So long, Princess…

There’s not a lot I can add to all the online tributes and stories about Carrie Fisher.  She was Hollywood royalty, as an actress, and became so much more since becoming that space princess in 1977.

Author.  Writer. (there’s a difference, really) Mental health spokesperson.  Script doctor.

She was very open about her addictions, and of her bipolar disorder.  She share that part of her life with us, as much as she shared everything else.  Warts and all, so to speak.

As much as I loved her portrayal of Princess Leia, my favorite roles of hers other than rebel leader were as the jilted bride in The Blues Brothers, and as Meg Ryan’s friend Marie in When Harry Met Sally.

And the therapist in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

And the nun in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

I was glad that Nels and I got to see her at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in 2015.  Hers was the most entertaining panel of all the ones we attended.

She was going to be a guest at Silicon Valley Comic Con in 2017, and I was thinking of getting a photo op with her, like the Christopher Lloyd photo op that I did last April.

I only got to say that it was an honor to meet him, to which he replied, ‘Likewise!’

I had hoped to thank her for all that she had done, and she’d reply with some clever, witty quote from her that I could share.

Alas.

Rest in Peace, Carrie Fisher.  Thanks for all you’ve done.

Who Knew

I saw this hanging on pegs for weeks since Force Friday, back in September.

I thought nothing of this vehicle.

“A cargo shuttle?  How important could THAT be?”

That was my thinking, until I saw the movie.  Until it turned out to be [REDACTED].

I can’t find it in any nearby stores, so I had to order one from HasbroToyShop.com online.  Amazon was selling it for almost 3 times the list price.

I also ordered a U-Wing, which I kept picking up and putting back on the shelf/peg whenever I saw it at a store.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I loved it.

It was all that I was expecting from a non-Saga Star Wars movie.  Hell, this is the kind of Star Wars movie that I would have made, if I were as talented as Gareth Edwards or J.J. Abrams.

It hit all the right buttons with me, from the characters to the effects, to even the cameos, which surprised me in a couple of spots.

There were some scenes in the trailer that were obviously cut from the film, possibly for dialogue, or some other reason.

Also, I was so focused on the second paragraph of the original Star 
Wars‘ opening crawl, that it never dawned on me that the first paragraph would happen as well.  Go read it and you’ll see what I mean.

I do recommend the book Catalyst by James Luceno, if only to give some background to stuff that maybe should have been mentioned in some sort of opening crawl (spoiler: there is none for Rogue One).  Do you know what a Kyber crystal is in the Star Wars universe?

My favorite of the films is still the original.

But if I were to rank them?

  1. The Empire Strikes Back
  2. A New Hope
  3. Rogue One
  4. The Force Awakens
  5. Return of the Jedi
  6. Revenge of the Sith
  7. The Phantom Menace
  8. Attack of the Clones

Two big thumbs up from me.  Go see it!