TV Guide has The Clone Wars covered

Star Wars fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on August 15th. And I'm delighted to announce a tie-in with TVGuide.com!

TV Guide magazine has created 4 collectible Star Wars covers, each with an exclusive CD-Rom! Fans can collect covers of C3PO, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker when the issue hits stands August 7th.









Collectible covers republished with the kind permission of TV Guide.

Preview
This animated film from George Lucas fills in the events that take place between Episodes II and III in the live-action narrative. Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker are now both full-fledged Jedi, and it's Anakin who has a Padawan apprentice, a young girl named Ahsoka, a teenage female Togruta, which is a race of red-skinned, horned aliens. The movie is a launching pad for a similarly themed animated TV show, which will air on TNT and the Cartoon Network beginning in the fall.

Look out for my Star Wars: The Clone Wars review in the coming weeks.

"Star Wars Spoilers, Scoops and TV Listings on TVGuide.com"

Energon Cube Redux

I think I maybe coming down with a cold. However, couldn't let this cool collectible news pass by without comment:

The Star Wars Transformers line has been confirmed at BotCon today. There are eleven of them planned for 2006 starting in January, available as a play pack. An X-Wing and a "Boba Fett ship" (probably the Slave I) have been confirmed by name only. Here's the possible full list:

Luke Skywalker / X-Wing Fighter
Darth Vader / TIE Fighter
General Grievous / Wheel Bike
Obi-Wan Kenobi / Jedi Starfighter
Boba Fett / Slave 1
Darth Maul / Sith Infiltrator
Anakin Skywalker / Jedi Starfighter
Snowtrooper / AT-ST
Clone Trooper / ARC-170 Fighter
Emperor Palpatine / Star Destroyer
Jango Fett / Slave 1

It will have no bearing on the continuities of either universe. Additionally, Hasbro plans to release Transformers Attacktix, which will be game-compatible with the Star Wars figures.

So, nearly two decades on and my suggestion has come to fruition!

Parting is such bittersweet sorrow

Whilst I collect my thoughts following the onset of a migraine headache last night. Here is a snapshot of Revenge of the Sith:

*Opening battle fore and background detail was too cluttered making it difficult to follow the action - no focal point. After the ill considered Phantom Menace Battle Droid montage reprise, the Dooku rematch was sacrilegiously short making way for the asthmatic Grievous and his Neimoidian aid voiced by a Californian surfer!

*Planet fall and the personal drama ramps up. Christensen and Portman now have chemistry. McGregor is at ease and McDiarmid owns the movie!

*Raging battles across the galaxy showcase Clone varieties and induce excitement - from Speeder Bikes to proto Scout Walkers it's an extended Hasbro commercial.

*Yoda's departure from Kashyyyk was affecting and mirrored, musically and visually, E.T's departure.

*The final duel exteriorises the conflict within Anakin and Obi-Wan clearly does not want to kill his apprentice and friend. Anakin's charred body leaves an indelible nightmarish impression.

*Padme's death and Anakin's mechanised encasement is heartbreaking and the audience was shell-shocked. The mask, the breathing, a traumatic slideshow maketh. Vader rises and there's no rejoicing!

* The setting suns barely visible behind my tears...

Palpatine's press

National press coverage of Revenge of the Sith has reached epidemic proportions on VE Day! From CD-ROM to DVD and glossy poster pack-ins. Gotta Catch’em All!

Star Wars: A Musical Journey is the realization of George Lucas' silent movie DNA.

Chapter 1: A Long Time Ago ("20th Century Fox Fanfare" / "Star Wars Main Title" from all of the films)

An arrangement of the iconic score that tails off cryptically.

Chapter 2: Dark Forces Conspire ("Duel of the Fates" from The Phantom Menace)

The score that became synonymous with Darth Maul and his infamous double-bladed lightsabre. Repeated viewings fail to dissipate the kinetic energy of this apocryphal clash.

Chapter 3: A Hero Rises ("Anakin's Theme" from The Phantom Menace)

This leitmotif is, unquestionably, my favorite from the prequels. Fatefully I was listening to this when news reached me of the passing of a loved one in 1999.

Chapter 4: A Fateful Love ("Across The Stars" from Attack of the Clones)

A beautiful lament. Only the "Sound of Music" scenes detract. Lucas missed a beat here, what if Anakin had been injured during an apparently tranquil moment?

Chapter 5: A Hero Falls ("Battle Of The Heroes" from Revenge of the Sith)

Any lingering doubts that I may have had fell away during this dark onslaught.

Chapter 6: An Empire Is Forged ("The Imperial March" from The Empire Strikes back)

Inform the commander that Lord Vader has arrived.

Chapter 7: A Planet That Is Farthest From ("The Dune Sea Of Tatooine" / "Jawa Sandcrawler" from A New Hope)

A bland visual accompaniment.

Chapter 8: An Unlikely Alliance ("Binary Sunset" / "Cantina Footage" from A New Hope)

Anakin and Luke are counterpointed.

Chapter 9: A Defender Emerges ("Princess Leia's Theme" from A New Hope)

As a starstruck child I was smitten with Carrie Fisher. To point out that I innocently colorized a black and white drawing of Princess Leia (from the Star Wars Grandreams annual) would be too much information!

Chapter 10: A Daring Rescue ("Ben's Death / Tie Fighter Attack" from A New Hope)

The call to action is irresistible, but the visual narrative pace stutters all too quickly.

Chapter 11: A Jedi Is Trained ("Yoda's Theme" from The Empire Strikes Back)

Yoda as puppet (Muppet supreme) equates to 'real emotions' that are devoid in the painterly CGI.

Chapter 12: A Narrow Escape ("The Asteroid Field" from The Empire Strikes Back)

Asteroids collide in the unsurpassed Millenium Falcon pursuit. Less is more.

Chapter 13: A Bond Unbroken ("Luke And Leia" from Return of the Jedi)

Too touchy feely!

Chapter 14: A Sanctuary Moon ("The Forest Battle (Concert Suite)" from Return of the Jedi)

Care Bears and Howard the Duck's bastard offspring unite. Turn off the screen, turn up the sound.

Chapter 15: A Life Redeemed ("Light Of The Force" from Return of the Jedi)

A poignant reminder of the tragic Skywalker legacy. The final shot of a young Anakin is haunting.

Chapter 16: A New Day Dawns ("Throne Room / Finale" from A New Hope)

Lump in the throat time!

Signature scores are further embellished within a 5.1 Skywalker sound stage, and the only distraction is occasional dialogue and incoherent use of episode chronology. Ian McDiarmid introduces each chapter and, by the close, appears genuinely moved (as was I). Sony Classical has my admiration and thanks for including this free disc in the CD jewel case.

PSPlayboy

Today SCEE announced that 01.09.05 is when PSP officially arrives! Mirroring the US pack-in, the initial offering will be the ubiquitous Value Pack priced at £179 (€249). Spider-Man 2 UMD is a bonus for early adopters. Better start scraping some pennies together.

60 Minutes special 'Star Wars' Goes To Hell was compelling viewing. Scenes of Anakin vs Obi-Wan were amongst the highlights along with a look at Lucasfilm's new offices. Francis Ford Coppola cropped up, not that he's in demand these days! George Lucas has become a billionaire based on a relatively small creative catalogue and has to be admired for his business acumen. He confirmed that there will be two Star Wars television series. The animated Clone Wars is be retooled (in 3D) for 30 minute episodes and a live-action show set between Episode's III and IV. Looks like Kenner's internal promo videos were indeed portentous. Should keep Hasbro busy.

A Cosmic Copland

My first vinyl album was the original Star Wars (1977) soundtrack. Last evening I had the unbridled pleasure of listening to the Revenge of the Sith CD prior to its May 2nd release. What follows is the raw and unrefined first impression of a fan bereft of any objectivity.

01 - Star Wars and The Revenge Of The Sith (7:31)

The signature theme (taken from an existing recording) ambitiously segues early into the battle above Coruscant, and the daring rescue of Senator Palpatine from the clutches of Count Dooku. This is the most compelling transition since The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

02 - Anakin's Dream (4:46)

Anakin’s fate is unknown. In shades of Schindler's List (1993), Across The Stars is performed underneath a viola and harp solo. Portentous strings interrupt this harmonious (and enigmatic) moment and the suite takes a darker direction as an embattled Force Theme struggles to emerge from beneath dissonant orchestrations.

03 - Battle Of The Heroes (3:42)

An emotional and sweeping choral/waltz punctuated by an incomplete rendition of the Force Theme. The opening evokes Danny Elfman’s score for Batman (1989), which was in itself gloriously derivative. A quodlibet to The Phantom Menace's (1999) Duel Of The Fates.

04 - Anakin's Betrayal (4:04)

The balance of the force is in flux.

05 - General Grievous (4:07)

Obi-Wan buys a single day pass to Jurassic Park!

06 - Palpatine's Teachings (5:25)

In a style reminiscent of Trevor Jones’ composition for The Dark Crystal (1982), Williams explores the seduction/deception of Anakin by the Master of the dark side.

07 - Grievous and the Droids (3:28)

Drawn from TPM's Trade Federation leitmotivs.

08 - Padme's Ruminations (3:17)

The Return of the Jedi’s (1983) darkest moments are revisited within the framework of Minority Report's (2002) ethereal female vocals.

09 - Anakin vs. Obi-Wan (3:57)

Starting with a blustering reprise of Battle Of The Heroes, the score reintroduces Darth Vader’s theme (as performed during the Bespin duel). Elements from ESB are interwoven into the new material with chilling and startling results - sonic flourishes shadowing the action.

10 - Anakin's Dark Deeds (4:05)

John Williams joins forces with Howard Shore.

11 - Enter Lord Vader (4:14)

A reflective montage; from the pomp and circumstance of Naboo to Across The Stars, Anakin’s Theme and… Lyrical poetry.

12 - The Immolation Scene (2:42)

Haunting. Williams conjures the atmosphere of the main themes from A New Hope (1977).

13 - Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious (2:49)

Harry Potter at play.

14 - The Birth Of The Twins and Padme's Destiny (3:37)

Across The Stars is followed by a majestic reprise of Qui-Gon’s Funeral Theme.

15 - A New Hope and End Credits (13:06)

Luke and Leia breathtakingly usher us towards the end of the beginning.

In conclusion. This is, at times, a mildly jarring composition (editorial haste?). John Williams’ ROTS soundtrack lacks the ‘analog magic’ of the original trilogy recording sessions, favoring flawless digital brush strokes inherent in the production of the prequels. But none of this ultimately detracts from what is highly emotive listening.

During the CD listening session (JBL monitors) I referenced a copy of The Making of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith -- The Final Chapter. The diary recording of John Williams' ideological approach to movie scoring informed the listening experience immeasurably.

The sonic saga is complete and will be long remembered. Thank you John (and Mum for buying me that vinyl album a long, long time ago).

Show no mercy

The full trailer for Episode III Revenge of the Sith is, unquestionably, draped in the dark side of the force. Ian McDiarmid's commanding performance is as chilling as it is captivating. And Hayden Christensen appears to convey the unrelenting anger and loss of self control, so pivotal to his fall to the dark side.

Here's an extract from my AOTC (2002) review that appeared in Starburst magazine (issue 289):

Anakin’s ‘Tusken slaughter’ confessional to Padme is, arguably, almost on a par with Vader’s paternal revelation! Hayden Christensen (finally getting centre stage) chillingly convinces as the conflicted apprentice. John Williams serves to underscore this pivotal scene, reflecting on what is to come with familiar leitmotifs that sound somehow fresh and new.

To quote C3-PO "Oh my!"

New PALz On The Block

Another commercially-fueled Valentine's Day. I hesitate to repeat what I, infamously, said to a friend a few years ago! However, it was a most pleasant surprise to receive Buffy Summers in the post! Albeit in her PALz incarnation. A big thanks to my friend Michael for the belated birthday gift. You do appreciate that I'm now obligated to collect the entire S1 and 2 sets.

Macally's iShock II arrived (at 8:00AM to be exact) courtesy of Apple. Looking forward to Plug and Play fun with MacMAME later today.

Have you seen any of the Revenge of the Sith merchandise? It all looks mouthwatering and I've no idea where to start! Darth Tater, Anakin/Vader or Anakin's Jedi Starfighter? Answers on a postcard.

I'm off to watch Newlyweds. Its depiction of solipsism is addictive.

Grievous Bodily Harm

As an addendum to the teaser trailer post. Count Dooku and General Grievous (soon to be merchandised to death) are conspicuous by their absence! The former makes a noted appearance in the Revenge video game trailer, which contains a possible spoiler (read on at your peril). Dooku duels with Anakin as an entrapped Palpatine goads the two combatants (shades of Jedi?). This epic encounter is aboard a Confederacy starship.

Hm, the Emperor's line in Jedi "Strike me down with all of your..." has always puzzled me! Will we see Anakin striking Sidious down, thus completing his journey to the dark side?

The Bonfire of the Vanities

It's Bonfire Night in the UK. A celebration of Guy Fawkes' abortive Gunpowder Plot, which would have culminated in the destruction of the Houses of Parliament. This morning, somewhat aptly, I've had the opportunity to view THAT teaser trailer...



Last evening’s online debut of the Episode III teaser teaser lead to Lucasfilm’s servers overloading and their licensing division issuing cease and desist orders left, right and centre to sites posting images and links to the trailer (only available to paying Hyperspace and AOL members at time of writing).

Clearly a work in progress, as evinced by incomplete CGI shots, the trailer inspires obvious elemental comparison with The Return of the King (yet fails to evoke the same sense of scope). Much has now been made of the ANH/TPM/AOTC montage at the start (32 seconds) and Obi Wan’s voice over. From a subjective standpoint it reinforces the patchiness of the Star Wars saga since the prequels were unleashed from the hallowed halls of Skywalker Ranch (the current DVD release typifies this and lacks the cohesiveness of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings).



Highlights include Darth Vader’s awakening a la Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a screaming Darth Sidious (genuinely unnerving) and an enraged Anakin Skywalker. The attendant space battles are incumbered by too many elements on screen at once - ROTJ Death Star battle magnified to the extreme.



Overall the teaser affords insight into the dark core of the story and coupled with John Williams’ score, so long as Lucas’ incessant tinkering is minimised, Revenge may yet stand alongside Empire as a darling of both critics and fans.

As a footnote. The Episode III banner was composited in Photoshop Elements 3.0 and the screen grabs were captured in QuickTime 6.x Pro (with a light dusting of Photoshop magic).