Star Wars: The Clone Wars

View this you must if a fan you call yourself... Yoda in the new Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Warner Brothers)

Depending on how you look at it, George Lucas is either expanding his Star War franchise to please a rabid fan base or he's milking his one good idea yet again to exploit its popularity. The latest entry is the animated feature Star Wars: The Clone Wars (opening August 15 throughout San Diego), which -- in the SW chronology -- takes place somewhere between Episodes II and III, and continues the timeline of the short interstitial animations that ran on Cartoon Network back in 2003 that were known as Star Wars: Clone Wars ("The" has been added to "Clone Wars" for the theatrical release). An animated series of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is set to follow.

Spaced on DVD - FINALLY!

The brilliant cast of the Brit-com Spaced, now on DVD in the US (BBC Warner)

If you only buy one DVD this year make it Spaced. Seriously, it's funny. Very funny. This show will not only make you laugh, it will get better with each viewing as you pick up on more and more of the pop culture references. This1999 Brit-com brought together actor/writer Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright, the comic geniuses behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. But the U.S. DVD release of their show was held up in production limbo for years due to music-rights issues (every show is crammed with musical quotes). The U.S. DVD box set comes out July 22 (that' today people!). In the show Pegg and Jessica Stevenson (now Hynes) star as Tim and Daisy, twenty-somethings who meet by chance and decide to pose as a "professional couple" to rent an apartment. He's an aspiring comic book artist who's just been dumped, and she's a writer looking for any excuse not to write. Each episode is loaded with riffs and homages to movies and TV shows. The references range from discussion of which minor Star Wars character the entire trilogy hangs on to simply framing a shot like Woody Allen.

Pegg told me the "series was about people living their lives through pop culture. Their lives were mirroring movies and TV shows. Whereas now Edgar and I are making movies so it's no longer about mirroring, it's no longer about people living their life through pop culture, we are making pop culture. So you can see the beginnings of what we're interested in in Spaced, and possibly evidence of what we might do in the future."

So far, everything they've done has been brilliant. Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and Jessica Hynes will all be at Comic-Con on Friday July 25 for a panel and a screening of fan fav episodes. "Cocked locked and ready to rock!"

Check out ourKPBS Comic-Con Blog where you can find videos, recommendations, and live coverage of the Con... and hopefully some video of Simon, Jessica and Edgar...

Auction Winner on Indy 4

KPBS auction winner says Indy still packs a punch. (Paramount)

This year, KPBS offered three auction packages in which winners would have a chance to get an early look at one on the summer's blockbuster movies, and then write a review. I am pleased to present the first of our three auction winners -- Clay Bowersox with his review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Let me just say that the one thing I really enjoy about going to screenings with auction winners is that the people who win are people who are eager to see the films and there's nothing better than going to a movie with other fans. So when I met Clay for the screening I was delighted to find out that he loves Comic-Con, collects action figures, and has been keeping up with Jones over the decades. So without any further ado, here's Clay Bowersox' review.

by Clay Bowersox

Indiana Jones has finally returned after a 19-year absence, but is he worth the wait? I think so, although Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is not the intrepid hero's best outing. To me, this new film was not as thrilling as Raiders of the Lost Ark or as fun as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but it is still a worthy chapter in the Indy saga.

The key to enjoying this Indiana Jones movie is to go in with the right expectations. If you want to be entertained for a couple hours with action and adventure, this film should please you. I found that some parts dragged on a little too long, and the story was a little predictable, but it was still fun to see Harrison Ford don the fedora and leather jacket again after all these years. Now set in 1957, the Germans have been replaced by Russians as the villains. Cate Blanchett does a decent "Natasha" accent (of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame), and I was pleasantly surprised to see Shia LaBeouf hold his own with Harrison Ford as a young biker (greaser wannabe) who joins him on his journey.

I see the Indiana Jones films as comfort movies. The characters are likeable (Indy always seems to find a feisty sidekick). There are always exciting chases and fistfights with bad guys (poor Indy takes a beating as usual), and there is always the hunt for a mystical object with supernatural powers. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is familiar and fresh at the same time. You know what you're what going to get, but it's still fun to it's given to you.

You probably noticed that I have not discussed the plot. Like I said, you know what you're in for, but in this case I think it's best to experience this new adventure on your own. I will say that the astute viewer will have a lot of fun with the subtle and obvious references to other Indiana Jones productions. These include a cameo by the Ark, the return of a key character from Raiders, a line of dialogue from Temple of Doom, an exchange of facial gestures from Last Crusade, and even a plot reference from one of the Young Indiana Jones episodes. These are but a handful of items that fans of Indiana Jones can hunt for themselves. There's even a classic line from the Star Wars movies that Indy utters at one point.

With plenty of action and adventure, a little romance, and a touch of science fiction, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull delivers as an entertaining summer, popcorn movie. This older Indiana Jones and his new film may be a little slower now, but both still pack a pretty good punch.

May the Farce Be With You Always, Part 2

Okay, I promise not to post any more on this subject, but I was having so much fun looking at these old Star Wars fan films than I had to highlight one more, Mindtrix. This is one of my all-time favorites and it's even better because it was made here in San Diego by then student Kirk Christiansen (Kirk if you are still out there making films let me know!). I showcased the film at my student festival Film School Confidential 2004 and it brought down the house. This just goes to prove that all you need is imagination to make a great film. (Check out the detail in this one, like a portrait of Han and Chewy in the apartment.) Once again, I hope you enjoy!

May the Farce Be With You Always

This isn't new but it's new to me and it's never to late to celebrate something funny. After suffering through the kiddie recap of Star Wars that Angela so kindly highlighted on Culture Lust, a friend sent me this Star War spoof called Store Wars. This harkens back to the old Hardware Wars and Thumb Wars, made-in-your-garage kind of filmmaking. Star Wars fans have a long history of spoofing the film they love so dearly. Check out Store Wars, I especially love the revisionist take on Stormtroppers. Plus there's a good message at the end.

May the farce be with you always.

Jumper

Hayden Christensen is on top of the world in Jumper (20th Century Fox)
 

Read this review and save $10... but only if you take my advice.

I actually considered not wasting space reviewing this film but if this review can save someone the cost of a movie ticket, then it's worth it. Plus, since this film is based on one of a series of books I'd like to see this potential film franchise stopped right here. The trailers for Jumper (opening February 14) didn't promise a lot but they did make the film look high energy and fun. Well, don't be fooled. This is one of the worst films I have seen in quite some time. It even fails on the most basic level of just serving up some dazzling special effects. I didn't go into this film with high expectations -- I just figured it was a dumb popcorn movie -- but it couldn't even come up to those low standards. And to think Diane Lane and Samuel L. Jackson both got suckered into this film only makes it worse. I just hope they took home a big paycheck to make up for the embarrassment of appearing in such a dumb movie.

Hot Fuzz plus interviews with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright

Here come the fuzz! Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, the comic geniuses behind 2004's Shaun of the Dead, take on the American cop film to deliver Hot Fuzz. While Tarantino and Rodriguez are sending bloody valentines to the grindhouse pictures they love, Wright and Pegg reveal their affection for the American action films of the 80s.

Three years ago Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg decided to make a romantic zombie comedy, and their first thought was to call it Teatime for the Dead. That perfectly summed up their cheery British take on the American cult horror classic Night of the Living Dead. Then, the pair decided to take on the American cop movie. But Edgar Wright says he and his partner faced some problems: In the U.K. there really arent any action films and theres really not many cop films at all. Theres far too many gangster films so we felt that it was time to redress the balance and do a British cop film. And also address the fact that not really a lot of crime happens in the U.K. and so how can we make that interesting for a two hour running time.