Visitors from all around flocked to San Francisco’s Union Square Park yesterday to catch a glimpse of Lawrence Noble’s giant fiber glass Yoda heart. The attraction is part of San Francisco’s Heroes and Hearts fundraiser to benefit San Francisco General’s Hospital Foundation — an independent NPO that supports patient care at the city’s largest hospital. I’m glad they finished it just in time for Valentine’s Day, but I really wish they had gotten to word out sooner. As you can see from the video above, people have been posing for pictures with it all day. No word on how long this temporary attraction will be on display, but if you do visit, don’t be that guy who has to throw up the Vulcan salute. It’s just not cool.
I’m not big on collecting bobble heads, but these are really adorable. Funko’s releasing a line of Star Wars-themed bobble heads with our favorite characters from a galaxy far far away. In addition to Lord Vader, pictured above, the series will also feature Leia, Han Solo, Chewie, Yoda, Greedo and an Imperial trooper. Interestingly enough, I don’t believe they have plans for either a Luke or Obi-wan bobble head. Personally, I’m not too sad about that. If I’m going to buy one, it may as well be the badest sith in the galaxy, right?
Posted by Michael Sacco on Feb 5, 2011 in Star Wars
He may come from a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but this crocheted Greedo figure is adorable! Just look at him. He wouldn’t shoot Han first. He wouldn’t shoot anybody. He probably just wants a piece of chocolate or a saltine. Loofah Your Life has him and other Star Wars characters, like Yoda and an ewok, in crochet doll form available on their website, and reasonably-priced, at that. Make sure you get your order in before everyone else does! Read more…
Entertainment Weekly recently publicized this high-res map of the entire Star Wars galaxy, which the writer notes “may not be new to some of the real die-hards reading this, but it was new to me.” I’ve never seen it either, though it was apparently published in 2009’s Star Wars: The Essential Atlas. It even maps major routes of travel through the galaxy, as well as marking each segment from Deep Core to Outer Rim. Finally, I can figure out whether or not Andara is a Core or Colony world. Just kidding. I’ve never actually had occasion to wonder that. But now, thanks to this map, I’ll never need to, either. Read more…
These have to be the most confusing Japanese ads I’ve ever seen. In fact, had I not researched it further, I doubt I would have realized they’re for a pachinko machine — Sanyo’s Star Wars Fever. The machine hit the market a few years back and while I’m not sure you’d still find them littered through out Japanese pachinko parlors, you’ll probably find one if you look hard enough. I’d rather just sit back and enjoy these terrifying, yet hilarious commercials. I just love the Empire’s fleet of Darth Vader themed 747s — or are those suppose to be B-52s. It’s hard to tell. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Jan 8, 2011 in Star Wars
Well, can’t really chalk this one up as a surprise — after all, the movies have been released on pretty much every type of film media ever made — but both Star Wars trilogies are officially on their way to Blu-Ray this September. On top of their presentation in the current-best audio and video formats, the six films will also be packaged with over thirty hours of special features, deleted scenes, and alternate endings, some of which we’ve apparently never seen before. Each trilogy retails for $64.99, or you can get the complete collection for $139.99. If that’s a little rich for your blood, then there’s good news: Amazon has special pre-order pricing, and you can get the whole shebang for $89.99. Search your feelings. You know you want it. Read more…
I always assumed the Empire owned stock in Starbucks, but I guess I was wrong about that. Instead, they apparently grow their own blend. ThinkGeek claims these unique beans as being hand-roasted by Stormtroopers, but let’s be honest, when has the Empire ever employed stormtroopers for manual labor? All kidding aside, I’m not sure what’s worse, the fact that this coffee has been branded so shamelessly, or the fact that I really want to try some. These beans actually come from Africa and Indonesia and are an officially licensed Star Wars product, for what that’s worth. Take a risk and dabble in the dark side for only $15 a bag.
I spend so much of my time online these days that it’s no wonder I’ve forgotten how much fun it can be to take a camping trip. While I have to admit the notion of being away from my precious array of electronic devices scares the hell out of me, it wouldn’t hurt to unplug every once in awhile. Though I wouldn’t be able to bring along my copy of Family Guy: It’s a Trap, or my new LED TV, I can keep the Star Wars spirit alive with this awesome Tauntaun sleeping bag. As you’ll note from the picture above, the bag itself features a Tauntaun-head for a pillow. It also comes with a lightsaber shaped zipper so you can attempt your best Han Solo impression. Don’t worry, it probably won’t smell as bad — that is, unless you refuse to bathe or you’re camping on Dagobah. They usually retail for $99, but you can snag one for 20% if you order yours from ThinkGeek today.
This is a beautifully done series of art posters created for the collectible art house Mondo. Shown above is Star Wars by the artist Olly Moss — here are some other nice gems that are part of the series: Read more…
I still don’t get why people take the time to make these Star Wars poster parodies, but it would seem they’re becoming more popular. Back in October, I shared several examples of these alt-art posters and they proved to be somewhat entertaining, so here we are again with another set — this time, by artist Matt Ranzetta. While I personally can’t say I love the posters themselves, I can’t really knock Matt’s taste in cinema. They also fit the subject matter quite well, all things considered. I’ll admit that Cool Hand Luke made me giggle a little, though.
Ever imagine what Star Wars would look like through the eyes of Dr. Seuss? Me neither, but cartoonist Adam Watson has. Recently, he posted a few pieces of this brilliant mash-up on his blog and frankly, they’re nothing short of amazing. While he claims that these pieces started as doodles for the most the part, he apparently has a few more planned. I’d love to see him strike a deal with Lucas Arts to publish a book, but I imagine there’d be all kind of legal hurdles involved. Either way, I think I’ll just cross my fingers and hope for more. Also, wouldn’t some of these make for a nifty t-shirt? Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 27, 2010 in Star Wars
House of Mouse on Etsy created these incredibly adorable Star Wars mice, in varieties including the above Chewbacca, Stormtroopers, Boba Fett, Vader, and even C3PO! They even manage to make Jabba disarmingly cute. Of course, Chewbacca wins out a little here, having been huggable in the first place. Look at that fuzzy mug and tell me that you wouldn’t let the wookiee win. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 19, 2010 in Cinema, Star Wars
Helvetica: it’s a font, not an alien planet, though apparently it’s right at home in the Star Wars universe. Ad firm H-57 created these great Star Wars images composed entirely of typography elements, and they’re pretty elegant in their simplicity. Makes you wonder who did the Empire’s design work. Imagine the repercussions if the kerning wasn’t right on Vader’s business cards. Read more…
Back in August, Michael showed us some rather expensive Star Wars Episode IV wall art — a massive 9 x 15 foot replica of the original Star Wars Episode IV movie poster. As awesome as it is, the $255 price tag seemed a bit much. Thankfully, the guys over at ThinkGeek seem to have a solution, and while you give up some footage — their wall art is only 10.5 by 6 feet — the $149 price tag is a much more reasonable. The art is supposed to be easy to apply and shouldn’t be very hard to remove should your signifigant other decide to complain. Now if only they’d make one for Empire Strikes Back. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 30, 2010 in Cinema, Star Wars
Brock Davis, graphic artist for Wired and several other publications, broke form recently and released this great 70s-style invoice addressed from Boba Fett to Jabba the Hutt, requesting payment for services rendered. Even bounty hunters need to keep their paperwork straight, especially when a cool quarter-million credits are on the line. Makes you wonder what the invoices all those independent contractors sent Vader for Death Star construction (and repairs) looked like. Read more…
With the exception of Darth Maul, I practically loathed the recent Star Wars films. They had their moments but between Jar Jar and Hayden Christensen, they left a lot to be desired. Maul, on the other hand, was mysterious, menacing, and the first on-screen character to wield a dual-bladed lightsaber. Sure he had his flaws, but as far as I’m concerned, this statue alone more than makes up for that lack of character development. Read more…
Back in 2009, improvisational pianist and composer Richard Grayson performed several requests for students at the Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica. The presentation was apparently filmed and subsequently uploaded to YouTube in a series of clips. In each video he takes a request and performs each song as if it part of a classical genre. Here we have him performing the theme to Star Wars as if it were a baroque gavotte — for those of you who aren’t musically inclined, that’s a type of rhythm based on a French folk dance that often went along with baroque compositions around the mid to late 1600’s. Needless to say, he does a pretty awesome job, though I imagine some of you would rather hear his rendition of the “Imperial March” ala Beethoven. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 24, 2010 in Cinema, Star Wars
IESB recently published a pretty substantial rumor that George Lucas was working on a new Star Wars trilogy to be released after the current two trilogies both receive their 3D conversions, citing a “super-secret Lucasfilm insider.” IESB has been right about several big rumors before — Joss Whedon directing The Avengers, for example — so it seemed that this could also be true. Expectedly, Lucasfilm flat-out denied that any new Star Wars movies were in the works once the rumor made its rounds.
Denial is expected when it comes to PR, of course, especially when discussing unannounced projects, but it’s still pretty interesting (and slightly terrifying) to think of what would come next in the Star Wars film universe. Read more…
I love alt-art, but I love parodies even more. Recently, a friend showed me oldredjalopy.com — a site that specializes in alt-art posters for our favorite films. What’s more, many of these alternatives are parodies of some of the more iconic posters from years past. For example, the fantastic Star Wars Episode IV poster, shown above, is actually a parody of the poster from Stanley Kubrick’s classic Full Metal Jacket. I’ve went ahead and thrown a few more Star Wars posters below, but you really need to check out their site. They have everything from Superman II to more recent works like Oldboy — and best yet, you can actually order prints for some of these while supplies last. Read more…
As if on cue, StarWarsShop.com began listing their Christmas items in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season. I’m sure everyone’s probably tired of hearing people gripe about seasonal merchandise hitting the shelves earlier and earlier each year, but I do kinda find it funny that Halloween hasn’t even passed and people can already order their R2D2 Christmas lights. Once you buy enough of those to decorate your tree and house, you can pick up one of these eight-and-a-half inch “Yodaclause” table pieces. Of course, if you’d rather dress up like Yodaclause yourself, they sell Santa hats with Yoda’s ears attached. Now, if only they had a lightsaber menorah.
Sillof & Glorbes, makers of countless other incredible custom action figures, did this awesome WWII-themed Star Wars reimagining! There’s a lot to love here, from Darth Vader’s technological downgrade to Han Solo’s Millenium Falcon bomber jacket. The Stormtrooper figure above is “the most literal fusion of WWII and Star Wars imagery,” but other characters deviate a bit. Boba Fett, for example, now has a flamethrower arm. Can’t really argue with that. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 10, 2010 in Star Wars
Franco Bambrilla has this great image, titled “Imperial Minigolf Final Exam,” available in giclee print form. I’m trying to figure out what exactly’s going on. Maybe that stormtrooper’s about to make a free throw. I can’t see the hoop, but I imagine that armor has to augment you somehow, right? It’s probably just off-camera. That would probably be a three-pointer, though. Wait, no, this is mini-golf, not basketball. Maybe you have to make a putt through a two-meter exhaust vent? Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 1, 2010 in Star Wars
No, not that kind of 3D. ComingSoon reports that Lucasfilm will be re-releasing the Star Wars films — again — in theaters, this time with a trendy 3D conversion. But even if you’re into Star Wars (or 3D conversions, which are getting pretty tiresome at this point), don’t get excited just yet. The 3D films will be released in story order — in other words, Phantom Menace first. Releasing the objectively worst film of the series first probably isn’t the best way to generate opening-weekend profits, or to guarantee future releases.
Oh well. At least Industrial Light & Magic is overseeing the conversion, so we can expect a treatment that does the original films justice — that is, if the re-releases make it that far. Read more…
On the big screen the Wampa seems such a terrifying creature from the ice planet Hoth— but alas as a throw rug I sort of feel sorry for this fella. Although as a true fanboy critic I’ve got to say that the rug reminds me more of muppet version of this guy than anything else: Read more…
