Harrison Ford is Back...Or So it Seems

I rarely write about rumors here, mostly because the majority don't have a chance of being even remotely true, and the few that are probably true are only half true. 

Jedi News's source of rumors has now said that Harrison Ford is finally onboard with Episode VII, something that has been in the speculation box for nearly a year now. However, the interesting part is that Ford signed not only for Star Wars, but also wanted a commitment to Indy 5. So if all parties get arranged, then we might see Indy 5 after all by 2016. It's also worth noting that he wanted to see the synopsis of his character on more than just Episode VII, and that he signed on for a multi film deal. 

Of course, we can't be sure that everything this new rumor says is true, but it's the one that has the best chance of being true. I assume that Mark, Carrie, Anthony Daniels and maybe even Kenny Baker have already signed in early on, but with Harrison it was harder to convince him, and Indy seems to have been the giveaway since Ford is more fond of the archaeologist than the space smuggler. Peter Mayhew apparently replaced his knees in order to be capable of walking again, and be back as Chewbacca.

I have been anxiously waiting for Indy 5 to hit the theaters since 2008's Crystal Skull, so here goes to hoping that we get Harrison back into both franchises. 

Heroes and Scoundrels

When Star Wars was first introduced to audiences in 1977, it became a worldwide phenomenon. Many have argued looking back that it's success is largely due to the fact that it came at the right time. The United States had recently come defeated out of the Vietnam War, and was facing a scandal out of its previous president. The country was in a state of despair. Episode IV gave the public a sense of hope, and most importantly, it gave a group of heroes with a strong sense of morality: the Jedi. 

The Jedi ever since first being introduced, have been the central core to the saga, even if their appearance in Episodes IV-VI wasn't as prominent as in I-III. And part of the reason why they remain so iconic and important to the franchise, has to do with the image they represent: that of the moral hero. 

Part of the appeal of characters like James Bond, Boba Fett, Jack Sparrow and Han Solo has to do with the fact that they reflect a broken aspect of ourselves. When Bond was first introduced in the Ian Fleming novels, he was a guy who could sleep with a woman and later murder her and have no remorse over it (I'm talking about the character of the novels). In some ways, Bond was no better than the bad guy he was fighting against. And this is of course, part of why the audience like the character. 

Bond...James Bond

We live in a society in which several young kids are being raised by the television and the Internet, due to the fact that their parents are too busy working a full time job. Most of these times, these kids grow up to idolize the celebrities that were popular at the time. And it's a real shame, because as Joseph Campbell described it very well in The Power of Myth, ''One of the many distinctions between the celebrity and the hero, is that one lives only for self while the other acts to redeem society.'' This isn't to say that Han Solo is a celebrity per say, but that he is more of a selfish character...at least in most of A New Hope.

However, every now and then a hero becomes noticed by the popular culture, and makes us all realize and see the good within us as humans. Gandhi did that in the 40's. Martin Luther King did so in the 60's, and more recently Pope Francis has been receiving high level of appraisal and respect outside of the Catholic Church. In today's popular films, few characters embody the ideal moral hero better than the Jedi.

That isn't to say that the Jedi are perfect, by any means. But in several ways, they serve as great role models to both young boys and girls alike, in a time in which the world's traditional morals are more desperately needed than ever.

And  I'm pretty sure that more than one Star Wars fan has previously or still, wishes to have been mentored by the likes of Obi-Wan, Yoda and Qui-Gon, because ultimately, many of us wish to become wiser and see the best that is within our own potential. In several ways, I find that to be the reason for Obi-Wan's popularity, and one of the reasons why he is my favorite character: We get to see him mature from a young man into a wise old master. Few other film characters get that type of development, and it's one of the things I hope we can get from an old Luke Skywalker in Episode VII.

So, at the end of the day, even if scoundrels like Han Solo and Boba Fett are popular among the fans, their is a reason why the Jedi are the central part of Star Wars. 

Shadows of the What?

Well friends, something deeply disturbing has emerged from the innermost depths of holy hell. A torturing concept destined to upset and terrorize the very sanity of some of the most well inversed and intelligent Star Wars fans. 

If anybodies fear for what could be the villain of Episode VII has come to an excruciatingly painful realization, it's probably my own. The curious thing is that most Star Wars folks didn't even raise an eyebrow when Rogue Leaders: The Story of Lucas Arts written by Rob Smith and with a foreword by none other than the man himself, GL, was released in November of 2008/ containing in it a page of all the Star Wars cancelled titles for video games included none other than STAR WARS EPISODE VII: SHADOWS OF THE SITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The folks over at EGM Now.com gave us their theory of the existence behind that very disturbing video game title:

''The book contains logos for 20 Star Wars titles that were in development at the studio, including a tie-in for Episode VII subtitled Shadows of the Sith–I’d guess the original plan was to continue the franchise via games before Disney bought the rights.''

 I'm not buying this. It would be completely moronic to continue the Episodic franchise in a series of video games rather than do them in film. I am 99.99999% certain that George Lucas himself would have never, ever gone this way. Besides, all evidence points out that George Lucas only gave the go-ahead to do Episode VII, after he discussed with Bob Iger the idea of selling his company, meaning it happened AFTER May of 2011. So indeed, this discovery is very strange and in some ways, it could lead to a dark thought.

What surprises me the most is not that this list was published 5 years ago and nobody has been talking about it, but that now that it's been released, nobody close to Lucasfilm is asking for confirmation, of whether or not it is the title of Episode VII.

The only reasonable explanation really is to think that this, along with the other cancelled games from Lucas Arts, were all a bunch of brainstorming ideas for what potentially became The Force Unleashed. And at least, that is what the Darth Maul, Han Solo and Vader games are. So it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that the Episode VII game was some sequel to Shadows of the Empire talking place after Jedi, and some dude in Lucas Arts gave it the pretentious title of ''Episode VII'' before GL smashed the project, or someone smashed it, and they went off with The Force Unleashed. It makes absolutely no sense for Lucas Arts to be working on a video game 4 YEARS before the film was even getting created in story treatments and scripts. As far as I'm aware of, that's not how things work in the film industry.

Now, If my theory proves to be wrong, then I have literally no clue as to what future Star Wars faces in the big screen. And if I follow my gut feeling, it tells me it's nasty. 

Top Star Wars Characters 20-11

These are the secondary most important characters of the Star Wars saga.

here:http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-top-100-greatest-star-wars.html 

here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/02/top-100-star-wars-characters-90-81.html

here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/03/top-100-star-wars-characters-80-71.html

here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/03/top-star-wars-characters-70-61.html

here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/05/top-100-star-wars-characters-60-51.html

here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/06/top-100-star-wars-characters-50-41.html

here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/07/top-100-star-wars-characters-40-31.html#more

and here: http://thestarwarsdefender.blogspot.com/2013/07/top-100-star-wars-characters-30-21.html#more 

Episode VII: Five Burning Questions

These are the burning questions that have been raised due to the fact that Episode VII is getting released  in 2015. Mind you, for anyone who isn't a die-hard Star Wars fan, that this film release is a paradigm-shifting act. It will potentially change the way we see Star Wars, forever. 

1. Is their any story worth telling? 

The truth is, the biggest question we all have as Star Wars fans, is, what more can be left to tell after the ending of Return of the Jedi? Anakin was redeemed, Luke had become a Jedi, The Empire was gone, The Sith were destroyed, Han and Leia were in love and the Ewoks were happy. One of the few ties that were left unanswered is how Yoda told Luke ''to pass on what he had learned''. Which brings to the next question...

2. How will Luke's New Jedi Order be? 

Essentially, one of the few things we can be almost certain about Episode VII, is that in the 30-40 years since ROTJ, Luke must have founded a New Jedi Order. He probably restored it at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and went off to train Jedi, possibly Leia being the first. Obviously a couple of questions related to this do come up: How many Jedi will the new Order have? My guess would be that if Luke trains his students the ''rushed'' way he was trained, we might have anywhere from 20-30 Jedi. But who knows? Another question that remains is, how will the new Order be in comparison with the old one, and how will it act in relation with the Republic? Which leads us to...

3. Will Leia be a Jedi or a Senator? 

Luke told Leia in Episode VI that in time she would learn to use the Force like him. One would think that the first student Luke would have trained would have been Leia. At the same time, it raises question to the whole Attachment issue of the Jedi Order, and whether or not it will exist in this New Order. A primal assumption everyone has made is that Leia and Han Solo will be married in Episode VII. If the Celibacy part of the Order is kept, you can guarantee that Leia will be portrayed as a politician. Though if she is a senator, it does raise the question: Senator of what planet? 

4. Will Luke be Married? 

George Lucas stated back in an interview in 2008 that in his vision, Luke never got married. If Lucas didn't change his mind since then, we can assume that the Celibacy part of the Jedi Order was maintained. If however, Lucas changed his mind at some point, then it raises the question: Who will be Miss Skywalker? Will it be Mara Jade, or someone else? And if it is Mara Jade, who will portray her? One thing I know for sure is that, it would be a pretty big change if a Skywalker isn't the protagonist of the next trilogy. 

5. Who Will Be The Main Villain? 

The success or failure of this trilogy rests primarily on this main crux, primarily because if handled wrongly it can lead to horrible decisions. We can't have the Sith back as the villains of the next trilogy: It's too problematic on several fronts. And besides, we already saw them take over the galaxy and be destroyed, so their is little purpose in seeing them again. As I have said before, a third faction of force-users is needed. The spiritual and religious part of Star Wars needs to be respected above all else, and it would be excruciatingly painful to see it slip by. 

These, folks, are perhaps the most important questions I have, and several of you might have, as we move forward. 

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is the epic conclusion to the greatest film franchise of all time. At least, until 2015 comes around. George Lucas had previously planned for Episode VI to be a mere continuation of the saga, having the episode be a bittersweet ending that would lead in to VII, VIII and IX. However, he had a change of heart at one point, which led to Gary Kurtz be kicked out of the producers seat. Kurtz has since then been on a vendetta against George, accusing him of being ''greedy'' and in favor of the marketing of toys instead of the films. In all honesty, over the years George has proven to be anything BUT a greedy man, which only shows that Kurtz accusations and the hateboys efforts have been a colossal waste of time.  

Anyway, going back to Episode VI. At this point, Palpatine is near final victory in his quest to purge the galaxy from adherents of the light side. Now that the second Death Star has been in construction for a few years, and is reaching near completion, he has personally allowed for the Bothan spies to know the location of the Death Star, in order to lure the Rebel fleet in a battle that will destroy them, and seduce Luke Skywalker into the dark side, therefore replacing the ill and robotic Darth Vader. Palpatine has always achieved his evil and diabolical goals in the past, why should it be any different now? 

Darth Vader in the meantime, has every intention of joining with his son in order to defeat the Emperor.  Both of them have the Sith Rule of Two in mind, but the difference is, that while Darth Sidious demonic soul only wants to finally achieve victory for the Sith and the dark side, Vader is beginning to feel conflicted in the inside regarding what he should do. 

On the other side of the galaxy, while Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma are preparing themselves against the decisive fight over the control of the galaxy, Leia, Luke, Lando, Chewie and the droids are over at Tatooine figuring out how to free Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt. Lando entered firstly undercover, and later the droids would follow as a way to see if Jabba would give Han. After he refused and kept the droids, Leia had to enter disguised as a bounty hunter, with Chewbacca as a ''prisoner'', in order to free Han. Leia would later take the droids and Chewie, with the help of Lando. Since that also failed, Luke Skywalker, as a near trained Jedi had to come and bargain by force with Jabba. Luke then falls into a pit and faces the monstrous rancor, only to end up killing him as he chokes with the door. Han, Luke and Chewbacca are all sentenced to death, to be eaten by the Sarlacc.

Once R2-D2 releases Luke's lightsaber, and Luke uses it, we clearly see that in the interim between Empire and Jedi, Luke has gone into training of his own. The EU goes off to reveal that Luke went into Obi-Wan's home in Tatooine and uncovered a journal that allowed Luke to continue his training, and had instructions into the construction of a lightsaber. Boba Fett dies in the most comedic way possible, something undermining for such a serious character. Jabba also dies at the hands of slave Leia.  Leia, Han, Lando and Chewie go to reunite with the rest of the Rebel fleet. Luke meanwhile, goes to Dagobah in order to fulfill his promise to Yoda.

Yoda on the other hand, is very ill at this point, facing death at the age of 900 years. He talks with Luke for one last time, confirming Vader's parentage to Luke, and reminding him that he is the last of the Jedi. After Yoda vanishes, Luke talks to Obi-Wan's Force Ghost. He gives us the famous A Certain Point of View line, reveals that Luke is Leia's sister, and says that he must defeat Vader and the Emperor in order to be a full fledged Jedi. Luke however, believes he can redeem his father.

Luke then arrives and meets with the other Rebels, in order to plan their battle. The Big Three along with Chewie and the droids must go into the Sanctuary Moon of Endor in a stolen Imperial Ship in order to infiltrate the shield that is protecting the Death Star and destroy it. Along the way in Endor, they meet with the Ewoks, a strange group of beings all the size of a 6 year-old. The Rebels ally with the Ewoks in order to infiltrate the shield generator. In the night before the epic battle, Luke must go into the Death Star, and fulfill his destiny as a Jedi. Before he goes however, Luke tells Leia about not only her parentage, but their relation as siblings. Leia is obviously affected by this, as Luke leaves to the unknown.

The Battle of Endor begins the next day. Admiral Ackbar and Lando Calrissian using the Millenium Falcon are ready to lead the Alliance into victory. As they realize that the shield generator is still up, they are forced to attack the Imperial Fleet first. Han, Leia and Chewie lead the fight with the Ewoks to infiltrate the shield generator and destroy it. Neither fight goes well at first, since the Death Star destroys two Rebel cruisers, and the Ewoks have several casualties.

Palpatine meanwhile, is in his tower on top of the Death Star, seeking to turn Luke into the dark side, telling him that the only way to save his friends and family from dying in battle is to join him, much like how his father was turned decades back. Luke faces uncertainty, and despite the fact that he can overpower his father in combat, he isn't sure of what to do. Darth Vader, feels even more conflicted as the story progresses.

Han Solo, then with the help of Chewie, figures out how to trick the Empire and enters the shield generator. After implanting some bombs, the shield gets destroyed, and Lando along with Wedge and other Rebel pilots charge deep into the heart of the Death Star, in order to destroy it. Darth Vader meanwhile, discovers that Leia is Luke's sister after reading his mind. Once Vader threatens to turn Leia to the dark side, Luke reacts violently, defeating his father in confrontation. and caling the attention of Sidious. Sidious orders Luke to kill his father, and finally embrace his apprenticeship to the Order of the Sith Lords. Luke looks in disgust to see that Darth Vader had a robotic hand, much like how he also has one. He realizes in horror, how his vision in the cave of Dagobah of becoming another Darth Vader is becoming more and more real. He then rejects the dark side of the Force and declares himself a Jedi, like his father before him.

Palpatine gets upset to realize that the ultimate apprentice won't turn, so he decides to electrocute him with Force lightning. As Luke Skywalker stands on the door of death, his father realizes that Luke is the only person who ever loved him that has a chance of being saved. That's when Darth Vader returns to being Anakin Skywalker, and throws Emperor Palpatine down a reactor shaft, destroying the Sith Lords once and for all. Of course, Anakin's sacrifice comes at a high cost, having his own lung respirator largely damaged. He tells Luke to take his mask off, in order to look at him with his own eyes. Once that happens, Anakin says his final words to Luke, before he dies.

Luke manages to escape the Death Star on time, as Wedge and Lando blow up the Death Star on time. Han and Leia declare their love for each other, while Luke burns up his father in a Jedi-type funeral. As we see, various planets around the galaxy, including Naboo, Coruscant and Tatooine celebrate the victory of the Rebel Alliance over the Empire, and the restoration of democracy into the galaxy. As the Rebels celebrate on Endor, Luke notices the force ghosts of Yoda, Obi-Wan and a younger Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi have returned.

Return of the Jedi is by far my favorite Star Wars film. It's a great way of ending a mythic saga that tells us in the end that good will prevail over evil, that their is a transcendence beyond the universal tragedy of man, one of redemption and hope, that lives on in many of the worlds mythic traditions. Star Wars brings up that concept, and no better example exists of that than Return of the Jedi.

Finest Moments of the Film:

1. The entire sequence in Jabba's Palace and the Sarlacc pit. It has always been one of my favorites.

2. The arrival of the Emperor, the death of Yoda, and Obi-Wan's conversation with Luke.

3. The Space Battle of Endor, including the ''It's a Trap'' moment.

4. The Fight Between Darth Vader, Luke and the Emperor.

5. Vader's redemption and his death. Makes me tear up every time.

6. The Victory Celebration.

Rating: 10/10

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the follow up to the extremely successful and world-changing space opera that was A New Hope. Lucas aimed to make a very different film from it's predecessor, leaving the end with a cliffhanger that left the audience divided. Nowadays it is widely regarded as the best Star Wars film, but more on that later. 

According to the EU, Darth Vader goes off in the 3 year gap between Empire and Hope, to find out who was the Rebel pilot that destroyed the Death Star. After all, he had sensed that the pilot was Force-sensitive and that he had been possibly trained by Obi-Wan. Eventually he found out the pilot's name. 

Luke Skywalker. 

Vader was more than obsessed with finding out who was Luke Skywalker. He began at that point to ask himself if whether or not the Emperor had told him the truth regarding Padme's death at his hands. He realized that his last name could not be a mere coincidence and he was determined to find out at all costs, whether or not Luke was his son. Empire is essentially, Darth Vader's hunt down for Luke Skywalker, although several don't actually see it that way. It's also important to note that the events that take place in Episode V are spread out in a matter of a few months, while the events in all the other Star Wars films take place in a matter of days. 

Palpatine on the other hand, finds out after a disturbance in the Force, that Luke Skywalker is becoming stronger in the Force, and comes somehow to the conclusion that he is both the son of Anakin and the Rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star. He then contacts Vader while he is in hot pursuit of the Millenium Falcon, and tells him his discovery. It is in that moment, when Sidious tells Vader that Luke is his son, that he finds out. The 2004 Edition changed the narrative of the story, and in several ways, I believe it improved it. Palpatine obviously knows that Luke is an enemy that has to be destroyed. Vader offers the possibility of turning him to the dark side, something the Emperor had apparently not thought about until Vader mentions it. Darth Vader from that point on, has only one goal in the remainder of the Star Wars saga: To make Luke his Sith apprentice and overthrow the Emperor. Palpatine on the other hand, wants to replace Vader with Luke. 

Light years away, Luke Skywalker is training on Dagobah at the hands of revered Jedi Master Yoda. Yoda struggles to teach an impatient Luke in the ways of the Force, but still manages to accomplish a significant change in only a few months on young Luke. However, a disturbing vision that Luke has makes him realize that his friends are in danger, and must leave to the Bespin system. Obi-Wan and Yoda fear that he might fall in the same trap his father fell, and loose hope of saving the galaxy. 

Luke goes off to the lion's den in order to save his friends. Meanwhile, after Han Solo, Leia, Chewie and C-3PO have been running around the galaxy to escape from the Empire, they decide to go into Cloud City, a small post in the gas giant Bespin, that is not only run by Han Solo's best friend Lando Calrissian, but is also small enough to not be noticed by the Empire. The only problem is, basically, that the now elite bounty hunter Boba Fett, a mere kid in Attack of the Clones, is after Solo due to the fact that he owes money to Jabba the Hutt, and Jabba has already got very impatient with him. Boba Fett gets assistance from the Empire in order to capture Han Solo, due to the fact that Darth Vader knows it will lure Luke Skywalker. 

Han Solo gets frozen in carbonite and flies off in Boba's Slave I. Leia meanwhile, is torn for his love with the smuggler and her duty in the Rebellion. Luke then goes off to confront Darth Vader. Despite the fact that he has trained hard in order to confront him, he is still no match for him. Later, after Luke looses his arm and lightsaber, he is confronted with the horrible truth of his parentage. 

Vader: If only you knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

Skywalker: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!

Vader: No, I am your father.

That my friends, was the phrase that changed the story dramatically. Luke then falls to his death before being rescued by the Millenium Falcon. Vader is later, conflicted about what to do with regards to his son. 

Empire is widely regarded today as the best Star Wars film. While several of the hateboys use it as ''proof'' to say that Lucas was a bad director,  I tend to think that while a great Star Wars film, it's not neccesarily the best. 

Best Moments of the Film: 

1. Obi-Wan's call to Luke to go to Dagobah. It's the first time we see Obi-Wan as a force ghost. 

2. Yoda's training of Luke, in particular the scene in which they lift the X-Wing. 

3. Palpatine's and Darth Vader's conversation in the Executor. 

4. Lando's greeting of Han Solo. One of the funniest moments in the films. 

5. Han and Leia's love departure before Han Solo is frozen in carbonite. 

6. ''I Am Your Father''

Rating: 10/10

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is the first Star Wars film to have been made, but it's chronologically the 4th in the series. George Lucas had the idea of making an epic space opera inspired by the serials of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, American Westerns, The epic cinema of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, and the mythological archetypes of Joseph Campbell. With this came the first in a series of films that would change the world forever. 

Palpatine has been for the past 19 years furthering his grip on the galaxy as Emperor. He has now at this point disbanded the Imperial Senate, thus leaving the control of the Star systems over regional governors or Moffs. With the newly operational Death Star, Sidious seeks to destroy any motivation of rebellion, as that would mean complete annihilation. He has been likely, for a while now, searching for a new apprentice, to replace the shackled Darth Vader. 

Darth Vader, Palpatine's Sith apprentice, has been going further into the path of the dark side for the past 19 years, hunting down the last of the Jedi and waiting for reports on the locations of Obi-Wan and Yoda. However, we must not forget that he is the Chosen One, and he is destined to bring balance to the Force. So is their any chance of redemption for Vader? 

Bail Organa, former senator of Alderaan on the other hand, has been waiting patiently for the past 19 years in order to start the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The Alliance as off recently won it's first decisive battle against the Empire, gaining the plans for the Death Star. With this, Darth Vader and the 501st Legion go off to hunt down the Tantive IV, where Princess Leia has the plans and has gone to Tatooine to enlist Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Bail Organa obviously realizes that the Jedi are quintessential for the defeat of Darth Vader and the Emperor. 

Obi-Wan on the other hand, has been guarding Luke Skywalker from a distance in Tatooine. He knows that Anakin's children are the only hope the Force has of being balanced and the galaxy be somehow, someday at peace. Owen Lars is hesitant of Obi-Wan meeting with Luke, but that cannot stop Luke's destiny of becoming a Jedi Knight. 

The Galactic Empire has now captured the most important member of the Rebellion, Leia Organa, adopted daughter of Bail who possesses the strong will of her mother, Padme Amidala. Darth Vader, unaware of her relationship with Leia, sentences her to death above the Death Star, after Grand Moff Tarkin does a brutal demonstration of the power of the Death Star and destroys Alderaan. Bail Organa dies along with the planet. 

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker embarks on the classical heroes journey, deciding to leave Tatooine after his uncle and aunt are murdered. Obi-Wan, Luke and the droids go off to the Mos Eisley Cantina, where they meet with rogue spice smuggler Han Solo, and his first mate, Chewbacca. They go off in the famed Millenium Falcon and set course for Alderaan. Once they arrive their however, the planet is gone, with an asteroid field and debris being the only thing left. The Falcon then is pulled by a tractor beam into the Death Star. 

Han Solo doesn't really care about what happens as long as he can get the hell out of the space station. Luke Skywalker has every intention of rescuing Leia. Obi-Wan however has a more complex problem once he arrives at the Death Star. He perfectly knows he won't make it out alive. He has to do everything in his power to deactivate the tractor beam and allow Luke and the others to escape. Darth Vader senses Obi-Wan's presence for the first time since Mustafar. He hopes to get revenge on his old master for cutting him down and allowing him to burn in the lava. 

Princess Leia gets rescued by Luke and Han, and they all board the Millenium Falcon in order to escape. Obi-Wan meanwhile, is having a confrontation with Darth Vader, one much less fancy than the one seen in Episode III. Obi-Wan sacrifices himself for the life of his new apprentice and his friends. Darth Vader witnesses as Obi-Wan's body mysteriously disappears. 

The heroes manage to escape and go to the Rebel base on the rainforest moon of Yavin 4. Vader and Tarkin go out in the Death Star to destroy the planet and the Rebel Alliance once and for all. the Alliance prepares a team of it's best pilots in order to destroy the Death Star before it destroys them. The Battle of Yavin commences. Luke manages to destroy the Death Star through help from Obi-Wan's ghost and the Force. Han Solo saves Luke from being destroyed in his X wing by Darth Vader, who flies out of orbit. The Rebels have won a major victory. It is now a time of revolution. 

Darth Vader meanwhile, has been left rather confused. Why did Obi-Wan disappear? And most importantly who was that Rebel pilot strong in the Force who destroyed the Death Star? Vader must find out who he is, at all cost. 

A New Hope is commonly one of the favorite Star Wars films, but a look at it retrospectively can make you realize that the film was not really as great as the ones that followed it. It's still a great Star Wars film. 

Finest Moments of the Film: 

1. The chase of the Imperial Star Destroyer over the Tantive IV. 

2. The Conversation Obi-Wan and Luke have in Obi-Wan's hut. It's very eye opening, and Obi-Wan offers an excellent backstory to the events that have taken place.

3. The Cantina Band sequence. One of the best pieces John Williams composed and a great scene. 

4. The Battle of Yavin. One of the most memorable moments of the saga. 

5. The Throne Room sequence. The music in that scene is among the best in Star Wars. 

Rating 10/10

The Birth of the Hateboy Nation: Eli Roth

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when certain historical events happen. For example, It's difficult to say exactly when the French Revolution came to an end. Some Historians say it ended when Napoleon was crowned Emperor of France, while others assert that it didn't end at that point because France had Monarchs  after the end of Napoleon's rule. In a similar fashion, it's difficult to pinpoint the birth of the Hateboy movement. Some will argue that it all started in 1997, when fans went to see the Special Editions, and they were angered by the changes George Lucas made, in particular the whole ''Han Shot First'' stupidity. Others might say that it really wasn't born until the internet united the haters and made them a powerful force. Regardless of when this Weapon of Mass Destruction was born, it's important to note that perhaps the people most influential in dispersing the seeds of this movement, either intentionally or unintentionally, where the critics who reviewed The Phantom Menace. We know that Roger Ebert liked Phantom Menace,  but other critics like Peter Travers from Rolling Stone didn't. But what most people don't know is that one of the earliest reviews of the film came from none other than Eli Roth, director of horror and violent films, since it was published before the film was ever opened to the public. In several ways, Eli Roth is one of the founding fathers of Hateboy Nation. The term Hateboys, however, was coined several years later by the blog A Certain Point of View.net. 

Once notorious hateboy Mike Ryan from the Huffington Post unearthed this review, We can now see more clearly some of the ''genesis'', the reasons why most hateboys didn't like the prequels and why several at the end of the day, don't really like Star Wars. 

Let's see how it starts: 

Few films in history have had greater anticipation than The Phantom Menace. People have been waiting on line for over a month to get tickets. I know I have been waiting since 5th grade, following every rumor in "Starlog" and on the Internet. So here's the kicker: IT SUCKS. I'm sorry, it does. I know it's sacrilege to criticize George Lucas or the Holy Grail of movie trilogies, but after waiting 16 years I can honestly tell you this film is an unbelievable disappointment. People may say that waiting 16 years for anything will be a disappointment, but I waited 16 years to get laid and that really lived up to all my expectations. Okay, I'm lying, I didn't get laid until I was 18, but you get my point.

Really Eli Roth? Really? Comparing the experience of watching a Star Wars film to sexual intercourse is the lowest form of male primate ritual. Any Star Wars fan that truly loves the films knows that the Star Wars experience is one of pure connection with your soul. It's not a love affair, it has absolutely nothing to do with that. Any person who gets married because they think it's a very long love affair will be divorced very soon, because they all end in disappointment. So in truth, it's no wonder Eli Roth makes this comparison: he probably wasn't enamored with Star Wars in the first place. 

Let's start with the first problem of the movie, the title. What does it mean? I have no idea. Having seen the film, I still have no idea. I'm guessing it's a reference to Anakin Skywalker, but your guess is as good as mine.

This proofs he probably never understood the film in the first place. George Lucas managed to fool him into thinking that Palpatine and Sidious are two different persons, hence the title of the film.

At this point I realized that Han Solo and Chewbacca wouldn't be appearing any time soon, and I got a bit worried. It wasn't the fact that half the film was computer generated and it was starting to look more like A Bug's Life than Star Wars, it was the embarrassing dialogue that Lucas wrote.

The whole argument against Lucas with the ''bad dialogue'' makes you think that they never paid attention to the dialogue of the previous films. It's not meant to be Shakespeare, it's meant to sound big and epic and so forth. How could Han Solo show up if he was just a baby? Weren't we supposed to see a different story? Simply because Chewie doesn't show up, it doesn't mean its a bad film. After all, the Star Wars universe is pretty big. Apparently Eli Roth didn't bother to notice that the film was shot in Tunisia and in Italy, for Tatooine and Naboo, nor did he realize that Coruscant had to be CGI because their was no other way around it. So anyway, that argument is completely invalid. 

Imagine the worst aspects of Jedi--the Ewoks--exploited in mass form and forced upon you throughout the entire film. I was cringing every second Jar Jar was on screen.

And yet Eli Roth said that he loved the Ewoks recently, in the Return of Return of the Jedi video. Is he just making up excuses simply because the prequel hatred bandwagon is based out of emotion and not facts? 

In Phantom Menace, when a ship crashes during a race, an ESPN-type announcer says "I don't care what planet you're from, that's gotta hurt!" Is that supposed to be funny? Whereas the previous films were based heavily on Greek mythology, this film is based on popular culture.

Again, Eli Roth ignores the fact that Episode I is the most influenced by Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, as he ignores that Anakin's early stages of his hero journey is very similar to Luke's. So much for Joseph Campbell, whose influence is as much, if not more, visible in this film than in A New Hope. What about the virgin birth? What about Darth Maul, who clearly resembles Satan? And what about Qui-Gon? Did nobody notice how similar he is to Obi-Wan in Episode IV? I could go on.

And finally, Eli Roth's prediction of the future comes true, to a certain extent at least: 

I was so angry after the film I wanted to punch someone in the face. I was tempted to go to Hollywood Boulevard, outside Mann's Chinese Theatre, and scream to the crowd who have been sleeping outside since March: "It sucks. Go home. Go back to your non-existent lives! It sucks!" I have a feeling that there will be riots in the streets when this film comes out. Star Wars fans will be so shocked and appalled that they will harass George Lucas into seclusion, and he'll get so pissed off he'll just say "fuck it" and chuck the whole thing. Or he could play it smart and stick to writing the story and leave the dialogue to people who actually know what they're doing.

What is true is that for the years that followed, a small but annoying group of ''fans'' have been doing everything in their power to discredit George Lucas and his films. The funny thing is that the guy who prophecied everything is apparently no longer a hateboy anymore. At the same time that this got unearthed, Mike Ryan contacted Eli Roth, and he has some things to say that distinguish him from the guy who wrote this review in 99. 

I wrote that review very much in the style of my all time favorite movie review, which Steve Martin wrote in his book "Cruel Shoes" as a 'rejected New Yorker submission' reviewing "Alien," where he admits to falling asleep in the film and not remembering anyone's names. I knew Jordan Hoffman from NYU and had written a screenplay for him when he was working for Andrew Lauren (son of Ralph, who was producing at the time), and so Jordan asked me to write that and credited me as "Hollywood screenwriter," despite the fact I had never done anything in the business. I didn't really worry about making enemies because I was dead certain nobody I mention in the review would ever read it. Oops. Now I know the people at Skywalker and they're so nice and invite me to all kinds of Star Wars events, but I'm guessing that now that you've unearthed this treasure I won't be on their Christmas list, despite my enduring love for Star Wars.  

Now I look back at that review and all I can say is, I'm so happy I have a life now. Having received similar scathing reviews (and worse ones), I read it and laugh and realize that the only crime against cinema was getting that upset at a movie that was never intended for me. I've met so many young people who love the "new" Star Wars films, because that's who they were made for. Thinking that George Lucas made "The Phantom Menace" for me is symptomatic of my entire generation who grew up with Star Wars, because as kids in the 70's and 80's, those films were made for us. We just assumed that would continue in the 90's (and secretly hope it does with J.J. Abrams at the helm of the new ones). So while I won't be ordering the Phantom Menace special edition Blu-ray anytime soon, I don't take the film as a personal assault against my childhood. At least not in front of girls.

So at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what Eli Roth thinks with regard to Episode I, due to the fact that he obviously isn't a hateboy anymore. He realizes that their are plenty of folks who love these films, and that George always intended the film to be for kids. So Eli, I want to say personally that  your view on Episode I is forgiven and thank you for not being a hateboy. I wish Simon Pegg and the rest of the crowd, could learn Eli Roth's lesson, someday. 

New Star Wars spinoff films announced

Well, my friends, the rumors have finally been debunked. Lawrence Kasdan, the writer of Episodes V and VI in the Star Wars saga and Simon Kilberg will be writing two spinoff films apart from the main saga films announced to be released. As Bob Iger, CEO of Disney said: "We are in development of a few standalone films," he said, "that are not part of the Star Wars saga...there are now creative entities working on developing scripts for what would be those standalone films." 

Know that this is official the question is: On which characters will the films be on? Some rumors over the Internet are saying that it will deal with Boba Fett in one film, and Han Solo in the other. Others say that one spinoff will be based on Yoda, and another on Jabba the Hutt. I have an idea: Wouldn't it be awesome if the next films would be based on say, Clone Wars characters, like Ahsoka and Cad Bane? Wouldn't that be awesome!!

Obviously, the likelihood of either of these happening is anyone's wild guess. It's ultimately the decision of George Lucas, and I sure do hope that the stories come from the man himself.

It would be interesting for a spinoff centering Ahsoka if she survives the Clone Wars, to depict what happens to her after the war and how she survives. A Cad Bane one would be probably the first Star Wars Western film, which would honestly be unbelievably cool. 

But yeah, I said myself, the next spinoffs don't have to center around those characters-but it sure would be fun if they did!!

Romance in the Next Star Wars films

One of the minor, but perhaps important themes that make up part of the Star Wars saga, is the part of romance. Episodes I-III focus on the forbidden romance between Anakin Skywalker and Senator of Naboo, Padme Amidala. It's one of the most unfairly criticized parts of Star Wars, mostly done by some film critics and moronic hateboys, whom apparently don't understand that some people (including myself) connect themselves with the love of Anakin and Padme, more than with Han and Leia. I even remember a few years back, how the stupid Semana magazine of my home country talked in a section of their magazine about how Padme and Anakin had ''little chemistry'' in their relationship. What kind of idiots are these people?

Their love is mostly used as the catalyst that will result in the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader. It ends up in tragedy as pretty much both characters end up dead and their love for each other is never allowed to flourish. By the time we get to Episodes IV-VI, the romance is seen mostly between Han Solo and Princess Leia, which I also like by the way, just not as much as Anakin and Padme. Theirs is meant to protray a love that eventually triumphs with the victory of the Rebel Alliance, on contrary to that of the previous generation.

But, the question is, what kind of love will we see in the next generation?

The obvious answer is that if we see love in the next set of Star Wars films, it will likely involve either the children of Han and Leia, or the children of Luke and someone else (possibly Mara Jade). However, all of that is pretty much anyone's guess. George at one point said that in his vision Luke didn't get married, so that might throw Mara Jade and that part of the EU out the window or into an alternative timeline. As far as Han and Leia are concerned, their children might have different names from the ones they have in the EU, and their fates will be undeniably different. So, besides the fact that the EU will likely soon be cleared out of the way like a bulldozer, we don't really know what romance will happen, or if it will even show up in Episode VII. They might hint it, though. We will have to wait and see, as I have said millions of times on this blog.

Who will make it into the next film?

That's another question we really don't know. Besides Luke, Leia and Han Solo, their really isn't any idea of who will be in the movie. Here are some possible character appearances.
1. Lando

Obviously, Lando is one of the first choices of who might land in the film. Some rumors say that Michael Arndt's story treatment calls for Lando showing up in the movies, so we'll have to wait and see.
2.Chewbacca

Chewbacca is definitely another guy who pops up in your head and how might end up in the story. The EU apparently killed him off at some point, but hey, we all know George can override it, so I'm pretty sure that their is a chance of seeing this guy back. 

3. The Droids

The Droids are supposed to be the only characters who will make it through all 9 films, according to the early story treatments of the sequel trilogy.They will almost certainly make it into the feature films.

4. Ahsoka Tano

This one is really anyone's guess if she will make it into the films. Anakin Skywalker's apprentice fate by the end of the Clone Wars is still unknown, and we have no idea if she will make it into the film. It would be nice to see her help Luke in establishing a new Jedi Order, but at the same time we have to realize that she is 15-16 years older than him, so she would obviously have to look older than the other guys, but she would still be relatively close to Han Solo's age. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping she appears!!

5. Lux Bonteri

Another character from The Clone Wars TV show who's fate remains unknown. As current senator of Onderon who recently joined the Republic, and who is close to Ahsoka's age, his fate is as unknown as hers. We don't know if they end up in a relationship or something, so casting them already as possible characters to appear in Episode 7 is a bit of a stretch. But then again, they could still appear in the movies.

6. Boba Fett

Boba Fett supposedly survived the Sarlacc in some comics detailed in the EU, but well, since the EU is probably toast at this point, Boba Fett might have died in the hands of the Sarlacc after all. We might get to see his son though. And this time let's hope it's not his clone. Dingo Fett anyone?

7. Mara Jade, Ben Skywalker, The Solo children

This one is perhaps, the biggest of the mysteries. George Lucas apparently intended for Luke to never get married, so it's extremely likely that we won't get to see neither Mara Jade nor his son Ben in the movies, unless he changed his mind. The children of Han and Leia fall under a similar fate. They might show up, but their fates could be completely different from what is portrayed in the books and comics. They might even have different names. How knows?

8. Force Ghosts, anyone?

This one would perhaps be a nice treat to see. It would obviously be nice to see Anakin talk to his son Luke as a Force Ghost, and it would be perfectly possible to do this if you bring back Hayden Christensen to reprise Anakin, and maybe Liam Neeson if you want Qui-Gon back. It's harder to see that happen to Obi-Wan, due to the fact that Alec Guinness died a while back. Bringing Ewan McGregor as the force ghost might stir up controversy, so we'll have to wait and see. Yoda is pretty much the easiest you simply have to make him in CGI. 

What will the new Star Wars be about?

That is obviously a question I don't know the answer to, and we probably only have vague ideas about it. For one, the story of Star Wars, as we saw it in the movies, was mainly about the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker and how with the help of his son, he destroys the Sith and fulfills the prophecy of the Chosen One, and also brings balance to the force. So, as things had been beautifully ended in Return of the Jedi, it is difficult to imagine what could have happened later. Obviously, the EU fans will tell you a long, winding and depressing soap opera set in a series of books, comics, and other media. But as far as we know, that is not the story George Lucas intended to tell with his movies. If anything as it's shown in this quote dating back to the early 80's, Luke's story and that of the other characters would be dramatically different from what the EU has said so far:

“The prequel stories exist — where Darth Vader came from, the whole story about Darth and Ben Kenobi — and it all takes place before Luke was born,” Lucas explained at the time. “The other one — what happens to Luke afterward — is much more ethereal. I have a tiny notebook full of notes on that. If I’m really ambitious, I could proceed to figure out what would have happened to Luke.”

Now, when I first read this, I wasn't sure of what exactly ethereal meant. So by then, I decided to look it up in a dictionary, and according to their definition, ethereal means the following:

1. Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world. 2.Heavenly or spiritual.

Now as we speak if we interpret correctly this quote from George Lucas, about how the Sequel trilogy would be, we can see that he didn't really change his mind about how the Prequels were. The story of Obi-Wan and Anakin was meant to be a tragic one, while Luke's story in the story was meant  to be basically the complete opposite. So if George wants to make these sequel films, to make them be like how he originally intended to, he is going to have to ignore the EU post ROTJ, meaning that he either renders it non-canon or puts it in an alternative timeline. Obviously, this would make several fans of the EU angry, but well that is another story.

The important thing to note, is that besides the fact that the EU might get thrown out of the way, their is still much mystery to what will happen in Star Wars Episode VII. We know very little, only rumors that Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Billy Dee-Williams are willing to come back and reprise their roles as Princess Leia, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian. It's very likely that these movies are going to be much more ethereal than the others, but besides that our speculations are virtually driving everyone nuts in the Star Wars fanbase. We will have to wait and see what comes next.

Entertainment Weekly to spoil details on the future of Star Wars

According to the EW website, tomorrow EW's magazine will hit the stands with the cover seen above. It will supposedly include and interview with the Executive producer of the new Star Wars films, Kathleen Kennedy, and will spill the details of what is yet to come. What really annoys me of all of this is the fact that they apparently will include a section which talks about what the fans want (and what they don't want), due to the fact that it's probably going to include a polarized point of view. Similarly to how they said that supposedly the fans didn't like the prequels (which is next to being a complete lie), they might say that the fans want to see the Thrawn trilogy adapted into the next movies, when that is not neccesarily true. Their are plenty of Star Wars fans (including myself) whom find the EU stories set after Return of the Jedi to be absolutely horrendous, and other Star Wars fans who simply don't even read that stuff. The second bulk of Star Wars fans are primarily the people on the ages from 28-14 years old, due to the fact that they grew up with the prequels, but they probably were too young or weren't even born when several EU books and comics set in that time period were released. They are more likely to actually ''get'' Star Wars as seen from George Lucas's vision (on contrary to some fanboys who are somewhat old and don't get it). Not to mention the new generation of 10-6 year olds who became fans thanks to The Clone Wars. Anyway, George apparently doesn't like what those stories did in that time period, and wants to make an original story in this set of movies. I won't be capable of buying this magazine tomorrow due to the fact that I live in Colombia, not the US, so I'll have to stick to whatever EW.com spills over the internet tomorrow.

Anyway, I hope that some nasty internet rumors are cleared out of the way with the interview that follows.