Tonight I’ll be seeing the final chapter of the Star Wars saga. I’ve been reading about it and writing about it for weeks and weeks and weeks, and then some more and more until we’re done.
Whew. My complaints about Episodes I & II have been heard before, though I still agree with people who say Mmm… Star Wars. As much as Lucas mucks it up with stuff like Jar Jar Binks and sappy love scenes, I still love Star Wars.
In honor of the final installment of the Star Wars double trilogy, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, I present a fancy new T-shirt. It’s a white “ringer” T-shirt with a black band on the edge of the sleeves and collar (or I suppose you could get blue or orange, but that’d look stupid).
The front says: May the force be with you.
The back says: And also with you.
Get it? A little Star Wars/liturgical humor for you. On a T-shirt no less! Ha! And it can be yours for the low, low price of $18.99 $15.99. Get ’em while they’re hot!
And I mean that. The article the other day about T-shirt sales inspired me, and I’m thinking of doing a T-shirt a month–but only one per month. Come the end of the month we’ll switch to something new, so you snooze, you lose. No more hilarious Star Wars T-shirt. It’s a goofy plan which fits nicely with Cafepress’s requirement that basic shops can only sell one of each item. And it’s more fun that way. Means I have to come up with a new geeky T-shirt every month.
I’ll vouch that Cafepress T-shirts are pretty nice. They need a wash after you first get them, but they hold up pretty well. And if you look around on the net, sometimes you can find Cafepress coupons (Shh… don’t tell).
Update: Caving to pressure, I’ve dropped the price to $15.99, though I doubt that’s going to appease either complaintant. Sorry folks, print on-demand T-shirts ain’t cheap. At this price I’m making $1 per shirt, which is probably fair considering the work I put in to it. The other option would be to have everyone order shirts and at the end of the month I’ll put in the order, print them and distribute them. But that requires work. And somehow I can’t see many of you being interested in that. But maybe you would be. The price could probably drop signifcantly. Comment away if you’d be interested in that system.
Though as I told someone today, I’m not trying to get into the T-shirt business.
The final chapter of the Star Wars saga, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, comes to theaters May 19th and the propaganda machine is in full effect. You’ve probably seen the Darth Vader version of Mr. Potato Head, dubbed Darth Tater, and some have already discussed the Darth Vader sprinkler, but you haven’t seen anything yet.
Are you ready for Yoda using the force to yoink a can of Diet Pepsi? Be afraid. Be very afraid. The marketing tie-in machine is going overboard
Ewan McGregor is starring in a London production of Guys and Dolls that opens just 12 days after the final Star Wars flick? Wow, this stuff just writes itself.
1) Luke Skywalker was originally supposed to be a midget. (Star Wars meets Willow)
2) Han Solo was originally conceived of as a big green monster.
3) At one point Leia was the central hero of the story before it shifted to Luke. (imagine a 1970s Buffy)
I received the Star Wars Trilogy DVD for Christmas and watched Empire Strikes Back while in Kansas and right now we’re watching Return of the Jedi as we ring in the new year. Let’s just be thankful it’s not a Star Wars Holiday Special (shudder).
Since watching Star Wars as a little kid (I remember watching Obi-wan confront Darth Vader during A New Hope in the theater with my eyes covered) the saga has a special place in my heart. The new prequels are weak in comparison, but watching the old ones again shows their many flaws. But I still love ’em.
A comparison of Star Wars figures from 1979 to 1997. Now that’s what I call art.
And ripped. Apparently action figures in the 70s were slim and slender, while the 90s was a decade of ridiculously large muscles. Even C-3PO has some heft.
Buried in an Associated Press interview with George Lucas about the release of the original Star Wars trilogy DVD (see the earlier entry for more on the DVD) is this tantalizing tidbit:
AP: After
Forget clones, contrived love scenes and CGI comic relief. The original Star Wars trilogy comes out on DVD Sept. 21.
It’s the first time the classic series has been released on DVD, though it’s not exactly the beloved original. The DVD includes the 1997 special edition release of the movies with extra scenes and effects. It also includes an entire disc of bonus features, including a feature-length documentary of the Star Wars saga and a preview of next year’s Episode III, Revenge of the Sith.
LucasArts defends releasing the special editions as artist’s prerogative, though apparently Lucas wasn’t finished monkeying with the originals. The DVDs have newer shots that tie the originals to the prequels, including a cameo by Hayden Christensen in Return of the Jedi as Anakin’s spirit. USA Today highlights the other changes.
Time covers the DVD release (with pictures of a sun bathing Carrie Fisher and stunt double in Jabba’s slave outfit) focusing on the incredible hurdles George Lucas and company had to overcome to film the original.
Amazon is currently taking pre-orders of the four-disc set for $41.99 including shipping. It’s been number one in Amazon DVD sales since last weekend.
Speaking of spoilers, check out this complete run-down of the plot for the third Star Wars movie (link via jordoncooper.com). A lot of it is rumor and speculation, but a good chunk seems to be based on some strain of fact. True or not, it’s interesting (and long) to read. Of course we’ll have to wait for the summer of 2005 to see the real deal.
I really feel like the Star Wars prequel trilogy is just a joke compared with the original, so I have no vested interest in saving the plot details until I see the movie. I still love Star Wars and will gladly watch the prequel episodes, they’ve just lost the magic the originals still hold.