Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

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Biggs’ Top 5 Star Wars Villains

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On May 5, 2020

In Biggs Top 5, Star Wars

Top 5 Star Wars Villains

In the spirit of Star Wars month, the May Top 5 is Star Wars themed. I could have taken this many different routes. I actually thought about ranking the top five of the 11 films. While Empire Strikes Back is my favorite, I enjoy the rest of them so equally that it just wouldn’t work. I chose the top 5 Star Wars villains because everyone always picks their favorite Jedi or droid. The villains I selected go beyond the films. There are far more villains than you think when you include the animated and Disney+ series and all the books. So here we go.

  • Darth Vader – because he was the first. When he emerges on the Tantive IV, you just knew he was evil.
  • Darth Maul – Ray Park makes this character amazing. Spoiler alert: Maul’s story goes beyond The Phantom Menace.
  • Grand Admiral Thrawn – any Star Wars fan worth their salt knows this Chiss Imperial military genius.
  • Palpatine – I almost didn’t include the Emperor; until Rise of Skywalker. He deserves to be here.
  • Asajj Ventress – Dooku’s apprentice. Ventress is the best Sith apprentice. She is the Ahsoka of the Sith.

Honorable Mentions

There are so many villains to choose from. So much so there are enough for honorable mentions. The first of which is Moff Gideon (from The Mandalorian). He almost made it into the top 5, despite his debut status. The casting of Giancarlo Esposito to portray Moff Gideon is so perfect. The next honorable mention comes from The Clone Wars animated series; Cad Bane. Let’s be honest, bounty hunters are the best part of Star Wars and Cad Bane is among the coolest. I have been a Cad Bane fan since his first appearance in The Clone Wars.

Who are some of your favorite villains from the franchise?

(See last month’s Top 5)

I Have Spoken!

Happy Star Wars Day 2020

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On May 4, 2020

In Geek Culture, Star Wars

Star Wars Day 2020Today is the biggest holiday of the month. I always wondered why the 25th wasn’t “Star Wars Day” since that is the anniversary of the release of A New Hope. However the clever and aptly named “May the 4th” is sufficient credence. I will begin my Star Wars re-watch of the 11 movies today (in chronological order). Also happening today is the epic conclusion of Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars series and the release of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, an eight episode documentary about the making of The Mandalorian (only available on Disney+). The year is off to a horrible start so Star Wars Day 2020 is the perfect opportunity to forget about it for a while.

Of Course There’s Merchandise

To be fair, the deals on all things Star Wars is what I look forward to the most on Star Wars Day. The Star Wars website already has a post of the available deals. Here are a few of the notable deals (some of which started a few days ago):

  • Best Buy – a percent is not mentioned, just a general sale on entertainment, toys and collectibles
  • Target – the new go-to spot for Star Wars merchandise. 20% off (except LEGO)
  • Her Universe – Ashley Eckstein’s (aka Ahsoka Tano) fashion line for girls. 30% off
  • GameStop – Up to 50% off merchandise including The Mandalorian Funko Pops!

The most disappointing “deal” this year is LEGO. They are not offering any sale on Star Wars LEGO items, instead they are giving away a Death Star II kit but you have to spend $75 in order to receive it. I’m also mildly disappointed, though not terribly surprised, that the Disney Store doesn’t have any specials.

If anyone spots other deals for Star Wars Day 2020 that are not listed in the StarWars.com post please feel free to leave a comment with a link to said deal. I’m especially interested in apparel and books.

/MT4thBWY

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

Star Wars Month and the 501st

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On May 1, 2020

In Geek Canon, Star Wars

I’ve made the argument before that May should be Star Wars month. There are numerous days in May that have some kind of Star Wars relevance. Therefore most of the posts this month, if not all of them, will be Star Wars themed. There is one day this month that is a bit of an exception. May 25th is Geek Pride Day because its the anniversary of the first Star Wars movie and Towel Day.

Despite the negativity from the “so-called” fans about the sequel trilogy, I’m excited for Star Wars month. This year is particularly special because it is the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back (most common fan favorite). Today, as it turns out, is the first of the Star Wars themed days in May, the 501st day.

What Is The 501st?

Click to Enlarge ImageThe 501st Legion is a stormtrooper squad, often seen in The Clone Wars, but canonically known as “Vader’s Fist”. Outside the Star Wars Universe, the 501st is a real life organization. Fans all over the globe are apart of this group of people with a passion for Star Wars. Their mission is to help facilitate the love for the franchise through elaborate and, often times, extremely accurate and life-like costumes. In fact the stormtrooper costumes were so accurate several members of the 501st were brought in to be extras in the final two episodes of season one of The Mandalorian. The actors in the show were also impressed with the quality of craftsmanship.

I wish I had the fabrication talent these folks have for making Star Wars costumes.

In addition to all the other celebratory days, the 21st marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back. As is my usual plan, I will be doing the first ever 11 movie re-watch during the month of May. I may also try to finish watching Rebels and Star Wars Resistance. If I finish all of that in a timely manner, I will be re-watching the first season of The Mandalorian.

It has been a challenging and tumultuous start to this year, so I’m looking forward to making this May fun and exciting. I’m going to try hard to show my Star Wars pride!

How will you spend your Star Wars month?

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

Book Review – Thrawn: Treason

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On March 3, 2020

In Book Review, Science Fiction, Star Wars

Thrawn: Treason (Star Wars: Thrawn, #3)Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn
My rating: [rating=5]
(Click here to go to Goodreads instead)

The man that brought us the original Thrawn Trilogy brings us a new trilogy, set before Star Wars: A New Hope. In fact these books predate Rogue One. Each book in the series describe a moment in Thrawn’s rise to power. The first book, Thrawn, talks about how the Empire first discovers this mysterious, and alien being. The second book, Thrawn: Alliances, takes place several years later in which he must work closely with Darth Vader to locate a disturbance in the Force on behalf of the Emperor.

This book follows events that involve the Emperor’s Stardust plans. Thrawn clashes with Director Krennic himself as his unique tactical talents are put to the test. During his mission he discovers a treasonous plot against the Empire.

Biggs’ Review

It’s so exciting that Zahn wrote a Thrawn prequel. Reading a Star Wars book doesn’t always have to involve the Jedi and/or the Rebels. A view from the side of the Imperials is equally as interesting. This series fulfills that perspective. Zahn makes me love Mitth’raw’nurudo over again. I’ve been a fan of the Chiss species since I read the original Thrawn Trilogy so many years ago. I think what I enjoy most about this particular book is its place in the Star Wars timeline. It’s not only directly linked to the events that unfold in Rogue One but leads directly in to one of the animated series.

Now a third Thrawn trilogy is in the works for Timothy Zahn. He announced the Ascendancy Trilogy late last year; Book 1 is due out this May!

View all my reviews

diablo3-reading“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

 

HMDYK About Peter Cushing

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On February 6, 2020

In HMDYK, Movies, Star Wars

How Much Do You Know about Peter Cushing? Star Wars fans know him as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin from A New Hope. If you’re not quite “Star Wars savvy” to know which one is Tarkin, he is the Imperial leader that ordered for the termination of Leia and the destruction of Alderaan (see picture on the right).

“I try to consider what the audience would like to see me do and I thought kids would adore Star Wars.”
– Peter Cushing

I’m sure it’s a generation thing but Tarkin is the only role I know Peter Cushing played. Granted, he was 64 years old when Star Wars was released so, obviously, he’s had many roles in his career. I was curious, so I dug into his filmography. He has quite the distinguished career.

From Darcy to Sherlock

Peter Cushing passed away in 1994 and over the course of his 81 years he’s been in 130 movies or TV series. What I found most surprising is, of the 130 films/series, 50 of them were horror films. It seems he had a penchant for the creepy and scary. In fact, among his horror accolades, he played some iconic characters. Baron Frankenstein and Van Helsing are two of the more well known characters in the genre.

It seems that when he wasn’t trying to scare the audience, he was sleuthing. Yes, Peter Cushing was Sherlock Holmes in several well known Sherlock stories (including The Hound of Baskervilles). His archetypal portrayals also extended to the prideful Mr. Darcy in a Pride and Prejudice series in 1952 and the Sheriff of Nottingham in 1960.

However, I think the role that surprises me most of all was that of Doctor Who. In 1965 and 1966 two Doctor Who movies were produced: Dr. Who and the Daleks and Dalek’s Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. in which Peter Cushing was the beloved Doctor. Hopefully I can track down these movies and watch them.

In fact, I think I need to track down several of his other films; and not just the well known characters. If there is any Peter Cushing film you’ve seen and would recommend, please leave a comment.

“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” – Aristotle

 

2019 Year In Review

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On January 3, 2020

In General Cogitation, Year in Review

2019 Year In Review2019 was the final year of the decade, which means we are entering the second decade of the new millennium (and 20 years since the “dreaded” Y2K scare). It’s still hard to tell if all of us still like each other. Political differences continue to divide us and it’s depressing, infuriating and scary. I don’t do politics on this blog so, in the words of Forrest Gump, that’s all I have to say about that. 2019 was an OK year, depending on your perspective. These perspectives is what I am going to get into for my 2019 Year In Review.

Celebrity Deaths

We lost over 150 celebrities this year. I’m not going to mention all of them, only the ones that I found particularly depressing. I’m not trying to down play the deaths of the others because it sucks when we lose anyone. Before I begin I would just like to note that Kirk Douglas and Betty White are not on this list.

Celebrity Deaths: Internet

Tardar Sauce, aka Grumpy Cat (7) passed away this year. If you don’t know who Grumpy Cat was, then you are living under a rock. Her permanent scowl was a condition caused by a genetic mutation but created thousands of meme. She was an Internet sensation.

Celebrity Deaths: TV

The television death that seemed to be most notable was the death of Caroll Spinney (85) who was the original Big Bird on Sesame Street from 1969 to 2018. Best known for his comedy on The Carol Burnett Show, Tim Conway (85) passed away this year. He was so talented and so hilarious. If you haven’t seen his Elephant Story bit from the show, you are missing out! Luke Perry‘s (52) sudden death was truly heartbreaking. He’s mostly known for his role as Dylan in 90210 and, more recently, as Fred Andrews on Riverdale.

The Star Trek Deep Space 9 series lost two lovable characters his year. René Auberjonois (79) passed away this year. While he had many television and film roles, he always has been and always will be Odo to me. Unfortunately the bad news for DS9 doesn’t end there. Aron Eisenberg (50) played the lovable Ferengi Nog on Deep Space 9; in fact he was probably my favorite Ferengi. RIP gentlemen. Thank you for the awesome memories.

Celebrity Deaths: Movies

The following celebrities are primarily known for their movie roles. We lost Doris Day this year, but she lived a long and extraordinary 97 years! Also, from the golden years of film, Peter Fonda (79) passed away; he was the son of Henry Fonda, the brother of Jane Fonda and the father of Bridget Fonda. The actor with one of the coolest names in Hollywood passed away, Rip Torn. While it really sucks that he’s gone, I did not know he was 88 when he passed. I mostly remember him from the Men In Black movies.

Peter Mayhew at the 2019 Star Wars Celebration in Chicago

The last celebrity death is the one that sucks the most. In April, just a couple of weeks after his appearance at the Star Wars Celebration in Chicago, Peter Mayhew (74) passed away. He is a legend for his role as Chewbacca and the epitome of a gentle giant. He loved his role as Chewbacca and he will be greatly missed. However, its comforting to know that now, he is fulfilling his obligation to Han Solo, and he’s taking care of the princess. RIP Chewie.

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