Tobar

Try this.

The Elstree Project is a unique oral history project. Over the past two years we have recorded 32 interviews with film and television industry veterans from the studios of Elstree and Borehamwood. The interviews showcase the rich and fascinating history of the studios; telling the stories of how some of the world's most well-known and best-loved film and television shows were made, from the people who helped make them.

One of the great benefits we have been able to offer is regular work experience for film students and allow them to not only participate in the filming and recording of these interviews, but also have them meet the veterans from the very industry they are looking to work in and hear first-hand what it was like.

They're running a Kickstarter right now.

Edit: I just realized they used a quote from jambedavdar in their pitch video. =P

Interesting. Where did you come across this?

Considering how old Hamill, Harrison and Fisher are I doubt their kids will actually be kids at this point. =P

Report: Star Wars Episode VII to Focus on Skywalker, Solo Kids

According to veteran Hollywood columnist Roger Friedman at Showbiz 411, Star Wars: Episode VII will be set "some time in the future [after Return of the Jedi]. Han, Princess Leia (with a presumably better hairstyle), and Luke Skywalker will be a lot older. Their children will be the new main characters. RsD2 [sic] and C-3PO will be unchanged, I would guess. since they are not human. But suffice to say, the three main actors are definitely coming back. The bigger question is, which young actors will play their kids?"

TV's Frink said:

I don't want to know what else is out there.

Too bad.

Craig Good a 30 year Pixar veteran tweeted this earlier today:

Craig Good ‏@clgood

Would you buy a Blu-ray or DVD of the Star Wars theatrical cut? Take & share my informal, personal, unofficial survey. http://fave.co/Us1oeb 

Don't forget that Lucas would always give Williams a list of songs to use as inspiration for each film. For AOTC it was a list of love themes. Dunno about ROTS.

Just for fun here are some vids with Williams about his work on the prequels:

TPM Part One, Two, and Three

AOTC

ROTS

and here's a bonus ESB era documentary:

Star Wars: Music by John Williams (1980)

IGN Interviews Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg on Star Wars: Episode VII and Standalone Films

My favorite bit:

Kasdan: I was pleased that there would be new ones, that there was a chance to capture some of the spirit of the original trilogy that I’d worked on. I thought there’s an audience out there -- my grandchildren, lots of original Star Wars people -- and there always will be. It’s only good that we try to do some more great ones.

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‘Star Wars’ writer Lawrence Kasdan wants spinoff film to ‘start fresh’

Kasdan would not confirm reports that the spinoff films would center on iconic characters Han Solo, Boba Fett or Yoda, but said he wasn’t focusing on his previous scripts or on the extended “Star Wars” universe in his approach to writing the new film.

“I’m trying to start fresh,” he said. “There are certain pleasures that we think the saga can bring to people that they’ve been missing, and we’re hoping to bring them that, and at the same time, have them feel that it’s all new.”

....

Asked if it would be strange to work on “Star Wars” without George Lucas at the helm, Kasdan was quick to point out that it was Lucas who recruited him to the project last fall.

“George sort of brought me into this part of it, and he’s stepping back from the company,” he said. “He’s sort of given his blessing to everybody, and he’ll be there if you need him. I think everyone’s interested to see where this can go. It’s been some very different places over 30 years …. I think with J.J., we’ll get something entirely new.”

....

“The ones I worked on were a long time ago, and they had a slightly different feeling than the ones that followed,” he said. “The first three, ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Empire’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’ are all sort of more about people than the ones that followed. ‘Empire’ appeals to people, I think, because it’s the second act of a three-act play, and everything sort of goes to hell during the movie. And when you leave, everyone is in trouble, and that is the best part of the story to write. And people responded to it. Irvin Kershner was a completely different kind of director than George, so the movie’s much darker than the first ‘Star Wars.’ It’s more edgy.”

Despite its popularity and acclaim, “Empire” is not his favorite installment in the series.

“I must say, I think that the great, great film is the first ‘Star Wars,’ ” he said. “I do. It’s hilarious, and it changed movies forever.”

Lots of good bits in that article.

Is anyone else getting Aliens: Colonial Marines on Steam?

TV's Frink said:

Hey, if you want me to start posting that Lady Gaga pic again, you just keep posting like that.

AntcuFaalb said:

What I really don't want to see is a standalone movie about one of the PT-only characters. That would truly suck. Hard.

Aww, you hurt his feelings...

The X-Files (1993-2002)

Finally got around to finishing the series. People say the last couple seasons were the worst but I don't find that to be the case. Were they bland? Yes but in no way did they approach the worst. Look no further than War of the Coprophages for that. The show really went down the stinker when Carter left for that brief period of time. Whether it ever fully recovered from that is questionable.

The Hobbit or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien

Finished it a while ago. It was a fun read and my first Tolkien. I still wish Jackson had kept truer to the dialog of the book.

Currently reading Land of Terror the second Doc Savage book. Lester Dent was a genius with words.

As THR first reported, Kasdan and Kinberg are working on separate films that will serve as spinoffs of the main new trilogy. Iger told CNBC that the pair are "working on films derived from great Star Wars characters that are not part of the overall saga, so we still plan to make Star Wars VII, VIII and IX roughtly over a six year period of time starting in 2015. But there are going to be a few other films released in that period of time, too."

It's Official: 'Star Wars' Standalone Films From Lawrence Kasdan, Simon Kinberg in Development

A Kasdan led Yoda film I could get behind. But I still hope the Yoda part of it is false.

Blasphemy! May a Gorax find you in your sleep...

Sounds like a bag of rock salt to me.

skyjedi2005 said:

The complete Al Williamson Star Wars in black and white published by Russ Cochran.

Limited Edition signed by both Al Williamson and  Archie Goodwin both no longer with us.

You got your hands on one of those?  

That's a holy grail of mine.

Yoda to feature in first standalone Star Wars film?

I was hoping the standalone features would focus on new characters. Boba Fett maybe but Yoda? If this turns out to be true I'll be sad.

Monkey Business (1952)

Went in cold on this one. It was...okay.

Anchorhead said:

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.

Just be forewarned the first couple issues have some prequely bits thrown in there. My favorite arc so far has been Blue Harvest. That's when they rearranged some things so that Wheatley could be the sole artist and found a fantastic colorist as well.

Now would be a good time to jump into the just started new Star Wars series.

The Tales comics provide a nice variety. Empire was pretty good until it started to focus on the main film characters and was renamed Rebellion.

Agent of the Empire has proven to be pretty entertaining so far.

The above list (except Tales) is all set during the OT. If you're not adverse to exploring outside of that then...

I would highly recommend the Republic series starting with issue #19 when John Ostrander and Jan Duursema started working on the title. Yes this is set during the prequel era but it's far from the hands of Lucas and the Quinlan Vos arc throughout is fantastic.

Would highly recommend working through that before venturing into Legacy which John and Jan helmed together. Some of the dialog is corny but it's a pretty solid series overall.

Knights of the Old Republic was a great series as well.

But my number one must read suggestion would be Dark Times. It was the follow up series to Republic and is set between ROTS and ANH. The inspiration behind it was Obi-wan's line, "Before the dark times, before the Empire..." And believe me, the title does live up to its name. 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.