META-TAINMENT » Star Wars

Star Wars – Clone Wars: Movie or Video Game

Larry — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:48:04 +0000

The first “Star Wars” movie not to debut at number one, “Star Wars: Clone Wars”, seemed more like a video game than a movie. When my now 10 year old son found out that Clone Wars was coming out the weekend before his birthday, he decided that it was how he wanted to spend his birthday party. So, I took him, his brother, uncle and two friends to see it on Monday night. They absolutely loved it.

I found myself watching the movie with a very critical eye. To have a Starship Troopers-esqe announcer instead of an opening crawl was disappointing, but over quickly. Also, not having the traditional John Williams theme was confusing, but passable. In the end, I decided that what it was a very deliberate way to signify that this is a new-Star Wars right from the beginning of the movie. This isn’t your father’s Star Wars….it’s your son’s.

As I sat there and attempted to enjoy the film for what it was, I started to see a video game unfolding. Each scene gave the characters an time-based scenario to complete. It first became apparent when Anakin and his Padawan had to destroy the Separatist shield before they reached the Republic cannons. I felt very much like I was watching a game that was all cut scenes. Much of today’s children’s entertainment is done this way, but it isn’t very appealing to anyone over 15 I would think.

The movie looked beautiful. If you replaced the human characters with actors, it would have passed for a live-action movie. The sets were amazing, and the characters moved perfectly. If this quality of animation is going into the TV series, it will be a must watch.

I was a huge “Star Wars” fan from the moment I first saw the movie in 1977. We saw it at the drive-in, and I had a Han Solo and Chewbacca action figure by the end of the week. I was obsessed with everything “Star Wars” for years. I once joked that if they released freeze-dried turd with a Star Wars logo on it, I would probably buy it. When “Star Wars” was shown on TV for the first time (OnTV), I recorded it on my Dad’s VCR. My neighbor and I proceeded to watch the movie every day for an entire year. I can still recite Episode IV verbatim. But now, I’ve passed the torch to my son…it’s his “Star Wars” now.

The movie was good, but it felt more like something that should have been on Cartoon Network. It felt as if they took the first 3 episodes of the new series and released them as a movie. If it hadn’t had been my son’s birthday, it would have been the first Star Wars movie I didn’t see in the theaters. I give “Star Wars: Clone Wars” a could have waited for the DVD.

TROOPS, Ten Years Later

Larry — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:23:27 +0000

It took me days to download TROOPS, but it was worth it. In a day without YouTube, when computers were for geeks only, TROOPS was special. Funny and well written, everyone loved it.

The host of TROOPS, TheForceNet has a “10 Years Later” interview with the director, Kevin Rubio.

I don’t think most people ever plan on being the first in anything. I like to think that, as with TROOPS, it happens by accident more often than we realize. And while I have done other things in the entertainment industry, including the up coming new series: THE CLONE WARS, But TROOPS is still by far my most recognized and well known contribution in the world of entertainment. And I think it is so because so many other talented people contributed to it.

I’m told that TROOPS inspired a lot of people to make their own film of “fan film”, and that I’m happy to share in the thanks and blame for that. but I’ve always though that the medium of film is at its best when there is a collaboration between many talented individuals – each adding to the whole, making it better than it was before.

TROOPS is one of those things I remember seeing for the first time, almost as vividly as the actual Star Wars movie. If you’ve never seen TROOPS, go on over to TFN and watch (it won’t take 2 days anymore ). And remember, this was done 10 years ago. The “first” of the fan-films, and I believe still the best.

What Ever Happend To Rusty Miller?

Larry — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:00:56 +0000

In 1982 we all wanted to be Rusty Miller. He was only 11 years old, and he had an authorized LucasFilm book, “The Jedi Master’s Quizbook”. I was 11 myself at the time, and had my own “quizbook” that I had roughly put together with my friend Doug. It was a rough compilation of questions we asked each other to try to stump one another. But Rusty had his published. Star Wars was a huge part of every 11 to 15 year old boys life in the early 80s.

One would think that Rusty Miller, now in 36/37 years old, would be an Internet celebrity geek for his early success. When the “Star Wars Page at Texas A&M” debuted (now theforce.net, it was the most popular (and nearly only) website for Star Wars fans. I would have expected Rusty to flock to it, to be found by leagues of fans who at one time wanted to be him. Also, when “the prequels” finally were released, what an opportunity to develop yet another quizbook and capitalized on previous fame. But Rusty is still unknown.

Where is Rusty Miller? He doesn’t even have a wikipedia entry. He was to the 1980s fandom as Kevin Rubino was to the 1990s. Rusty, where are you?

Update:
My post inspired another post, and eventually StarWars.com found Rusty!.