star Wars fans say. Here are some links to find out more.

Stars Wars fans love twitter
By mid-morning there were nearly two thousand "Star Wars Day" tweets to be found on twitter, not all of them in support of the notion. One wit asked rhetorically, "Since when did we start recognizing the Poindexian Calendar?" Find the latest tweets here.

Day immortalized by politicians
In 2007, Los Angeles city council declared Star Wars Day (however, they made it May 25, the day of the movie's release in 1977.) There is also a mention of Star Wars Day in Britain's Hansard parliamentary record.

Darth Vader tosses the opening pitch
The Pawtucket Red Sox, the triple-A affiliate of Boston's big league team, celebrated yesterday with a couple dozen costumed Star Wars characters in attendance for their game against the Gwinnett Braves. Darth Vader apparently threw the opening pitch.

Star Wars Father's Day Gifts

See storm troopers and Darth Vader dance to MC Hammer's You Can't Touch This:

Darth MC Hammer (hosted on Buzz Feed)

Darth MC Hammer (hosted on College Humor)

Star Wars Cast Photo
-neat photo; has Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher standing alongside actors who wore Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2 costumes

Jedi church founder thrown out of Tesco for refusing to remove his hood

Excerpts:

The founder of the Jedi religion inspired by the Star Wars films was thrown out of a Tesco supermarket for wearing his distinctive brown hood.

Daniel Jones, 23, who has 500,000 followers worldwide, was told the hood flouted store rules and was ordered to remove it or leave the supermarket.

As a result Jones, who also goes by the Jedi name Morda Hehol, claims he has been 'victimised over his beliefs' and left 'emotionally humiliated' by the supermarket in Bangor, North Wales.

But Tesco hit back in the spirit of the epic space saga and claimed that the three most well known Jedi Knights in the Star Wars movies - Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker - all appeared in public without their hoods.

....Mr Jones claimed the store manager and staff were 'unco-operative' and left him feeling 'emotionally humiliated' for making fun of his beliefs.

....'We have 500,000 members in our church. It is a religion founded in Wales with a scripture and ceremonies'

Mr Jones has made an official complaint to Tesco, is considering a boycott of the store and is seeking legal advice.

A Tesco spokesperson said: 'He hasn't been banned. Jedis are very welcome to shop in our stores although we would ask them to remove their hoods.

'Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Luke Skywalker all appeared hoodless without ever going over to the Dark Side and we are only aware of the Emperor as one who never removed his hood.

'If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they'll miss lots of special offers.'

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