This is just a re-post/update of the STAR WARS movie nights we’ve been having at our place. If anyone’s interested and they haven’t been to one, let me know! We’ll be moving out of the movies proper into the crazy stuff soon. We do snacks, food, pop, beer, and just chill while watching the movies and cracking the occasional joke or spitting the occasional trivia.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
Luke Skywalker has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Han Solo from then clutches of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Little does Luke know that the GALACTIC EMPIRE has secretly begun construction on a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star.
When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy…
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
When I was a kid, and I went trick-or-treating… there were always a few memorable houses; The people that weren’t home but left a bowl of chips on the porch, the guy who gave out quarters (or 50¢ if your costume was “above an beyond”), and the guy who decorated his front porch like a haunted house and scared the crap out of you every year. The best was when he dressed as a scarecrow dummy and sat ridiculously still until your finger was just barely touching the doorbell and jumped up with a terrible scream. I nearly filled my pants with fear at that place many a year.
That was fun. Now that I’m of the old age where I need to pass out candy instead of collecting, I’d like to be that fun too. Sadly, it seems to me that parents would get angry these days if I scared the bejesus out of their child.
I saw this comic online and thought it would be funny to set up shop on the front porch for Halloween:
I don’t think I’ve grown out of wanting to wear costumes, and this looks like a good excuse. All I need is some paint and an Ackbar mask. Would you be creeped out to bring your kid up to get candy if Admiral Snackbar was set up, or would it be a cool memorable Halloween adventure?
Now, that’s a hell of a guitar. It’s made from guitar parts (obviously) and an old toy Millennium Falcon. It’s even got Han & Chewie action figures inside. How insane is that? Despite the plastic-laden sound that it gives off (you can hear it in the video below), I’d love to have something like this, just for the sheer oddity and geekiness. Can you imagine rolling up to a show, and pulling that out of a case on stage? People wouldn’t know what to think. (Unless you were in the Phenomenauts and they’d already seen your van.)
Urlesque has a cool initial interview and a nice follow-up about the guitar and the process that Stevens used to put it all together. Oddity Central has a good article too. I’d love to see how much this goes for when it sells. Sadly, probably more than I can afford to drop on a guitar right now… but maybe I’ll hit up some toy shows & build my own. Ha ha.
OK fellow geeks & guests… I’m just using this as a place to put the Star Wars nights that we’ve been having at our place on a tentative schedule & brainstorm about other possible movies. We’re 3 movies in so far, drop me a line if you’re interested in joining us!
For the rest of the 3 of you reading; This is not the page you’re looking for.
I have the movies in bold, need to get my hands on the rest…
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy….
“Well, I know that George Lucas doesn’t like it at all—when I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me that he would be happy if every copy could be tracked down and burned…” ―Kevin J. Anderson
(New Year’s Eve… we can turn this into a drinking game. Couch/floor space for the night is first come first serve!)
“Fanboys is the love letter to the greatest movie franchise of all time. … I wanted the film to be my gift back to Star Wars and to the fan community.” ―Kyle Newman
“It’s A Trap!” was originally known by two different titles: “Episode VI — The Great Muppet Caper” and “We Have a Bad Feeling About This.” The first was revealed online in 2009, the other was a reference to a recurring catchphrase used in all the Star Wars films.
I know, It’s a Trap isn’t out yet… but it will be by then.
Confused with all this Clone Wars crap? Well… we have 3 sort-of distinct entities…
Star Wars: Clone Wars – the animated (like old-school cartoons) microseries split into 2 volumes, taking place after Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and before…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The animated (CGI) TV series where apparently coming up with a new name was too difficult. These events take place after the Clone Wars CGI movie and before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Currently there’s 2 seasons.
I’m not sure if I have the time-line right there. Wookiepedia is misleading.
I felt like listing some of my favorite movies from when I was a kid. They’re in no particular order, just how they came to mind. Some are 80’s movies, some are earlier, with a few early 90’s ones thrown in. They were all new to me with the advent of home video rental stores. We used to go to this place called Network Video, & eventually the general store by my house started renting videos too.
I keep adding to the list as some of these movies remind me of others, I may have to do a part 2 or something someday…
Star Wars – This one’s obvious. I’m talking the whole original trilogy here. I really don’t feel the need to elaborate.
Ghostbusters – I remember laughing hysterically at “We came, we saw, we kicked some ass!” This was the perfect mix of creepy and funny for a kid like me. I used to rent this one all the time. I even loved the Saturday morning cartoon.
The Goonies – I have probably watched this more than any other movie on the list, except maybe Star Wars. I can still watch this over & over again. As a kid, it was really easy to be immersed in this movie. I have felt a little bit like Mikey, Data, Mouth, & Chunk many times. I just saw something about the original cast reuniting for a 25th anniversary celebration.
Gremlins – Who didn’t want a Mogwai after seeing this movie? Regardless of the danger, Gizmo would be the best pet ever. I actually remember the gremlins being kind of scary too. (Hey, I was 7 when this came out.)
The Monster Squad – This was like “Goonies vs. the Universal Monsters” to me… so, of course, I loved it. Mr. Alucard called for you. How scary is that? This made me want to start a monster club myself. I may just have to get this on Blu-ray… even thought I already have the VHS & DVD…
The Last Starfighter– The movie for anyone who’s ever imagined that they’re actually in a video game. Great plot-line for a kid who likes video games, or sci-fi. From what I understand, it was one of the first movies to have major use of computer generated graphics.
Batman (1989) – I remember thinking (even at a young age) “Michael Keaton? The guy from Mr. Mom, Gung Ho, & Beetlejuice?” I was as surprised as the rest of the world when it turned out to be the scariest and most awesome Batman movie to date. The comic book nerd in me was overly pleased with Nicholson’s Joker too. Even though he had always been portrayed in the comics as a lanky degenerate loon… Nicholson seemed to capture the spirit of insanity perfectly in that cool demeanor that only he could deliver.
Batman (1966) – I loved the TV show in reruns as a kid, it was like a 60’s comic come to life in all its campy glory. Plus, the Joker, Riddler, The Penguin, and Catwoman all in one movie? Wow! Ha ha ha. This one still has the coolest Batmobile.
Explorers – Space travel… with a home computer, a Tilt-A-Whirl car, and a junkyard. What’s not to love about this one? Again, to a kid, this all seemed quite plausible. This could have been “Goonies in Space”. Ha ha ha.
Leonard Part 6 – Part 6 of a nonexistent line of films… Bill Cosby fends off mutant vegetarians with magic meat. It burns them like holy water on vampires. That alone will make you want to watch this even though Cosby hated it and spoke out against seeing it while he was supposed to be promoting the film.
The Experts – Does anyone else remember this movie at all? There doesn’t seem to be much about it on the web. It’s classic 80’s comic Commie cheese. Two guys, one John Travolta and one other dude are somehow transplanted to a 1950’s style town in Russia set up as an experiment… where the people think they’re in 1950’s USA. It’s like Pleasantville, only not.
Cloak & Dagger – This was another one where you could really imagine being the kid in the film. This YouTube clip sums up the mood quite well. It’s a great kid-centered spy movie with a good deal of action, if I remember right.
Funny Farm – This has got to be one of the most absolutely hilarious movies ever. Andy Farmer is driven to the brink of insanity by an incredibly odd small town and a series of classic (& at the time still funny) Chevy Chase pratfalls. The telephone operator, Yellow Dog, mutton balls… all favorite movie moments.
WarGames – Yeah, I just wrote about this one. Every kid with a computer envisioned hacking into a government computer… or at least hacking into something… and this was all before the internet.
Flight of the Navigator – This movie is excellent. I know I wore out the VHS, and watched it every time I happened to catch it on TV. Alien abduction, a morphing spacecraft, time anomalies, government conspiracies. Intense!
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – I loved this move and still crave Reese’s Pieces every time I think about it. I wanted to build a communication device with my record player too. This movie probably started my distrust of the government.
Weird Science – Geek movie extreme, with that 80’s “my life will end if I don’t get laid” vibe. Less believable than WarGames, more believable than Explorers… Sort of. I never watched the TV show that this spawned, but the movie was a favorite. Oh yeah, the theme song was cool too!
Willow – Best fantasy movie ever? Maybe. It had a 2-headed dragon, sorcerers, a hero, an unwilling little-person hero, tiny funny guys, a villain that looked like Skeletor, and endless amounts of awesome.
Back to the Future Trilogy – If there was an order to this list, this would be very near the top. These movies were fast paced, exciting, and visually stunning. This is what movies should be like. Plus, Christopher Lloyd is bat-shit-nuts and that’s always entertaining.
Project X – As a kid, I loved monkeys, chimps, gorillas, and pretty much any primate. Pop them into an action thriller, and of course I was hooked. This is probably another reason why I distrust government so much.
Big Trouble in Little China – This movie is just ridiculous. Martial arts, Uzis, lightning bolts, and Kurt Russell. What more do you need to throw in to have a winning movie? Oh yeah, creepy monsters and a Chinese sorcerer. That’s what.
Indiana Jones Trilogy – Yeah, just the first 3 here… they were, after all, the only ones out when I was a child. Indiana Jones is the movie hero. The hat, the whip, the attitude… it’s iconic. These would also be at the top of an ordered list. I think that goes without saying.
The Last Dragon – Martial arts plus Motown. We used to watch this during lock-ins where I took Taekwondo as a kid. Bruce Leroy vs. Sho’Nuff had a very Jedi-like vibe, and there was lightning. This is super cheesy, but it’s what makes it a great flick. Sho’Nuff!!!
Coming to America – Ah. Once upon a time Eddie Murphy was funny, & not afraid to say dirty words. Sadly… this movie probably sparked the fat-suit movies to follow with Eddie and Arsenio playing multiple roles. But there are so many things in this film to love… McDowell’s, Soul Glo, Sexual Chocolate. Priceless.
Enter the Dragon – Bruce Lee’s final film, and (I think) the first one that I saw. What kid doesn’t love martial arts movies? The crazy mirrored room scene is my favorite.
Star Trek series – Yeah, I like both Star Wars and Star Trek. Star Wars is more awesome, but don’t get me started. In school, a lot of us nerdy kids were into Star Trek… the show, the movies, the shows that came after… it was awesome. The play between Kirk, Spock, & Bones gets better & better with each film in the series!
The Karate Kid– As a kid in a Taekwondo class, I loved these movies. All three were good, but especially the first one. (We’ll forget about The Next Karate Kid, and the new Jackie Chan one.) I wanted to be the Karate Kid, only in a Cobra Kai uniform. “Sweep the leg!”
Labyrinth – This movie still creeps me out. David Bowie’s Goblin King is more than a little creepy. The Muppets here are the stuff of nightmares… almost as bad as the ones in The Dark Crystal. This is like a darker Wizard of Oz type film… it really put me in another world.
The Dark Crystal – We need more creepy Muppet movies. Forget this GCI and 3-D stuff, I want puppets and stop-motion! I honestly can’t even tell you the full plot, but I watched this several times and loved it.
Just One of the Guys – I think this became a favorite just because I’ve seen it so many times. I mean, it was always on. And, there was like 3 seconds of boobs.
Short Circuit– Johnny 5 is alive! No disassemble! Very funny childlike innocence in a robot come to life thanks to a lightning bolt. Wacky comedic adventure, loved this one.
The Toy – If you’ve never seen this, I recommend going to get it right away… or any Pryor movie exceptSuperman III. It’s just fun & goofy. The Wonder-wheel is my favorite part. And, there’s a lesson in there somewhere…
Revenge of the Nerds – This movie made me want to be a nerd, if I wasn’t one already. The 2nd one wasn’t all that bad, ether. I think this made me want to start a nerd band too.
Police Academy series – I generally like all of these movies… I think I wanted to be Larvell Jones, or at least Zed. Heh. The eyebrow gag is the best… I love movies that are just goofy to be goofy.
“Crocodile Dundee”– For a while in the 80’s, there seemed to be this odd obsession with all things Australian. I don’t know if this was a cause of that or just another part of the wave, but I remember thinking how cool Australia was for quite a long time. It was a like a fresh quirky cowboy movie. The Simpsons episode where Bart prank calls Australia also pokes fun at this fascination.
The NeverEnding Story – What kid didn’t love this film when it came out? It was visually amazing, sad, exciting, a little scary… it was an incredible adventure. I bet Gmork would still scare me if I watched it now…
Don’t Tell Mom, The Babysitter’s Dead – This movie has two things; the line “The dishes are done, man!” and Christina Applegate. All I needed in 1991 was Christina Applegate. I would of watched 3 hours of her doing anything. Ha ha ha.
Predator – This movie was scary and thrilling. It has one of the best movie lines ever… Jesse Ventura’s “I Ain’t got time to bleed.” …as well as many others. This kind of film is so easy to get drawn into. I was in this world when watching this film. Heat vision? Invisibility? I think I wanted to be the Predator… ha ha ha.
We finally decided on a starting date for a continuing series of Star Wars movie nights at our house, so “Cut the chatter, Red 2. Accelerate to attack speed!”
We need to decide on a movie order. Chronologically, they go like this, I think…
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Clone Wars (animated microseries)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI movie)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (3D CGI series)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Droids (animated series)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (made for TV movie)
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (made for TV movie)
Star Wars: Ewoks (animated series)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Then we have a bunch of other stuff that could be included…
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Fanboys
Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Family Guy: Something Something Something, Dark Side
Robot Chicken: Star Wars
Spaceballs
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (Hey, Mark Hamill & Carrie Fisher are both in it, right…?)
We could also do a night with Hardware Wars, Thumb Wars, Troops, and any other recommended Star Wars fan/parody shorts.
There’s the issue of IV, V, & VI. Do we watch the laserdisc rips, the latest DVD release, or both?
There’s the issue of watching them in release order vs. chronological order, too.
We could watch the 6 movies, then the other stuff. We could watch the 7 movies (including the CGI Clone Wars one) then the other stuff… We could sandwich in the Ewok movies where they belong…
So many choices, it’s like trying to successfully navigate an asteroid field. Don’t tell me the odds, just vote below! You can pick two choices if you’re indecisive like me…
Not too long ago, I made a CD-R mix of Star Wars songs. I have a bunch more than what will fit on to an Audio CD, and have a bunch on an SD card for my car stereo and mp3 player… but I really thought the confinement of around 80 min. or so would really make all the songs “count” and be good ones.
World (and Lunar) Domination 