Really nice. There go my lunch hours ;-)
The younger fans on the board can get a feel for how we kept up with our favorite franchises all those years ago.
Heilemann said:
So it took me three years to begin publishing it, but I've finally started putting me 'the inspirations of Star Wars' project online. Figured someone around here might be interested.
In a word; Outstanding. Also, love the minimalist design with the focus being on the substance. Some of my non-nerd friends will be getting links. ;-)
xhonzi said:
You were in Colorado and didn't stop by? I had potatoes that needed peeling. :(
Clearly there's a reference that went over my head. If you live anywhere near Dove Creek, I'll look you up next time I'm out there.
SilverWook said:
If one goes by the stats at the bottom of the main page, the first message posted to the board was in December 2003.
I smell a loophole.
Regarding my way overdue Scoundrels review (and lack of forum activity lately);
We've started the process of moving, e g. looking at land, house plans, existing homes, specific locations in a general area, etc. We're moving four hours away, so the majority of my time off the past few months has been spent on the road from Friday mornings to Sunday evenings.
Plus, I was recently in Colorado on business for a while and wasn't really able to get back into it like I thought I would be able to.
My point (finally); I'm having a hard time staying focused on the book. I've had to backtrack a few times, so I've lost the story. We're nearly settled on the core of the move, with only some particulars to iron out. Once things settle, I'm just going to start over.
I'm digging the story so far, but it's getting too layered for the amount of distraction at the moment. I don't want to force it and come away feeling stressed over it. Review when I get back to it.
Star Wars:Teaser Trailer (Somewhere in space, this may all be happening right now)
Man, a trailer has never put the hook in me the way that one did. A great look into how truly far far away that galaxy felt when I was a kid. All these years later, that trailer still holds the same magic.
I'd be shocked if it were anyone other than Williams or Giacchino. I'd be fine with either, with a nod toward Giacchino. I love his work on Super 8 and thought he did a very nice job on Star Trek. I think it helps (or can, at least) to have new ideas for an established franchise.
Regarding the comment that Williams was at his best from 1975 to 1985; That may have been his most prolific, but I think his work on Memoirs Of A Geisha may be his finest hour.
John Williams writing with Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma performing = When Worlds Collide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPOq4HiCeTw
Yeah. It's interesting because it actually has him playing himself. Beyond that, it's a very sterilized version of what went on. Typical 1950s Hollywood.
Really looking forward to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9RHqdZDCF0
Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey looks very promising. Plus it's a fascinating piece of history.
I've needed a baseball fix lately for this long off-season. My team has had their true identity restored, so I've replaced my daily hat and t-shirts. It's gotten so bad that I've been watching old games from the 80s. I have several in their entirety.
When people are discussing, collecting, watching, and dressing up as characters you created 35 years ago - that's talent.
RIP, sir. The films wouldn't have been the same without you.
Not that Kripke.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Mqnc22tMaKQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMqnc22tMaKQ
Kripke said:
I'm sowwy. :(
I'd really like to see them move away from Vader.
I agree. Vader's depth and strength were cheapened as soon as the mask was removed in Return. The prequels came along and completely did away with his weight. Time to move on.
He's mentioned a few times since 2009 how he overdid the flares. They're present in Super 8, but they're much less - occurrence as well as intensity.
Tobar said:
But my number one must read suggestion would be Dark Times.... The writing by Randy Stradley and the art by Doug Wheatley is top notch. I honestly regard them as this generation's Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson.
Wow. That is high praise indeed, coming from you. May have to give that a look.
You guys know I don't have a horse in the race where Star Wars films are concerned. When the sale happened, followed by the announcement of sequels, I gave it a look and went about my day. No doubt I'd follow the developments, but from a distance.
That said: As a huge fan of what Abrams has done with Star Trek, I can't help but think his involvement is a significant plus. I'm a long time fan of Trek who had finally said goodbye to it because it had become C-SPAN in space. Abrams returned it to science fiction adventure and gave the characters depth again.
Likewise, his expert handling of Super 8 - making a 1980s-inspired film that actually looks and feels like the 1980s - is proof to me that he understands why that period in film connected with so many of us (myself included). If Lucas is truly uninvolved and Disney stays out of the way, Star Wars is in very good hands.
I'm now officially on the verge of weighing the pros & cons of considering whether or not I'm cautiously optimistic.
;-)
I agree. This was on the Dark Horse site in a preview area. (at least I think that's where I found it). ;-)
Digging the cover. Sort of channeling Charlie White with the heavy sculpting and warm cast. I may have to look into this.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-17-2013/moment-of-zen---death-star-petition
Clever response. I like the news anchor's reluctance at either having to address it or the thought of explaining it.
I'm a Gmail user and no messages about passwords.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/isnt-petition-response-youre-looking
Oh well.
I'm not finished with it, so no review just yet. However, I thought I'd jump in on two of your points. Unless I'm thinking of the wrong one, the Prequel reference could also be a reference to a single line from the 1977 film.
I thought the SE reference was a clever wink to fans who have struggled with that particular change. I've never seen the SEs, but I knew immediately what Zahn was doing.
I started reading it yesterday. Review in a week or so.
Review. No spoilers
A short story to introduce us to a few of the characters in the upcoming novel Scoundrels. I'm a big fan of Zahn's Lando. On that note, Lando is really all there is to tie this to anything Star Wars, or anything space-related for that matter.
The story begins and ends at a card tournament, taking place over a couple of days. There are four main characters; Lando, twin sisters who are just casual acquaintances of his, and a friend of theirs who Lando doesn't know.
Without giving anything away, they collaborate on a theft that escalates after the first day. This is a dialogue-driven, cerebral story as opposed to any sort of space flight, battles, good vs evil, etc. That's what I enjoy most about Zahn's more recent EU. He goes outside of established Star Wars and gives us new people in new places.
The story ends with a nod to how their paths may cross again someday, which is obviously Scoundrels. Anyway, that's it. A light read, which I enjoyed.
zombie84 said:
Hey guys! Want to see me talk about Episode VII news and rumours with some other Star Wars nerds? Well, you basically get that at this place. But I'm also co-hosting a new Youtube series! Click here for our announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85QkzUVCspE&feature=plcp
Nicely done, sir! Bookmarked and following. Also, a tip of the cap to the set. Fitting, but not an overdone distraction.
NeverarGreat said:
I am simply bewildered that so many people say that Zahn understands Star Wars better than Lucas. Zahn never tells us anything new about the Force, doesn't really force any of the primary cast to change
Thrawn and Mara Jade seemed to be the only characters that he cared about
I suppose it's all about what a person wants from a novel and what you consider understanding Star Wars. If it's strictly the magic of the journey from 1977, I feel like Zahn understands it much better than Lucas. If it's Tolkienesque mythology - that's all Lucas.
I wanted something more than the tired rehash of Jedi v Sith. I didn't find that stuff even remotely interesting in the one prequel I saw, so I certainly didn't want to read any novels about it. I wouldn't have bothered.
Correct on Zahn not delving into, or explaining, the Force. I loved it's mystery in 1977, so I enjoy its continued mystical properties in the Zahn novels. I'd much rather have it be an unknown magical property that only some people can feel - instead of Lucas' heavy-handed over explanation of how it can simply be measured with a Lady Gillette and then discussed ad nauseum in some chamber of elders.
Also correct on Mara and Thrawn being the focus of several of his novels. He invented those characters, so it stands to reason he'd write about them more often.
Regarding character development; I'd agree that Han & Leia go through very little of it in his novels. However, they don't figure into his stories much beyond vehicle, so they don't need to have lengthy novels about personal growth. That, by the way, is fine with me because I don't find either character to be very interesting. Luke is a continuation of, and maturing of, the character he was in Return. I think his character growth is realistic.
On a related note; To me, Zahn understands and handles Lando far better than Lucas. The novels where he figures into the story are some of the best of Zahn's work.
Mara receives the bulk of the growth through the years. We see her from the time she's 18 to around the age of forty and her character is wildly different as she grows and matures through the years. I enjoy her stories more than any of the others. I particularly like her depth when she's older.
If you dig the Sith\Jedi arc, there appears to be shelf after shelf of it in the book stores. Compared to what I seek out in EU, it's much more popular. It's not what I'd prefer, but I expect the Disney films to go in that direction.