If this little Duck Tape company had had the $$$ to run this TRON inspired commercial during the Super Bowl, it would have easily come away with the prize for best ad. All we can hear is “I want him in the games until he dies taping!” Nicely played guys.
Here’s something to get excited about, folks. Above is a trailer for the forthcoming Blu-ray release of Star Wars featuring some of previously-deleted scenes that have been replaced. There’s a lot to see here, so let’s go through the teaser, bit by bit.
It starts with Luke activating the Lightsaber he built for the first time. This sequence was pulled from Return of the Jedi and remained on the cutting room floor until it was revealed to fans at Star Wars Celebration last year. As any Star Wars fanboy knows, assembling one’s one lightsaber is the final step in becoming a Jedi.
Next, we see a young Luke next to a moisture vaporator on the Lars homestead on Tatooine. We know that Luke witnessed the Tantive IV being attacked and boarded by the Star Destroyer just beyond Tatooine’s atmosphere in the beginning of A New Hope, though that scene was cut from the final film.
We also see Admiral Ackbar (it’s a trap!) doing a bit of flying in a green flight suit. He seems to be in a small cockpit. I’m unfamiliar with this scene, but I can assume it’s from an assault on Endor.
Just after the clip of Ackbar, we see Chewie and Lando enduring the fabled Tatooine sandstorm. After our heroes escape Jabba’s sail barge, the original version for the script had them endure a vicious sand storm as they traveled back to the Falcon. It’s something I’ve wanted to see for a long time, and will be happy to get a chance.
The clip also shows R2 running from the Wampa as it attacks the rebel base on Hoth, another fabled and long-lost scene.
It looks great and I can’t wait to watch. Typically it’s easy to see why deleted scenes were cut, but that’s not the point here. It’s *new* Star Wars, and that’s what I want to see.
Yes, these credits are real.
The South Pacific island state of Niue is set to issue new coins to its citizens, in collaboration with the New Zealand Mint. One side of the coins will feature an image of Queen Elizabeth II, while the reverse will depict one of several Star Wars characters.
What are they worth? Here’s where it gets interesting. As legal tender, they’ll have a face value of NZ$2 (£1). However, the coins will be struck with an ounce of silver, bringing their value to about $382 (as of this writing).
Clearly meant for collectors, the coins are actually legal tender. I’d like to meet the guy who buys a Coke with one of these.
[Via Nerd Approved]
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is the sci-fi drama from 2001 that was co-written, produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. Based on Brian Aldiss’ short story “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long,” the project began with Stanley Kubrick in the 1970′s. It languished the development stage as Kubrick waited for computer-generated imagery to “catch up” with his vision for the David character (Kubrick felt that no human actor could portray David successfully).
He handed the project to Spielberg in 1995, and it gained momentum after Kubrick’s death in 1999. The film received mostly critical acclaim, but some viewers walked away dissatisfied with the conclusion. I’ve had mixed feelings about it myself, but this deep exploration by Benjamin Sampson has renewed my appreciation for the artistry of this film. Sampson illustrates its themes and inherit duality. In fact, he suggests that it was entirely appropriate for both Spielberg and Kubrick to have had their hands on this story:
“After examining the film itself, it seems rather logical that Kubrick offered Spielberg the project. Their dual authorship perfectly reflects the film’s own visual duality. And their much-noted contrast of temperaments—warm and cold, emotional and analytical, tender and pessimistic—perfectly compliments the film’s final message. Only their combination of perspectives could show why human love is so attractive and so addictive, and at the same time so maddeningly selfish and self-seeking. As a result of this duality, A.I. never recoils from either genuine emotion or its dark consequence.”
You can watch part 1 of Sampson’s examination above, and part two after the break. As for the “human” David, I think Haley Joel Osment did a fine job.
The great Sillof has imagined how the Star Wars characters would look in a 1940s-era science fiction serial. He’s mocked up a line of action figures featuring each of the main characters, including Cecil-3000, Dark Vanquisher and Capt. Hawk Solar. My favorite is Princess Laura, pictured at left (and not just because she looks like my grandmother in her younger days). Note the fancy hair-do and earrings. A space princess has to look good!
This line is the latest in a series of re-imagined Star Wars figures that Sillof has made. Others include Samauri Wars, West Wars and the stellar World Wars.
Well done, Sillof. These are super.
[Via Neatorama]
Yesterday I said this Boba Fett craft was the best thing you’ll see all day. I was wrong. It’s Gollum handing over “the ring” during a wedding.
This stunt was staged by contestants on Australian reality show Four Weddings. I don’t know what’s more shocking: how much the actor sounds like Andy Serkis or the guests who have no idea who Gollum is.
In any case, we loves it. My precious.
Last week we posted an official shot of Anne Hathaway dressed as Catwoman for the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. Soon after that, a full-on character shot appeared, which was later debunked as a fake: It’s based on a Laura Croft cosplay getup. So, we’re back to that less-than-informative shot of Anne on the bike.
The Superficial later posted several shots of (we assume) a stunt double in costume on the Pittsburgh film set. Most of the outfit is obscured by that ridiculous, manatee-sized motorcycle, but the bits we can see offer more hints. DC Women Kicking Ass asked illustrator Alejandro Melchor to create a sketch of the outfit based on the limited information, which he did. Combine that with comparisons to images of Catwoman as she appears in Batman: Arkham City (supposedly the basis for Anne’s version), and a more complete vision of the real costume comes together. Here’s an exploration of what we might see when The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters.
This is the greatest thing you’ll see all day.
Last week we got fleeting glimpses of Anne Hathaway as the new Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises. Now comes the official character portrait. Keeping true to form for the re-boot Selina’s costume isn’t so much about her feline qualities as they are about being functional. Looks like night-vision goggles and repelling gear are the order of the day for this Catwoman. The comic-fan jury may still be out, so we’ll reserve judgement until we see TDKR for ourselves. What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Update: Looks like it’s a fake. A mashup of Anne Hathaway and Laura Croft. Guess you just can never trust the old tubes. Thanks to our good friend Krystyn Heide for the tip.
