Wednesday, May 18, 2005
George Lucas would have been proud
Just got back from the last Star Wars midnight happening in history. What a zoo.....Much bigger and crazier than I anticipated. Scores of people, if we can call them that, walking around as their favorite Star Wars character. Perhaps at least a hundred or more Jedi alter egos walking around waving red, green, and blue light sabers. Light saber battles going on all over the place. Good thing they are made of plastic. Even the little kids got into the act as shameless parents dressed them up as Darth Vader and little Jedis. Didn't see Jabba the Hut or Yoda. Yoda is a minature green hobbit so he could have easily gotten lost in the crowd without me seeing him. Suspect Jabba the Hut's suit would be too difficult and expensive to make. Besides, tonight was Vaders night. Lots of Darth Vaders running amuck. Still can't get out of my head Jedi Knights walking around with cigarettes and pizza slices dangling from their mouths. I guess the Star Wars geeks and freaks wanted to go out in style. They were numbered in the thousands I would estimate. Line went almost all the way around the theatre at one gathering and four long lines at the other. Can't help thinking they wanted to show and remind us Lord of the Rings fanactics who started the tradition and who was still king. Jedi Master Lucas himself would have been proud to see the passion and good nature fun that was on display tonight. It was alot of fun just walking around talking to folks and taking pictures.
Really wished I had bought a ticket now. Thinking about racing home tomorrow to see an early matinee, but sons and girlfriend might never forgive me if they ever found out I went alone......
Not sure when I will go. Real busy the next four or five days.....Tonight really got my juices going....Be patient....be patient......Let the force flow through you.....To hurry or lose patience is to surrender to the dark side.....May just give into the dark side on this one.....Nah....I'll wait.....See it with my sons and girlfriend. Be more fun......It's getting real late....Better hit the sack.....Feel the life force leaving my body at the moment.......May the force be with you and in you and around you...shalom........
Really wished I had bought a ticket now. Thinking about racing home tomorrow to see an early matinee, but sons and girlfriend might never forgive me if they ever found out I went alone......
Not sure when I will go. Real busy the next four or five days.....Tonight really got my juices going....Be patient....be patient......Let the force flow through you.....To hurry or lose patience is to surrender to the dark side.....May just give into the dark side on this one.....Nah....I'll wait.....See it with my sons and girlfriend. Be more fun......It's getting real late....Better hit the sack.....Feel the life force leaving my body at the moment.......May the force be with you and in you and around you...shalom........
Music Meme
Just sitting here at the keyboard waiting for my Star Wars gig in about an hour so I thought I would play along with the rest of you......
Q:1 Total volume of music files on my computer?
Zero......I am apparently still in the stone age. I continue to put my C.D.'s in one at a time.
02. The last CD I bought was?
Star Wars Episode III sountrack. Really, really, like it. Not just a Star Wars fan
blowing smoke. It is quite good. Alot of variety. Great mood swings throughout the entire production. John Williams at his best.......
03. Song playing right now:
Don't generally listen to music when I am blogging or doing internet but when I do it is
almost always something by Michael Jones or a movie soundtrack. I need to concentrate.
Apparently I am not as gifted as the rest of you bloggers and cyberspace junkies. I can
however hike, chew gum, listen to my walkman, and process my latest inner thoughts
and soul vibes. How's that for multi tasking?
04. Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me(in no particular order):
1 and 2: Bruce Cockburn's Child of the Wind and Strange Waters.....These two songs sum
up my life and how I often feel about things......
3: Lately it's been U-2's Sometimes I Can't Make it on Your Own.....Keeps me humble....
Should be the national athem of the various 12 step programs.......
4: Not really a song but anything by the Cambridge Singers or Michael Jones. Their work
reminds me of the beauty of the world. It's truly heavenly music. I've been listening to
Jones Seascapes album now for over twenty years. Never get tired of it. Can't explain
why. It's just piano music along the lines of a George Winston.
5: Last Sumarai soundtrack.......Love the Zen sound, if there is such a thing. Again, can't
explain why it floats my boat. Just does. Just is. Just.........so peaceful........
05. Which 5 people are you passing this baton to, and why?
None.....Got a Star Wars gig to get to......Besides, all the blogs I follow closely are already
accounted for.......May the force be with you......
Q:1 Total volume of music files on my computer?
Zero......I am apparently still in the stone age. I continue to put my C.D.'s in one at a time.
02. The last CD I bought was?
Star Wars Episode III sountrack. Really, really, like it. Not just a Star Wars fan
blowing smoke. It is quite good. Alot of variety. Great mood swings throughout the entire production. John Williams at his best.......
03. Song playing right now:
Don't generally listen to music when I am blogging or doing internet but when I do it is
almost always something by Michael Jones or a movie soundtrack. I need to concentrate.
Apparently I am not as gifted as the rest of you bloggers and cyberspace junkies. I can
however hike, chew gum, listen to my walkman, and process my latest inner thoughts
and soul vibes. How's that for multi tasking?
04. Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me(in no particular order):
1 and 2: Bruce Cockburn's Child of the Wind and Strange Waters.....These two songs sum
up my life and how I often feel about things......
3: Lately it's been U-2's Sometimes I Can't Make it on Your Own.....Keeps me humble....
Should be the national athem of the various 12 step programs.......
4: Not really a song but anything by the Cambridge Singers or Michael Jones. Their work
reminds me of the beauty of the world. It's truly heavenly music. I've been listening to
Jones Seascapes album now for over twenty years. Never get tired of it. Can't explain
why. It's just piano music along the lines of a George Winston.
5: Last Sumarai soundtrack.......Love the Zen sound, if there is such a thing. Again, can't
explain why it floats my boat. Just does. Just is. Just.........so peaceful........
05. Which 5 people are you passing this baton to, and why?
None.....Got a Star Wars gig to get to......Besides, all the blogs I follow closely are already
accounted for.......May the force be with you......
May the Force be with the Crazies
I am getting ready to head off to the theatre to take pictures and hob nob with my fellow Star Wars freaks and geeks. Don't consider myself a hard core Star Wars geek but do relate to my fanatic brethren. I am not attending the midnight showing but do want to just hang out with "my people" for an hour or so and take a few pictures and talk Star Wars shop talk one last time before the sun sets on the Stars Wars legacy. Really regret I never went to the LOTR's midnight showings so I thought I would not make the same mistake. Be back later in time for bed if I don't give into the dark side of the force and try to sneak my way in or steal some little kids ticket. I'll post some thoughts and pics either later tonight or more likely tomorrow night.....May the force be with you and the crazies who have been standing in line since yesterday all around the country.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Star Wars Verses the Matrix and the LOTR
Top Reasons why Star Wars is better than the Lord of the Rings
In Star Wars, the short guy kicks ass. In LotR, the short guy needs a box.
Unlike Gandalf, Obi-Wan does more than make rooms brighter
The force is the ultimate power, while the ring does little more than compliment a fancy outfit.
It takes half as much time to type SW than it takes to type LOTR.
Saruman sends out Orcs to do his bidding. Vader kills enemies personally.
LOTR has a couple o' lousy towers. We have the DEATH STAR!!!
At least Star Wars has an actual villain, not some stupid burning eye sitting on top of a tower.
Luke would want to try and find the good in Saruman.
When Luke left home, he got over it.
The relevent backstory can be told in a 30-second scroll, not a 900-page novel.
Instead of the movies deviating from the books, the books deviate from the movies.
Top Reasons why Lord of the Rings is better than Star Wars
LOTR: No love triangles involving a brother and sister.
Where else do you find a second breakfast?
39. You can get more beer in Middle-Earth
Uruk-hai, unlike stormtroopers, can fight.
In LOTR the comic relief (ie Gimli, Pipin & Merry) actually speak proper English
Liv Tyler, Miranda Otto, and Cate Blanchett. Let's hear it for options!
LOTR made three movies at once. George, are you taking notes on this?
Because even the dumbest creatures in LOTR would be smart enough to know that making Jar Jar a senator is a bad idea
The White Council in LORT included Galadriel, who was youthful and divinely beautiful despite being over 4000 years old. Yoda of the Jedi Council looked like hell after a mere 900.
LOTR is better than SW because the furry movie characters never launch into song
Merry and Pippin are slightly less annoying than C3PO and R2D2. Slightly.
It's more satisfying to see an Orc get beheaded then a Stormtrooper fall down.
Peter Jackson simply cannot make shit up as he goes along.
Interspecies relationships work in Middle Earth. I don't think Leia and Chewbacca ever had chance.
Top Reasons why Star Wars is better than the Matrix
Because Yoda REALLY DOES know Kung-Fu.
Jedi Knights don't need sunglasses to make them look cool.
Even a kid can understand the Star Wars plot.
Matrix has one The One, and Star Wars has The Chosen One and Obi-One
You don't need pills to understand Yoda's teachings.
Instead of " There is no Spoon " you get " Feel the Power of the Forks ! "
Neo can dodge bullets, but Luke doesn't have to cuz stormtroopers can't shoot!!
Star Wars didn't fall apart after two movies. It took four.
C-3PO has more facial expressions than Keanu.
It only took one trilogy for The Matrix to go bad.
I don't see any Matrix plush toys, do you?
Yoda's grammar slightly better then Keanu Reeves'
Star Wars has an ending.
No-one camps out to see the Matrix
You don't need a degree in Philosophy to understand the script.
The power of the One is insignificant compared to the power of the Force
Neo got killed trying to save Zion, Luke only lost a hand while saving the galaxy!!!For more humor check out the following link
http://www.theforce.net/
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
The Word on the Street
The word on the street is that Revenge of the Sith is a much better film than Episodes I and II and according to some early reports it may be as good as Episodes IV or V. Of course, early reports tend to be more optimistic than later reviews but I really do believe this film is going to be a very good if not great film.... Just call it a hobbit hunch....
Here are just a few of the comments leaking out from critics from around the country who have already seen the film. Enjoy.....
It's not easy defending the latter-day Star Wars films. People throw garbage. Small children spit on you in the street. Friends still refer to me as "the Jar Jar apologist" and make vague warnings about graveside eulogies. But now, with the grand finale to his 30-year-old space saga, George Lucas has finally given supporters like me some real ammunition. For not only is Revenge of the Sith the best of the three prequels, but it fully returns us to the joy and fun that the original trilogy conjured so well.
Revenge of the Sith isn’t just a great Star Wars movie, it’s a flat out great film. Yes it’s technically proficient and yes it’s visually beautiful. Those things are a given. What hasn’t been is how solidly the film is constructed. Revenge of the Sith is a powerful, big budget experience. Yet it is the way that it fits so wonderfully into the existing Star Wars mythos that best sells it, the way it nestles so nicely into 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope that makes it special. The real beauty is that you could easily toss out the previous two awkward attempts, watch only this in sequence with the original films, and come out completely satisfied. Attack of the Clones and The Phantom Menace are best forgotten. Lucas’s real miscalculation was in not making this movie right from the start. He tried to stretch the story when all we needed was Vader’s rise in its purest form. Star Wars fans have finally been rewarded for their patience. George has made another masterpiece.
The first 20 minutes of Revenge of the Sith is one of the most exciting things you'll ever see projected onto a screen. It rivals the booby-trapped cave intro. to Raiders of the Lost Ark. It beats the infamous skinny-dipping opening scene that scared an entire nation out of the water and back onto the beach in the original Jaws. It even makes the spectacular opening sequences in The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi pale in comparison. If you're not laughing, clapping and having the time of your life during this scene, you're a corpse pumped full of Valium, whisky and Xanax.
Believe the hype. “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith” is the crowning achievement of the Star Wars mythos. This is the Star Wars movie that everyone has been waiting on.The special effects, characters, etc. are great but “Sith” is really the definitive Star Wars movie (sorry “Empire Strikes Back”) because Director/Writer George Lucas doesn’t try to cater to anyone – fans, critics or even kids – he has a story to tell and he tells it on his terms. The results are undeniably brilliant.
Culling from mythology, religion, and psychology, particularly Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces," George Lucas has created a pop tragic character who struggles with issues of love, anger and a lust for power. On another level, Darth Vader embodies the man vs. machine battle in a war that has been waged since the Industrial Revolution. Once again, John Williams' thrilling, signature music contrasts the light and dark forces. With its PG-13 rating, it's darker, filled with fighting and definitely not for very young children. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" is an enthralling, triumphant 10, completing Lucas' 33-year project, a significant cultural phenomenon that encompasses six feature films.
Like the prophecies that haunt the characters, this movie has been foretold for a long, long time. The events of "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith" have been the stuff of pop mythology since 1977. "We meet again," Darth Vader rasped in the original film (now "Episode IV – A New Hope") before he crossed lightsabers with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). Now, after a series of uneven but always inventive sequels and prequels, the six-film saga comes full circle, and George Lucas stages the duel with operatic glory: at the film's climax, Vader and Kenobi (now played by Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor) face off in an apocalyptic river of molten lava. "Revenge of the Sith" is, in every sense of the word, the ultimate Star Wars film.
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith,” the sixth and final episode of George Lucas’ sci-fi epos, is so much better than Episodes I and II of the prequel that it almost obliterates the bad taste left after the 1999 and 2002 installments, which managed to offend even the hardcore fans of the seminal series.
While it's safe to say that STAR WARS, EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH will not be in competition for the Best Film Oscar next year, the story might be different if there were a category for Most Improved. For surely under that criteria, it would win in a walk. Its two predecessors in the Star Wars canon -- the dreary and dour Phantom Menace and the incoherent Attack of the Clones -- not only disappointed fans and confused casual audiences, but also sullied memories of the original 1970's trilogy, diluting the saga of the Skywalker clan and their imaginative universe. For many, the newest efforts by George Lucas can still be summed up in one phrase: Jar Jar Binks...Which will make the experience of the final film in the series, REVENGE OF THE SITH, an unexpectedly sweet pleasure.
Here's your "Revenge of the Sith" review in a nutshell: It may well be the best of all six Star Wars movies -- with the caveat that you need to have seen the other five films to truly grasp its significance...The cunning dexterity and gravitas with which George Lucas snaps into place every remaining puzzle piece in his epic 30-year story arc is remarkable.
If anything, this fantasy film is a rather poignant warning on the dangers of fear mongering. A lesson on the evil men can do while wrapping themselves in the mantle of freedom, democracy, and safety. As Anakin himself points out later in the film, it all depends on your point of view. Words that are later echoed from the lips of Obi Wan, when instructing Anakin’s son Luke. That’s the kind of highly tuned resonance Revenge of the Sith has. There’s a real sense not only that the vibrations of this film mean something to this universe down the road, but that they might have some application to our world as well. Maybe Lucas is finally getting around to starting that religion so many people have been pushing for, but I prefer to think that the man has at last re-found his footing as a relevant filmmaker.
If you want to read these comments in their original context check out Rottentomatoes website at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_3/
Reading these reviews makes my mouth drool for more...... Just eight more days!
Here are just a few of the comments leaking out from critics from around the country who have already seen the film. Enjoy.....
It's not easy defending the latter-day Star Wars films. People throw garbage. Small children spit on you in the street. Friends still refer to me as "the Jar Jar apologist" and make vague warnings about graveside eulogies. But now, with the grand finale to his 30-year-old space saga, George Lucas has finally given supporters like me some real ammunition. For not only is Revenge of the Sith the best of the three prequels, but it fully returns us to the joy and fun that the original trilogy conjured so well.
Revenge of the Sith isn’t just a great Star Wars movie, it’s a flat out great film. Yes it’s technically proficient and yes it’s visually beautiful. Those things are a given. What hasn’t been is how solidly the film is constructed. Revenge of the Sith is a powerful, big budget experience. Yet it is the way that it fits so wonderfully into the existing Star Wars mythos that best sells it, the way it nestles so nicely into 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope that makes it special. The real beauty is that you could easily toss out the previous two awkward attempts, watch only this in sequence with the original films, and come out completely satisfied. Attack of the Clones and The Phantom Menace are best forgotten. Lucas’s real miscalculation was in not making this movie right from the start. He tried to stretch the story when all we needed was Vader’s rise in its purest form. Star Wars fans have finally been rewarded for their patience. George has made another masterpiece.
The first 20 minutes of Revenge of the Sith is one of the most exciting things you'll ever see projected onto a screen. It rivals the booby-trapped cave intro. to Raiders of the Lost Ark. It beats the infamous skinny-dipping opening scene that scared an entire nation out of the water and back onto the beach in the original Jaws. It even makes the spectacular opening sequences in The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi pale in comparison. If you're not laughing, clapping and having the time of your life during this scene, you're a corpse pumped full of Valium, whisky and Xanax.
Believe the hype. “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith” is the crowning achievement of the Star Wars mythos. This is the Star Wars movie that everyone has been waiting on.The special effects, characters, etc. are great but “Sith” is really the definitive Star Wars movie (sorry “Empire Strikes Back”) because Director/Writer George Lucas doesn’t try to cater to anyone – fans, critics or even kids – he has a story to tell and he tells it on his terms. The results are undeniably brilliant.
Culling from mythology, religion, and psychology, particularly Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces," George Lucas has created a pop tragic character who struggles with issues of love, anger and a lust for power. On another level, Darth Vader embodies the man vs. machine battle in a war that has been waged since the Industrial Revolution. Once again, John Williams' thrilling, signature music contrasts the light and dark forces. With its PG-13 rating, it's darker, filled with fighting and definitely not for very young children. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" is an enthralling, triumphant 10, completing Lucas' 33-year project, a significant cultural phenomenon that encompasses six feature films.
Like the prophecies that haunt the characters, this movie has been foretold for a long, long time. The events of "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith" have been the stuff of pop mythology since 1977. "We meet again," Darth Vader rasped in the original film (now "Episode IV – A New Hope") before he crossed lightsabers with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). Now, after a series of uneven but always inventive sequels and prequels, the six-film saga comes full circle, and George Lucas stages the duel with operatic glory: at the film's climax, Vader and Kenobi (now played by Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor) face off in an apocalyptic river of molten lava. "Revenge of the Sith" is, in every sense of the word, the ultimate Star Wars film.
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith,” the sixth and final episode of George Lucas’ sci-fi epos, is so much better than Episodes I and II of the prequel that it almost obliterates the bad taste left after the 1999 and 2002 installments, which managed to offend even the hardcore fans of the seminal series.
While it's safe to say that STAR WARS, EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH will not be in competition for the Best Film Oscar next year, the story might be different if there were a category for Most Improved. For surely under that criteria, it would win in a walk. Its two predecessors in the Star Wars canon -- the dreary and dour Phantom Menace and the incoherent Attack of the Clones -- not only disappointed fans and confused casual audiences, but also sullied memories of the original 1970's trilogy, diluting the saga of the Skywalker clan and their imaginative universe. For many, the newest efforts by George Lucas can still be summed up in one phrase: Jar Jar Binks...Which will make the experience of the final film in the series, REVENGE OF THE SITH, an unexpectedly sweet pleasure.
Here's your "Revenge of the Sith" review in a nutshell: It may well be the best of all six Star Wars movies -- with the caveat that you need to have seen the other five films to truly grasp its significance...The cunning dexterity and gravitas with which George Lucas snaps into place every remaining puzzle piece in his epic 30-year story arc is remarkable.
If anything, this fantasy film is a rather poignant warning on the dangers of fear mongering. A lesson on the evil men can do while wrapping themselves in the mantle of freedom, democracy, and safety. As Anakin himself points out later in the film, it all depends on your point of view. Words that are later echoed from the lips of Obi Wan, when instructing Anakin’s son Luke. That’s the kind of highly tuned resonance Revenge of the Sith has. There’s a real sense not only that the vibrations of this film mean something to this universe down the road, but that they might have some application to our world as well. Maybe Lucas is finally getting around to starting that religion so many people have been pushing for, but I prefer to think that the man has at last re-found his footing as a relevant filmmaker.
If you want to read these comments in their original context check out Rottentomatoes website at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_3/
Reading these reviews makes my mouth drool for more...... Just eight more days!
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Twenty Three Things I learned from Star Wars
It really isn't necessary to be fluent in over 6 million forms of communication.
Get some travel information before heading off to a place that you have never even heard of.
Always check the background of people you want to get intimately involved with, they may be your relatives.
Don't assume a senior citizen is weak and frail; they may zap you with lightning bolts.
You will find many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view
No matter how deeply one falls into darkness, there is always hope for redemption
Always pay off your debts in a hurry
Short green guys with big ears can be more than they seem.
Hokey religions just might be a good substitute for a blaster at your side
Try not. , Do or do not. There is no try."
Don't intimidate, annoy, or otherwise attack any kind of old man
If "the Force is strong in this one" and you're not, BACK OFF!
Never tell a teacher who's been teaching for 800 years who to teach and who not to teach.
Sometimes it is smart to listen to little green Muppets.
Everything has a weakness, it's just a matter of exploiting it
Emperor - overconfident
Luke - friends
Death Star - thermal exhaust port
Stormtroppers - Ewoks
Star Destoyers - bridge deflector shields
Darth Vader - compasion for his kids
Beware those heart-to-heart talks with Dad. One of you might end up losing an appendage.
Bury your feelings deep. (They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor.)
Old Jedi never die, they just fade away.
Patience... you must have Patience!
If all else fails, drive headlong into an asteroid field.
rely on the voice of an old man inside our head.
Don't enter strange rooms just because you hear a familiar voice...you could end up in pieces
Never underestimate the power of a Star Wars fan...
And finally..... The Force is always with me
Monday, May 09, 2005
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.....
A long time ago, twenty eight years ago to be exact, in a theatre far, far, away I was literally blown away by what up to that point was the most spectacular movie experience of my life. In fact, I was so awe struck by the first episode of Star Wars I took another date the following week and before Lucas' space opera had departed from the local theatre I had accompanied five different young women to see Star Wars!....and to this day... I cannot, for the life of me, remember even one of the dates I chaperoned to see Lucas masterpiece.
Star Wars wasn't just a movie it was an groundmaking movie experience that marked not only my life but the lives of many of my friends during the late 1970's and early 1980's. We occasionally rendezvoused at local coffeshops on and off for years and all talked, shared, and sometimes even argued, passionately I might add, about Star Wars. Even to this day, I find myself defending the merits of Lucas's lifetime tour de force to close friends who would argue or imply otherwise that this modern day Homeric saga is not a masterpiece nor a significant sociological and psychological happening. Don't mean to sound or imply religious or life changing signifcance or sacred status here but the film was a major pop culture happening for those of us who grew up when George Lucas was granted demigod status by his legion of faithful followers/movie geeks.
In my lifetime there have been three films which stand above all others. Lord of the Rings, Schindler's List, and Star Wars and I guess you could say Star Wars was my "first" love since it was the first mindblowing movie experience of my life. And, like many Star Wars fanatics of my generation I saw the film series multiple times in the theatre and never had any second thoughts or regrets about standing in line for hours in the blistering heat of Bakersflied California to see my beloved favorite characters in the initial Star Wars Triology. My only regret is that I wasn't insightful or fanatical enough at the time to buy and collect the numerous Star Wars toys and collectibles that were originally available for next to nothing. Damn my Puritan sensibilities regarding money and material objects. Damn, damn, damn!.......
May 19th marks the "apparent" end to an incredible run by Lucas and his legion of special effects/digital storm troopers when Revenge of the Sith hits theatres nationwide. According to reports regarding Steven Speilberg's recent viewing of Anakin Skywalker's transformation to the dark side, the brainchild of such fantasy classics as E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark announced it was the best of the recent Geroge Lucas space epics. In a telephone interview Speilberg even confessed he broke down and cried towards the end of the film and predicted other Star Wars fans would share a tear or two as well.... Over the past week I have been reading numerous reviews by the likes of Harry Knowles of Ain't it Cool News and director Kevin Smith of Dogma fame while listening to the new sound track of Episode III. I have now listened to the sountrack more than twice and it is fantastic. It is in the league with Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings, IMHO. The sountrack is very dramatic and provides hints of what is to come along with an emotional outlet for the faithful followers of this modern day Saturday matinee romp through the galaxy. I'll have more to say in the days to come and will provide updates on this or that when they come my way. In the meantime, may the force be with you.......
Star Wars wasn't just a movie it was an groundmaking movie experience that marked not only my life but the lives of many of my friends during the late 1970's and early 1980's. We occasionally rendezvoused at local coffeshops on and off for years and all talked, shared, and sometimes even argued, passionately I might add, about Star Wars. Even to this day, I find myself defending the merits of Lucas's lifetime tour de force to close friends who would argue or imply otherwise that this modern day Homeric saga is not a masterpiece nor a significant sociological and psychological happening. Don't mean to sound or imply religious or life changing signifcance or sacred status here but the film was a major pop culture happening for those of us who grew up when George Lucas was granted demigod status by his legion of faithful followers/movie geeks.
In my lifetime there have been three films which stand above all others. Lord of the Rings, Schindler's List, and Star Wars and I guess you could say Star Wars was my "first" love since it was the first mindblowing movie experience of my life. And, like many Star Wars fanatics of my generation I saw the film series multiple times in the theatre and never had any second thoughts or regrets about standing in line for hours in the blistering heat of Bakersflied California to see my beloved favorite characters in the initial Star Wars Triology. My only regret is that I wasn't insightful or fanatical enough at the time to buy and collect the numerous Star Wars toys and collectibles that were originally available for next to nothing. Damn my Puritan sensibilities regarding money and material objects. Damn, damn, damn!.......
May 19th marks the "apparent" end to an incredible run by Lucas and his legion of special effects/digital storm troopers when Revenge of the Sith hits theatres nationwide. According to reports regarding Steven Speilberg's recent viewing of Anakin Skywalker's transformation to the dark side, the brainchild of such fantasy classics as E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark announced it was the best of the recent Geroge Lucas space epics. In a telephone interview Speilberg even confessed he broke down and cried towards the end of the film and predicted other Star Wars fans would share a tear or two as well.... Over the past week I have been reading numerous reviews by the likes of Harry Knowles of Ain't it Cool News and director Kevin Smith of Dogma fame while listening to the new sound track of Episode III. I have now listened to the sountrack more than twice and it is fantastic. It is in the league with Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings, IMHO. The sountrack is very dramatic and provides hints of what is to come along with an emotional outlet for the faithful followers of this modern day Saturday matinee romp through the galaxy. I'll have more to say in the days to come and will provide updates on this or that when they come my way. In the meantime, may the force be with you.......
Sunday, May 08, 2005
The Scourge of the Earth
Question....Where can you go to find the scourge of the earth?.....A place where scoundrels, outcasts, the disenfranchised, and the chemical, psychological, and the sociological imbalanced can all be found congregating together in one place? The Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire of course!.....Just got back from the Faire last night. Not much to report. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Had a pretty good time overall. I’ve been to a number of these events over the years so the newess and strangeness of it all has pretty much worn off. The first time I attended one of these events I was pretty much in awe of all the strange surroundings and odd, if not bizarre behavior and dress of many of the good folks who attend these sort of gatherings. Apparently a lot of folks who dress up and go to these events are regulars at the other Renaissance Faires around the state. Personally I don’t know anyone who is really into the lifestyle aspects of Renaissance Faire culture but I think it would be interesting to just sit down and talk to some of the folks who spend a lot of time, energy and money on “living in the past” according to the motto of eat, drink, and be merry. I suspect there is something these people may have in common that draws them to these sort of gatherings. Personally I find it refreshing and therapeutic in a way to leave and get away from the Wal-mart, concrete jungle, politically, psychologically, and sociologically correct culture that marks so much of the middle class lifestyle of America. These people who run and attend these events often act and certainly dress in ways that are spontaneous and sometimes even border on the outrageous, but they appear to be enjoying themselves and perhaps even venting a bit of midlife, stuck in the mud, Monday through Friday, steam, to boot…. I enjoy going to these events every once in awhile but would not consider myself a hardcore groupie type, not that there is any virtue in playing it safe by keeping my distance from my apparent and hopefully temporarily deranged brethren. I don’t even dress up at these events and seriously doubt my sons would go with me if I did. There at that age where they constantly remind me when they feel embarrassed by something I do, say, or the way I dress, if you know what I mean…. Oh well…..Perhaps they keep me from going over the edge. More than one friend thinks I am living on the edge of the abyss so perhaps my sons active self consciousness behavior keeps their old man from entering a literal twilight zone existence….Maybe…Doubt it….But one of these days I may just put all middle class self conscious awareness aside and dress up and join the scoundrels, for at least a week-end or two, and see how it feels to live without scruples and middle class self awareness and etiquette. I bet it would be a hoot…….Oh, I almost forgot……Long live the Queen….Long live the Queen…..
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Renaissance Faire
Tomorrow night I will be heading out of town for the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire which I will attend with my two sons and girlfriend on Saturday. Hope to take lots of pictures and will probably come back with a dragon, unicorn, or some other mythological creature trinket. The Southern California Renaissance Faire is one of the largest in the nation and look forward to seeing a lot of folks dressed up in costume. I always look forward to the Jousts which are a probably the most popular event of the Faire even though everyone knows it is just fun and games. Over the years the Renaissance Fairs have become rather commercial and there is a lot of price gauging going on but it is still a lot of fun to see a lot of unique items on display and a lot of strange looking people walking around with giant Turkey drum sticks and cups of beer. A lot of the women are dressed rather provocative but since the weather this year is predicted to be much cooler than normal than perhaps they will leave the bare minimum outfits at home this year. Not that I am overly concerned but the skimpy leather clad ladies who normally attend these events do distort the reality of how the vast majority of women of the Renaissance actually dressed..... So it’s off to fantasy land for the weekend where dragons, knights in armor, and colorful outfits rule but I will be back with hopefully a bucket load of pictures and a story to tell and if I am lucky I will bring back a fire breathing dragon or a Gnome to put in my back yard….and just maybe.....the Holy Grail......
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Healing through the dark emotion of despair
"Despair…..is the only cure for illusion. Without despair we cannot transfer our allegiance to reality….it’s a kind of mourning period for our fantasies. Some people do not survive this despair, but no major change within a person can occur without it."
Philip Slater, Earthwalk
Shortly after I separated from my ex- wife almost three years ago my counselor asked me if I felt depressed and I replied I don’t think so. I told her that I felt very sad about what had happened between the two of us but I don’t think I am depressed because I don’t feel depressed. At the time I was being honest and I based my answer on my own stereotype of what depressed people look like and do. When I think of depressed people I think of people who exhibit some of the following symptoms. They don’t or won t get out of bed in the morning. They medicate themselves with prescription drugs or alcohol, etc. They are sad looking most of the time. They lack motivation. They are isolated individuals who have little or no social contact, etc.etc.…..and….. since I didn’t exhibit any of these characteristics I concluded I must not be a depressed individual…….fast forward to the present…..I have since learned that if a person doesn’t “feel” a particular emotion it is probably because the individual has learned to suppress that particular emotion in an effort to protect oneself for some particular reason. For example, anger is a normal emotion that most people exhibit on a regular basis yet I seldom ever get angry and I almost never exhibit anger publicly or in my interpersonal relationships with others despite the fact I often have good reason to do so. As I have pondered this over time I now suspect I know why. Over the years people have expressed their anger and disappointment with me for this and that and I have always interpreted their anger as rejection and thus over the years I have always associated anger with rejection. Rejection is an emotion I am familiar with and thus I don’t express my anger towards others, even when it might be justified, because I don’t want others to feel rejected because I know all too well how “bad” this emotion feels, therefore, over the years I have repressed anger whenever it has attempted to rear it’s ugly head. Of course, in the process I have suppressed the positive aspects of anger which help protect us when we are threatened by others or life’s circumstances.
Back to despair, depression…..Like anger, over the years I have suppressed my feelings of despair and thus have not allowed myself to ever feel depressed for any great period of time. At this point I am not sure all the reasons why I have done so. May just be a simple case of living in a society where we are all socialized to not express depression or despair, at least for any prolonged length of time. Reminds me of the advise I got from everyone when I first got divorced. Nobody suggested I take time to grieve the great loss that had just occurred in my life. Instead, everyone exhorted me it was time to move on and forget the past and get on with rebuilding your life. The only problem is that if one continues to suppress one’s emotions those emotions will probably cry out for attention and resolution later on down the road…..and…..if one continues to suppress the normal range of human emotions year after year one will probably end up a somewhat stunted emotional individual who will struggle in interpersonal relationships and most likely will have a difficult time connecting with others on an emotional level.
At this time I really don’t have anything more to say or add about despair because I am in the middle of processing things and allowing myself to feel the grief and despair for the various losses in my life over the years. I’ll leave with some quotes from Miriam Greenspan’s excellent book, Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair…..These quotes are taken from her chapter entitled From Despair to Faith….
“Despite its bad reputation and the sense of shame associated with it, despair is a legitimate and eminently human emotion”
“Just as fear is equated with cowardice, despair is often seen as a profound failure of character, will, spirit, and faith….which….I believe is one reason we currently prefer to see despair as a medical condition. In a culture that condemns despair, it’s hard to look at this emotion in a way that honors its dignity, power, and wisdom. Viewing it as an illness beyond our control, we don’t have to feel to blame for it. This lessons despair’s stigma and gives us some hope”
“Despair asks us to make meaning out of apparent meaningless: to grieve our unmourned losses: to examine the unexamined life; to legitimate our anger at the world; to struggle out of the cocoon and be reborn. It is a harsh and demanding taskmaster. It insists that we stop with business as usual, pause from the daily routines of our lives, reflect on the meaning of our existence. The voice of despair says: Go deeper. It’s a voice that can barely be heard above the din of the world, which impels us: Go faster, go further, go,go,go…..despair asks us to slow down, take our time, be still. Sometimes, it compels us to stop everything in order to painstakingly remap our world”
“Time and again, I have seen how being truly loved and appreciated by just one person, even in the wake of catastrophic trauma or neglect, can make all the difference in someone’s ability to get through despair and to heal brokenness of body, heart, and spirit”
“None of us can be altogether cured of the pain of life or of feeling despair or other dark emotions from time to time….but…we can find a way to live fully and wisely.”
“When a flower opens, it opens equally to sun and rain”
“Young, and old, men and women, rich and poor: Despair afflicts all manner of people”
Philip Slater, Earthwalk
Shortly after I separated from my ex- wife almost three years ago my counselor asked me if I felt depressed and I replied I don’t think so. I told her that I felt very sad about what had happened between the two of us but I don’t think I am depressed because I don’t feel depressed. At the time I was being honest and I based my answer on my own stereotype of what depressed people look like and do. When I think of depressed people I think of people who exhibit some of the following symptoms. They don’t or won t get out of bed in the morning. They medicate themselves with prescription drugs or alcohol, etc. They are sad looking most of the time. They lack motivation. They are isolated individuals who have little or no social contact, etc.etc.…..and….. since I didn’t exhibit any of these characteristics I concluded I must not be a depressed individual…….fast forward to the present…..I have since learned that if a person doesn’t “feel” a particular emotion it is probably because the individual has learned to suppress that particular emotion in an effort to protect oneself for some particular reason. For example, anger is a normal emotion that most people exhibit on a regular basis yet I seldom ever get angry and I almost never exhibit anger publicly or in my interpersonal relationships with others despite the fact I often have good reason to do so. As I have pondered this over time I now suspect I know why. Over the years people have expressed their anger and disappointment with me for this and that and I have always interpreted their anger as rejection and thus over the years I have always associated anger with rejection. Rejection is an emotion I am familiar with and thus I don’t express my anger towards others, even when it might be justified, because I don’t want others to feel rejected because I know all too well how “bad” this emotion feels, therefore, over the years I have repressed anger whenever it has attempted to rear it’s ugly head. Of course, in the process I have suppressed the positive aspects of anger which help protect us when we are threatened by others or life’s circumstances.
Back to despair, depression…..Like anger, over the years I have suppressed my feelings of despair and thus have not allowed myself to ever feel depressed for any great period of time. At this point I am not sure all the reasons why I have done so. May just be a simple case of living in a society where we are all socialized to not express depression or despair, at least for any prolonged length of time. Reminds me of the advise I got from everyone when I first got divorced. Nobody suggested I take time to grieve the great loss that had just occurred in my life. Instead, everyone exhorted me it was time to move on and forget the past and get on with rebuilding your life. The only problem is that if one continues to suppress one’s emotions those emotions will probably cry out for attention and resolution later on down the road…..and…..if one continues to suppress the normal range of human emotions year after year one will probably end up a somewhat stunted emotional individual who will struggle in interpersonal relationships and most likely will have a difficult time connecting with others on an emotional level.
At this time I really don’t have anything more to say or add about despair because I am in the middle of processing things and allowing myself to feel the grief and despair for the various losses in my life over the years. I’ll leave with some quotes from Miriam Greenspan’s excellent book, Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair…..These quotes are taken from her chapter entitled From Despair to Faith….
“Despite its bad reputation and the sense of shame associated with it, despair is a legitimate and eminently human emotion”
“Just as fear is equated with cowardice, despair is often seen as a profound failure of character, will, spirit, and faith….which….I believe is one reason we currently prefer to see despair as a medical condition. In a culture that condemns despair, it’s hard to look at this emotion in a way that honors its dignity, power, and wisdom. Viewing it as an illness beyond our control, we don’t have to feel to blame for it. This lessons despair’s stigma and gives us some hope”
“Despair asks us to make meaning out of apparent meaningless: to grieve our unmourned losses: to examine the unexamined life; to legitimate our anger at the world; to struggle out of the cocoon and be reborn. It is a harsh and demanding taskmaster. It insists that we stop with business as usual, pause from the daily routines of our lives, reflect on the meaning of our existence. The voice of despair says: Go deeper. It’s a voice that can barely be heard above the din of the world, which impels us: Go faster, go further, go,go,go…..despair asks us to slow down, take our time, be still. Sometimes, it compels us to stop everything in order to painstakingly remap our world”
“Time and again, I have seen how being truly loved and appreciated by just one person, even in the wake of catastrophic trauma or neglect, can make all the difference in someone’s ability to get through despair and to heal brokenness of body, heart, and spirit”
“None of us can be altogether cured of the pain of life or of feeling despair or other dark emotions from time to time….but…we can find a way to live fully and wisely.”
“When a flower opens, it opens equally to sun and rain”
“Young, and old, men and women, rich and poor: Despair afflicts all manner of people”
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