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| More Star Wars Memories | | Date Created: Mar 06, 2006, 10:07 PM |
Mark actually dropped by last week for a live chat about our favorite subject -- STAR WARS. In these first two portions of our chat (hint:more coming!), we delve into what he called, "THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY of STAR WARS COLLECTING".
Listen in as Mark recalls the beginnings of his collecting habits and how that changed over the years - starting with the years before there even was such a thing as the Star Wars trilogy.
Head on over to This PAGE to listen to/subscribe/download the show;
Enjoy!
Oh - -and we have a new show email address!! Write us at:
echo3.echo7@gmail.com
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| STAR WARS PODCAST | | Date Created: Feb 05, 2006, 11:53 PM |
OK, I THINK I've figured out the glitches that were preventing me from updating my pages correctly. No one said this would be easy.
I've re-edited the first podcast we did about Star Wars. There is hopefully a new one going to be recorded soon (though I actually got to see Mark in person this weekend, we were both too busy to sit and record anything).
BUT we have a few subjects in mind, so hopefully....
Meantime, you can grab the re-edited show by clicking :
http://homepage.mac.com/tonygonzalez/echo3 |
| Viewing "La Fuerza" en Español | | Date Created: Nov 14, 2005, 01:45 PM |
Well, last Friday I was able to achieve on of my minor goals for the year: being able to watch REVENGE OF THE SITH with my octogenarian dad. Though he has a mild language barrier, and never really understood my fascination (er, obsession) with the George Lucas saga, I felt it was important to close out the series by being able to watch it with him.
Thanks to DVD technology, I was able to select the movie in Spanish Language, and I must say the translation is remarkable. Having the movies available in this format allowed him to more fully appreciate what was going on in the film, and he actually sat through the entire movie in one sitting (something he's rarely apt to do nowadays. Come to think of it, we never did finish watching "The Terminal").
This was my first viewing of the movie since it's final week in the theaters about five months ago, and I truly enjoyed it even more than ever. I felt the drama hit me had, and I still cringe as the final lid is closed upon the mask of the Evil Darth Vader.
I think it's stronger on video than in the movies, perhaps due to the intimacy and intricacy of the story, and I am happy to say the Spanish transfer was right on the money.
I think my dad enjoyed it. He's not much into this space stuff. But he found the dramatic elements interesting.
Now if I can only convince him that Natalie Portman is NOT an Hispanic Actress... |
| 6 Wks of SW Part 40 - That's A Wrap! | | Date Created: May 16, 2005, 08:40 AM |
SIX WEEKS OF STAR WARS PART 40 - That's A Wrap!
[Note: Though I will be continuing to report on Star Wars through the rest of this week (especially after the premiere of Episode 3 and beyond), this entry marks the end of my Six Weeks of recollecting the moments of my life that were touched by the saga over the past 28 years. Please refer to the INDEX to catch up on stories you might have missed]
It's hard to believe that the six weeks of reporting on my Star Wars memories have come to an end. When I started this project, I thought it would consist of perhaps an entry here, an entry there. I thought it would be fun to randomly remember things about the saga and then post them for your enjoyment. I never would have imagined it would have been so detailed and so lengthy. Thanks to my old scrapbook, which needs to be put back into one piece, and to some notes of mine that I found dating back to the time of the original saga, I was able to provide you with an inside view of what it was like growing up in the wake of Star Wars. I hope you have enjoyed it.
I'm thrilled to have been able to share some of the most joyous and exciting times of the past 28 years with you. Remembering a little piece of the saga every night, or every couple of days for the past few weeks has been great, and has provided a thrilling way to celebrate the saga. In most regards, these last six weeks have become another part of the wonderful Star Wars memories of my lifetime. As time goes on, it will remain to be seen if anything in popular culture will move people as much as these six "silly" little films have done. As much as they are "just movies", they are also among the most thrilling examples of imagination and creativity that humankind of the late 20th & early 21st Century has produced. And I am glad to know that I lived during this part of it, and kept the interest going for so long that it all means so much more all of these years later. And will probably mean as much for another 28 years. And beyond.
Yes, the saga will probably continue in some way or another. Perhaps through the promised television series. Perhaps through books, radio, comics or other media. Perhaps someone will one day even remake the entire thing! But for now, the saga of Anakin Skywalker and his offspring has been completed with love and dedication by a man who simply wanted to 'create a new myth' for the 'children of today'.
As one of the children he wrote this for, one of that first generation of fans, I can only say three words that probably sum it all up. More than wishing that "the Force be With him", these three words express my feelings, and those of the fans who have persevered, as well as the ones to come.
For all of the wookiees, rebels, robots; for all of the duels, escapes, thrills, and spills; for all of the secrets, joys and ploys; for all of the Ewoks, Gungans, and Jar Jar Binks; for all of the ice worlds, water worlds, lava planets; for all of the romance, swashbuckling, and brotherly love; for all of the amazing special effects that have never been equaled or surpassed by anybody anywhere; for the lessons learned from Yoda, Ben, and even Vader; for making sure that this was completed the way it was supposed to, with limited interference from Hollywood, or those who 'think they know better'; For giving our minds and hearts an escape to turn to during the past 28 years;
For making dreams come true;
Thank you, George. |
| 6 Wks of SW Part 39: Seeking "Revenge" | | Date Created: May 16, 2005, 07:40 AM |
6 Wks of Star Wars Part 39: "Seeking Revenge"
As much as they thought it might hurt, bad reviews and negative comments did not destroy George Lucas' plans to complete these movies the way he saw fit. Despit fan petitions to have 'other directors' such as what's-his-name who directed Lord of the Rings, oh, yeah, Peter Jackson, take over the helm, Lucas was steadfast and determined to complete the saga his way.
The Official Star Wars site, partnered together with the official Star Wars fan club, and created a new, interactive method for fans to connect directly with the saga. Providing constant video updates, as well as a live web cam that provided an insight to the actual production, the folks at Lucasfilm made sure that those of us who had not lost faith were entertained beyond belief, in a new, dynamic, and intimate way. In fact, I almost really feel as if "Clones" was just in the movie theaters last year rather than three years ago.
Speaking of "Clones", the company also saw fit to find a way to quell those comic book reading, animation loving fans that had deserted the saga after Episode 1. Presenting a new, animated series via the -- um-- Cartoon Network ---(I remember when such a thing was a figment of the imagination, by the way!) -- Lucasfilm presented a high quality series that filled in the interim story between Episode 2 and the upcoming Episode 3. Since I am not a regular TV watcher, nor do I follow comics, animation, or even movies outside of Star Wars, I was amazed at the quality and creativity present in these animated shorts, told mostly through visuals, not dialogue. Presented as futuristic, inter-galactic newsreels, TV's The Clone Wars helped fuel excitement for the movie that was being made, all the while using characters and situations from the movie everyone seemed to have hated. It was a bold, wonderful stroke, and one of the highlights of the past few years.
The original saga was released on DVD for the first time last fall, and though fans quibbled about the versions that were included (the Special Editions, rather than the original theatrical versions), they couldn't shake the fact that the quality of the movies on home video had never been surpassed. Over the course of nearly 25 years, I have owned the original movies: on video disk, on video tape, on laserdisc, on laser disk special edition, on laserdisc difinitive collection, on laserdisc Special Edition. In other words, I have owned them enough and have seen them enough. I am happy that the DVD versions are complete, clean, beautifully restored editions that are full of surprises for those of us who know the old ones so well.
When the title for Episode 3 was finally announced last summer, it was the final piece in the puzzle that had been plaguing us for years. Titles like "Birth of the Empire", "Rise of the Empire", "Fall of the Republic", and others were tossed about by fans. But it seemed obvious that since the Jedi could not seek "revenge" back in 1983, it made sense that the Sith, who had come to rise quietly in the first two movies, would. "Revenge of the Sith" was the first prequel title that brought unanimous cheers, from lovers and haters alike.
The Internet was a source for a lot of false rumors and fake stories throughout these first prequels. But oddly enough, almost all of the stories I heard through the net of this new picture in production all turned out to be true! Instead of keeping this story a highly regarded secret, as he had in the past, elements of "Sith's" storyline leaked out to the fans way in advance of the movie. Including some that I will discuss in a future entry so as not to spoil it for those of you out there avoiding "spoliers".
Spoilers of every kind landed in stores on April 2, 2005. Toys, books, games, you name it, all came out on that day - each of them filled - to various degrees- with spoilers that deal with major events of the story. I am still perplexed as to why so much of the tale was leaked out so early, but I suppose it really doesn't matter now.
I spent the first week of April absorbed in the novelization of the movie. I wanted to enjoy reading it for the first time, so I made sure I only read it during quiet moments, often locking the doors, quieting the house, and spending hours at a time reading. My old friend Mark finished the book in one night, staying up for nearly 8 hours until he had completed the thing. He needed to know. I needed to know. It was imperative to find out how this story had ended, as it seemed unfair that we'd have to wait, well, six weeks before seeing how it would all end up on screen. Particularly with the proliferation of spoilers abounding.
At one point, Mark picked up a "Making of" book just to glance through it, and saw elements of the plot he should never have seen yet! And since I took longer to read the book, due to my schedule, he inadvertently would ruin parts of it for me by blurting something out unintentionally. This was the main reason we had to know. Rich, on the other hand, who is back in New York, now, started to read the book, but then stopped halfway through, choosing instead to be surprised. He says he's done this with the others.
And our thoughts on the book? Without giving anything away, we were very satisfied with the story. I remember some rather heart poundingly tragic moments. It remains to be seen how this all translates up on screen, but if intact (as it seems to be, judging by the reviews I've seen so far), it should be quite an exhilarating experience.
To top it all off, this third, and last of the Star Wars movies, which opens this Wednesday evening at midnight, will mark the first time, God Willing, of course, that the triumverate that has been part of my entire six week recollection here, will be attending the movie together. Yes, Rich and Mark are still as much into this as I am, and I am looking forward to completing this adventure with them, which we are attempting to make possible.
It has been an interesting couple of decades. As I've stated before, though I had so much to say on this subject that it turned into all of this, it should be noted that our lives are not all about Star Wars. Well, mine isn't anyway. It is merely one of my hobbies, yet most definitely much more than that, as well.
Though I don't collect anything from it other than the movies, music and official publications relating directly to the films, the entire story lies always within my heart and at the edge of my brain. It has provided me with more enjoyment and creative stimulation than any other entertainment before or since, and still continues to.
With the premiere of the final episode on Thursday, I will be sad to see it go, but thrilled to know that it has provided enough enjoyment to last a lifetime. And I'm thrilled to know it's moved other folks this way, as well.
See you on line. |
| 6 Wks of SW Part 38: Attack of "Attack" | | Date Created: May 15, 2005, 07:50 AM |
SIX WEEKS OF STAR WARS PART 38: ATTACK OF "ATTACK"
I still don't get it.
For me, "Attack of the Clones" was the ultimate Star Wars movie adventure. It had everything I had always imagined a Star Wars movie should have. I thought the performers were believeable, engaging, funny. I thought the special effects were astonishing (particularly the chase through Coruscant at the opening). I thought the drama was riveting. I thought the romance was lovely. And I thought that the beginning of Anakin's transformation was handled beautifully. To top it all off, we were finally shown the face and origin of Boba Fett, the beginning of the Clone Wars, the creation of the Stormtroopers, and the formation of the Empire. And that fictional lightsabre battle that my classmate had dreamed up over 20 years earlier was real: Yoda could fight, and did so with amazing agility and believeability. Add the coolest, most distinguished mixed up character since Lando Calrissian to the mix (in the guise of Sith Count Dooku), and in my eyes, you have the absolute greatest Star Wars sequel ever.
But apparently, if you believe the media and critics and the fans they speak to, I am in the minority here. People seem to hate "Attack of the Clones". Mention it, and you're likely to see someone wrinkle their faces in disgust. The biggest complaint, again from some of those fans I have mentioned before, was the "weak dialogue, bad acting, terrible plotting, and directing". Huh? Not that old song again.
Unfortunately, these people just don't get it. They didn't understand that this was a movie with it's own style of dialogue and acting, plotting that is so dense it is buried within SIX, not THREE movies, and a directing style that is entirely unique. If George Lucas had wanted to churn out same old sequel after same old sequel, he would have done so, using the standard Hollywood formula. But he is not only involved in the directing, he is so detailed oriented that nothing gets shot without contemplation and much decision making. Every single shot is plotted out before it's filmed. This is not any slapshot filmmaker, here. He is an artist with a palatte. But with people's distate over "Menace", "Clones" suddenly made his status slip and slide further away from the Master he was once conceived to be.
One of the masterful strokes of "Clones" to me is the fact that the story feels so epic and grand. I remember watching a digital presentation of it that summer, feeling suddenly that I was finally getting to the heart of what the Star Wars movies were about. The underlining story here is about Anakin's tranformation. And if you think back on the beginning chapter,and think forward to the end of the Saga, you will realize that "Clones" is where it all happens. For me, this movie is more complete than EMPIRE, more satisfying than JEDI, and more incredible than MENACE. But how does a longtime Star Wars fan take the kind of criticism that was laid upon it. Stuff like:
I asked my teenage niece if she'd wanted to see the movie. Back in 1999, she had begged to accompany me to MENACE, when she was still a littler kid. When "Clones" opened, I asked her if she'd seen it or wanted to see it. "No," she exclaimed nonchalantly, "I hear the acting is bad."
Oh really? So I suppose the acting in 13 GOING ON 30 was so much better?
Unbeknownst to today's generation (and apparently to much of the original fansl), the Star Wars films were never known for their -- "acting". It has always been described as "wooden" or "bland", yet no one seems to realize that this is simply a style. It was not created by George Lucas. Watch any movie from the 40's and 30's. You call that acting?Look again. It's the same exact style Lucas is using. His Star Wars movies are so stylistically different from every single other movie around, in terms of acting, in terms of story, in terms of directing, that most people just don't get it, or are too lazy to get it.
Besides, a lot of people complain that the acting here is done to "nothing" to blue screen. Hmmm. I seem to recall that when I go to a stage play, the actors there are supposedly acting to -- nothing. Acting is imagining. The whole point is to create the universe around you with your skills, nothing more. As a former acting student, this critism irks me so.
Another annoying criticizm was that Lucas only 'cares about making money'. Oh. O.K. I see. Aside from the fact that this is all anyone really cares about, an analysis of any of the "Making of" documentaries will show that he is an involved, creative thinker who goes through lengths to make things seems real. He is telling his story his way -- not Hollywood's way. And that's part of what makes him great.
And as far as the acting in this film goes, for which poor young Hayden Christensen (Anakin) received more raspberries than a cartoon chipmunk, I, for one think that there could have been no other better person to have played this part. He looked right. Behaved correctly, and was skilled enough to make his character believable. Any other "name" actor would have been distracting. And believe it or not, I am sure, that while Leonardo DiCaprio, who almost had the role, would have been great, any actor would have been labeled "wooden" in the movie, because moviegoing critics are far too jaded.
Once again, this movie was plagued with the need for "Kick-a--", and only 'delivered' that toward the end. Many people feel the movie should have started at the last half hour point. But I personally am glad that Lucas spared us all the needless visions of killing and slashing and war. That would get monotonous after a while (and perhaps is the reason I can't really watch Lord of the Rings more than once. Fight after fight completely bores me. But that's me. By the way, the first Lord of the Rings movie, which premiered later that year,stole all of the thunder from Star Wars' presence in cinema. It took away the all of the non-believing fans, leaving Star Wars in the dust while it went on to garner amazing acclaim and awards, for covering territory already done in Star Wars. But that's another story, never mind).
Consequently, another action movie, "Spider-Man", stole the thunder,the crowds, heck, even the popcorn away from Episode 2 that summer. Ironically, While people were hollering and hooting about how "great" this superhero movie was, I sat in the cinema perplexed. Though I was a huge Spiderman fan as a boy, I was totally disappointed in the movie version of the comic book hero. I thought the -- get this -- plotting was weak, the directing was bad, and the acting was -- tee hee-- awful!!! At one point, when the actress portraying Mary Jane says she 'needs to take acting classes', I could contain myself no longer. Rather audibly, I mumbled, "Yeah, you sure do!". I had become for an instant, the same sort of person who sat there deriding Clones, but I show no remorse for it, even now. For I had seen a movie that had all of the apparent "flaws" that my favorite movie of the summer supposedly had, and found the need to be the one voice to say so. (For the record, I really enjoyed the sequel- Spider-Man 2 much, much more. But ironically - the people who liked the first one didn't like that one!!! Go figure!).
Lately critics are harping once again about how awful the first two Star Wars movies were and how all of the fans hated them. One British critic went on to claim that the movies were "INTOLERABLE RUBBISH"!!!! Well, critics, you are wrong again, as usual. I have met many people since who discovered MENACE and CLONES on their own, away from the hype, through cable or home video, who have outwardly stated they enjoyed them. One time, I was in a checkout line at a grocery store, and heard a woman saying that she'd seen CLONES a bunch of times, because it was so "good"! This was not a Star Wars fan. This was just a person on line at a grocery store!
When I was growing up, Star Wars was such a personal thing. There were not many Sci-Fi fans out there ( I certainly wasn't one of them). These movies were percieved as being either childish, or bad, or boring, or crazy. Those of us who liked them would often face ridicule, or looks of disgust. Until the mid nineties, I had no idea that any one else even cared about the movies as much as we did. With the Special Editions, new generations were exposed to the saga, and learned to love it as much as we had Unfortunately, the world had grown into a more complex place. People expect immediate gratification when they see a movie. They don't want to think too much. They categorize too much. They expect movies to follow a formula. If Triple X Two does not do all the same things that Triple X One did, people go around claiming "it sucked". They don't want to sit there and think and be immersed in anything too confusing anymore. Which is probably the real reason "Clones" was attacked so unmercifully at first. It is only part of a grander story. A story whose ending we are already aware of.
Except for the missing chapter that is coming up in just a few days!!!!
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| 6 Wks of SW Part 37: When "Clones" Attack | | Date Created: May 15, 2005, 12:24 AM |
(almost there! Read the earlier chapters via the Index!)
SIX WEEKS OF STAR WARS PART 37: WHEN "CLONES" ATTACK
I had been hyping myself up for "Attack of the Clones" in a different way from EPISODE ONE. I had listened to the soundtrack over and over, and had read the novelization, and was anxious to see how it all translated to screen. A big theatrical screen with a huge audience, the best way, in my opinion, to see a new Star Wars movie. Or an old one.
On the night we were meeting up after work to catch the first Midnight Showing of the movie, I noticed Mark seemed a little tiny bit low key about this excited night, which was highly unusual for him. When we discussed bits of the story and talked about how it would look, he seemed to somehow have details that were impossible to have known ahead of time (since he hadn't even read the book)....unless....
Now I had gone through some lengths to stay away from any of the actual movie clips and visuals, other than some "Making of" footage presented through the official website, and the movie trailers. It was my impression that he had, too, since his new job had crazy hours, and he barely had a moment to himself.
Some personal trouble ensued in his household that night, and for a quick moment, I thought he was once again going to leave me stranded at the midnight showing. (Unfortunately, my girlfriend was unable to join me for so late a show. She was upset she couldn't come to the first night, but understood it's importance). Resolving his dilemma (don't you love when those personal crises happen just as you have something planned?), we headed off to the line, accompanied by a coworker of his and their girffriend.
We stood in line for a good hour or so. Even though we'd gotten our tickets in advance, it meant a good deal of time would be spent having to wait in order to enter. We eventually made our way in, found great seats, and watched the movie.
I was totally absorbed in this experience. Loved every second. Enjoyed every moment of Attack of the Clones. Then, at one point, the audience started to snicker, when a lovelorn Anakin professes his true love to his beautiful Queen. I couldn't get whether they were snickers of appreciation or ridicule. I had been in many of the same situations Anakin was in, romantically I had totally identified with the embarrassing feelings of being disregarded or disengaged. I also remember the poetic language that poured out of me when courting a "true love". Apparently, some people in the audience did not. They snickered. And laughed. One guy even poked fun aloud, shouting,"Christ, he's Shakespeare, now!", to the amusement of the audience. The movie was being heckled! Though diehard fans like myself and Mark and others could actually understand what it was Lucas was trying to convey, a lot of the audience just didn't get it. They wanted to see action. And nothing but. Just "butts" being kicked. And nothing more.
I noticed during the movie that Mark was not reacting during key scenes. He had chosen NOT to read the book ahead of time. Yet he was calm through all of the important moments, and even called the action under his breath to a crucial scene. It suddenly dawned on me that he had somehow already seen the movie!!!!!
A crowd of us waited excitedly for the credits to roll. There was a buzz in the air. An electricity. People around us seemed to have enjoyed this movie as much as we had. It seemed that they had gotten over their "disappointment" with "The Phantom Menace" and were loving this "Clones". I was speechless. I thought it was beautifully done. Wonderfully directed. I felt it had touching, realistic love scenes, great action, and resolved a lot of the questions that had been hanging in the Star Wars continuum. I knew also that it was part of a grander story, the finale of which was soon to be told.
I caught a slip of a remark by Mark during the conversation outside the movie theater with his co-worker: Somehow, they HAD seen this movie already. I confronted him on this during our ride home. My longtime best friend confessed that, yes, he had indeed seen the movie already. Somewhat stunned, I couldn't understand how. Then it hit me...
Earlier in the day, Rich had called me from California. He said he couldn't wait for his shift to be over to catch the movie, but that someone had left him a "present" on his desk: a DVD copy of the movie! I might add: a bootleg DVD copy of the movie! Rich says he didn't accept it and waited instead to catch the movie on the big screen that night. It turned out Mark had done the reverse.
Obsessed with seeing how the story worked out, a coworker of Mark's had shown him the video after hours at his job. Somehow his friend had obtained it weeks before the movie's release. In fact, when I had contacted Mark from Florida about buying tickets weeks before, he had already seen the movie. (and loved it, by the way). I was furious. Not so much for the sake of who saw it when, or at him keeping that from me. That part I didn't care about. I was more upset with the whole concept of these "digital clones" existing out there. WHY were there copies of a long awaited movie floating around on the streets?
I have always been anti-pirated movies, particularly of ones that are currently playing in the theaters. I get upset when I hear that someone has obtained a movie illegally by downloading it, or buying it off the street. In fact, the ugliest case of this was not with 'Clones" but experienced a few years later with "Passion of the Christ". I know more people -- -many of them religious, mind you-- who saw that movie via illegal bootleg dvd's -- than people who saw it in the movies. Stolen movies are a MAJOR problem these days, and it's a crime and something I am totally opposed to. I refused to even know about their existence, and even though in Rich & Mark's case, they ended up seeing the movie in the theater several times, anyway, and bought the real DVD's and merchandise galore, this was just not right. This is when you have to beat temptation down and turn away from it, in my opinion. (By the way, don't even TRY to show me a copy of Revenge of the Sith before Thursday. If it ain't in the Theater, I ain't interested. And if you are, you should be ashamed of yourselves. It's just a few more days!!!!)
So ATTACK OF THE CLONES was being "attacked" by "clones" of itself. Before it even opened! Sadly, this sort of thing could do nothing to help the box office. Particularly, when the film was subsequently was attacked by everyone else. Had to have been the title. |
| 6 Weeks of SW Part 36: "Across the Stars" | | Date Created: May 13, 2005, 09:49 PM |
SIX WEEKS OF STAR WARS PART 36: "Across the Stars"
I have always been a huge fan of John William's stirring score for the entire Star Wars saga. He has created an aural tapestry that cleanly marries the images to the music. The themes for each of the lead characters seem to fit them naturally, and Williams uses these themes t to tell the story along. By listening to the music soundtrack alone, one can imagine all of the wonderful worlds and immerse themselves in the world without having to look at the visuals. I have fond memories of attaching the haunting "Yoda's Theme" to the very first photograph I had ever seen of the diminutive Jedi Master. I remember feeling the romantic undertones of EMPIRE for the first time through "Han Solo and Princess Leia's Theme". And listening to the soul-moving "Luke and Leia" from Return of the Jedi would often have me fall into immediate despair. ( At the time it had symbolized the end of the saga).
One of my most favorite collectibles of the of the entire era was a cd-boxed set that came out in the late 1990's, which contained the complete scores of the original trilogy presented intact for the first time. When The Phantom Menace came along, it also provided some stirring music, particularly "Duel of the Fates", the fast-paced, choir-sung theme that brought the Jedi face to face with their nemesis, the Sith, for the first time in Episode One. I came to appreciate Episode One's score even more when a double CD was released in 2002 with its entire score intact.
One evening late in April of 2002, with the new movie just a couple of months away, a local New York Classical radio station premiered some tracks from the upcoming Star Wars sequel, Episode Two. Among them;the stirring and haunting "Across the Stars", the theme that would permeate through Anakin and Amidala's secret relationship. This piece of music is one of my all time favorites pieces of the entire Star Wars score. In a sad, repetitive way, the notes tell the story of a love that shouldn't be, and yet must. It also harkens backwards to Anakin's Theme from Episode One, Leia's Theme from the original Star Wars, and has various dark ruminations running as an undercurrent throughout, until it finally ends up sounding like a light variation of both the original Star Wars theme and Darth Vader's theme. My favorite section comes toward the end, when the theme is played on a harp, harkening back to Medieval days. Most people don't realize that EPISODE 2 is very Medieval in theme; The Gallant Knight romances the Fallen Queen. Beautifully written and played by the London Symphony Orchestra, "Across the Stars" is one of the greatest pieces of music written for the Cinema, yet it was completely overlooked by most people.
(Have a listen over at Amazon.com)
I recorded and played that music over and over (I had made a copy for my original iPod), and took it with me on a vacation to (where else?) Florida. Right before I left, the novelization of Episode 2 came out, and I began to read it on the way. I had expected to just read a little bit of it, and save the rest for later. I remember sitting up one night at a Walt Disney World Resort when I couldn't sleep. I quietly made my way to poolside ( at 4 am) and listened to the bits of soundtrack I had brought with me from that radio presentation, imagining what the movie would be like. I thought about the plight Anakin was in. And wondered if he would ever see his mother again. Or what it was that turned him to the dark side. One of my favorite Star Wars memories.
On the day I returned home, the soundtrack for Episode 2 was sitting in my mailbox (I had ordered it early). I opened up the CD and saw a few of the pictures and decided I was going to read the entire book, after all. Unlike Episode One, I was going to go back to my old practise of knowing the story before seeing the movie. There was no way not to, once I read something I shouldn't have seen in the cd. I'm glad I did.
While I was in Florida, the tickets had gone on sale. Rich was still in California, but Mark had taken it upon himself to order the tickets this time. He was feeling guilty for having deserted me during Episode One, especially since he didn't get around to seeing the movie until late August. (August!!!) A friend of his from work was able to secure us seats to the first (Midnight) showing at the Zeigfeld in Manhattan. This was going to be the first time we'd been able to catch the opening of a Star Wars movie at the same time in the same place. And it looked like it was going to be a good one.
Though I read the book and heard the CD, I had not seen a stitch of footage beyond the trailers, and was looking forward to seeing how it would all come together.
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| 6 Wks of SW Part 35: What's in Another Name? | | Date Created: May 13, 2005, 09:26 PM |
SIX WEEKS OF STAR WARS PART 35 : WHAT'S IN ANOTHER NAME?
One of the things that kept us going between movies what what exactly this "Episode Two" would be titled. While the title of Episode One, "The Phantom Menace, left many scratching their heads, there was more of an uproar amongst fans when the titled for Episode Two was revealed.
"Attack of the Clones", which was chosen specifically as an homage to the cliff-hanging movie serials Star Wars was designed after, left many with a taste of disgust on their tongues, though I still have trouble wondering why. You couldn't say the title of Episode One without lowering your voice a few octaves and snarling into a megaphone ~~~the Phantom Menace~~~muuhaaaahahahhahaaa!. And as far as I was concerned, "Attack of the Clones" sounded like an old newsreel movie serial title. "Look out for... Attack of the Clones!".
Many fans had many ideas of what this chapter should be titled, without having seen the movie. "Rise of the Empire", "The Clone Wars", "Fall of the Republic" were all thrown around once again. It seemed they were more upset with the fact that the actual title had taken them by surprise more than anything else!
I think part of the problem is that you can't think of the title without thinking of the B-Horror movie, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". People just saw Star Wars as something more serious than that. And although the title didn't really bother me more than just a brief chuckle, I have a strong feeling that distaste for the film among the movie going public had a lot to do with what it was called. |
| 6 Wks of SW Part 34: Museum Piece | | Date Created: May 12, 2005, 11:50 PM |
 (continuing my reflections on growing up with the Saga. Please see the Index for previous chapters)
6 Weeks of Star Wars Part 34: Museum Piece
A touring exhibition of actual Star Wars props and costumes finally made it's way to New York City, just in time to brighten the spirits that had been humbled during the tragic end of Summer in 2001. Arriving at the Brooklyn Museum in April of 2002, "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" was an important and exhuberant showcase, spotlighting the connection between George Lucas' mythic space saga and the myths that inspired it. For the first time, we got to see many of the actual models, costumes and props used during the production of both the original Star Wars Trilogy, as well as its prequel, "The Phantom Menace" |
 (Above right: The droids shine in their showcase at the Brooklyn Museum ©2002 by Tony G.)
Due to the proximity of the museum to me, we made a couple of visits to the "temporary" Star Wars Shrine, which featured several rooms layered out to give a complete sense of entering the various worlds of the movies of Star Wars. After a preshow area featuring early ideas and concepts, a small cinema experience and behind-the-scenes documentary welcomed you to the proceedings. Entering the first room, you were surrounded by the items that made the Star Wars saga come to life. It was wonderful seeing the actual paintings, models, and clothing up close and personal.
An extra treat in all of this was the fact that Mark's then 3 year old daughter Amanda was enjoying the whole thing as much as we were. She had watched the movies with him since she was an infant. When he brought home "The Phantom Menace", she made it clear to claim it as "Her" Star Wars. I'll never forget the day I saw her seated in the backseat of a the car, staring silently into space, and then suddenly blurting something that sounded like, "M-D'Lly's Sad".
We thought she was talking about her "Dolly". "No," she corrected us. "M'D'ly's sad because the stormtroopers have taken over her city."
She was referring to Amidala, quoting a line from The Phantom Menace. She fell in love with young "Annie", and enjoyed seeing some of the props from her movie, as well as the ones from Unca Tony's and Daddy's movies. On our way out of the exhibit, we all casually noticed a bearded man in a plaid shirt who sort of looked like, but clearly wasn't who we thought it was. What did the 3 year old say when she saw him?
"It's George Lucas!".
The flanneled one looked at her curiously before heading into the rest of the exhibit.
Yes. The next generation was hooked.
(photo: Mark's daughter Amanda tries on one of the Jar Jar Masks in the kids activity corner ©2002 by Tony G) |
| (One of my favorite of the Displays : Luke in his X-Wing Gear) |
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| (Photo: Amanda gets a closer view at Chewbacca. ©2002 by Tony G.) |
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| Articles in Star Wars (Total Entries: 68) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - 100 Days!
Date Created: Feb 07, 2005, 07:58 PM
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