Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy

Within the successful Marvel Studios, a remarkable collection of superheroes has been ingeniously brought together into what we now know as Marvel's The Avengers! As this group of heroes has now been firmly established into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a new, even more original team has been introduced into Phase 2 of Marvel Studio's movie projects with their 10th film: Guardians of the Galaxy! 
Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), is a notorious outlaw and thief, who, while stealing a mysterious orb on an abandoned planet, is drawn into a plot of galactic proportions which jeopardizes the fate of the universe! While escaping from the forces of the megalomaniacal Ronan, The Accuser (Lee Pace); Quill is arrested by the Nova Corps and sentenced to an orbiting penal colony along with the bounty hunters Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) & Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), and the assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana). While in prison, he teams up with this motley crew along with Drax, (Dave Bautista) The Destroyer, who has a grudge against Ronan, and escapes prison to find a way to stop Ronan from getting the orb and destroying the galaxy!
Guardians of the Galaxy is an epic, space adventure, which combines Star Wars-like Sci-Fi/Fantasy with swashbuckling action, and irreverent humor; combined with a bizarre soundtrack full of 1970's pop-music.
While characters such as Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor have earned their place in pop-culture for the last 50 years, this team is relatively "new" to the Marvel Universe. The original Guardians of the Galaxy appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18, 1969 with heroes such as Major Victory, Starhawk, and Yondu. Although they remained a third-string team through much of their history, appearing alongside other major Marvel heroes such as The Avengers, they finally managed to get their own title in 1990 until it was cancelled in 1995. This Guardians however, is NOT that team! This newer Guardians of the Galaxy team first appeared in 2008 formed in the aftermath of the Annihilation: Conquest story-line in Marvel comics, shortly before the Disney acquisition of Marvel Comics. The current team in the comics includes Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon & Groot, along with Quasar and Adam Warlock. For the movie's sake, Warlock and Quasar, not to mention Nova, are not present, which leaves room for their appearance (no doubt) in Guardians 2? [Minor Spoilers]: This movie finally features a full (although brief) appearance from the cosmic villain Thanos (Josh Brolin), who appeared in the end-credits of Avengers (2012), and also an appearance from The Collector (Benicio Del Toro) who made an appearance in the end-credits in Thor: The Dark World (2013). A few surprising guest appearances in this movie as other minor characters including Glenn Close as Nova Prime, John C. Reily as Corpsman Dey and Michael Rooker as Yondu. While it seemed unbelievable that a talking fully-CG Raccoon could convince an audience and become a fan favorite was a stroke of genius with the combination of state-of-the-art CGI technology and Bradley Cooper's comic talent. Also, despite Groot's three-word vocabulary: "I AM GROOT!", this seemingly one dimensional (or "wooden") character voiced by action-star Vin Diesel, is the source of much of the pathos in the team. While actress Zoe Saldana is often comfortable in Sci-Fi franchises (Star Trek) as well as colorful-skinned aliens (Avatar), she holds her own as a strong and complicated woman. While there are few differences from the comic book, one most crucial being that making Star-Lord a space-pirate and not the interplanetary policeman he was meant to be.
Full of Sci-Fi/Fantasy action, humor, and wonder, Guardians of the Galaxy is a new and impressive addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe which, although has been growing in popularity, has also been suffering from lack-luster sequels to make way for their bigger titles while still mired in legal mumbo-jumbo between Disney, Sony and 20th Century Fox on the rest of their comic properties. When Guardians was first announced, I admit, I was not very impressed; convinced that Marvel had finally reached the bottom of the barrel on characters NOT owned by other studios. And along with the controversy from Ant-Man (2015) director Edgar Wright dropping out of the scene, it seemed that Marvel had hit a huge speed-bump. Despite a lack of a clear plot, whether it is the unique combination of colorful characters, tongue-in-cheek humor, Sci-Fi action and special effects, Guardians of the Galaxy is a truly fun and entertaining movie, plain and simple. While Sony still clings to the Spider-Man franchise, and Fox runs the X-Men franchise into the ground, Marvel is still at the top of the blockbuster game, and until the fanboys (like myself) are satiated until Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out in 2015, Guardians of the Galaxy is number one (for now), having already earned $94 million in its first week!

LINKS: Marvel.com, Official Guardians Movie Website, Marvel Wikia

Movie Review - Transformers: Age of Extinction

Just when you thought the Transformers franchise had come to an end with Dark of the Moon (2011), the master of slow-motion explosions, director Michael Bay, returns with Transformers: Age of Extinction! Longer, darker and with even bigger Transformers than ever seen before, Age of Extinction is the fourth in the franchise of Transformers movies which began in 2007. With the trilogy ended, so did the involvement of actor Shia LeBeouf, who starred as Sam Witwicky in the first three Transformers movies. Age of Extinction takes place several years after the events of Dark of the Moon, dubbed the "Battle of Chicago", where the Transformers have now become public knowledge and are now feared and hunted down by the government. Particularly one Black Ops team known as KSI, led by CIA Agent Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer), is in charge of destroying both Autobots and Decepticons, having allied themselves with a group of ruthless Transformer bounty-hunters led by Lockdown (voiced by Mark Ryan). Along with the government's involvement, a wealthy techno-industrialist Joshua Joyce's (Stanley Tucci) company is developing their own Transformers reverse-engineered from the captured remnants of the Transformers to build Stinger and Galvatron (voiced by Frank Welker)! Meanwhile, in rural Texas, Cade Yaeger (Mark Wahlberg), an unemployed salvager and robotics inventor has found what is left of Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) after a battle which left him nonfunctional. As Cade tries to repair Optimus, the government becomes aware of Optimus' location and send the Black Ops team to destroy him. Now Cade, his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz), and her boyfriend Jack (Shane Dyson) are on the run with Optimus to try and find what is left of the Autobots and stop Lockdown!

Along with Autobot favorite Bumblebee, there a few new additions to the Transformers roster including original G1 favorite Hound (voiced by John Goodman), the samurai-bot Drift (voiced by Ken Watanabe) and Crosshairs (voiced by John DiMaggio) not to mention this movies biggest surprise is the inclusion of the Dinobots, (fan-favorites from the cartoon/toys) including Grimlock! Despite all the violence, explosions, exotic locations (Hong Kong) and all-out Autobot-action, this movie seemed to be a much more satisfying successor to the last few Transformers movies, especially the disappointing sequel Revenge of the Fallen (2009). Aside from the obvious improvements, this movie however has a very ominous and darker tone than the other movies some of the humor that pervades the movies is lessened somewhat in favor of a much grittier feel as the Transformers, particularly the Autobots were regarded as heros in the others, now they are fugitives! Even Optimus Prime, whose character has always been the honorable, stalwart protector has been defeated both physically and in spirit that he has become an angry killer, bent on revenge for his fallen comrades. The dark/violent atmosphere is present in the more-violent battles, and the surprising repetition of lines like "I'm going to kill you!" and "Die!" from Optimus himself! While it is understandable how Optimus must feel after the literal genocide of his Autobot allies, it is to some extreme how his character has changed drastically. As for fan-service the inclusion of the Dinobots (which I myself have been looking forward to seeing ever since the trailer: Optimus riding Grimlock! Awesome!) is very satisfying as well as the inclusion of celebrity voices like John Goodman and Ken Watanabe in the cast. The biggest surprise was the return of famous voice actor Frank Welker to the Transformers cast who was the voice of Megatron in the cartoons (in the last three movies Megatron was voiced by actor Hugo Weaving) now as Galvatron, ironically played by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 animated movie, who voiced in Sentinel Prime in Dark of the Moon. While I am pleased to no longer have to see Shia's hyperactive screaming on screen I was not too excited to have Marky Mark be the new human star of the Transformers franchise for his former failures in movies like Planet of the Apes (2001), The Happening and Ted, he has more popular screen credits than Shia anyway. Overall Age of Extinction is an impressive, action-packed, special-effects nightmare, thrill ride! As a fan of the Transformers since my childhood in the 80's I can see these movies not as the over-budgeted, CGI-crazy blockbusters that they are and relish in the pure fun and excitement that my inner child and adult self can enjoy and have fun watching them.I still smile every time I see a Transformer transform, and I cheer quietly to myself when I see Optimus defeat a Decepticon. While the success of these films may vary from movie to movie and Michael Bay enjoys the mixed criticisms of his film franchise, I will still keep wanting to come back to see them. (unless he tries to kill off Optimus again!)

LINKS: TransformersMovie.com, Hasbro, BotCon

Star Wars Day 2014: Top 10 Favorite Things About Star Wars!

Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth Be With You! To Celebrate this year's Star Wars Day, I thought about why I love Star Wars and how it is so much a part of my life. I'll admit it: I am obsessed with Star Wars! I can't imagine my life without it, just sitting here typing and I look around me and I realize just how much Star Wars stuff I have and what it means to me. So this year in honor of Star Wars Day, CHERNOBOG'S BLOG PRESENTS: TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT STAR WARS! Enjoy!

#10 Toys - Star Wars changed the face of toys and action figures forever. Back in 1977 before anybody had ever heard of merchandising for movies, George Lucas capitalized on the licensing and merchandising rights for his new movie franchise and made a fortune. When the movie first came out there wasn't much in the way of toys until Kenner produced the "Early Bird Certificate Package" which gave kids the chance to send away for the action figures before they were ever released. With the success of the Star Wars, Kenner produced thousands of toys, action figures, vehicles, and play-sets for Star Wars and many other franchises until the company closed in 2000 and merged with Hasbro. As an only child of the 1980's, I was deeply into Star Wars toys along with G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Masters of the Universe. Of course, my collection of Star Wars toys grew in large thanks to the "spoiling"  of my parents and grandparents.

#9 Role-playing Games (RPG) - With the success of book/table-top RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons during the 1980's, in 1987 West End Games produced a series of RPG books set in the Star Wars Universe which included several source books and adventure guides. Later in 2000, Wizards of the Coast received the licensing to produce a new series of RPG books until 2012 when Fantasy Flight Games produced a new version called Edge of the Empire.

#8  Board Games - Star Wars has inspired some of the best board games over the years starting with the classics 'Escape from Death Star Game', 'Jedi Master Game' and 'Battle At Sarlac's Pit Game'. Over the last few decades there has been an increase in many different licensed board games such as Monopoly, Risk, Stratego, Trouble, Battleship, and even Operation! My personal favorite is the Trivial Pursuit Star Wars Classic Trilogy Collector's Edition with R2-D2 timer!

#7  Art - The art of Star Wars is what really gave it's universe meaning from the first design sketches to the fully painted designs of artist Ralph McQuarrie. His paintings and designs made Star Wars what it is today and not to mention all of the other artists and designers of Lucasfilm who have added to his legacy. Also credited for much of the Star Wars poster art is artist Drew Struzan, who is also known for more than 150 famous movie posters including Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and Rambo.

#6  Video Games - Video games have always been a big part of Star Wars with the very first classic arcade game in 1983 to the Star Wars Trilogy arcade game in 1998. Other games have included many different titles on both video game consoles and PC including popular titles as Dark Forces, The Force Unleashed, Knights of the Old Republic, Battlefront, even LEGO Star Wars and my current favorite (and addiction), Star Wars: The Old Republic (a.k.a. SWTOR)!

#5 Television - Star Wars have been featured on TV in several spin-offs and series starting with the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978 to the short-lived Droids and Ewoks cartoon series from 1985 to 1986 during my childhood. To promote the release of Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Cartoon Network produced a series of shorts entitled Star Wars: Clone Wars from 2003 to 2005, created by Genndy Tartakovsky. Recently there was a huge following for the Emmy Award winning Cartoon Network animated series The Clone Wars which ran for five seasons from 2008 to 2013, prompted by a 2008 full-length CG animated movie. Currently the sixth season dubbed "The Lost Missions" are now available on Netflix. Next fall, Disney XD will be premiering a new series Star Wars Rebels, set between the events of Ep.III and IV featuring new heroes and villains!

#4 Comic Books - The Star Wars comic books have been around almost as long as the movies, first with the Marvel Comics series from 1977 to 1986 and lasting 107 issues. In 1991 Dark Horse Comics acquired the rights to the Star Wars franchise and began a long run of titles featuring many different story lines within the Extended Universe. I remember reading several of the original comics and especially as I got into comic collecting more of the Dark Horse titles, particularly Dark Empire, Tales of the Jedi and Shadows of the Empire. As the Dark Horse Comics era comes to an end, it was announced in 2013 that Lucasfilm and Marvel Comics were reuniting and will begin publishing new comics in 2015! See Timeline of Comics

#3 Books - The first novelization of Star Wars was published in 1976 as Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker although credited as written by George Lucas, it was actually ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster from Lucas' original script. Foster would later go on to publish the first Extended Universe novel in 1978, Splinter of the Mind's Eye. As the popularity for Star Wars books increased a book series featuring Han Solo and Lando Calrissian in their own adventures. In 1991, Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn was published beginning the immensely-popular "Thrawn Trilogy". Since then, the Star Wars legacy has continued with hundreds of novels featuring stories from the ever-expanding universe with new books.

#2 Music - Without the music of John Williams, the Star Wars films would be an entirely different experience! When director Steven Spielberg recommended Williams to his friend and fellow director George Lucas to score his 1977 film Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope), who knew how much of an impact a musical score would have on the reception of the film. Both the film and it's soundtrack were incredibly successful and it remains to this day the highest grossing music recording of all-time, earning Williams an Academy Award for Best Original Score. Williams also scored Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) completing the original trilogy. Both scores earned him Academy Award Nominations. Then in 1999, Williams was asked to score all three of the prequel films including Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). While Williams' musical legacy continues in other popular films, other composers have credited his influence for their own music including composer Kevin Kiner for his work on the themes for Star Wars: the Clone Wars.

#1 Movies - On May 25, 1977, the world of movies changed forever with the premiere of Star Wars (also later known as Episode IV: A New Hope)! Creator/writer/director George Lucas took his influences from the films and serials he loved as a child and his studies in film-school to create a new, epic, space-opera. Star Wars broke box-office records and became one of the first modern blockbuster films and remains one of the most financially successful films franchises of all time! I consider myself a 2nd Generation Star Wars fan as I was born shortly after the initial release of the first film. I can recall seeing the first two movies at home either on TV, early VHS and Laserdisc. One of my favorite earliest memories is seeing Return of the Jedi at one of the few remaining local Drive-In theaters around the age of four and I have been obsessed with Star Wars from then on. I watched, played, read, slept on (sheets), ate (Star Wars cereal) and basically lived Star Wars my whole life! I was not overly-excited to be present at the opening of Episode I as so many of my fellow fans were and much to my dismay, shared in their disappointment. My original preconceptions of the prequel trilogy have changed over time and I have learned to come to terms with my love/hate relationship with the Special Editions of the original trilogy as well as the prequels. As news of Episode VII continues to increase, my thoughts and feelings are conflicted as to the future of my beloved Star Wars. As I'm not very fond of director J.J. Abrams due to his questionable reboot of the Star Trek franchise, however, when Episode VII is released I will be there waiting with millions of fans despite my expectations.
Thank you! "May the Force be With you!"

LINKS: Star Wars Official Site

Top 10 Futurama Episodes

It's been 14 years since Matt Groening's Futurama debuted on March 28, 1999. After being cancelled by Fox back in 2003 and following four popular direct to DVD movies, Comedy Central picked up the show in 2009 and has kept it running to it's 10th season. Sadly, this week is the  premiere of the Series Finale entitled “Meanwhile,” on Wednesday, September 4th, at 10:00pm ET/PT on Comedy Central. We'll all miss the wacky sci-fi-esque adventures of Fry, Leela, Bender and the rest of the crew of the Planet Express but you can be sure to see them on reruns and DVD for years... To celebrate the final episode CHERNOBOG'S BLOG Presents: The Top 10 Futurama Episodes! Enjoy...

#10 "A Fishful of Dollars", Aired: 4/27/99 - When Fry discovers he has over 4 billion dollars in his savings account he goes money crazy and buys a rare can of anchovies, now a rare and extinct delicacy. The evil Mom company conspires to steal it for use in cheap robot oil.
#9 "Fry & the Slurm Factory", Aired: 11/14/99 - Fry becomes addicted to Slurm, a popular soda and wins a contest (a la Willy Wonka) to tour the Slurm factory where he learns a terrible secret!
#8 "Reincarnation", Aired: 9/8/11 - 3 shorts feature Futurama in 3 different animation styles including old-timey cartoon. anime, and 8-bit video-game.
#7 "Bender's Game", 4-Part Episode/Movie, 4/26/09 - The Planet Express crew are trapped in a fantasy- game world created by Bender's mind.
#6 "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings", Aired: 8/10/03 - In an effort to win Leela's love, Fry makes a deal with the Robot Devil to become a gifted musician.
#5 "Parasites Lost", Aired: 1/21/01 - When Fry eats an egg-salad sandwich from a gas station vending he becomes stronger and smarter from ingesting "intelligent worms".
#4 "Less Than hero", Aired: 3/2/03 - Fry and Leela become superheroes after using a "miracle cream" from Dr. Zoidberg and form a crime-fighting team with Bender.
#3 "Where No Fan Has Gone Before", Aired: 4/21/02 - Fry and the crew are put on trial for traveling to the forbidden planet of Omega 3 to retrieve all 79 episodes of "Star Trek" with the heads of the original cast members (except for Scotty!) and battles a nerdy energy being.
#2 "Roswell That Ends Well", Aired: 12/9/01 - During a supernova explosion, Fry uses the Planet Express' microwave which sends the crew back to Roswell, New Mexico in the year 1947 where they are mistaken for a UFO!
#1 "The Luck of the Fryrish", Aired: 3/11/01 - Bad luck sends Fry in search of his boyhood good-luck charm, a seven-leaf clover, stirring memories of rivalry with his older brother, Yancy.

LINKS: Futurama on Comedy Central, The Infosphere: the Futurama Wiki

Movie Review: Pacific Rim

While this Summer has been so full of disappointing, special-effects driven, Sci-Fi blockbusters (Star Trek Into Darkness) and over-the-top superhero movies (Iron Man 3, Man of Steel), one of the most highly anticipated and original movies of the Summer brings audiences a greatly needed breath of fresh air (or a monstrous roar of excitement!), and that film is PACIFIC RIM! Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) and starring Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and Rinko Kikuchi, Pacific Rim features giant robots versus giant monsters, with epic battles never seen before except in Godzilla movies or anime!
In the near future, giant monsters known as Kaiju appear from a dimensional rift beneath the Pacific Ocean. As they wreak havoc upon the coastal cities of the Earth, the nations of the world come together and build giant fighting machines (mechas) called Jaegers (German; hunter) to defend the human race. Controlled by two pilots simultaneously through a neural link, only a handful of Jaegers and a giant man-made wall are all that stands between the kaijus and total annihilation!
One of the best team of pilots are two brothers: Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam) and Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff) Becket, who pilot the Gipsy Danger. When Yancy is killed during a battle near the Alaskan coast, Raleigh leaves the Jaeger program to help work on constructing the "Wall of Life". Five years later, Raleigh is approached by his former commander Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) to convince him to return to the Jaeger project, which is in desperate need of pilots. Along with a few highly-trained teams of Jaeger pilots from all over the world and new recruit Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), Raleigh must prepare to defend against the oncoming onslaught of kaijus, each more powerful than the last!
Known for his highly imaginative yet dark/supernatural style, this is Mexican director Guillermo del Toro's first venture into the realm of the big-budget, Sci-Fi movie. With big robots and big monsters that defy believability, Pacific Rim brings a whole new level to a genre already popular among fans of Japanese kaiju movies (the Godzilla franchise), or robot vs. kaiju TV shows (Kamen Rider, Ultraman), and anime (Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion). While a large number of American movie goers are fans of the genre, most American audiences haven't seen giant robots on the screen since the B-grade Robot Jox (1989), or giant monsters, for that matter, since the awful remake of Godzilla (1998)! Writing the screenplay with del Toro was Travis Beacham, known for the special-effects nightmare remake of Clash of the Titans (2010). Full of ultra-destruction and violence, Pacific Rim is not without a bit of levity from it's huge international cast. Among these are comedy actor Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who plays Dr. Newton Geiszler, an eccentric scientist obsessed with kaijus, opposite Burn Gorman as Dr. Gottleib, a stern, British scientist. Put the two of them together and they're like the Laurel & Hardy of kaijus. Also, it wouldn't be a del Toro film without Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman as Hannibal Chau, a flashy-dressed, black-market dealer, specializing in kaiju remains. As a fan of del Toro's films since Blade II and Hellboy, even his co-authored novels The Strain Trilogy, this is a bold, new, step in the right direction from a talented filmmaker who also contributed to new The Hobbit films.
Pacific Rim is in one word: AWESOME! But don't be too quick to dismiss it's over-the-top action, violence and destruction. While many critics have panned it's lack of character development and story, I see that there is plenty character and story for a movie this BIG! The Top Gun-like interaction between Raleigh and Pentecost is intense, as is the relationship with the incredibly sexy, yet vulnerable Mako. Even some of the other less-prominent Jaeger teams are both colorful and memorable. Pacific Rim makes no apologies for what it is, if you go expecting giant robots fighting giant monsters, then you're in for a treat, because that's exactly what your going to get! It is true how much of an onslaught to the senses in special-effects and mega-destruction there is, but that's what it is all about! It doesn't pretend to be anything else. Pacific Rim is a great, entertaining, action-packed Summer blockbuster and it is no doubt the BIGGEST movie this Summer! (Literally...)

LINKS: Pacific Rim Official Site, Del Toro Films.com

Disney's Star Wars Weekends 2013

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to Walt Disney World for their annual Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios! This is the third time I've experienced this event (the first was in 2008 and the last was in 2011), unfortunately I was unable to attend last year, but this year's celebration was extra special since it was the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi! Star Wars Weekends is a month long celebration of Star Wars featuring special guests, celebrities, characters and entertainment! This year's special guests included hosts James Arnold Taylor (the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Plo-Koon in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Also featured this year are: Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace), Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex – Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), Jim Cummings (voice of Hondo Ohnaka – Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar – Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), Sam Witwer (voice of Darth Maul – Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian – Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca – Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi) and Tom Kane (voice of Yoda – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)!

Warwick Davis

As I was only able to attend the third weekend this time, I was however able to meet and get autographs from Tim rose and Sam Witwer. I have met other guests including Anthony Daniels, Warwick Davis, James Arnold Taylor and Ashley Eckstein in previous years.
Star Wars Weekends continues to grow not only in activities and special guests, but also in attendance. Many fans, both young and old, flock to Star Wars Weekends on regular basis. While some of the more interactive activities are meant for younger audiences, such as the "Padawan Mind Challenge" and the "Hyperspace Hoopla!", both hosted by Snig & Oopla at the Event Stage. The whole event starts off with the "Legends of the Force" Motorcade and Celebrity Welcome which features a parade including all the Disney/Star Wars characters, special guests and celebrities and also members of the 501st: "Vader's Fist", Florida Garrison and The Rebel Legion. One of the biggest draws at Star Wars Weekends is of course all the exclusive merchandise and collectibles available only at "Darth's Mall" along with photo opportunities with Star Wars characters and this year features an almost life-size Rancor! One of the most popular (and expensive) collectibles available at Star Wars Weekends is the "Carbon-Freeze Me" and a personalized Stormtrooper available at the D-Tech Me Experience Star Wars Weekends also features several entertaining shows for fans of the Clone Wars show from Cartoon Network including "Behind the Force: Star Wars Voices" hosted by Ashley Eckstein, along with "Obi-Wan and Beyond" and "Stars of the Saga" hosted by James Arnold Taylor. The most entertaining show at this year's Star Wars Weekends has to be "An Ewok's Tale-My Short Story" starring Warwick Davis. In it he tells his "short" life-story including how he got the parts as Wicket, the Ewok in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Willow and the Harry Potter series.

The Rancor!

As popularity for Star Wars never fails to grow even after 36 years, despite the recent controversy over Disney buying Lucasfilm from George Lucas, the upcoming release of Episode VII directed by J.J. Abrams in 2015, not to mention the cancellation of the immensely popular Clone Wars show from Cartoon Network and the upcoming new animated series Star Wars Rebels on Disney Channel XD in 2014! It is an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan and it is both a pleasure and a relief to have annual events like Star Wars Weekends and Star Wars Celebration where fans can come together and revel in all things Star Wars! I hope to attend next year's Star Wars Weekends and hope to see you there as well! "May the Force Be With You!" and See you next year!

LINKS: Star Wars.com, Star Wars Weekends, Ashley Eckstein's Her Universe

30th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi

Original Poster

On Wednesday, May 25th, 1983, the third and final chapter of the Star Wars Trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, was released in theatres (exactly six years to the day of the release of the original Star Wars)! Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of that epic conclusion and to celebrate, CHERNOBOG'S BLOG would like to take this opportunity to share some of it's thoughts and even some trivia on one of my favorite movies of all time!
After Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) rescue Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebel Alliance plans to destroy the second Death Star, currently under construction and overseen by The Emperor himself! With the death of Jedi Master Yoda, Luke must complete his training and confront his father, Darth Vader, thus becoming a true Jedi Knight!
After the phenomenal success of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, creator/producer George Lucas had to face some hard decisions with completing his saga. Since relinquishing his directorial duties to Irvin Kershner for Episode V and choosing not to bow down to Hollywood/20th Century Fox politics such as choosing to leave the Directors' Guild and Writers' Guild after having to pay fines for his independent, creative choices. Not to mention the fact that Lucas had put up the money for the production himself yet again. For the third installment of the Star Wars saga, Lucas originally wanted his friend and co-creator of Indiana Jones Steven Spielerg to direct, but eventually settled for relatively unknown Welsh director Richard Marquand.
By the end of Episode V, the popular character of Han Solo  had been frozen in 'carbonite' and taken away to Jabba the Hutt by Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch). Harrison Ford, who had become equally popular as the character of Indiana Jones, did not originally want to return, but Lucas insisted.
While the third movie was originally titled Revenge of the Jedi, Lucas made a last minute decision to change it to Return of the Jedi just weeks before it's release. During the production of the film, it was given the alternate title of "Blue Harvest" to prevent any story leaks. Return of the Jedi was a major breakthrough in both film production and special effects. The movie introduced some new major characters that would become vital to the saga including Jabba the Hutt (also a technological difficulty and triumph, before re-introducing him in the Special Edition of Episode IV) and the first full appearance of The Emperor (a.k.a. Palpatine, Ian McDiarmid) who had previously appeared as a hologram in Episode V originally played by Clive Revill, pre-Special Edition). One of the most popular new characters introduced in Episode VI was Wicket, the Ewok (Warwick Davis), who was the most prominently featured Ewok in the film. Other new elements included in Episode VI were Luke's new green lightsaber and Leia's slave outfit (which has become one of the most popular cosplay choices for girl Star Wars fans at conventions). While Episode VI was the most technologically sophisticated and had the highest budget of any of the Star Wars Trilogy, there has always been a huge schism with fans whether Episode V and VI is the best.

"Revenge of the Jedi" Poster

I consider myself a second generation Star Wars fan, as I was not born in time to see the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (a.k.a. Star Wars, 1977) film, but I was however, able to see Return of the Jedi in theatres and it has since always been and always will be, my favorite Star Wars movie! Although I was a considerably young Star Wars fan at the time, I had the privilege of seeing the other Star Wars movies on VHS, which at that time the home video craze was still a growing market. I also already owned many of the toys and action figures, which remain highly collectible today. Even today, I am still the proud owner of many of them, although having sold a considerable amount of my collection in recent years. Seeing Return of the Jedi is one of my clearest and fondest early memories, although I can distinctly remember not seeing it until later in the year. At that time, movies were kept in theaters longer and when I and my family did eventually see the movie, it was already in the Fall and we saw it at one of the few remaining Drive-In theatres near Ft. Worth, Texas. I can remember it being very cold and the speaker near the car window was not the best quality but the screen was huge (or so it seemed at the time) and I enjoyed every minute of it! While Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) has always been my favorite character, most likely due to my very young age I was very fond of the Ewoks, particularly Wicket, both actors I have had the pleasure to meet and get autographs. I still find that Luke's black costume and green lightsaber has always been my favorite image of him. I remained a lifelong Star Wars fan and can remember dressing up several times as Star Wars characters for Halloween over the years, especially with my Mom-made Jedi cape and partially store-bought Ewok costume when I was a child.

1997 Special Edition Poster

1997 was a big year in my life, mostly because that was the year I graduated high school, but also because that Summer was the release of the Star Wars "Special Editions"! Other than Episode VI, this was the first time I was able to see Episode IV and V in the theater. Despite all the changes, this was one of the happiest times in a theater I can remember since the Summer of 1989 (Batman, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Ghostbusters II). As for the release of the "Special Edition" version of Return of the Jedi, I feel it had some of the best and worst changes of those "revisions". While many of the changes made in Episode IV, like "Greedo shooting first!" and "Jenny Craig-Jabba" are preposterous, some of the more updated technological additions were acceptable (1995 THX remasters). As for those changes made in Return of the Jedi, there are a few which I feel, while they only alter some of the less important scenes in the movie, the changes to the ending particularly are the most controversial. The changing of Jabba's band is so over-the-top ridiculous that I will barely mention it, however giving the Sarlacc Pitt a beak in place of his open-toothy, maw is even more idiotic. With the added scenes at the end, I found the addition of showing the celebrations seen all over the galaxy at the "Fall of the Empire" was impressive however in removing the Ghost of Anakin Skywalker, originally played by Sebastian Shaw and replacing him with Hayden Christensen (who played Anakin in Episode II and III) was an outrage!
No matter if you think Episode VI is better than V, or if you think the original is the best, Return of the Jedi still remains my personal favorite since I was a kid for several reasons. Ultimately, it was the final chapter in the trilogy, successfully ending the saga and completing the epic hero's journey of Luke Skywalker. Even though this year marks the 30th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi, the Star Wars Saga is far from over. As many of you know last year, the Walt Disney Corporation acquired Lucasfilm and it was announced that J.J. Abrams is to direct Episode VII set to be released in 2015.
Even after 36 years, the Star Wars Saga is still alive and well today! I hope you are just as excited as I am and can't wait to see what's going to happen next. "May the Force be with you!"

LINKS: Star Wars Official Website, The Official Star Wars Blog, The Force.net, Wookiepedia: The Star Wars Wiki, Star Wars Celebration, Rancho Obi Wan

Dallas Comic Con 2013

This weekend I went to Dallas Comic Con 2013 at the Irving Convention Center in Irving, Texas. This is the second Comic Con event I've been to in the last year including Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days back in October. Dallas Comic Con is considered to be one of the largest "Mega-Cons" in the state along with smaller sister event the Sci-Fi Expo under the management of OfficialPix produced by C2 Ventures, Inc. This years' Comic Con was the biggest by far with 25,000 attendees! This years' Dallas Comic Con ran from May 17 to 19. Among the many special media guests included were: William Shatner, Richard Dean Anderson, John Noble, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Kevin Conroy, Ernie Hudson, Brandon Routh along with many others! Also in attendance were some great comic book creators, writers and artists such as Jim Steranko, John Romita, Jr., Arthur Suydam, J. David Spurlock and many more! The two biggest disappointments this year was the cancellation of special guest Nathan Fillion and the Art of Akira exhibit. Although the con was incredibly crowded with incredibly long lines, a broken escalator and over priced food, I managed to meet and get autographs from all the guests I planned to this year including: John Noble (Denethor, Lord of the Rings Trilogy), plus Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), and also Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman, Batman Animated Series, Arkham Asylum)! The biggest thrill came from when me and my family met LeVar and Brent as we were dressed in our Star Trek uniform shirts, LeVar was overjoyed and took a picture of us on his own phone! I also had the pleasure of meeting comic book artists Jim Steranko and John Romita, Jr.! I was also able to attend several panels including the Kevin Conroy Q&A on Friday, the John Romita, Jr. Q&A on Saturday, and the Star Trek Q&A on Sunday. I love comic cons, the special guests, the vendors, the costumes/cosplay, but unfortunately, there is always the crowd. While I feel the crowd was somewhat manageable, the lines in the morning just to get in seemed so unorganized as we were lined up inside the convention center parking garage for hours! As for things that the con organizers had no control over, they were unavoidable such as the escalator breaking down Saturday afternoon and the convention center café running out of food on Sunday. But thankfully that did little to diminish the whole experience. I hope to return to Comic Con next year and may possibly attend the next Fan Days in October, there is also the Sci-Fi Expo in February.

LINKS: Dallas Comic Con Official Website, Dallas Comic Con on Facebook, Dallas Comic Con on Twitter

The Clone Wars: Canceled...

What began in 2008 as an animated feature film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars sparked a phenomenal TV series that has lasted for five action-packed seasons on Cartoon Network! Sadly, after the season five finale, it was announced that Lucasfilm canceled 'Clone Wars' thus ending the epic story that took place between the Star Wars films Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. While the Clone Wars has become a big part of the Star Wars prequels storyline, the most significant aspect of the show has always been the relationship between Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and his new padawan Ashoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein). Female fans both young and old had gravitated to this headstrong, young heroine as she became one of the most popular Star Wars characters in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The biggest problem, however has always been the question of: what happened to Ashoka before the events of Episode III? Although considering what happened at the end of the series (No Spoilers!), it is still unclear what her fate is to be. Unlike previous attempts to bring the episodic nature of The Clone Wars to TV, like in the short lived 2003 Clone Wars maxi-series created by animator Genndy Tartakovsky, the latest Clone Wars animated series featured a new level of detailed computer animation along with a cast of exceptional voice actors like James Arnold Taylor, to bring the show to life. 

Shortly after the shows 100th episode, it was announced via a recent Google+ live video podcast with director Dave Filoni and voice actors Ashley Eckstein and Matt Lanter that season five would bring some major events and big changes to the story. With the return of Darth Maul as well as deciding the fate of Ashoka Tano, the end of season five brought many surprises. While The Clone Wars show has always appealed more to younger Star Wars fans even old-school fans like me have enjoyed it. Within it's first season I knew this show was something special and I enjoyed it every Friday night on prime time and then later on Saturday mornings. With the recent purchase of Lucasfilm by Disney Corporation, along with the news of new Star Wars movies directed by J.J. Abrams, as well as Disney's involvement with the annual Star Wars Weekends which the Clone Wars has been a big part of since 2008, it is unclear what the future will hold for the Star Wars franchise. With rumors spreading about Episode VII and the possibilities of a Star Wars live action TV show it seems as though a new chapter in the Star Wars franchise is just beginning but in the words of Master Yoda: "Clouded, the future is..."

See: A message from James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi) about The Clone Wars and IGN.com interview with Dave Filoni

LINKS: Star Wars Official Website

Movie Review: Dark Skies

Every few years or so, a movie comes along which perpetuates the popular notion that "we are not alone!" For several decades, it has been strongly suggested that extra-terrestrial aliens are in fact among us and frequently abduct people. This phenomenon has been explored in many real-life accounts ever since the famous abduction case of Betty and Barney Hill in 1961. Since then, alien abduction has become a popular subject in books and movies including: Communion (1989) starring Christopher Walken, based on the book by Whitley Strieber, Fire In The Sky (1993) starring D.B. Sweeney, based on the story of Travis Walton, and was also recently featured in the film Signs (2002), directed by M. Night Shyamalan. This highly controversial and disturbing subject is explored again in the recent release Dark Skies, directed by Scott Stewart (Legion (2009), Priest (2011)) and starring Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton.
Lacy and Daniel Barrett are a struggling, modern, suburban family. While Daniel searches for a job in an architectural firm, Lacy works as an overly-honest real estate agent. Their two boys, Jesse and Sam are relatively normal and share a close relationship. While the family has to deal with the usual suburban troubles such as overdue bills and mortgage, suddenly, strange things begin to happen in the house that threatens the safety of the family. First, it seems like mere harmless pranks as their kitchen is raided, doors are left open in the middle of the night, and then all of a sudden flocks of birds bombard their house with no explanation! When the Barretts install a security system and cameras in the house, they slowly realize that they are being "visited". As strange occurrences and behaviors happen more frequently, the Barrett's begin to fear for their lives and seek out help and the means to defend themselves against this "other-worldly" threat!
Like most alien visitation/abduction stories, the victims involved usually do not realize they are being visited or taken until it's too late. Consumed by doubt and disbelief, the Barrett family is no different and although a number of strange and unexplainable events occur they never fully accept the truth in what is happening to them. Dark Skies is an interesting story full of tense and surprising moments but ultimately comes to a predictable end. After everything that happens, you actually feel for the character of Lacy the most as she ultimately comes to the improbable, however correct conclusion, although she finds it impossible to convince her husband of the truth. The fact that children are involved, especially their young son Sam makes the situation even more terrifying and unsettling.
The aliens in Dark Skies as it has been revealed are somewhat different from the typical "Grays" that have been depicted in almost every case of alien contact, popularized in the book/movie Communion, however as these aliens start out somewhat playful and curious, even benevolent beings, it is not all together unexpected when they turn into a malevolent threat towards the climax of the movie.
While Dark Skies seems original there are some very noticeable similarities to M. Night Shyamalan's film Signs, particularly towards the end as the family prepare for the final visit from the aliens by boarding up the house and afterwards have a solemn dinner while reminiscing about happy moments with their children. There are some genuinely terrifying scenes in the film as you only see the creatures for split seconds and often in dark, unexpected moments. There are also a few convincingly suspenseful parts of the movie that successfully achieve the "jump out of your seat" effect. With a somewhat unpredictable twist towards the end, followed by a final, yet disturbing revelation at the end, Dark Skies is a decent thriller that will certainly give you a few goosebumps and may make you want to sleep with the lights and TV on tonight.

LINKS: Dark Skies Official Website, Chosen.org, Dark Skies on Twitter, Dark Skies on Facebook

Movie Review: Prometheus

In 1979, director Ridley Scott gave us a unique and terrifying science-fiction/horror film that would spark a franchise spanning over 30 years: Alien. While the original film left fans and film-goers alike with many unanswered questions, after several sequels and spin-offs, it was time to start from scratch. 33 years later, Ridley Scott has finally returned to the world of Alien to answer those questions and bring us PROMETHEUS!

In the year 2093, a team of scientists travel to a mysterious alien planet to search for the origins of the human race. "They went looking for our beginning. What they found could be our end."
Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) are archaeologists who search all over the world for evidence that suggests humanity may have extra-terrestrial origins, searching for the so-called "Engineers", they join a scientific expedition on the science vessel Prometheus. Funded by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation run by the elderly Peter Weyland (Guy Pierce), the ship's crew has a unique member, David (Michael Fassbender), an artificial-lifeform created by the corporation. Under the command of Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) and Captain Janek (Idris Elba) the 'Prometheus' arrive on an unexplored planet to discover a strange structure. Inside they will discover wonder and horror beyond imagination as the secret of the "Engineers" is revealed!
It all started with Alien (1979) when the crew of the 'Nostromo' first spotted a strange alien ship and found inside what would forever be known as the "Space Jockey" and we all asked: "WTF is that?" From that very scene and set designed by artist H.R. Giger, the foundation of the Aliens mythos began. That one provocative, yet confusing scene is the one element that bridges the gap of over 30 years from Alien to Prometheus and seeks to answer (or tries to) the questions fans have been asking for years. Prometheus the movie is essentially a prequel but also a reboot/re-imagining of the Aliens franchise from the director that started it all. While it's sequel Aliens (1986), directed by James Cameron set the franchise off in a whole new direction Prometheus turns back the pages to the origins of the story as we see just how exactly the alien ship came to be there and what are the origins of the aliens and there horrifying cargo. If you are a fan of the original Alien film, don't go expecting all of your questions to be answered, but although it does provide some revelation, it will still leave you scratching your head.

Space Jockey Comparison (Top:1979, Bottom: 2012)

While Prometheus is a an amazing movie both in concept, story and visuals, it however does not deviate very far from the archetypal Alien plot line thus making it somewhat predictable. It has always been a trademark in the Aliens franchise to have strong female characters (i.e. Ripley/Sigourney Weaver), that is usually the sole-survivor of the alien massacre. With Prometheus and the main character Elizabeth Shaw, played by Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (from the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) trilogy) it has a similar outcome. With the inclusion of Michael Fassbender's David character as an android, who plays it much colder than his robotic predecessor Ash (Ian Holm) in Alien (1979), almost like a blond Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. In Prometheus, we are introduced to David very early and it is revealed rather plainly that he is in fact a "robot", however in Alien, the discovery of Ash as a robot is one of the terrifying plot-twists of the story. David's actions in the movie are another predictable element in the movie as he is the one who withholds information from the crew and is of course the instigator of the crew's troubles. The crew of the Prometheus is the typical motley crew of various scientists and experts, often with their own eccentricities or "does not play well with others" attitude who usually don't live very long. This dysfunctional teamwork aspect of the movie is even more apparent in the relationship with the Prometheus' command crew: Vickers, a very cold, by-the-book woman, who works for the company, and Capt. Janek, who merely "fly's the ship", a fact he makes very clear quite often in the movie. Prometheus is not without it's intense and gory moments, which is not uncommon with the Aliens franchise. Ever since the first chest-burster exploded out of Kane's (John Hurt) torso in Alien (1979), there has been an element of gore to these movies and Prometheus is no different but with an added twist, without spoilers let's just say it involves "extreme surgery"! The "Engineers" in Prometheus are the very same beings the crew encounters in the original movie, but their story is examined much more closely and in depth as we get to see them for what they really are. The other creatures, which are really the true threat in the franchise are very different from the familiar slime-drooling, acid-blood-filled, Xenomorphs we remember. Prometheus is an awesome film, full of sci-fi/horror intrigue and action! It is both visually stunning and mind-numbingly intense. If you are a fan of Alien or the Aliens franchise you are in for a treat. If you have never seen them, see Prometheus and then see Alien. It may not hold the same wonder and fascination as it did over 30 years ago when we first encountered the alien terror but the famous tagline still holds true: "In space, no one can hear you scream."

Be sure to visit the highly in-depth Official Website: Project Prometheus.com

Personal Note: I was really looking forward to Prometheus, as a fan of the original Alien film and the Aliens franchise I couldn't wait to finally learn the origin of the aliens, and what the "Space Jockey" was all about. While the movie does not answer all the questions, if anything it poses more. I can't wait to see what else is in store for us if there will be a sequel. Also, I have always had an interest in the proposed theories of the alien origins of the human race, (I recommend reading Chariots of the Gods (1968) by Erich von Däniken or watch Ancient Aliens on The History Channel) while many may ridicule this idea it is a widely held belief. While this movie presents some interesting ideas related to this subject it is fictitious. But that is what science-fiction is all about, exploring new ideas and wondrous and exciting possibilities!
LINKS: Prometheus on Facebook

MUSIC REVIEW: BRENDON SMALL'S 'GALAKTIKON'

Brendon Small is one of the most original independent artists of our time! He is an accomplished  writer, voice actor, composer and musician. He was co-creator of the animated series 'Home Movies' (1999-2004) originally on UPN and then on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. He is most notable as the co-creator, co-producer, co-writer, composer and voice actor of the heavy metal animated series Metalocalypse on Adult Swim featuring the fictional (or virtual) death metal band Dethklok! Along with the highly popular animated series, he has also produced two albums featuring the music from 'Metalocalypse' including The Dethalbum in 2007 and Dethalbum II in 2009. On April 29th, Brendon Small released his own album of original music called Brendon Small's 'Galaktikon', a full-length, heavy metal album on Small's own label (BS Records) and distributed through Top Spin Media. 'Galaktikon' is described by Brendon Small as "a High Stakes Intergalactic Extreme Rock album!" and likens it to an "audio comic book". While waiting for the 4th season of 'Metalocalypse' to premiere on Adult Swim (also on April 29th), Brendon Small has been working on this side-project which is essentially a concept album.

Brendon Small

The album features a number of prominent tracks starting with the rising, epic, first track "Triton", a story about a lonely space traveler as he searches the vast universe wanting more out of life. "Deathwaltz" is an impressively, heavy track with growling Motörhead-like vocals. The ballad-like "You Can't Run Away" is the most musically versatile track, with it's steady rhythm and inclusion of acoustic and electric guitar sounds. The album also features the high-energy (but oddly named) instrumental track called "Dangertits". The final track on the album is the fast-paced "On My Way" which brings the whole concept album to an abrupt halt.
'Galaktikon' features Brendon Small on vocals and guitars; Gene Hoglan from Strapping Young Lad, Testament, and Fear Factory on drums; Bryan Beller of Steve Vai and Mike Keneally Band on bass; with engineer and mixer Ulrich Wild. The musical style of 'Galaktikon' is much more melodic and a little less heavy (or "brutal") than the music he produces for 'Metalocalypse', which reflects more of Small's own personal style. With Small's unique melodic style, speed and virtuosity. "Galaktikon' is an amazing album! Any fan of 'Metalocalypse' or Brendon Small's music will enjoy it immensely. Brendon hasn't announced any plans yet to tour again with the Dethklok band or with his new 'Galaktikon', but keep your eyes on the stars!

Brendon Small's Official Website
Visit Brendon Small's 'Galaktikon' on Facebook'
Follow Brendon Small on Twitter