Star Wars Clone Wars trailers

As the theatrical release date of this new Star Wars Episode 2.5 project looms, the trailers are coming fast.

Catch them while you can!

While the prequels are undoubtedly the kid brother to the original Star Wars trilogy, I do like the massive universe that they present and I think that is where the strength lies in these stories. Rather than dwelling on Anakin Skywalker’s descent into darkness or Obi Wan seeming like a young Alec Guiness (or a weird impersonation thereof), the prequels are at their best when they are showing slam-bang action with robots and aliens. This project seems to embrace that and I think Star Wars fans are in for a treat this summer when the CGI film premiers.

Star Wars Clone Wars Animated Feature

Unless you’ve been frozen in carbonite for the past few years, you’ve heard about the new Star Wars projects being cooked up by George Lucas. One project is a TV series taking place between Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV A New Hope. The other project is an animated series created in a brand new dynamic CGI style following Episode II Attack of the Clones.

The Clone Wars cartoon project was expected to be a series… turns out it’s a feature film hitting cinemas this summer. So… book the day off from work now.

Trailer

Lucas was interviewed recently at StarWars.com about Clone Wars which focuses on the clone troopers, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and Obi Wan Kenobi.

It’s obviously a different tone but still has the drama and the characters.The TV series is exactly like the movies, exactly. I mean, you can see it in the clip. It’s basically just the movies only with cartoon characters. It’s basically a dramatic series, there’s a lot of action, a bit of humor. It runs along at the same level. It’s unusual for an animated film, because it’s not really hardcore like say Beowulf and it’s not a Pixar movie, so it kind of falls in between in this funny world where Star Wars is, which is kind of hard-edged but not really, sort of on the verge of PG-13, flips over once in a while, but sort of the high end of PG.

[ George Lucas Talks Star Wars: The Clone Wars ] It also seems to show a little bit more of the clone characters as well.

Yeah, now we get introduced to the clones, which we didn’t get in the movies. Now, they’re like main characters and they really are central to the whole thing, and you can identify them and know who they are, and it’s sort of like “Band of Brothers” only with Jedi. [laughs]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars opens in theaters on August 15.

More here

Star Wars - The Force Unleashed early reviews

IGN has some very positive things to say about the forthcoming Star Wars cross-platform video game ‘The Force Unleashed.’

The game takes place between Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV A New Hope, and follows the adventures of Darth Vader’s evil apprentice who hunts down the remaining Jedi. The game is rumored to be a huge breakthrough for the video game industry, featuring insanely accurate physics and a brand new chapter in the Star Wars mythology.

But it’s release date, August 8, is so very far far away.

Until then, we can salivate over concept art and this review:

What is seemingly the coolest exclusive content [for the PSP] by far is Historic Mode. The game features five classic scenes from the Star Wars films, and you’re able to play them with the enhanced powers from Force Unleashed. For example, you can play as Vader as he takes on Luke in the Cloud City carbonite chamber, and make use of things like Force Lightning or Force Choke. Players will be able to take on Mace Windu on Geonosis as he takes out a number of androids and eventually faces off with Jango Fett, or play through a section on Jabba’s barge.

More here.

Boba Fett in Star Wars TV series

This just in, Producer Rick McCallum has confirmed that old bucket-head will be back.

It had already been revealed that the show will take place within the 20 year gap in-between Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars (A New Hope), but as to what characters would be featured in it, all George Lucas had said was that it would not star any of the main characters from the films. However, as it had been revealed that it could feature peripheral characters from the film series, many fans had speculated that the ever-popular Boba Fett would be a prime candidate. Then last year, the first (and to this point only) promotional image from the series, shown at Toy Fair, displayed Fett’s iconic helmet, which of course only fueled rumors he would be on the show.

McCallum clears up the rumors, telling Star Wars insider “The series will be about brand new characters, a group of people we haven’t seen yet, except Boba Fett, who will be an instrumental part of it. The series will also showcase other bounty hunters.”

Since his first appearance in the much-derided Holiday Special, Boba Fett has remained one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars mythos. Hell, he even dodged the bullet that the prequels shot at him! It was quite a shock for fans to see this character regarded as the Prince of Cool in Sci Fi for decades revealed to be a pouty clone of his dad. But his Chaplin-esque death in Return of the Jedi was no great shakes either.

It was his appearance in the moody sequel to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, which cemented his place in the annals of science fiction fandom. A mysterious bounty hunter hired by the Empire to find the Millennium Falcon, Fett is armed to the teeth with a an assortment of weapons that the films had never shown us before or since. The character’s visual was a hint at so much culture and history to this Star Wars universe that it sparked the imagination of a thousand day dreams and several novels and comic book series. Also, since he wore a helmet he could look like anyone underneath it, allowing the audience to identify with him.

He’s also very appealing to the ladies, as the pic above illustrates.

I have strong hopes that his inclusion in the upcoming TV series will provide a return to greatness for the bounty hunter of few words.

More here

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

Elvis fans pay tribute: Spend time reminiscing about the King at local celebrations
By Molly Gilmore
The annual Elvis Birthday Bash celebrates Elvis Presley’s birth, not his death.This year, the bash - a celebration as much about Elvis impersonators than the man himself - includes a sneak preview screening of a new documentary called “How He Should Have Died.”"One man paid the ultimate tribute, by leaving this world in a blaz e of glory, the way many top El vis fans say Elvis should have,” press material trumpets.The man, Larry Hass, was an Elvis impersonator who died in 2004 while performing at the Elvis Explosion in La Crosse, Wis.

The documentary focuses on him and his passion for Elvis.

“La Crosse has really no connection to Elvis, except it’s become a big draw because of this festival,” said David Ross, a co-producer of “How He Should Have Died” as well as “Almost Elvis,” about the impersonators.

“It’s the home of the world’s largest Green Bay Packers sports bar, so it’s kind of a funny cross section of America,” he added.

After Hass’s death, Ross said, people kept asking the filmmakers if they wanted to do a documentary about him.

Through time, they realized that they did.

“It became more and more appa rent that it could be a really interesting, heartwarming, fun story to tell, just hearing from his friends and family and Elvis fans,” he said.

Saturday’s screenings of both films will include performances by world-champion Elvis impersonator Robert Washington, a costume contest and fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches.

You also can see Washington on Friday night at The Brotherhood and Sunday morning at Plenty.

Washington is known in the Elvis world for his onstage flips, his athletic dancing and his powerful voice.

Fans definitely get excited about his performances.

“You get the screams and stuff, but I’m sure it’s not the same magnitude as Elvis got,” Washington said in a past interview for The Olympian. “A little bit, and I’m happy.”

Elvis birthday bash 2008

What: The eighth annual celebration features a performance by Elvis impersonator Robert Washington; a 6 p.m. screening of the documentary “Almost Elvis;” a sneak preview of the new “How He Should Have Died” at 9 p.m.; fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches and birthday cake; a costume contest; a velvet Elvis art show and more.

When: 6 p.m. Saturday January 19th
Where: Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. S.E., Olympia

More info

Revered as a modern day saint of pop culture and King of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley has long enjoyed a place in the American psyche as a kind of touchstone. He means many things to many people, but he is without a doubt one of the most electric personalities to ever hold a microphone.

Immortalized in many formats, he is not without his fans in science fiction (rock ‘n’ roll author Mick Farren practically anointed Elvis as a saint of the American Dream) and comic books (Pope Elvis’ robes are clearly revered in Matt Wagner’s Grendel series).

And who can overlook the marriage of Star Wars and the King that is the Elvis Trooper?

But this Elvis Celebration takes the cake.

Man… I wish I could be there just to see King’s audience take over the town.

Darth Vader in Love

This has been making the rounds lately and I thought I’d share.

Darth Vader in Love

The attention to detail is astounding and it’s also quite funny. The short is from The Peter Serafinowicz Show, who played the girlfriend stealing bastard from ‘Spaced’ and Pete in ‘Shaun of the Dead.’

You have seen Spaced by now, right?

Star Wars Battlefront - Renegade Squadron

Next week the latest addition to the biggest game franchise for Star Wars is coming out. Star Wars Battlefront - Renegade Squadron isn’t just an expansion of the popular Battlefront series that has ruled my XBox since it’s release, it’s a whole new ball game… for yer hands.

Even though the Star Wars Battlefront games are built on the first person shooter design, they feel more like a cross between an amusement park ride and playing men with yer chums when you were a little tyke.

Rebel Soldiers and Stormtroopers litter the field of combat like table scraps as a seemingly endless supply of replacements continue the battle for supremacy. The second Battlefront game introduced space combat, something that I suffered a deep learning curve from, but in the end got through it and now can show my enemies a few maneuvers like a pro.

While gamers anxiously await the next installment for nexgen systems, this new version for the handheld Sony PSP is more than ready to sate that hunger for excitement.

Trailer

Taking place directly after the Battle of Yavin from Episode IV (or Stah Waughs as the kids in my neighborhood always called it), the game follows the adventures of an elite commando squad lead by the unlikely rouge Han Solo. Assisting Solo in the formation of this rag-tag group is a former compatriot of his, a brand new character named Col Serra (pictured right).

Unlike the two previous games, this version of Battlefront allows players to fully customize their character right down to uniform colors and insignia.

In addition to the single player story mode, there is the ever popular instant action mode and of course multi-player which allows for 8 vs. 8 over both Galactic Civil War (original trilogy) and Clone War (prequel) eras.

Also new to the franchise in the vehicle combat arena are two battle tanks, a TIE Defender, plus the Millennium Falcon and Slave-1!

Players will spread havoc over all the familiar classic trilogy territories including Endor, Hoth, Yavin and in instant action or multi-player mode the maps of Saleucami (for the first time ever), Mygeeto, Mustafar, Naboo, Geonosis and Kashyyyk are available.

Interview

A special bundle is available with a Darth Vader image imprinted on the PSP itself, bundled with a copy of the Renegade Squadron game. It looks pretty sweet, doesn’t it? Already I’m anticipating having fun at the bank, doctor’s waiting room or doing husband duty as my wife shops for clothes, fighting the republic as best as I can.

I owe General Dodonna that much, don’t I?

On Amazon:

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
PSP/Battlefront Bundle

Star Wars: Clone Wars

George Lucas recently spoke to TV Guide about his upcoming CGI animated series, Clone Wars. Still deep in production, the creator of the biggest money making franchise is still hopeful for a 2008 premiere.

Here’s an excerpt:

TV Guide: And you’re going to do a hundred episodes?
Lucas: We’re going to do a hundred episodes. I think we’re on [No.] 40 right now. We’ll probably end up with 50 to 60 episodes before we start to put it on the air. We’d like to put it on next fall, in about a year from now, but we’ll see what happens.

TV Guide: Where do you see it living? How do you see this playing? Obviously it doesn’t sound like a Saturday morning cartoon.
Lucas: Right now, we don’t know. It’s out there to people, and people are talking about it, but so far, everybody’s got the same conundrums — “How do we program it? Where does it live? Where can we put something like this?” You know, it has to go after 9 o’clock and it can’t be on a kiddie channel.

TV Guide: So you see it on a more mainstream channel or the Sci Fi Channel or something like that?
Lucas: Well, it’s one of those things. Television is sort of bifurcated up into small niches and unless you fit in one of those niches, no one knows what to do with you. And, of course, I’m always outside the box, so it’s like, “Uh-oh, we don’t have a box for you.” [Laughs] But it’s Star Wars and it’s really good, so I’m sure somehow or another, people will also start thinking outside the box and it will find its home.

TV Guide: What about your Star Wars live-action series for TV?
Lucas: Yes, I’m working on that. We’re just going to start writing it in about a month from now, start doing scripts for it.

TV Guide: And where will that live in the Star Wars continuum relative to Clone Wars and relative to the films?
Lucas: Well, Clone Wars has got all the characters in it — Yoda and Anakin and Obi Wan and the Emperor and all that — so it’s basically the movie. The live-action [series] is not the movie. It’s the Star Wars universe, but it’s characters from the saga who were [previously] minor, and it follows their stories. It’s set between [movie episodes] III and IV, when the Empire has taken over. It’s like Episode IV in that the Emperor and Darth Vader are heard about — people talk about them — but you never see them because it doesn’t take place where they actually are. There are storm troopers and all that, but there are no Jedis. It’s different, but I think it’s very exciting because I get to explore a part of that universe that I haven’t been able to explore. Once you have a saga, it’s got a lot of requirements because it’s about a particular [thing] — in this case, Darth Vader — and so it’s his story from the time he’s 10 to the time he died. You really can’t go off that track because that’s the story. Whereas now, I can make a left turn on 10th Street and go down there and see what’s going on.
…
TV Guide: Right. So to talk about TV again for a second, is there any particular TV you enjoy watching?
Lucas: I watch a fair amount of TV, not a huge amount. Mostly the news and stuff, and the History Channel, to be honest with you. I like Law & Order and some shows like that. I love Jon Stewart. [Laughs]
TV Guide: Lost or Heroes, those kinds of things people might think of as George Lucas kinda shows?
Lucas: I’ve watched those. The kind of continuing shows, I have a tendency to wait until they’re all over and then watch them on DVD, because those are the kinds of shows where you miss an episode and you’re kind of lost, literally. So it’s just too bothersome for me. But I have loved some things in the past that are kind of like that that sort of have forced me to be there every Sunday night, like Rome and Deadwood. I loved those shows.

… Lucas and my mom would so love each other.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed footage

At E3, this trailer for the upcoming Star Wars video game, The Force Unleashed was screened. Since the prequel trilogy, this is the most exciting thing to happen to Star Wars fans.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed places you in the role of Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice in a mission to hunt down the few remaining Jedi and promises to reveal new tales in the Star Wars galaxy. Plotted with assistance of series creator George Lucas, the game takes place between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and will be released Fall 2008.

Suggested gaming:

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Empire at War
Star Wars: the Best of PC

Star Wars: The Vader Project

Here are some images from the Star Wars Celebration Europe Vader Project in which underground artists re-interpret the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader’s image.

For more images, click here.