Monday, December 31, 2012

2012: A Year of Change


This article was originally intended to look back at the whole year of Star Wars, however one event has overshadowed everything else. The shock Disney takeover of Lucasfilm, and announcement of more movies, has completely changed the landscape. This is the year that our acceptance that the core Saga is six films long was shattered. This is the year we found that other people than George Lucas can add to the canon.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Great Characters: Emperor Palpatine


It is hard to think of iconic characters such as Boba Fett, Yoda and the Emperor as supporting characters. But that they are. They are part of the world that our heroes inhabit in the Star Wars movies, they impact on the main characters, but the story is not about them. Yet they are some of the most loved characters in the Star Wars Saga. Here are my reasons for why Emperor Palpatine is my favourite Star Wars villain.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

What to do in Episode VII?

The announcement of new Star Wars films came as a shock to everyone outside the selected few in Lucasfilm who had already been setting wheels in motion. But the biggest shock, with all of the denials that Lucas has made about a third trilogy, was that the first new film would be Episode VII. Apart from that Star Wars fans will learn more Roman numerals, what does it mean?

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Legacy Back but no John Ostrander & Jan Duursema


In May 2011 Dark Horse released the final issue of Star Wars Legacy, or so we were told. It has been announced now, just 18 months later, that Legacy will be returning with a new creative team behind the comic book. The new series will not follow Cade Skywalker and his crew, but instead focus on a descendant of the Solo/Organa bloodline.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Great Underated Attack of the Clones


Attack of the Clones has for some reason been unfairly dismissed by casual and less casual Star Wars fans. It is often referred to as being “as bad as” The Phantom Menace, and by some it is considered worse. This analysis is unfair, and tends to be based more on disappointment hanging over from The Phantom Menace and vague memories of the film rather than the film itself.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Lucasfilm without George Lucas

Websites around the world are rejoicing about the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm, however it may be appropriate to consider this from different angles. Whilst the words “new Star wars films” are all that most fans needed to get them on board, perhaps it is worth treating the announcement with some caution. After all, this is the biggest change in the entire history of Lucasfilm.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Reaction: The Disney Announcement


Having had a few days to digest the news, and read some other reaction around the web, I now have some reaction to offer on the most important piece of Star Wars news since the prequel trilogy was announced. What does this monumental announcement mean for the future of Star Wars?

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Disney to Acquire Lucasfilm - Initial Reaction


Wow. The Internet has exploded with the news that Disney are to buy Lucasfilm, and produce a new trilogy of Star Wars films. This is the most shocking, sensational news related to Star Wars since the announcement of the prequel trilogy. For more information and some initial reaction, read on.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Why Return of the Jedi is Awesome

It is understandable, when compared to The Empire Strikes Back, why Return of the Jedi gets some stick. Where the first sequel moved the story in exciting new directions, the closing chapter seemed derivative of the original film. But even if Return of the Jedi didn’t deliver in the same way as its predecessor, there is still plenty to love about it.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Is it Worth Getting Angry over those Cartoon Birds?

Star Wars has had many ‘mash ups’ over the past few years. To name just a few, we have seen Disney characters, the Muppets, M&M’s, Family Guy and Mr Potato Head. Now, Lucasfilm have announced a partnership with Rovio Entertainment who are producing a Star Wars Angry Birds app, with fully licensed product support. Is this a cross-over too far, or a brilliant way of combing Star Wars with a current craze?

Monday, October 1, 2012

Remembering Celebration Europe


It was finally announced last August that in 2013, six years after the first Celebration Europe, an official Star Wars event will be hitting Germany. There are scant details about Celebration Europe II available yet, so looking back at 2007’s Celebration Europe seems like the perfect way to start getting excited…

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Great Characters: Vilmarh Grahk


Quinlan Vos is a hugely popular character among readers of Star Wars comics. The maverick Jedi, who struggled to walk the line between the light and dark sides of the force, had a dramatic storyline that lasted for dozens of issues. But a character often overlooked when praise is heaped on Quinlan Vos is his sometimes sidekick, sometimes manipulator, Vilmarh Grahrk. 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Why Case Mixes Matter to the Collector


Collecting Star Wars action figures can be a frustrating task. There’s frequently that one figure that is never left on store shelves, which it is only possible to get by coughing two or three times the RRP online. But why do these online stores or independent shops charge so much for rare figures? And how would the distribution issues of certain figures be solved?

Thursday, September 13, 2012

LEGO Star Wars 2013 Analysis: Part II

The LEGO Star Wars rumours for next year are continuing. Hoth Bricks have reported a list that confirms many of those first revealed here, plus a couple of new additions. Read on for the rest of my analysis of the LEGO Star Wars line-up for 2013…

Friday, September 7, 2012

LEGO Star Wars 2013 Analysis: Part I

The LEGO Star Wars rumours for next year are continuing. Hoth Bricks have reported a list that confirms many of those first revealed here, plus a couple of new additions. Read on for my analysis of the LEGO Star Wars line-up for 2013…


Saturday, August 25, 2012

Every generation has a legend... Every blog has an inaugural post...

Welcome to Into the Garbage Chute. This blog is going to be the home of opinion and commentary about all aspects of Star Wars – the movies, Lucasfilm and its companies, the brand, the TV series, the comics, the books, the video games, the collecting… any and all are up for discussion. To start things off, I shall explain a bit about my background and what this blog will aim to be. Think of this as the opening crawl, perhaps…