Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: Star Wars Page 22 of 45

Happy Empire Day?

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On May 20, 2021

In Star Wars

Happy Empire DayI don’t think I’ve ever talked about Empire Day in past Star Wars posts. If you’re a pretty devout fan then you should be fairly familiar with Empire Day. It has a pretty interesting history and an unusual link to the United Kingdom. In Star Wars canon, Empire Day is known as the day Sheev Palpatine becomes the Emperor and creates the “first galactic Empire”. It is also the day Ezra Bridger is born. A corresponding Earth calendar date doesn’t exist. So you may be wondering why I am talking about it today? Should we be wishing each other a Happy Empire Day?

An Interesting, Historical Coincidence

As I was saying, Empire Day has an unusual and interesting coincidence with the United Kingdom. The British used to celebrate Empire Day, however it wasn’t (initially) because of Star Wars. When Queen Victoria died in 1901 the first “Empire Day” was celebrated on her birthday, May 24th, in 1902. It wasn’t recognized as an official annual event until 1916, at which point it became a major event. This lasted until 1958 when the day was “rebranded” as Commonwealth Day and the date was changed to the second Monday in March.

Empire Day experienced a bit of a revival when it landed on May 20th which, coincidentally, is also the date that The Empire Strikes Back was released in the UK, thus why I am talking about it today. This is what Bob Ross might refer to as a “happy accident”. I admit it’s a little convoluted and a bit of a stretch at a “Star Wars holiday” which may be why it’s not as broadly acknowledged among all the other “Star Wars days” this month. Be that as it “May” (see what I did there) it’s still gives me the opportunity to talk about it.

Will Empire Day ever get it’s own calendar date? Who knows? I think May 20th is probably as close to any date as you’re going to get. I’m curious if folks in the UK celebrate today by watching Empire Strikes Back on, what would be, it’s 41st anniversary.

Happy Empire Day!

You don’t know the power of the dark side.

HMDYK About Peter Mayhew

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On May 19, 2021

In HMDYK, Star Wars

Today would have been Peter Mayhew’s 77th birthday. We lost Peter two years ago, mere days after the Star Wars Celebration in Chicago. I was fortunate enough to be there and to snap a picture of him. My daughter was with me and she alleges that he turned and smiled at her. We miss you Peter. In honor of his birthday I ask, how much do you know about Peter Mayhew?

Peter was born in London, England. His towering height was actually a genetic condition called Marfan syndrome. People with this condition are typically tall and thin with long appendages. There are often pulmonary, visual and skeletal complications with Marfan syndrome but the cardiovascular issues are the more serious complications. Peter passed away after suffering a heart attack in 2019; it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a complication of Marfan.

Once Chewbacca, Always Chewbacca

Peter was working as an orderly for King’s College Hospital when he was offered a role in Star Wars. Just like his co-star, David Prowse, he was given the choice between Darth Vader or Chewbacca. He chose Chewbacca because he wanted to play the hero; just as David Prowse chose Darth Vader because he wanted to play the villain. How fortuitous for the both of them.

Peter has 26 credits on IMDB and for more than half of them he is Chewbacca. His Twitter tag is @TheWookieRoars (which is now the Peter Mayhew Foundation and maintained by his family). To say Peter loved being Chewbacca is an understatement. In fact, under Personal Details on IMDB, it lists “Chewbacca” as his Alternate Name.

His other credits, though few, include a recurring role in Dark Towers (1981) and some bit roles in shows or movies I’ve never heard of. In the movie Killer Ink from 2016, his character is Uncle Clyde and that would be his last credited character role.

He trained Joonas Suotamo to carry on the mantle of Chewbacca and it’s an amazing job. I hope Disney has some plans to bring Chewie back to the screen once again, big screen or the small screen. The Rise of Skywalker is dedicated to Peter’s memory.

Once again, RIP Peter Mayhew and thank you.

/MTFBWY

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

Happy Birthday George Lucas

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On May 14, 2021

In Star Wars

The 14th day of Star Wars month is George Lucas’ birthday. This is the man that built the universe that has brought us all together from all over the world. Regardless of how you feel about him, he accomplished something no politician could ever do. Despite our lots in life, our creeds, our religions, our lifestyles, we are all united under one common theme. Our love for Star Wars and all its characters.

The happiest of birthday’s to the legendary George Lucas.

Thank you and May the Force Be with You!

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

The Bad Batch First Impressions

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On May 4, 2021

In Star Wars

Bad Batch First Impressions

On May the Fourth in 2021 Star Wars fans are treated with a new animated series, The Bad Batch. We are first introduced to these “unique” clones at the beginning of Season 7 of The Clone Wars. They are a ruckus and elite squad of “genetically modified” clones with a penchant for “creative solutions” to their missions. They are a big hit with the fan base, so we were all very excited when Disney told us we’d be getting more of Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker, and Crosshair. This is The Bad Batch First Impressions of the first episode titled “Aftermath”.

There are going to be 16 episodes so I’m not sure I’ll write something for every episode. The Bad Batch stars Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, Dee Bradley Baker, and Michelle Ang.

spoiler alert!!!

The following content contains spoilers for The Bad Bath Episode 1.

Order 66 and Omega

We start out with Jedi Master Depa Billaba and her, very familiar, padawan Caleb. Within the first five minutes, we are already getting a tie-in to another series. I’m already enjoying myself. This is that dreaded moment in Revenge of the Sith when Palpatine issues Order 66. We learn why Caleb doesn’t trust the clones. It appears, by and large, the genetic modifications to the clones of Clone Force 99 have also interfered with their inhibitor chips. The Bad Batch boys seem confused by this “Order 66” and the chatter they are hearing on the coms. Things become more interesting and confusing as the Clone War ends and they return home to Kamino. Reality takes a harsh turn when it seems not all of them have malfunctioning inhibitor chips … because “good soldiers follow orders”.

I love that we get to see Kamino again and we learn who is behind the decommissioning of the clones and initiates the conscripting of Stormtroopers. So far I really like this new Omega character, though I’m not sure what her role is yet. She’s as curious about Hunter and his merry band of misfits as I am about her. Is she the overarching plot of the series? The “Baby Yoda” of The Bad Batch, perhaps? Then we find out there is a significant connection she has with Clone Force 99, and that’s when it gets really interesting.

Finally, who is this mysterious contact Hunter knows on J-19? There are some interesting theories going around. Some think it’s Rex, but I don’t think they know where Rex is right now. I like the idea that it’s Cut Lawquane (from Season 2 of The Clone Wars). What are your thoughts?

MTFBWY

Happy Star Wars Day (2021 Edition)!!!

By

On May 4, 2021

In Star Wars

It’s the biggest Star Wars holiday of the year. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of just the originals or a fan of it all, this is the day we celebrate all things Star Wars. Keep an eye open for some great deals on Star Wars merchandise. Share your findings in the comments!

/MT4BWY

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

Star Wars: Why I’m A Fan of It ALL!

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On May 1, 2021

In Star Wars

IT’S STAR WARS MONTH!!!! May is when all of us Star Wars fans (should) celebrate the franchise that brings us all so much joy! Today is 501st Legion Day whom we thank for all their wonderful charity work while spreading their love and enthusiasm for the franchise. I’m not going to go into too much detail about them as I already did that last year. However, in the spirit of their commitment of promoting interest in Star Wars I will go into why I’m a fan of ALL things Star Wars.

Justification Shouldn’t Be Necessary

Honestly, I don’t need to justify, to anyone, why I enjoy all of the Star Wars movies. The Original Trilogy, The Prequel Trilogy, the Sequel Trilogy, Rogue One and Solo; I love them all. All of them are Star Wars to me. Having to justify why I enjoy any of the movies makes as much sense as justifying why I like a certain type of music. Nobody criticizes and belittles people for liking Hip Hop vs Country.

In my opinion, if you’re ridiculing or shaming anyone because the movies didn’t meet some kind of conjured fan theory then that makes you a bully. You’re entitled to your opinion but I will not be bullied and I have zero tolerance for bullying. If you can’t respect my personal choice for enjoying the sequels and the prequels then take your vitriolic comments someplace else. As Mark Hamill said at the World Premiere of The Rise of Skywalker “I hope they enjoy it and if they don’t just keep it to yourself”.

I enjoy the characters and I LOVE the music and, yes, I even enjoy the story. I own shirts, all the books, soundtracks and several collectibles from each of the sequel movies. Furthermore, my daughter likes the movies, especially Rey. I couldn’t ask for anything more than to have my child enjoy the movies too.

More In Smaller Packages!

If you have not watched any of the series, you are missing out. There are at least three other reasons why I’m a fan: The Clone Wars, Rebels and The Mandalorian. Currently there are at least 10 more reasons in the works. Star Wars Resistance is OK but not a top three pick for me.

Be that as it may, some days you want to sit down for a dose of Star Wars but you don’t have time to indulge in 2 hours of ecstasy. You need that short 30-40 minute gratification. I’m sure, by now, nearly everyone has watched The Mandalorian but you really need to check out the two animated series. If I had to pick the best of the animated series, Rebels is a clear winner but The Clone Wars is definitely worth checking out. In fact I would recommend watching the first few episodes of Season 7 before “The Bad Batch” comes out in just a couple of days.

Every day I read or watch something that continues to fuel my love for these movies and these characters. This has been especially true since I’ve joined certain Facebook groups, left other Facebook groups and/or blocked certain posts and websites. I have also greatly reduced how much I read Twitter (the home of butthurt vitriolic toxicity), although I do like to check in on @MarkHamill from time to time.

/MTFBWY

Confronting fear is the destiny of the Jedi.

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