Wednesday 27 April 2016

Meet Mark Hamill at Star Wars Celebration Europe



Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, will be attending Star Wars Celebration Europe this July. He'll be joining guests Warwick Davis and David Collins. Lucasfilm and ReedPOP will continue to announce a growing guest list over the coming weeks.

Fans have a chance to win tickets to Star Wars Celebration and meet Mark Hamill in this week's Force For Change competition.



Fans have until May the 4th, Star Wars Day, to donate here.

I'll be attending Star Wars Celebration Europe over the 3 days and am looking forward to meeting fellow fans from across the galaxy.

Tuesday 26 April 2016

Daisy Ridley demonstrates her lightsaber skills



Daisy Ridley (Rey) demonstrates her prowess with a lightsaber in this video posted on her official Instagram.



The Star Wars actress was put through her paces by Chinese martial arts expert Liang Yang who played FN-2199 AKA TR-8R in The Force Awakens and launched a thousand memes.

Star Wars: Episode VIII will be released in theatres December 2017.

Monday 25 April 2016

Star Wars fan film goes back to Hoth in Rebel Scum



Star Wars fan film Rebel Scum, from Blood Brother Cinema Co., is terrific.



The 9-minute short film, shot over two months on location in Canada, takes fans back to the subzero wastelands of Hoth and utilises practical effects and a stop motion AT-AT worthy of The Empire Strikes Back.

If you have a Star Wars fan film to share, please contact me.

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Oscar Isaac and BB-8 reunite for Force For Change



Oscar Isaac, who plays popular character Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and BB-8 announce this week's Force For Change prizes. A Star Wars pack including a Sphero BB-8 signed by JJ Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy. Plus a chance to win an exclusive tour of Lucasfilm with a screening of any Star Wars movie of the winner's choice.



Fans have until May the 4th, Star Wars Day, to donate here.

In related news. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday in the UK. I chose the dark side, did you? Couldn't wait to return to a galaxy far, far away... Thanks to a friend, who gifted me an iTunes copy, I was able to watch with Sphero BB-8 on my new 9.7-inch iPad Pro (128GB) in Space Grey a week earlier. Stay tuned for an upcoming spoiler discussion with Andrew Lewin.

Friday 15 April 2016

Win a Stormtrooper helmet with Force For Change



Oscar-nominee Felicity Jones, who plays Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, reveals this week's prize for the top donor to Force For Change. A wearable Death Squad Stormtrooper helmet signed by the cast of Rogue One.



Best of all, fans are helping charitable causes. Fans have until May the 4th, Star Wars Day, to donate here.

Thursday 7 April 2016

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story teaser trailer



The first teaser trailer for director Gareth Edwards' upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released today and distills a dark, gritty prequel to A New Hope. Oscar-nominee Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) plays Jyn Erso and is described as "reckless, aggressive and undisciplined".



The spin-off movie chronicles the rising Rebellion's mission to steal the Death Star plans and I'm even more convinced Darth Vader will make an appearance following Star Wars Rebels. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 5 April 2016

Admiral Ackbar actor Erik Bauersfeld dies at 93



Admiral Ackbar was the first action figure I owned from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Sent off several proofs of purchase to Palitoy and eagerly awaited Ackbar's arrival in the post. At the time, his identity was kept secret and I assumed Ackbar was another feckless member of the Empire awaiting a similar fate to Admiral Ozzel in The Empire Strikes Back.

So, it was sad news to learn of actor Erik Bauersfeld's passing aged 93. His line "It's a trap!" became one of the most beloved from the franchise and, in recent years, a pop culture meme often heard in hit comedy series The Big Bang Theory.

Bauersfeld most recently reprised the role of Ackbar in The Force Awakens.

Monday 4 April 2016

Ade Edmondson's secret role in Star Wars: Episode VIII



Ade Edmondson, best known for Bottom and The Young Ones, has secured a secret role in Star Wars: Episode VIII, after impressing directors Rian Johnson and JJ Abrams, according to The Sun.

A source said: "Ade is one of the most-loved comedy stars in the UK but even he would admit Star Wars is a surprise move for him.

"While JJ Abrams isn’t directing, he is still heavily involved and he is really keen on British talent.

"His character is top secret, like everything else to do with the film and its plot. But given his old comedy characters, it would make sense for them to give him an eccentric part."


Edmondson is an avid supporter of my hometown's football team, Exeter City F.C., and I'm looking forward to seeing Vyvyan, vanquisher of the Jedi, in action.

Friday 1 April 2016

Star Wars Rebels' darkly emotional season finale



Star Wars Rebels takes a darker, more mature, turn in the breathtaking 1-hour season finale on Disney XD.

Longtime fans finally get to see Darth Vader and Ahsoka Tano clash. It's a dazzling encounter between former master and apprentice that evokes all the feels. James Earl Jones reprises voiceover duties for Darth Vader and nothing more needs to be said.

Series showrunner Dave Filoni and his creative cohorts aim high and deliver a dark denouement that will haunt many children's dreams much like the original trilogy did for the first generation of Star Wars fans (including myself). Whilst the season finale maybe unsuitable for younger children, the tone is in keeping with the darkness of The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens.

Clearly, Star Wars Rebels is being framed to tie-in very closely with Rogue One and A New Hope. Kanan and the crew of the Ghost may shape upcoming events in the original and sequel trilogies more profoundly than originally thought.

If you're not watching Star Wars Rebels, may I suggest you do so post haste as the Disney XD series is finite and deeply enriches the canvas of a galaxy far, far away...