Not sure if this Yahoo reporter is braindead or a comedy genius but this clip is very funny either way:

http://uk.omg.yahoo.com/video/omg-star-wars-wardrobe-malfunction-174652595.html

No, that's Pizza the Hutt.

May 4th Q&A with Mark Hamill.  Nice to read these quotes on his views on special effects:

"He also said since then he's only had one creative meeting with Kathleen Kennedy in which he brought up the desire to have a more balanced approach to the effects. His favorite film is the 1933 King Kong and he loves the way they used all sorts of tricks to pull off the effects and he also believes part of the longevity of the original trilogy is in those effects.

“There's nothing wrong with CGI, but I think you have to have a balance because the camera perceives the width and the depth and the weight of a miniature or a model.” He just said he isn't a fan of the one guy surrounded by greenscreen look and told Kennedy that he'd hate for these new movies to “look like Roger Rabbit.”

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62268 

I read that Watto's design originally was intended to represent the Neimoidians, but George took it and applied it to Watto instead.

Brand new CinemaSins on JJ's Star Trek is up on YuTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiQ9piVgtWM

lpd said:

Watched "Into Darkness" today, it was full of action, lasers, space ships, music and tongue in cheek humor just like every good Star Wars movie, cough! cough! I mean every good Star Trek movie.

You never know:-)

Yes totally agree with the above, it is a fun ride...

However, it is also a badly plotted and stupidly structured mess. With core emotional scenes that woefuly miss the mark and that are in fact sobotaged by the plot and direction itself.

And if you are wondering has JJ turned down the god awful lense flair. Hell no! Now you've got hundreds of lights hovering between you and the actors in glorious 3D.

With 2009's Star Trek reboot I was so glad to have a new trek romp that I was fully prepared to forgive it the flaws.  But they've had 3 years to come up with something better.

JJ has only 2 years before episode VII. This does not look good.

Hell I'm waiting for the BR to come out so I can edit ST and STID into one better film.

Can already see it in my head.

Hey, it's me. said:

Goddamn it!! it won't let me change my Avatar!!!!!!! What the..???

Why would you want to! If you want me I'll be in my quarters covered in Taramosalata.

lpd said:

I saw it in 2D as I believe it was a retro fit wasnt it?

I struggled to find a 2D showing. Seems to be more the case this year. I think most people, if given the choice would go for the better looking and cheaper 2D. So the cinemas prefer not to give you the choice.

3D isn't great in STID, not as bad as say Thor3D but still off putting at times. Especially the office scene where Kirk is talking to Pike. It was like they were two cardboard cut outs on two entirely different plains of frickin reality.

If you've got a choice go see it at a 2D screening and spend the money you save on a bag of revells.

Oh and another thing. In a funny way the FX in STID are totally unimpressive. In that they are so convincing you forget they are even FX. Especially the London city scenes which look like time warping location shots. Can't remember the last time a blockbuster film looked this realistic.

http://starwars.com/news/star_wars_feature_film_production_returns_to_the_uk.html

Lucasfilm announced today that production of Star Wars: Episode VII will take place in the United Kingdom. All of the six previous live-action Star Wars movies have included UK production in such famed studios as Elstree, Shepperton, Leavesden, Ealing and Pinewood Studios.

"We've devoted serious time and attention to revisiting the origins of Star Wars as inspiration for our process on the new movie, and I'm thrilled that returning to the UK for production and utilizing the incredible talent there can be a part of that," said Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm. "Speaking from my own longstanding connection to the UK with films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire of the Sun and recently War Horse, it's very exciting to be heading back."

Earlier this year, representatives from Lucasfilm met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, in London to establish an agreement to produce Star Wars in the U.K. "I am delighted that Star Wars is coming back to Britain. Today's announcement that the next Star Wars film will be shot and produced in the UK is great news for fans and our creative industries," Osborne said today.

Star Wars: Episode VII will be directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Michael Arndt and is scheduled for a 2015 release.

That is good news! The UK is famed for the historic craft it puts into designing and building classic sci-fi e.g. The SW OT, Alien films, 2001 etc.  From listening to James Cameron's commentary to Aliens, it sounded like at the time he would've gladly driven the stuck-in-their-ways British unionised crew off a cliff but he still admitted that they took their time to make his film look wonderful.

So it'll be just 2 films out of 9 where suddenly half the galaxy speak with antipodean accents.