Tag Archives: Star Wars

Christopher Miller and Phil Lord to Direct Han Solo Anthology Film

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Hey look news! Christopher Miller and Phil Lord (of 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie fame), have been confirmed to be directing the second anthology film Josh Trank departed. More than that, we now know that the film is going to be about Han Solo.

The next adventure in the Anthology series of Star Wars films will be directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, whose credits include the critically acclaimed The LEGO Movie and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, as well as 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street. Among the most sought-after filmmakers working today, the two have proven a formidable duo on the multiple films they’ve collaborated on and are looking forward to applying their unique creative chemistry to the Star Wars universe.

So this is going to be a Solo origin movie. Okay, but a Solo origin movie with Lord and Miller? They could do a Boba Fett film and I’d be able to enjoy it (anyone who has listened to the podcast knows how outlandish that statement is).

If you haven’t seen The LEGO Movie, you need to go get yourself a copy, because that’s perhaps the best insight into how well this duo works together.

Review: Dark Disciple

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Dark Disciple CoverThe enemy of my enemy is my assassination BFF …or at least that’s the logic of the Jedi Council when it comes to teaming Master Quinlan Vos with Asajj Ventress to try and take the nefarious Count Dooku out of the picture and hopefully end the war. (No one ever said the Jedi Council was brilliant, okay?) What could possibly go wrong with this plan? And it’ll worth it if it brings the Clone Wars to an end, right? Out today, Dark Disciple by Christie Golden asks these questions as an unlikely partnership forms to take on an impossible task.

While there were things I did and did not like about the book, it was an overall enjoyable reading experience. While readers go in knowing the outcome (the mission fails, it has to fail,) Golden does a good job of building up anticipation and making you think that just maybe Vos and Ventress will succeed and Dooku will die. This is a book that’s more about the journey than the actual end result. The story is based upon unproduced episodes of The Clone Wars but Golden takes the basis of the arc and really makes it her own so well that it’s impossible to tell what was originally in those eight scripts and what wasn’t.   (Dark Disciple may, however, may not be the most accessible book those who didn’t watch the show.)

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Go/No-Go: Dark Disciple

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Welcome back to Go/No-Go, Tosche Station’s regular feature where we offer our spoiler-free opinion as to whether or not you should spend your hard-earned money on a book, film, or other entertainment. Today on the launch pad: Star Wars: Dark Disciple.  It’s our first book outside of the Episode III-V timeframe in the new canon and uses unproduced episodes from The Clone Wars show.  It’s Ventress and Vos versus Dooku.  But is the book worth your hard earned money?   To mission control for the verdict!

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EW: No TFA Trailer or Clips at SDCC

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The Force Awakens LogoAnthony Breznican over at Entertainment Weekly has the scoop: there will be NO trailer or clips featured at the TFA panel at San Diego Comic Con.

First of all, the presentation this Friday afternoon will not include a trailer or any new clips of the movie. The next trailer will be coming in the fall, according to sources with knowledge of the project.

But don’t go hurling your cup of blue milk at the wall just yet. There will be other surprises.

No clips, bummer. Other surprises, you say? Go on…

Director J.J. Abrams, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy are already confirmed as part of the panel, which will be moderated by Nerdist impresario and Talking Deadhost Chris Hardwick.

Although EW hasn’t learned just which of the cast members will be joining them, our spies say there will be several actors who haven’t yet spoken publicly about their roles venturing onstage in Hall H.

Fascinating! If I were to wager a guess, this could mean we’ll see some other new cast members on stage to discuss their roles in the film, similar to when Ridley/Boyega/Isaac showed up at Celebration to give a 30,000 foot overview of their characters. If that’s what’s going to happen, well, color me excited.

The Dichotomy of Revan

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darth revanOne of the easiest ways to see the divides in the Star Wars fandom is to have them vote on characters. StarWars.com is currently conducting a poll to determine what character should be Hasbro’s next 6” Black Series figure. The results, thus far, have been causing a lot of chatter.  The favorite right now is Darth Revan from the Knights of the Old Republic games. A lot of fans on Twitter, myself included, have been advocating for Sabine Wren (who is currently in second place) because she’s not only an awesome character but also the only (for sure) female character who made it into the finals. Watching the back-and-forth on Twitter has made me realize that how myself and a bunch of other fans view Revan is almost the exact opposite of how others, including many who aren’t very attached to the KOTOR games, view Revan. (Trust me: the irony of this is not lost on me.)

At his/her core, Revan is a self-insert character. Revan is exactly as cool and as dark side or light side as you choose to make him/her. That’s part of the fun of the games. Revan is played up through the first two-thirds of the game as being this incredible strategist who beat the Mandalorians and probably would’ve beaten the Republic if Malak hadn’t turned into a power hungry betrayer. In Legends, the character was declared to be canonically male for the purposes of The Old Republic game which… is what it is. (I’m already on record as saying I think everything that was post-KOTOR2 canon is dumb but that’s neither here nor there.) Regardless, it’s pushed forward this view of Revan as being this super cool and badass Sith Lord who is badass enough to survive being tortured for a few hundred years and then do… whatever that storyline in the TOR game is. It’s how a lot of those who aren’t KOTOR fans see Revan. After all, what’s all that groundbreaking about another brown haired white guy gone evil and then good and then… possibly good or evil again?

To some fans though, she is way more. To a strong minority, Revan is the woman of color Jedi turned Sith Lord turned hero that we never otherwise get to see. Keep in mind, the first KOTOR game came out back in 2003 when there weren’t too many great female Sith villains never mind many Sith who were people of color. Revan was something different. She was an opportunity. She was a wish fulfillment character that a lot of us had never really had before. In case anyone doubts the lasting affect of Revan, one only has to go check out the KOTOR community on tumblr. We may have our own thoughts on whether she stayed on the light side or fell to the dark again or even which member of her crew she fell in love with but it’s clear that idea of this very capable woman who finds success against all odds holds strong over ten years after the game’s release. Needless to say, she still means a lot to this part of the Revan fanbase, myself included.

Does this all boil down to headcanon? Of course. Again, that was a part of the game’s charm. Does it suck for the (admitted) minority of KOTOR fans who love female Revan that the chances of Hasbro creating a female Revan toy are approximately 3720 to 1? Hell yes. However, despite what Legends canon says, the two Revans are still very much a part of the Star Wars fandom and to completely ignore one when discussing the character in broad strokes is to do part of the fandom a disservice.

Review: Darth Vader #7

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The one-two punch of Star Wars #6 and Darth Vader #6 was always going to be a tough act to follow but Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca do an admirable job of it. Darth Vader #7 is out today and answers the question of “Just how do you follow up Vader learning he has a son?”

The issue picks up on Tatooine with Vader visiting a very familiar place with Aphra and the Murder Bots in tow. Surprisingly quickly though, the plot moves on as Vader has other matters across the galaxy to deal with. While the back two-thirds of the issue don’t pack quite the same emotional punch as the first-third, it’s nice to see Gillen moving the story right along and not lingering overly long on the Skywalker issue. Marvel is clearly playing the long game here as the Darth Vader book alone has already set up the secret apprentice story and now the Skywalker reveal as ongoing plots that will likely weave in and out of the arcs. I’m interested to see where they go next which, when you think about it, is really what you want a reader to be saying at the end of the every issue.

As per usual, Larroca does a great job on the art front. I insist that he still draws one of the best Vaders. I also really love that he changes up Aphra’s look throughout the various issues. Not only does it keep things visually interesting but it’s nice to see that she has multiple changes of clothes and doesn’t have to wear the same thing every issue. Aphra may still be a new character but it never hurts to be proactive against Han Solo syndrome. (AKA: Wearing the same vest/shirt/pants for 40+ years.)

While Darth Vader #7 isn’t quite as fantastic as Darth Vader #6, it remains a solidly good book that every Star Wars fan should be reading. The series continues to get a 4/5 from me.

Review: Princess Leia #5

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Princess Leia #5, the conclusion to Mark Waid and Terry Dodson’s brilliant miniseries, is out in comic stores today and, well, I am not ready for this book to end. So let’s take a spoiler filled look at not just the final issue but this lovely book as a whole and its wonderfully nuanced portrayal of Leia Organa.

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Tosche Station Radio #120: Siege

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On this episode of Tosche Station Radio, Tom from Del Rey joins us to break down Star Wars Rebels: Siege of Lothal!

Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight What’s New on the Blog. Brian, Nanci, and Bria participated in a live chat for The Siege of Lothal.

In Fixer’s Flash, Nanci’s been busy reading Dark Disciple and finishing the last third of her own book. Both of the hosts went to Jurassic World. Tom? Well he got to go to an awesome geek wedding.

Deak’s Dirt starts with Rebels! The Episode Guide and Rebels Recon are up for The Siege of Lothal. More importantly, Beardwatch is back!

Biggs’ Bullshit kicks off with Greg Grunberg talking about The Force Awakens to Entertainment Weekly. Meanwhile, in an interview at the the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Ewan McGregor still says he’d been down for returning as Obi-Wan in an anthology film. According to Guinness World Records, The Force Awakens second trailer set a new world record as the most viewed movie trailer on YouTube within 24 hours, with 30.65 MILLION views.

This week on Camie’s Concerns, our friend Tom from Del Rey joins us to discuss the Rebels season 2 premiere! Settle in, get comfy, because we go in depth on this one!

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net and a part of Majestic Giraffe Productions. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store. We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Nanci and Brian are the co-founders and writers of Tosche-Station.net. You can find Nanci on Twitter with the handle @Nancipants and you can find Brian with @LaneWinree.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

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Star Wars Weekends Episodes IV & V – The Heat Awakens

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SWW2015_MerchandisePoster (1)The last few days of Star Wars Weekends are always filled with an odd combination of melancholy and relief. Melancholy because Star Wars is about to be ripped out of your life again; relief because that means you get your weekends back to do adult things. Not only that, but it’s hot. Really, really, really hot. I always tell people to not let the heat and humidity get in the way of attending Star Wars Weekends, and I mean that with all my heart. But I still can’t over-emphasize how darn hot it feels after five straight weekends spent at a theme park where nearly every event takes place outside. Star Wars Weekends is so much better with an indoor theatre and I hope and pray we get a return to air conditioning next year — if there even is a next year with all the rumored construction coming up at Hollywood Studios.

Despite the heat and general malaise, the last two Star Wars Weekends were tons of fun, and included a first-time, amazing guest. Stories and pictures under the cut!

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