Happy Father’s Day-Star Wars Rap Battle Edition

Happy Fathers Day to all of the amazing fathers out there, especially my own.

The Life & Legacy Of Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is one of our culture’s most recognizable characters. One of the three lead characters in the original Star Wars series, Luke, played by Mark Hamill is every man. Unlike Han (Harrison Ford) or Leia (the late and very missed Carrie Fisher), Luke is the character we can all relate to.

I could go on, but I think the video below says it all.

Happy Birthday Star Wars

40 years ago today, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, hit theaters.

It was more than the average movie. It is more than just a science fiction movie set in outer space. Star Wars is revolutionary because it changed the way movies are made. Star Wars is part fairy tale, part social commentary and all around awesome. Before May 25th, 1977, no one knew who Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader were. 40 years later these characters, the world they inhabited and the actors behind the characters have become iconic in their own right.

I could go on forever on why I love Star Wars, but I think the trailer of A New Hope says it all.

Thank you, George Lucas for creating this world and introducing us to these characters. You have made multiple generations of fans happy and I hope you will continue to do so for many years.

Happy Birthday Star Wars, here is to another 40 years.

Star Wars Rap Battle

There is no greater indication of a loyal and loving fandom than the creativity of the fans. Whether it is art, music or fanfiction, it is amazing how we express our love of our favorite movie, book or television show.

Regular readers of this blog know that I can easily fangirl over Star Wars. My recent discovery of Star Wars Rap Battle has made me very happy. The best among the series is Han V. Leia and Han and Leia V. Finn and Rey.

I hope you enjoy the video and the series overall as much as I have. It has certain put a smile on my face.

Enjoy!

May The Fourth Be With You

Back in 1977, a new film hit theaters. It was called Star Wars. From the outset, it didn’t look like much. Just another science fiction film set in outer space with a Buck Rogers-ish premise. Some audience members and critics might have said at the time that it would quickly leave the theaters and only been seen in the wee hours of the morning when the television stations had nothing else to fill the airwaves with.

The thing about Star Wars, is that it is so much more than the average science fiction film. This film is a statement piece. Using Buck Rogers as the basic narrative, writer/director George Lucas turned the genre on its head and created characters that go far beyond the standard 2D characters that are sometimes associated with science fiction. Intertwining history, politics and fully developed human characters, Lucas not only changed the movie industry, but he created characters, catchphrases and worlds that are seared in our collective cultural consciousness.

My first memory of Star Wars is a take on the film as only Muppet Babies can do it.

My complete initiation to the fandom came later, when I was a teenager and the original trilogy was re-released for the 20th anniversary. I was hooked and since then, I have been a very happy fan.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of A New Hope’s release. While there is much to celebrate, there is also loss. Loosing Carrie Fisher and Kenny Baker last year was tough, but we remember them and we thank them for the joy and the memories.

May the fourth be with you.

The Last Jedi Teaser Trailer

The teaser trailer for The Last Jedi is out and all I can say is…wow. This movie is going to be good (I hope).

A Perfect Tribute To Carrie Fisher

When Carrie Fisher passed away last December, it was a heartbreaking loss. But while her physical presence is gone, she is still with us in spirit.

Today was the first day of Star Wars Celebration, an annual event celebrating anything and everything related to Star Wars. This year also commemorates the 40th anniversary release of Episode 4: A New Hope.

With the anniversary of A New Hope and the release of The Last Jedi later this year, our thoughts are turning to Carrie and how big the void is since she left this world.

The tribute put together includes a short video and an appearance by Carrie’s daughter, Billie Lourd, wearing a white dress (though not exactly like her mother’s costume, but close enough).

The video below is both heartbreaking and brings a smile to the faces of those of us who miss hear dearly.

I don’t know about any other fan, but I am preparing to bring quite a few bags of Kleenex when I see the The Last Jedi in December.

You are missed, Carrie. In the words of our mutual ancestors, z”l.

Postcards From The Edge Book Review

Fiction, if nothing else, is a dramatization of real life.

The late Carrie Fisher was one of those writers who was brilliantly able to translate her personal life to the page.

Her debut novel was 1987’s Postcards From The Edge. The novel opens with Suzanne Vale, a young actress with a Hollywood pedigree who is in a drug addiction rehabilitation facility. After leaving the facility, she returns to work, but Hollywood, being Hollywood doesn’t make it easy to return to normal life.

Writing about aspects of the human condition that affects us all-money, success, sex, addiction, our own insecurities, etc, Fisher proves once more why she is respected for her writing as she much as she is respected for her acting.

I recommend it.

Shockaholic Book Review

One of the best anecdotes about writing that I’ve heard is that a writer has to fully live to be able to create compelling narratives and characters.

The late Carrie Fisher lived more in her 60 years than many of us do in half that time.

Her 2011 memoir, Shockaholic, is a followup to her hit 2009 memoir, Wishful Drinking.

As she did in Wishful Drinking, Ms. Fisher does not leave any stone un-turned. No topic is off-limits. Her family, her past drug abuse,her mental health issues, her career and so much more are all touched on with a fresh, in your face and funny point of view as only Carrie Fisher can create.

I recommend it.

Wishful Drinking Book Review

The late Carrie Fisher was more than an actress known for the iconic role of Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies. She was a writer, a feminist, the face of mental illness and a badass who took no prisoners, especially when it came to her own life.

Her 2008 book, Wishful Drinking, is an autobiography as only Carrie Fisher can write it. Pulling no punches, she writes about everything from her conventional as only Hollywood can create family, to her iconic role in Star Wars, to her public bouts with addiction and mental illness and finally to the fact she was no longer the 19-year-old she was when she Star Wars:A New Hope in 1977.

This book is hysterical and is everything that we, as fans, loved about her. Brassy, bold and not afraid to lay all of her cards on the table, she lets it all hang out in a way that is joyous and wonderful. I absolutely recommend it.

I also recommend the one woman stage show based on the book. It is nothing short of perfection.

RIP Carrie. Your gone two months, we miss you everyday. Z”l.