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3D Experience

Posted in Fun with tags , , , , , , on 15 February 2013 by Megan

My much, long, absolutely delayed review of my time at the E3 3D this time last year.

I know, I said for a year I was going to post about this. And you may well wonder what is proved by doing an entry about an experience that you can’t run out and share anymore because it’s way over. Well, that’s why I made this a Fun Friday and not a Spotlight Sunday post!

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Me and Trilogy, kicking it 3D

Here’s a picture of me with Trilogy the Bear, whom I introduced last week, kicking our three-d glasses with my metal ROTJ poster over my shoulder. This was right after I got back from the first showing.

So, Episode I came out in 3D on February 10, 2012. I thought this date was wildly random, but I’d been looking forward to it for a long time . . . as this post from Hundredaire Socialite (from my 80 Day Facebook challenge) will demonstrate:

Episode I in 3D

A Photo that Makes Me Happy

I have been hanging onto this picture for like a month now. This makes me happy because Star Wars is coming back to the theaters!! I can finally see all six of them in the theater! And lightsaber duels in 3D! There is NO downside here. Plus this poster makes me smile. So the whole thing is happiness.

E1’s release date is February 10, 2012.

On Saturday, February 11, my roommate and I abruptly decided to simply go over and watch without really planning it. That put us a the 1 o’clock showing. We got the awesome Darth Maul glasses and those adorable minifigs. We snuck out after the podrace because, hello, boring. It was so amazing, so awesome to get to see E1 in the theater again.

As far as 3D was concerned, it largely didn’t look any different — instead of coming out of the screen, the way regular 3D movies do, it was like looking in. Not only did I not get a headache, but it looked sweet. The parts that looked different were epic cool. I can’t wait for the Coruscant speeder chase next year — and the opening scene to E3!!! (More here at Hundredaire Socialite)

My little pod trooper from the first showing

My little pod trooper from the first showing

The second time was great; seriously would’ve gone again if I could afford it. However, they were out of proper glasses and out of Pods when we went back the second time, so that and being broke reduced the desire for a third. Totally ruined some kid’s life crawling over him to get out during the Podrace scene. I know that people leaving the film in the middle is a huge pet peeve of people’s. Tell Lucas to stop putting sucky crap in and I won’t have to stand in the lobby for 15 minutes waiting for the scene to end! (Due warning: I’m going to hide outside in the lobby during Yoda’s “fight scene” too.)

Mini-trooper with R2-D2 and R2-D2 Jr.

Mini-trooper with R2-D2 and R2-D2 Jr.

Anyway, for some more size perspective, there’s my pod clone trooper with a Heroes Artoo and a regular size Artoo. (He came with the Dex action figure I bought for the SW party. OMG, I should really post about that party.)

Trilogy rocking it with two lightsabers and 3D glasses

Trilogy rocking it with two lightsabers and 3D glasses

In conclusion, here’s Trilogy with his lightsabers and 3D glasses. I will say that Episode I in 3D was everything I hoped for. I don’t even like 3D movies, but just seeing it on the big screen is worth it . . . and 3D lightsabers did not disappoint.

Just for fun, how I made my candy lightsaber work even after eating the candy.

Just for fun, how I made my candy lightsaber work even after eating the candy.

 

 

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The First Party

Posted in Fun with tags , , , , , , , on 1 June 2012 by Megan

I have been meaning to post about this for ages, honestly. I mean telling you all about the glorious Episode I bash that we threw. And then I thought, well, I need content, and I’m in a reminiscing kind of mood. So here we go. I’ve redone the pictures, but the text is mainly as-is from the original post.

So, this month, in case you didn’t know it, in case you’re retarded or don’t know anything about anything, this is National Star Wars Month, and last week, for those not dedicated to dedicate the entire month to the worthiest of causes, was National Star Wars Week. And in fact, for those who cannot even be bothered to pay attention for a week, May 19th is National Star Wars Day. We in fact had the party of the decade on May 18th, which is not even a remotely significant date in the history and canon of the Star Wars Saga, but it was a convenient date for everyone given our other plans.

As I believe you should have noticed, Kristine and I dedicated Saturday to preparing the festivities. If you didn’t notice, well, bite me and go read that stupid post. Otherwise, moving on! Monday morning, I dug out a bunch of action figures from my closet and collected some soundtracks and stuff. Then, after Kristine got off work, about 12:30, Michelle and I headed down to her house, where she had already prepped the Jawa Eyes and was working on the Yoda Sausage when we arrived. I proceeded to sort out mynock eggs by color, decorate the living room, and . . . take pictures obsessively. Here is Kristine making Yoda Sausage:

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Here are decorations and things, and our sweet, sweet table.

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Then we ate and gloriously feasted . . . actually, we ate about a tenth of what we would’ve a few years ago, but oh well. We put E1 in the DVD player and rocked out. After the movie got boring, we took out Star Wars LIFE and I won, except I think I had to categorically lose because I drew Yoda for my master and that just sucks. And that was how Star Wars’ 10th anniversary went for us. I feel so freaking old? Yeah.

Playing Star Wars Life.

Playing Star Wars Life.

via I Am a Jedi at Hundredaire Socialite.

In conclusion, I have no idea why I cut this post off so randomly without even a mention of the piece d’resistance, that is, a piece of cake, so here is a photo montage of my favorite Episode I Cake moments.

Funfetti cake mix — odd as it sounds, it was to look like “the interior” of the lightsaber
Kristine mixing up the mix, appropriately enough
And into the oven she goes.
Important stuff, all this to dye the icing for appropriate colors
Green, gray,black; all really metallic actually
Beginning to shape the cake.
Originally it was going to be one saber, but the crossed design turned out better.
Carving out some shape to the sabers
Less like lightsabers, but it’s coming.
First, application of green icing
I know no one ever fights green-to-green. It was available!
Almost done! Spray icing for depth.
Candy for buttons.
TA DA! Cake completed.
The proud bakers show off their work.
With festive Coruscant Sunrises to drink.
My lightsaber sings / Out SCHWIING and cuts off / Some of everything (A haiku)
And ready to feast.
Cheers!
Happy 10th Anniversary, Star Wars

(It’s entirely possible I didn’t do pics of the cake because I meant to add this video I did of us with the cake. Here you go.)

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Costumes, of Course

Posted in Spotlight with tags , , , , on 30 October 2011 by Megan

At first I was going to showcase some Halloween costumes, but then I realized I don’t know anyone who dresses up for Halloween and I didn’t want to scour the net for material because nothing was really springing to mind.

Then I remembered that I found this totally random website a few weeks ago, and I’ve been meaning to link to it. It’s the best of both worlds because it’s about costumes and it’s also awesome. It’s a website dedicated to the Dressing the Galaxy exhibit that went up in December of 2005  at the FIDM Museum & Galleries. It featured more than 100 costumes, accessories, and props from all six films. There are two galleries available online for your perusal: a tour of the gallery, which has some great panoramas of costumes including minor characters, and detail shots. These include a lot of Padmé’s gowns, but only two original trilogy costumes. The only trilogy items are Boba Fett, Han Solo, slave Leia, and an X-wing, which is kind of disappointing, but on the other hand, the prequel costumes are just gorgeous and worth a look. So check it out!

Tusken Raider costumes

A family of Tusken Raiders

That being said, if you have Star Wars cosplay you’d like to send me, go ahead! I’ll do a spotlight on cosplay if I get enough material.

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Review: Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

Posted in Reviews, Spotlight with tags , , , , , on 29 May 2011 by Megan
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

Michael Reaves.

A funny thing happened when I was reading another of the books I’m going to be reviewing here in the next couple weeks. I recognized one of the characters–and that was only funny because I thought I’d never read this book before. Yes, that’s right . . . the Star Wars Librarian forgot she’d read a SW book. Don’t let that stunt your opinion of it, though, because Reaves is far from forgettable! As soon as I saw the characters’ names again, I instantly remembered being 16, sitting at the end of my bed, devouring the text with my youthful desperation, biting back tears every now and again . . .

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is a unique adventure. It doesn’t feature main characters heavily, relying on its own storytelling to keep your interest. It’s an interest well kept. Set 37 years before A New Hope (in the year 01101), Shadow Hunter tells the story not only of Darth Maul, but of Lorn Pavan and his partner, I-Five. They’re just a couple of simple fellows trying to stay alive on Coruscant. This is a proposition more and more difficult as time goes on. Lorn’s got a chip on his shoulder, and I-Five has a chip for a brain–he’s a sentient droid. The story is also about a Jedi Padawan and her master, and some Sith, and a plot to blockade the planet of Naboo.

We all know the blockade on Naboo isn’t prevented, but Michael Reaves puts together a fast-paced and compelling novel with richly interesting characters, some of whom pop up again later ;) Also worthwhile are the insights into Maul’s character. In short, like a lot of prequel material, it’s fast-paced, interesting, but not for people who must have a happy ending. Unlike a lot of prequel material, it’s well-written, too. Nothing tedious here!

Check it out on Amazon.

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Flashback!* Drinks

Posted in Questions with tags , , , on 4 May 2011 by Megan

What drink does the droid serve Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in the Federation ship in Episode I? — OLJC (c. 2001)

Qui-Gon almost takes a sip**

The protocol droid TC-14 serves the Jedi ambassadors decaffeinated coffee.

Source: An Episode I-inspired website now, sadly, defunct.

* Occasionally I will post a flashback question or character bio harking back to the days of my original question-answering site, just to give an idea of what people have asked over the years.

** Here’s a fun piece of trivia! Qui-Gon never eats. The only thing he ever ate was a single grape in the Skywalker household on Tatooine.

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Spotlight: 3D Glasses

Posted in Announcements, Spotlight with tags , , , on 1 May 2011 by Megan

The earliest reference I could find online  to the imminent arrival of your rebel fleet–er, I mean imminent release of the Star Wars saga in 3D, sorry, is from the Guardian in 2005 (here). According to them, the Big G. L. himself announced at a Las Vegas convention on March 17, 2005, that he was looking into making the six films 3D.

The news starts to pop in 2008. ComingSoon.net back in 2008 (here). This would have made a good early birthday present for me that year, but I wasn’t aware of it, even though it spread to various blogs pretty quickly. The gut of the matter is that Dreamworks Animations CEO Katzenberg confirmed that The Big G. L. was looking to do the saga in 3D, and,  “He isn’t going to put a product out, I think, that isn’t anything other than first rate.”

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Other blogs picked this up right away. Io9 (here) was critical of the project, but pointed to a much more useful report from Ain’t It Cool News (here) with several great tidbits. One, that ShoWest “a few years ago” screened 3D scenes from ANH that were reportedly “breathtaking.” Two, that other earlier references had hinted that this hasn’t really come out of the blue at all. Later that same day, Jenna Wortham of Wired reported (here) pretty much the same thing in different words. More interestingly, she noted the divided response of fanboys: pretty much half and half, with as many people screaming “NOOOOO!” as “I approve!” This isn’t new, though, for SW. We’re an opinionated bunch, and those opinions usually don’t line up. Just look at me! I have my own canon. Oh, and interestingly enough, Wortham points out that a 3D conversion can cost $50,000-$100,000 per minute. That’s anywhere from $39 to $79 million to do all six films. Oh, and Gizmodo (here), a few hours later, did their own report–basically Wired’s report with the moral question of, “They’ll make their money back, but is it worth it?” Continue reading →

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Spotlight: Easter

Posted in Spotlight with tags , , , , , , on 24 April 2011 by Megan
Stormtrooper Easter Bunny

I’m here to deliver this Death Star egg. What? No takers?

Today, as you might have noticed, was Easter across the Empire. It wasn’t for me because I’ve been doing research papers all day. However, that doesn’t mean that stormtroopers across the galaxy weren’t doing their share to spread Easter cheer.What kind of cheer? Well, Easter eggs, of course!

Star Wars and Easter Eggs go together like ham and bacon. Or something. Here are some of the best Star Wars Easter eggs:

  • The number 1138 appears in every film somewhere.
  • To see the Episode I gag reel, go under the Options menu and hit 10+1 (or 11), 3, and 8. The same will get you the gag reel on E2.
  • E.T. makes an appearance in E1 in the Senate.
  • Two YT-1300s are visible on Naboo as the refugee transport makes its landing (E2).
  • Achmed Best and Anthony Daniels appear out of costume as different characters in the nightclub on Coruscant in E2.
  • One of the asteroids in the asteroid belt Jango chases Obi-Wan through is a shaak from Naboo.
  • On disc 1 of the E3 DVD, in the Options menu, highlight the THX  and select 1, 1, 3, 8 to watch Yoda do a hip hop dance.
  • In the opening scene of Episode III, one of the pieces of shrapnel that flies off the destroyed Separatist ship is a literal kitchen sink.
  • The Millennium Falcon can be seen departing Coruscant in E3.
  • George Lucas and his daughter can be seen in alien getup in the opera house scene in E3. Actually, all three of Lucas’ kids appear in the films–the young Jedi Zett (in E2 and E3) is played by his son.
  • In the special edition Mos Eisely sequence of ANH, Dash Rendar’s ship Outrider can be seen lifting off.
Bunny Trooperes

Seriously, I can’t get any takers?

Some more SW-related Easter eggs dropped off by the Stormtrooper bunny . . .

  • In Star Trek (2009), you can see R2-D2 flying through space. It’s the scene where the Enterprise reaches Vulcan and the camera looks out the viewport over Pike’s shoulder

What? Not the eggs you were looking for? Fiiiiine . . . I find these less cheery than these hip-hoppity Stormtroopers — the rash of these eggheaded villains and heroes I’ve been seeing all over the webs today:

Star Wars Easter Eggs

Star Wars Easter Eggs

Another batch of eggs

And a second batch . . .

Now, no offense to anyone, of course, but those are just freaky. Giant-headed Yoda is far more distressing than the typical brand, and, call me old-fashioned all you like, but stickers on Easter eggs is frankly cheating. The movie stills are kind of cute, but in all, it just doesn’t seem like the egg-making experience I’m looking for. Conversely, these hand-painted eggs ooze adorableness:

Adorable Ewok, Maul, and Chewie

Adorable Ewok, Maul, and Chewie

So there you have it. That’s how the galaxy’s celebrating Easter this year. May the Force be with you!

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