Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Setting Some Andor Expectations

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On September 15, 2022

In Andor, Star Wars

Star Wars Andor on Disney+ Sept 21st

The Andor series comes out on the 21st with three episodes to kick it off. This seems to be the least anticipated Star Wars series and that’s a shame. I am looking forward to a series where the Jedi/Sith mythos isn’t the center of the plot; which is one of the things I really enjoy about The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Be that as it may I want to kick things off by setting some Andor expectations. Perhaps talk about what characters we might see.

No “Fan Service”

I was originally going to share my character cameo predictions. However, during the September 2nd episode of Rebel Force Radio, the guys were interviewing Gary Whitta, a writer from the Rogue One movie. They were talking about the upcoming Andor series and Whitta said that according to showrunner Tony Gilroy, there will be “no fan service” in this series.

What does “no fan service” mean? Basically “moments in which references, cameos, or Easter eggs appear arbitrarily” in the episode or series to appease us minutia nerds. However, any element or legacy character that does show up will have a purpose for the plot or narrative. In other words there won’t be any blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shots of Chopper rolling by.

You know what else that means? THERE WILL NOT BE CLONE WARS FLASHBACKS!!! 😛

Character Appearances

With all that said, I still have a couple of predictions but I don’t really want to use the word “cameo”. I believe the following characters will appear in the series to serve a purpose for the story.

I had Saw Gerrera on the list but since he’s in the trailer, it doesn’t count. The first season takes place five years before Rogue One so it’s not likely we will see Tarkin; I feel like he will show up in the latter part of Season 2. Krennic was also on my list but, like Tarkin, he seems more likely to appear in the second season. These guys fall under my “possible-but-not-likely-to-appear” list.

Given Tony Gilroy’s statements and where this season falls on the timeline I think I only really have one, solid prediction. Bail Organa. If you’ve read the book Leia: Princess of Alderaan then you know that Bail Organa is one of the founding members of the Rebel Alliance and works very closely with Mon Mothma. I feel like if he doesn’t make an appearance then it’s kind of a big miss a possible disservice to the plot (depending on how it’s written).

Finally, we obviously will not see Jyn Erso, but I think Galen Erso might be a solid prediction (again, if he provides “protein” to the story).

What are some of your Andor expectations and/or predictions?

MTFBWY

ICYMI: Mandalorian Season 3 Teaser Trailer

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On September 10, 2022

In Star Wars, The Mandalorian

Given Season 3 is due out in February, this is the trailer I was expecting either from Disney+ Day or D23. I really enjoy all of the other Star Wars content on Disney+ but I am super excited for Season 3. So without further ado here is the Mandalorian Season 3 Teaser Trailer:

The other shows are great but this is the return of the king (I know, different show).

MTFBWY

ICYMI: The Final Andor Trailer

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On September 10, 2022

In Andor, Star Wars

There is a lot of stuff announced at D23 this weekend and a couple of trailers I need to share. I’m sure if you follow Star Wars news like I do then you probably have seen these already but I’m still posting them because that’s what I do. With that said, here is the final Andor trailer.

MTFBWY

A Wicked Fun Trip

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On September 10, 2022

In General Cogitation

I’m way overdue for a new post. There are reasons for the draught, which I will get into a little later. Recently we went out of town for a family baptism. Instead of staying for just the weekend, we saved several hundred dollars and stayed three nights. We left early Friday morning and returned late Monday night. The destination … Boston, Massachusetts. I have never been to Boston before so we made the best of the extended stay. It was, pardon the pun, a wicked fun trip!

America’s Birthplace

Old State House, the site of the Boston Massacre that started a revolution

If you are an American history buff, then I’m sure you are aware of the role Boston played in the Revolutionary War. I am, by no means, an expert on American history, but I remember most things from history class. Boston has a rich and amazing history and not just it’s role in our independence but also how it became a city. I’m not going to talk about everything I learned about it’s history because I encourage you to go experience it for yourself.

I highly recommend taking the Boston Duck Tour. You will learn all kinds of historical facts not only about Boston but about America too. I also recommend taking the Freedom Trail, which is a historical path through the city. We did not have a chance to do this but it’s on the list for next time.

Other Sites and Activities

Aside from taking the Duck Tour, we tried to do as many other “Boston things” as we could. Every day I tried clam chowder at a different place. My favorite is the bowl I had at the Warren Tavern in Charlestown. Fun fact, founded in 1780, the Warren Tavern is the oldest tavern in the country. George Washington once hung out at this place and it’s also believed to be haunted.

Had a beer at Cheers

We also saw a game at Fenway Park, against the the Yankees. While the Red Sox are essentially in last place, that night they did win 3-0. We rode on the swan boats, had lunch at Cheers, toured Havard University, visited the Children’s Museum (which is next door to the Boston Tea Party Museum). There is more to do than I expected so we will have to go back.

Boston is a very clean city. There is no trash on the streets or in the alleyways. I rarely saw any litter. I’d say the one thing I didn’t like about our trip to Boston is an unexpected souvenir.

Covid.

We almost made it three years without ever catching covid. We went to Disney, attended weddings, parties, a 5K and never caught it. One trip to Boston and BAM! This is the reason for a delay in my posts.

Despite catching the ‘rona, I’d still do it all again.

/cheers (heh heh, how fitting a sign off this time 🙂 )

MMT: Action/Adventure (July 2022)

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On August 9, 2022

In Monthly Movie Theme, Movies

July (2022) is Action/Adventure month for no particular reason. I wanted a month for Action/Adventure movies and July was available. I used to have genre statistics on my movie collection and I feel like Action/Adventure and Comedy are the top two. Suffice it to say I am a big Action/Adventure fan. In fact two of the movies on the list this month are in my Top 5. So without further ado, here are July’s selections:

  • Gladiator
  • The Rock
  • Walking Tall
  • The Losers
  • The Rundown

There are not many movies I know as well as I know all the Star Wars movies. The Rock is one of those rare cases where I almost know the movie line-for-line. Every time I watch it I am immediately taken back to high school. I enjoy this movie so much and still one of my all time favorites! RIP Sean Connery.

Bonus/Special Event Selections

If you live in the US then you know it’s the month we celebrate our independence. Therefore it’s only fitting that the special event movie for July is Independence Day starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum (to name a few). This is such a fun movie with many quotable lines, many of which I still use to this day (“must go faster”). I know there is a sequel, I have not seen it but I’ve heard it isn’t very good. Let me know, in the comments, if you’ve seen it and what you thought.

A “bonus movie” is a new movie that comes out on a streaming service. In this case the movie 1Up was released on Amazon Prime. It’s not really an action/adventure movie, but I had already watched my list for the month and I heard about it on a podcast so I decided to check it out. The movie is OK; you can click the link to see my review.

/cheers

Movie Review: 1Up

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On August 2, 2022

In eSports, Gaming, Movies, Reviews

1Up review

1Up

Starring: Ruby Rose, Paris Berelc
Director: Kyle Newman

My Rating: [rating=4]

I am a big fan of Rebel Force Radio (if you are a Star Wars fan, I highly recommend listening to them each week). During the July 15th broadcast Jason and Jimmy interviewed Kyle Newman and they talk about this movie. If you have seen the movie Fanboys then you are familiar with Kyle Newman’s work. First a quick synopsis then my 1Up review.

Vivian (Paris Berelc) is a “support” member of an elite eSports college team. After an egregious display of ego and male chauvinism, she quits the team. She forms her own, female only, eSports team with the help of Parker (Ruby Rose) to coach them against a male dominated industry.

Biggs 1Up Review

This is another one of those movies where it’s more like 3 1/2 stars but since the plugin doesn’t allow 1/2 stars, I generously gave it a 4. It is getting destroyed though on IMDB. So much so that I almost didn’t add the link to the website. I, honestly, don’t think this movie deserves so much harsh criticism.

I admit that it’s a little campy but I feel like it’s campy along the same lines as Fanboys. It’s not a unique plot. In fact this is basically the same movie as Pitch Perfect except using video games. The writers and director do embellish the actual game play a little bit, but I don’t think it ruins the movie. It’s a decent “David Denise? vs Goliath” flick.

Women and Video Games

Erin Brockovich - They're called boobs, Ed

During the first act it does, kind of, abuses the very stigma it’s trying to abolish. Paris Berelc is a “well endowed” woman and we see her frequently in a white tank top where her … “goods” are right in our face. Ruby Rose’s character even addresses the fact that, over the years, “boobs” sell video games. I feel like from that point on, however, Berelc’s wardrobe is a bit more modest. Perhaps that is on purpose.

The movie comes at a time where women are being challenged and/or ridiculed for wanting to feel welcome in a male-dominated industry. Especially on the heels of the Blizzard fiasco. It goes without saying that gaming and eSports has largely been tailored toward males for the better part of a generation. This movie challenges that and I’m on board with it. Women should feel welcome and safe in the video game industry. A penis is not a requirement for playing (or developing) MOBAs, MMOs and eSport games.

If you are a gamer and/or in the video game industry, then check it out. Keep an open mind but your expectations low. It’s not a masterpiece and certainly not as good as Pitch Perfect but I still enjoyed it (boobs aside). It does have a few subtle Star Wars references (not just the Jedi/Padawan reference, let me know if you catch it).

film_reel“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.” 
– Stanley Kubrick

 

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