Move Musings: Where Have I Seen This Before? Star Wars: The Force Awakens

While watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens I had a little bit of deja vu. And yes, more than the fact that the story was essentially A New Hope. Some of the actual visuals from the film were very familiar. And yes beyond the fact that they borrowed from previous Star Wars films. As a rule, Star Wars borrows imagery from Star Wars, that is part of the style of the series.

In any case, as Rey was wandering the derelict Star Destroyer, I realized that I had seen similar shots and angles in another movie I watched.

And just when I think I can stop writing about Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, someone has to go and reference it. Of course Nausicaa is a pretty good model for a lead female character in a science fiction story, so it is hard to begrudge the creators of The Force Awakens from giving Rey a visual nod to the opening scenes in Miyazaki's film.

Top Ten Star Wars Characters - Part 1

The Star Wars universe is one rich with stories and characters that have become entrenched in our culture. The mythic nature of the stories gives these characters a tremendous amount of resonance, and at the same time the way they evolved over the years has given them a life of their own. I have lots of favorites, but I tried to whittle this down to a list of ten and a couple of bonus favorites. I stuck mainly to the films but I have a few picks from novels, video games and few odd areas.

Runner Up: Djas Puhr – Star Wars Collectable Card Game

Lets start with one of the strange ones (that is why he is a runner up instead of a full-fledged top ten winner). Djas Puhr appears for about five seconds in the cantina scene in A New Hope but like nearly anything in the original trilogy has a full fledged history and adventures in the graphic novels and short stories out there. I first ran into him while playing the collectable card game (Or CCG for short). This guy was a bounty hunter with some deadly skills. He did some serious damage on his own, and could wield a lightsaber in a pinch. Djas was also a bounty hunter, and the CCG had some really cool cards that revolved around bounty hunting. Not a lot of cards that could hurt him outright (as opposed to Darth Vader or Boba Fett). I played dark side a lot, and Djas was almost always in my deck. It got so that my opponents would see him come out and sigh, because they knew he would do some damage before they were able to take him out. And he just looks like a bad ass as well.

10. Grand Admiral Thrawn – The Thrawn Trilogy

Perhaps my favorite non-film character has to be Grand Admiral Thrawn, the main antagonist in what is called the Thrawn Trilogy of novels by Timothy Zahn (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command). Cold, cunning and ruthless he presents a major obstacle for the New Republic. He is a master of strategy and using his opponents psychology, philosophy and instincts against them. He makes extensive plans with distant goals and manages to orchestrate serious blows against our heroes. Even when things don’t quite go his way, he doesn’t let it phase him, but shifts his schemes and often has contingences in place. He is as feared as Darth Vader, but is more respected, because he doesn’t let his anger get the better of him. His main failing is his arrogance. He is so confident in his intellect and understanding of his enemy, he underestimates them and it leads to his death. While I understand the poetic justice of his demise, I always found it a bit anticlimactic. But man, was he a force to be reckoned with. If you’ve never given those three novels a read, I recommend them to any Star Wars fan. They are fast paced, feel like a natural extention of the original trilogy and feature other great new characters including Mara Jade. But Thrawn is the main attraction for sure.

9. C – 3PO - All seven Star Wars films

I see lots of love for R2-D2 out there, but his counterpart just doesn’t get enough credit. For the original trilogy C-3PO provides a lot of the humor in the series. He plays the straight man not just to his little robot buddy but to a lot of the other characters around him. In the original trilogy C-3PO was a necessary part of the story. Without him on Tatooine R2 would never have made it into the hands of Luke and then to his ultimate goal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In Empire Strikes Back he is the comic relief as the story gets darker and darker. His interactions with Han, Chewie and Leia are pretty amusing. Of course he is instrumental in getting the Ewoks to help the rebels on Endor and thus saving the galaxy.

Sadly in the prequels he is around for little more than a few moments of fan service and interaction with R2. Well, except for Attack of the Clones. For some reason Lucas thought that having endless horrible puns coming out of C-3PO’s voice replicator would provide the height of comedy. This man also gave us Jar Jar Binks (who is not appearing on this list, sorry to say), so his grasp of humor is suspect. But lets get back to the good points. Anthony Daniels not only brings C-3PO to life physically (in that painful suit) but also vocally, and that combination is one that endures to this day. He and R2-D2 are the only characters to appear in all seven Star Wars films. It is hard to imagine the series with out them, but most especially with 3PO’s style of banter.

8. Boba Fett - The Original Trilogy and Attack of the Clones

Mysterious bounty hunter with kick ass armor and ship that looks like a deranged elephant. What is not to like? I could (and did) write a whole blog about why Boba Fett is one of the most enigmatic characters in Star Wars at least until the prequels came out. I think for a whole generation of Star Wars fans he was the equivlant of mysterious cool. And yeah, I fall into that generation. The years haven’t been too kind to Fett, but I will say that as far as looks and abilities go, he is still on this list. Ask me my top favorite Star Wars characters back in 1998 or so and yeah Boba Fett would be on the top of the list. But these days he’s fallen a bit, but still manages to hold his own.

7. Emperor Palpatine - The Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy

Return of the Jedi brought this character to life for the first time. And what a jerk he turned out to be. Our first glimpse of the master of the galaxy in Empire Strikes Back hinted at a physically corrupted man shrouded in darkness. But we had no idea that this master manipulator was also good at taunting his enemies and fueling their hatred for him until they snap. We didn’t blame Luke when he just loses it and goes for the sneering cackling bastard. Supremely confident and delighting in his twisting and warping of lives, it is hard not to admire his devilish nature. The prequels actually do an interesting job of developing Senator Palpatine into the Emperor. He moves the chess pieces well and Ian McDiarmid gives an excellent performance going deliciously over the top in Revenge of the Sith. He is one of my favorite elements of the prequels. I’m curious to see if the new series hints at any sway from this dangerous villain, but if not, the six film saga we have serves as a fine showcase for this Sith lord.

6. Rey - The New Trilogy

One of the things that The Force Awakens does so well is deliver fun new characters and give them plenty of moments to shine. But no one was brighter than Daisy Ridley as Rey. We get our first female lead in a Star Wars film, and she embodies so much of what makes a great hero. He’s clever, compassionate and brave. Much like Luke Skywalker before her, she views her adventures with enthusiasm and excitement. She’s not the jaded modern hero who can’t be bothered to have fun or look in awe at what is around her. It is Rey’s interaction with her new comrades that drives so much of the story and the other characters in the movie. Ridley’s performance is perfect, and in the moments where she faces down Kylo Ren, faces the death of a friend and then meets a legend, we are right there with her, cheering her on and looking forward to whatever new adventure is around the corner. The prequels never offered us a character we could conntect to so closely. Rey is my favorite of the new characters featured in The Force Awakens and is the main reason I’m looking forward to the new trilogy to continue.

Get your goggles ready for the top five!

That wraps up the first five, but five more (and another runner up) are on the way. Would any of these characters make your top 10 list?

Enjoy this list? Click an ad before you go.

And then this happened... Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It wouldn't be a Star Wars movie without strange aliens sitting around and making small talk. But you've got to wonder the story that brought these two together. Or maybe it is best that we leave that to less vivid imagination. But what caption can you provide for this moment?

And then this happened...

Enjoy adding captions to images? Click an ad before you go.

Score Sample: Godzilla (2014)

We've got a new Star Wars film coming out in 2016, and it is the first one that isn't part of the original series of films. It is a side story that occurred before events of A New Hope. But this film also shares the distinction of being the first live action Star Wars film to not feature a score by John Williams. I know, shocking!

Instead we are getting a score from the talented French composer Alexandre Desplat. Desplat has worked as a film composer for years now. While he is best known for his scores to drama and romance films, he has composed some fun fantasy scores for Rise of the Guardians and The Golden Compass. But more to the point, he also scored the last two Harry Potter films, and did so using themes created by John Williams. So maybe Desplat isn't quite the odd choice.

That said, I have to say his amazing work on the 2014 version of Godzilla is really something else. Here is a bombastic action sequence called Last Shot. The track is brutal and intense. I'm looking forward to hearing what Desplat cooks up for Rogue One.

Godzilla has been known to stomp on people who don't click an ad before they go.

American Graffiti (1973)

Introduction:

With all the buzz going on with Star Wars, it’s classic trilogy, it’s new trilogy and the infamous prequels, it is easy to forget that George Lucas actually made a couple of other films. In fact if it weren’t for the success of American Graffiti we would never have seen Lucas’ take on space opera. I used to have this film on Laserdisc back in the day. But I haven’t actually seen the movie in years. Is it a revisit worth taking or should this get lumped over in the corner with The Phantom Menace?

Summary:

Summer is coming to a close for a group of friends in Northern California. The next day some will be go off to college, some will be stuck in the small town and some will wonder what the hell happened last night. Curt (Richard Dryfuss) is struggling with the idea of going to college, but an encounter with the street gang, the Pharaohs, might give him something to think about. Steven (Ron Howard) feels that he and his girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams) should be able to see other people while he is in college. This little revelation doesn’t go as well as he hoped.

Meanwhile Terry (Charles Martin Smith) takes Steven’s car for a cruise and meets a fun loving blond Debbie (Candy Clark) but in an effort to impress her, he ends up on an adventure he won’t forget. Finally John is the local street-racing star. But a new challenger approaches, Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford) who is determined to beat John with his racing rod. John is ready to race as soon as he dumps his unwanted tag along, Carol (Mackenzie Phillips) who is young enough to be his little sister and is just as bratty. All these kids will find more than they bargained for (including a cameo by Wolfman Jack!) in this slice of American Graffiti.

Good Points:

• Features some appealing performances by a talented cast
• Captures an idealized glimpse of 1962
• Great use of pop songs that support and help tell the story

Bad Points:

• Some of acting isn’t quite as polished as it could be
• All of the characters are more like archetypes than fully fleshed out people
• The plot is paper thin to say the least

Overall:

It should tell you quite a bit that this movie spawned an entire sub-genre. It was the first “last week of summer before college movie” and in my mind is probably the one to be topped. The cast does a fine job adding depth through performance for characters that aren’t too developed on the page. You end up relating to these kids and even if you didn’t grow up during the 1960s, their feelings and struggles are familiar. A spectacular soundtrack filled with great pop and rock songs makes the whole move feel like a nostalgia hued time capsule. Hop into your vintage car and cruise with Lucas down memory lane.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 3

Music: 4

Direction: 4

Entertainment: 4

Total:  4

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.

Enjoying the content? Click an ad before you go.

Movie Musing: Joel vs. Mike

It would take a mad scientist to invent
the meme.

The Japanese have a term they use, otaku, which means obsessive fanatic. You mostly see it applied to fans of anime and manga, but it can pretty much apply to any group in fandom. When I use the term otaku it usually applies to the most extreme ends of fandom. You know the type, the groups that come to blows over Kirk vs. Picard, Tenchi vs Ranma, Marvel vs. DC, Williams vs Zimmer, Connery vs EVERYONE ELSE and Joel vs Mike.

Yes even the hilarious Mystery Science Theater 3000 is not immune to the ranting and raving of otaku. Fans love to debate their favorite episodes, favorite seasons, favorite host segments, even favorite opening credits (because there have been six of them, or seven if you count Mystery Science Theater 3000: the Movie). But the most heated debate used to be Joel vs. Mike.

It was especially bad back when the show was still airing. The internet was still in its childhood stages in the mid and late 90s, but I remember flame wars between the two passionate groups. It got nasty. Fans hurling abuse at each other and at the two hosts. I always found the whole thing kind of silly, but I can't say it wasn't entertaining.

So how can there even be a debate? I mean what did these guys do other than deliver lines and interact with puppets. Did they do it so differently that you can compare them?

Tom Servo is expanding his conciousness.

Well you actually do have a bit of a shift in approach to handling the writing and riffing on the show. Joel always approached the movie as part of a larger entertainment and comedy machine. It would provide them with the material to make fun of, yes. But it would also provide them with entertainment. Joel always seemed to have a bit of respect for the films and the way they fit into the series.

When Joel left MST3K a couple things happened. First was the simple fact that the main creative force behind the show was leaving. Second were all the rumors as to why Joel left. At that time no one really knew for sure what happened, but there were plenty of theories. A lot of people picked the first visible target - Mike must have pushed Joel away from the series.

Their evidence was that the tone of show shifted when Mike took over hosting duties. While Mike was the host the movie was more of a target instead of a part of the show. Mike and bots had more riffs revolving around how much the movie hurt and in later seasons of the show (after it moved to the Sci-fi channel) the aggressive tone intensified, with out and out attacking everything in sight. Many Joel fans say Mikes aggressive style was the direction the rest of the crew wanted to go and that is why he left.

Mike and the bots ready for a night on the town...
errr satalite.

But around 2010 we found out that Joel left the show because of Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie and how that was being handled. Making that movie was a rough experience for all involved and Joel sounded happy that he got away from the show when he did.

That said, Mike had been a head writer for the series for years. In fact, if you watch enough of the show and know a bit about Mike's joke style you can hear very Mike jokes being given by Joel. This series was very much a collaborative process when it came to the writing. Yes a tone shift occurred, but it was one that actually helped gain new fans. I know plenty of folks who first saw the show on Sci-fi with Mike as the host.

These days the Joel vs Mike debates aren't really a thing any more. Most fans accept that people have their preferences and let it go at that. Where do I stand on the whole thing? Well it kind of depends on my mood. Sometimes I like Joel's more amiable take on the movies. And his approach really works great for a lot of different types of movies. The riff for something like I Accuse My Parents or Fugitive Alien wouldn't be the same without Joel at the helm. At the same time Mike's brisk riffing style is perfect for Starfighters and Hamlet. My favorite seasons actually fall at the end of the Comedy Central era. To me both Joel and Mike were at their best and had some of the best films selected.

With a new version of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in the works we will getting a new host in Jonah Ray. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of new style he and the new team bring to this concept.

Doesn't matter to me, all four of these guys are masters of the riffing
art!

Enjoy this MST3K musing? Click an ad before you go.

Anime Juke Box - Field of Love - Brain Power'd

It has been a little while since I've posted a piece of music from the excellent Japanese composer Yoko Kanno (she is on my list of favorite film composers). Kanno not only wrote some excellent scores, but always comes up with memorable theme songs for the series she works on. Kanno can write music for nearly any genre, and it is a testament to her talent that these theme songs work so well in the shows and even get incorporated into the fabric of the scores.

Kanno has worked on a lot of very famous projects including Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, but I wanted to highlight her work from a lesser known series. After the massive popularity of Neon Genesis Evangelion many anime studios rushed to create their own angsty-teen-controlling-giant-robot series. One of these was Brain Power'd, a show with some interesting concepts, but a really messy script that never seemed to gel. That didn't stop Kanno from creating one hell of a score (one of my favorites). Here is the end credits song called Field of Love and performed by KOKIA. It is a dreamy piece, a nice contrast to some of the more hyper end credits songs you usually hear in anime.

Enjoy rocking out to J-pop? Click an ad before you go.