Cinematical

Learn the Real Reason Darth Vader Wears a Helmet

Peter Hall — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, George Lucas

Everyone loves the brooding, over-bearing look of Darth Vader; clad all in black, draped in a cape, wearing an almost featureless mask. We're given no glimpse of any speck of his flesh, forcing us to speculate what kind of person the embodiment of evil actually looks like, and when we're finally given a look at the man under the mask in Return of the Jedi, we understand the reason for his full-body suit: Vader is horribly disfigured, his body severely withered for reasons yet to be revealed.

However, protecting his crippled frame is not the real reason behind Darth Vader's helmet and breathing mask. The following may be common knowledge for die hard Star Wars trivia masters, but for those of us casually in love with the original trilogy, it should come as an amusing bit of insight into the design of one of cinemas most iconic characters. SCI-FI Wire recently interviewed Ralph McQuarrie, George Lucas' conceptual designer responsible for the look of much of what ended up in Star Wars, including Vader's appearance, and the reason he gave is more mundane than menacing:

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Bid Now on George Lucas' Used Starbucks Cup

Jenni Miller — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:52:00 EST

Filed under: Fandom, George Lucas

Time is running out! But if you act fast, you can be the proud owner of a Starbucks cup that George Lucas himself slurped mediocre, overpriced coffee out of! Bid on it now on eBay. You have about 3 hours and change to own this monumental piece of history! Right now it's only $8.07 -- what a steal.

As per the description:

This is an extremely rare item, and no it's not a joke. I was at a press event at Skywalker Ranch earlier this year, where George Lucas was drinking from this very cup. I have a photo of him drinking from it, where the name on the cup is very visible and is the same as in this photo. I'll include the photo with the auction for the winner. It includes the sleeve, which has his secret magical coffee mixture written on it, so you'll be able to order what George does, and the lid that his lips actually touched! In the future you might be able to snag some DNA off of this and clone him. You never know.

Yes, this is an extremely crazy auction. Yes, I actually took his coffee cup when he left it behind as trash, and yes, I even flew with it on a plane. It's ridiculous, I know it. I meant to frame this in a lucite square, but I figured there has to be a bigger Star Wars fan out there than me who would probably want this thing. Check it for midichlorians, frame it, put it in your Lucas altar, what have you.

May The Force Be With You.

If you purchase this, please let us know ASAP. Especially if you do, in fact, clone Lucas.

Update: The guys at ReelGuyz.com won the cup for $51, plus shipping. They have a few ideas of what to do with it, but are looking for suggestions from readers too. Personally, I'm down with a Viking funeral, but that's just because I like a good excuse to wear my helmet with horns.

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If 'Star Wars' Was Made By Environmentalists

Jessica Barnes — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, George Lucas, Politics, Trailers and Clips

It seems like you can't swing an Ewok without hitting some kind of fan-made Star Wars art, toy, or collectible, but have you ever wondered what would have happened if the Rebels had started a grass-roots movement rather than mounting up and chucking an explosive down the thermal exhaust port of the Death Star? Well, Derrick Jensen has and the result is a funny video called If 'Star Wars' Was Made By Environmentalists. In *Jensen's video, the activist and author of A Language Older Than Words takes us through the 'original screenplay' for the sci-fi fantasy classic as it was written by a group of environmentalists ... and Eco-Tours to Endor are only the beginning.

The video takes plenty of jabs at the Left's inability to come to a decision, and the absurdity of trying to stop a murderous force with harsh language and touchy-feely slogans. But keep in mind that Jensen is what you could call a hard-line 'tree-hugger', and his philosophy is based on the idea that civilization is inherently unnatural and based on violence. But don't let that scare you off; there are jokes a-plenty for Star Wars fans, including relegating Luke, Leia, and "some robots" into minor characters and Vader's inability to produce accurate paperwork. But no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, the beauty of this particular video is that you don't need to share Jensen's views to find it funny, you just need a healthy appreciation for absurdity.

After the jump: a world where Ewoks sell designer coffee and Luke and Leia are only background...

*CORRECTION: The video was created by Frank Lopez of Submedia

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Harrison Ford Returning for 'Indiana Jones 5'?

Jessica Barnes — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:50:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Casting, Paramount, RumorMonger, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Remakes and Sequels

I guess this is the news that nobody was waiting for, but the threat of another Indiana Jones film has been inching closer to reality by the day, and now The Insider has received reports that Harrison Ford will be polishing off the fedora and the whip one last time. There have been rumblings about a fifth film ever since Crystal Skull first hit theaters, but now we've gone past rumblings and finally started to hear some details. Both Shia LaBeouf and producer Frank Marshall have recently confirmed that a film is in the works, and now, Insider's sources are saying that, "...filming will not start until next year, and it will not be released before 2011." Now, if you happen to be mathematically inclined, you might notice that Ford will be almost 70 by the time the film starts production, which would probably make for a slightly less 'active' Indy this time around.

I won't waste your time recounting all the ways that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a let-down for fans -- you know things are bad when an unflattering 'buzz-word' is created as a tribute. But maybe it's possible that a fifth film could correct some of those mistakes. Call me naive, but there is a very (and I mean, very) small part of me that thinks George Lucas and Steven Spielberg may have learned their lesson, and will go back to what made the original films so great. Maybe this time they could capitalize on the relationship between Indy and his son Mutt to try recapturing some of that Last Crusade vibe? But, I guess we can take comfort in the fact that no matter what those two come up with this time, it certainly couldn't get any worse than what was ... or can it?

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Watch This: Rare 1971 George Lucas Interview

Peter Martin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fandom, George Lucas, Trailers and Clips

"I like being thought of as a toymaker who makes films." In the summer of 1971, George Lucas talked with critic / journalist / scholar Gene Youngblood for a program entitled "George Lucas: Maker of Films," which aired on public television station KCET in Los Angeles. Michael Heilemann of Binary Bonsai has made it available for online viewing, and it's a fascinating watch.

The interview takes place a few months after THX 1138, his first feature, opened and died a quick death at the box office. It would be two more years before American Graffiti ignited the box office and six years before Star Wars changed everything. Young Lucas was already mighty unhappy with the Hollywood studio system. Binary Bonsai provides context for his late 60s ventures, and then in the interview, Lucas says he started the feature-length version of his short THX 1138:4EB in the wake of the freedom created by the success of Easy Rider, but by the time he finished, the studio wanted something closer to the commercial fare of Airport and Love Story.

The program includes snippets from 6.18.67, a behind-the-scenes short doc that Lucas shot while on location for McKenna's Gold in 1967, and Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, as retitled by USC at the time. Despite Lucas' repeated assertions that he wants to make personal films -- something that his old running buddy Francis Ford Coppola is finally doing -- it seems that he will always be thought of as "a toymaker who makes films." And here he is, in a rare glimpse at the early years of his career.

After the jump: Watch the video!

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Frank Marshall Confirms 'Indy 5' IS On the Horizon

Elisabeth Rappe — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, RumorMonger, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Remakes and Sequels

Mere days after Shia LaBeouf gleefully announced that Steven Spielberg had "cracked" the story for Indiana Jones 5 comes another confirmation that it'll rear its ugly head. Empire Online caught up with Indiana Jones' longtime producer, Frank Marshall, who didn't go so far as to green-light it, but revealed that they'll start hashing out ideas before too long.

"It's really about the script," said Marshall. "Once we see that, we'll see. We're not going to wait another 20 years. We'd all love to make another one. I'm anxious to hear the idea!" But he quickly added that he really didn't know what Spielberg was cooking. "Until there's a script, nothing's definite. I haven't heard the idea." (He should ask LaBeouf. I bet he knows.) Marshall also confirmed that Lucas, Spielberg, and Ford were equally eager to return for a fifth outing. "Yeah. We had a great time making the last one and, as Harrison said, we need to make this one soon. We're not getting any younger."

While talk is talk, and plans vanish, bear in mind that they were already chattering about a fifth outing before Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hit theaters, and were still dreaming of it after, despite the negative reviews and fan backlash. I have no doubt it'll happen regardless of what the fans say or think. When it does, that shrieking sound you hear? That'll be the death cry of my fangirl soul ... and I'm sure it won't be the only lament visited upon the heavens.

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Shia Says Spielberg Has "Cracked" Indy 5

Peter Martin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:23:00 EST

Filed under: Action, RumorMonger, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Remakes and Sequels

Ah, the sequel no one is clamoring for has reared its head again. To be fair, some people enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and with worldwide gross receipts totaling nearly $800 million, the only question that remained was when Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford would be ready to give it another go. (Our own poll last year suggested that it was time to retire the franchise.) Reportedly, Lucas favored the idea of continuing with old Indiana Jones as the lead character rather than handing things over to young Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf. Research was being conducted to find an artifact that the movie could be based on.

In the UK to promote Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, LaBeouf talked to the BBC and revealed that he had spoken recently with Spielberg about another Indiana Jones movie: "Steven just said he cracked a story on it before I left. I think they're gearing that up." Spielberg is busy filming The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, so maybe he talked with Lucas between shots: "Hi, George, it's Steven. What if Indy searches for a shabti?" "Steven, what's a shabti?" "You know, George, the Sorcerer's Apprentice, the inspiration for that segment with Mickey Mouse in Fantasia?" "Of course, Steven, who do you think you're talking to?" "Well, George, the shabti was a figurine that was buried with the dead and performed hard labor for the deceased in the afterlife." "Ooh, I know, Mutt could try to get to it first, so he would never have to do manual labor for Indy any more!" "George, I think we've cracked it."

We'll wait to see if an official confirmation seeps out. Are you holding your breath for Indy 5?

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Watch This: Han Solo P.I.

Jessica Barnes — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, George Lucas, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Trailers and Clips

I think we can all agree that Han Solo will probably go down as one of the most beloved characters in film history. Granted, he was just an update on an old theme, but we all love a swaggering bad-boy with a heart of gold, don't we? Han has inspired plenty of fan art over the years...not to mention the occasional piece of office furniture, and you would think that fans would have run out of ideas by now, right? Well, not quite, so may I introduce: Han Solo P.I.

Devoted Star Wars fan TheCBVee has created a great little mash-up of scenes of Han Solo repacked as the opening credits for Magnum P.I., and as someone who grew up with the mustachioed private eye, this thing is spot-on (TheCBVee also provided a handy little side-by-side comparison of the original opening and his creation). You've got Alec Guinness filling in for Higgins, Chewie picks up where TC left off, and Luke as Rick, the suave playboy. OK, Luke as the suave type might be a bit of a stretch, but you had to work him in somewhere, right?

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Buy This: Star Wars: The Essential Atlas

Peter Martin — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, George Lucas, Movie Marketing

Yesterday was the 32nd anniversary of the original theatrical release of Star Wars, which I had completely forgotten about until Cinematical Editor-in-Chief Erik Davis pointed me to this book. Star Wars: The Essential Atlas by Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry is a "fully illustrated, full-color guide that maps the entire galaxy." It promises to encompass "the entire Star Wars canon, including all the films, and the Clone Wars television series, plus the novels, comic books, video games, and more." The book "is packed with dozens of detailed maps and charts."

My interest in Star Wars ebbs and flows with the years. I was absolutely fanatical / obsessed with the first two movies, but the Ewoks irritated me long before Jar Jar Binks. I very much enjoyed the Thrawn Trilogy novels by Timothy Zahn but could not possibly keep up with all the books that followed. I loved seeing the originals on the big screen again in the 90s but was sorely disappointed that George Lucas felt compelled to tamper with them. Episode I was a real let down, Episode II fell entirely flat, yet portions of Episode III nearly redeemed the whole thing for me. (Go figure.) As a movie, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was fatally boring.

Despite all my mixed feelings, the idea of putting the entire Star Wars galaxy down on paper, complete with detailed maps and charts, appeals to the analytical part of my brain. The book is due out on August 18.

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Was George Lucas Wrong?

Peter Martin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Fandom, Exhibition, Newsstand, George Lucas, Home Entertainment

With that headline, you're free to make any number of assumptions as what, exactly, filmmaker George Lucas was wrong about. Was he wrong to make the Ewoks cute and furry? Was he wrong to tweak the sacred Original Trilogy into pristine beauty? Was he wrong about Jar Jar Binks? Was he wrong about Indiana Jones? I could go on and on, but Vanity Fair writer Julian Sancton narrows it down to one thing, claiming that Lucas was wrong about ... (drum roll, please) ... the future of movies.

VF points to the "startling predictions" he made two and a half years ago "that the age of the blockbuster was over; that 'the secret to the future' was a large quantity of small, web-distributed movies; and that the habit of moviegoing would be a thing of the past." (See Cinematical's story from three years ago with similar Lucas predictions.) VF says that the crazy opening of Fast & Furious proves that "people are still thirsting for relatively cheap entertainment, and that big-budget, mindless, good-bad movies are a welcome distraction from the general glumness."

VF offers their own prophecies: fewer "middle-range" movies (budgeted between $25 - $100 million); more people investing in movies; plummeting DVD sales; and more frequent record-setting opening weekends. Frankly, those sound boring compared to Lucas' predictions, so let's go back to his ideas.

Was George Lucas wrong? Do you even care how much movies cost to produce? Or are you more concerned about the price of a ticket? For those of you who are regular (every week or two) moviegoers: Will you go see any big, dumb movie just to distract you from other problems? For less frequent moviegoers: Are you staying home because it's more convenient, or because the quality of movies has gone down?

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Cuba and Terrence: George Lucas' Latest Stars

Monika Bartyzel — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Casting, George Lucas, War

The last we heard about Red Tails, the new George Lucas project, dear, classy George was saying that while he wasn't directing the feature, "a black director" was. (The name Lucas failed to mention: Anthony Hemingway.) And now we've got a cast. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard will head the ensemble cast that includes a whole slew of names.

Get ready ... the rest of the cast will be filled out by: Bryan Cranston, Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Tristan Wilds, Cliff Smith (aka Method Man), Kevin Phillips, Rick Otto, Lee Tergesen, Andre Royo, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Marcus T. Paulk, Leslie Odom Jr., Michael B. Jordan, Jazmine Sullivan, Edwina Findley, Daniela Ruah, and Stacie Davis.

The Lucas-created story, sent off to John Ridley to write, was inspired by Tuskegee Airmen (the first all-black aerial combat unit in WWII). There's no further word on the plot, but Lucas has talked about the effects, which are pretty much a requisite for Lucas: "We're working on techniques that will give us the first true look at the aerial dogfighting of the era, and our top-notch cast will really make this story special."

It's free of the Lucas-helming fear, while having a dedication to great, authentic effects, it's a Gooding Jr. project that isn't about animals and isn't something immediately cringe-worthy, and it's work for the Iron Man 2-shunned Howard. I'm in. You?

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'Return of the Jedi' Never Turned a Profit?

Elisabeth Rappe — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Celebrities and Controversy, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, George Lucas

Apparently, the Dark Side of the Force doesn't help evade the details of fine print. The London Times overheard David Prowse (a.k.a. "The Man Inside Darth Vader") reveal a rather shocking fact to Equity magazine -- he's never received any residuals from The Return of the Jedi because the film never made a profit.

Says Prowse: "In the last 30 years you can count the number of times [The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi] have been in the cinema on one hand, and it never returned much money. I get these occasional letters from Lucasfilm saying that we regret to inform you that as Return of the Jedi has never gone into profit, we've got nothing to send you. Now here we're talking about one of the biggest releases of all time."

His friends say that the letter informing him that ROTJ hadn't made a profit actually referred to the Special Edition re-release and DVD, and that the terms of his contract reward him profits only when the film exceeds its production costs ... which the ROTJ Special Edition may never have done. LucasFilm won't comment, except to say that Prowse is mistaken: "Lucasfilm, as a matter of policy, does not discuss its financial arrangements with cast or crew on its movies, and we will respect that policy here other than to say that Mr Prowse's statement is not accurate."

Call me crazy, but I think even the Special Edition has turned a pretty tidy profit by now. Even if it hasn't, if there's one thing the Star Wars films have been, it's insanely lucrative -- and you would think the studio could toss its players (especially a fan favorite like Prowse) a chunk of change just to say "Thanks for the memories."

[Thanks to Kris Aaron and burnieburns for Tweeting this where I would see it.]

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How George Lucas Almost Made Indiana Jones a Sex Offender

Elisabeth Rappe — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Classics, Fandom, Scripts, DIY/Filmmaking, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg

Finding out how your favorite movies came to be is generally very rewarding and educational. You seek out The Seven Samurai, and thank the film gods that a robotic shark failed to work. At the very least, you can win trivia contests by knowing what Rosebud was, and impress your friends by telling them who was originally cast as Aragorn.

And then there's the stuff you wish you had never known. This week, you may have been one of the Indy fans who eagerly downloaded the Raiders of the Lost Ark transcript, where George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Lawrence Kasdan hashed out ideas for one of the greatest film characters of all time. Cool stuff. Useful if you aim to write books or movies someday. Then I read this bit about Marion and Indy, and their ideas for their early love affair gone wrong:

GL: I was thinking that this old guy could have been his mentor. He could have known this little girl when she was just a kid. Had an affair with her when she was eleven.

LK: And he was forty-two.

GL: He hasn't seen her in twelve years. Now she's twenty-two. It's a real strange relationship.

SS: She had better be older than twenty-two.

Continue reading How George Lucas Almost Made Indiana Jones a Sex Offender

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Science Explains Why You Hate George Lucas

Elisabeth Rappe — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:03:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand, George Lucas, Comic/Superhero/Geek

It's a slow news day, so what better to read than a bit of neuroscience? Over at Very Evolved, Patrick the Researcher decided to explain the science behind nostalgia, otherwise known as "that warm and fuzzy feeling that is keeping Hollywood in summer blockbusters."

Studies indicate that nostalgia is a kind of anti-depressant -- which probably isn't news to anyone who has found comfort in chocolate chip cookies or Flight of the Navigator.

But Patrick cautions that nostalgic memories can be "recoded" and what we once loved and cherished becomes associated with negativity. This, he reasons, is why Star Wars fans dislike George Lucas. "A great example of this in action that also demonstrates fluid nostalgia is the backlash against George Lucas. A large portion of 70's and 80's children had grown up owning Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader figures and playing in the backyard pretending sticks were light sabers. Fond childhood memories. When the first abysmal Star Wars Prequel was released the strong feelings against the film weren't just those of disappointment at a bad movie. If it were that simple, we should also feel the same way about Police Academy 7. The reaction can be partly explained by the sense of attack on our previously fond feelings. Watching the new movie automatically calls up memories from the previous series and all the pleasant childhood playtime memories associated with it. But recalling these fond memories in the context of a negative experience begins the process of re-coding, or modifying our old memories. This is an undesirable outcome for nostalgia."

But hey -- anyone who has ever screamed "George Lucas raped my childhood" could tell you that. Now they have science and psychology to back them up!

[via io9]

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Finally, a 'Fanboys' Trailer

Elisabeth Rappe — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Comedy, Independent, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, The Weinstein Co., George Lucas, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Trailers and Clips

To go with the poster and pictures we debuted last week, the Weinstein Co has finally released a new trailer for Fanboys, the Star Wars themed comedy you may actually see in your lifetime. (Remember, it was delayed yet again, supposedly to January 2009.) You can watch it over on Yahoo! Movies and have a good laugh on this crazy election day. It has the guy from Die Hard 4 in it! Can you believe that?

It's a cute trailer -- I'm afraid that I've seen this footage so many times over the past two years that it's lost its effectiveness for me. (I saw the clip with the original Harry Knowles imitator. Seeing it recast is like being in Bizarro World.) However, Erik Davis and Scott Weinberg both saw it at San Diego ComicCon this past summer, and both liked it. (Click on their names to see their reviews.) Their positive reaction gives me hope that I'll be rewarded with hilarity after recording Fanboys' ups and downs for so very long. I just hope I see it before I'm ninety-four years old, with no recollection as to what Star Wars is.

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Watch This: Spielberg and Lucas Raping Indiana Jones (Literally)

Erik Davis — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Home Entertainment, Remakes and Sequels

So who watched the season premiere of South Park last night? I tell you, just when you think those boys are starting to get a bit weak in their old age, you're shown a scene featuring Steven Spielberg and George Lucas physically raping Indiana Jones as the poor man cries out for help. Oh yeah ... and did we mention Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comes out on DVD this Tuesday? Yup ... and it's, er, loaded with extras!

Obviously this was their way of saying the latest Indiana Jones film sorta raped their childhood, but count me among those who kinda enjoyed watching the flick. (And I'm not alone -- here's Jeffrey's passionate post in defense of the sequel.) Sure, I could do without a few scenes here and there, but overall it wasn't terrible. What do you think? Did South Park cross a line last night?

Note: The following scene might be a little sensitive for some, so be warned -- TV-MA and all that ...

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Watch This: Darth Vader is a Smartass

Erik Davis — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Fandom, George Lucas, Trailers and Clips

Even though this clip is a little older and has been watched by over four million people, I'm sure there are some who've never seen it. Thus, this is for those people -- the unforgotten, the kids who've always lived their lives slightly behind the ball. Yes, you. Or you. Or him. Or her. Or me. Indeed, I'm just watching this for the first time as well. There's just something about the thought of Darth Vader pulling a stunt like this that just cracks me the hell up. But lets not throw too much love at this clip because, hey, 10 years from now George Lucas might want to remake the original Star Wars films and throw a scene like this in ... to lighten it all up. See, Vader's not that evil -- he's just a dick. Enjoy.

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Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Erik Davis — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:02:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Animation, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews, Fandom, George Lucas, Remakes and Sequels

If Star Wars: The Clone Wars were a simple board game stacked up in a toy store aisle, the side of the box would read: "Ages 7 through Check Your Star Wars Ego at the Door." While the recent onslaught of superhero movies have brought us darker, more complex (and adult) storylines, one of our most beloved franchises has decided to travel in the opposite direction. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's actually somewhat comforting to find a film with the word 'Wars' mentioned twice in the title alone and know that it's suitable for all ages. When I first watched a Star Wars film on the big screen, my feet could barely touch the sticky theater floor -- and so if a fun-filled, action-packed animated adventure story helps usher in a whole new legion of fans -- subsequently turning younger kids on to three live-action movies that came out, like, a billion years ago -- then right friggin' on!

Almost immediately we're clued into the fact that this big-screen Star Wars flick was gift-wrapped by another department store. That classic, drum-hoppin' 20th Century Fox intro is replaced with a much more subdued Warner Bros. logo, and the film's title swings into frame accompanied by different music. In replace of the classic story scroll, we get a newsreel-esque voiceover bringing us up to date on the main characters and their current mission. No one's trying to trick us here -- this is Star Wars for the need-it-now generation, and whereas previous films seemed to spend too much time rolling around in political-speak, Clone Wars is all about the action, the battles and the cheesy one-liners.

Continue reading Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

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George Lucas Talks 'Indiana Jones V'

Christopher Campbell — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:34:00 EST

Filed under: Action, Casting, Paramount, RumorMonger, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Remakes and Sequels

Less than three months ago, Eugene told us George Lucas was hinting that his Indiana Jones franchise might continue on with Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) as the main character and that Indy (Harrison Ford) would be more of a secondary figure. But MTV Movies Blog now reports that Lucas has had a change of mind and instead plans to make a fifth installment with our beloved hero still in the lead. During promotions for the new Star Wars: Clone Wars movie, he apparently stated that, "Indiana Jones is Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones. If it was Mutt Williams it would be 'Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis' or something."

Could it be, as MTV suggests, that due to fans' dissatisfaction with Mutt and/or due to LaBeouf's problems with the law that Lucas no longer sees the character as a viable investment? Or did he merely come to his senses about how much more money the movie would make with Ford starring? Lucas says that "Indy 5" is still only an idea but that people are researching possible artifacts to base the movie around. Personally, I don't care what kind of MacGuffin is used, so long as the Nazis are the villains again. The commies in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull just didn't do it for me. I know the temporal setting can't be WWII anymore, but Indy could always head back into South America and battle the Nazis who escaped to Argentina and Brazil and elsewhere.

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Godiva Releases 'Twilight' Chocolate Bar

Christopher Campbell — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, George Lucas, Harry Potter

As both a cinephile and a candy freak, I get excited anytime there's a new movie-themed confection (as you can see from this Cinematical Seven from last Halloween). While some tie-ins are less tasty than others -- it's no wonder that the movie theater I worked at had trouble pushing Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans at the concession stand -- everything is worth sampling. And from time to time, some candies, such as the Star Wars prequel-inspired dark chocolate M&Ms and this summer's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-themed Snickers Adventures Bar, end up being far better than the movie they're helping to market.

Being apparently one of the few people who has no interest in Twilight whatsoever, I'm sure to feel the same way about a new tie-in from Godiva, which MTV Movies Blog excitedly spotlighted this morning. It's actually more related to the books, as its packaging features the cover of the first book in Stephanie Meyers' popular series. And Barnes and Noble will begin selling them tomorrow in connection with this weekend's release of the fourth book of the Twilight Saga, "Breaking Dawn." However, you could certainly stock up now (they're probably a limited edition item), so that you can sneak one into the cinema each of those hundreds of times you'll be sitting through Twilight the movie this December. Or maybe a smart theater chain will sell them at their concession stand, to avoid having fans smuggle in contraband candy (if you know me well, you know I don't like to encourage sneaking snacks). Keep in mind, though, that there's nothing entirely special about this bar, except that it has a special Twilight-themed sleeve. Otherwise it's just simply Godiva's boring (yet delicious) old milk chocolate bar.

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