I'm sure that if you are a regular reader of this blog (hello to all three of you!) then you have probably been waiting in utter anticipation for me to give my two cents about the new Star Wars animated movie The Clone Wars. Your wait is over. But in the interest of saving you valuable time that you could be using to do something fun or constructive with your life, let me jump right to the chase:
I really liked it.
You may now go about your normal routine. For those of you who actually want to know why I liked it, then stick around and I will tell you.
First of all, this movie is really just an hour and a half set up for the animated TV show that will be premiering on Cartoon Network sometime this fall. But that didn't diminish my enjoyment of it. All too often I think older Star Wars fans are guilty of being critical of newer Star Wars movies such as this one or the prequel trilogy because they didn't make them feel like they did when they were 9 years old and first saw Star Wars. Well, duh. We aren't 9 anymore, so of course your perspective is going to be different. So instead of trying to recapture lost childhood, be open to what these films are trying to do now. All that being said, this movie did come close to making me feel like a kid again.
The movie treads a strange line. On the one hand, it is geared towards a younger audience. A lot of the battle droid humor is designed to make the younger kids laugh. On the other hand, some of the battle scenes are quite realistic and violent, with clone troopers being shot in the head as they "go over the wall" as it were and attack the oncoming battle droids. If my kids were younger such a dichotomy would be bothersome to me, but since my son is now a teenager, he is able to handle the violence and enjoy the humor. Frankly, that is what appealed to me too. I laughed at some of the battle droid humor even though I realize it is kind of goofy and I appreciated the almost gritty realism of the battle scenes. Even the nicknames Anakin's young padawan comes out with didn't really bother me much.
As far as the writing goes, I found it dialogue wise to be almost better than the prequel trilogy. There were a couple of wooden lines of dialogue, but nothing even close to the painful love scenes between Anakin and Padme that we had to endure in the middle of Attack of the Clones. The writers are obviously Star Wars fans and have a good understanding of the characters and a better ear for dialogue than perhaps Mr. Lucas himself has. The plot was decent, nothing earth shattering, but a good enough lead in for the eventual series.
The animation style is quite different as well. This is not the hyper realistic computer animation of recent movies. I have read that George Lucas wanted to go in the style of the old television show Thunderbirds. A show, if you are old enough to remember, where all the characters were marionettes. they have succeeded very well. The characters all have a distinct style and when they are walking almost have a marionette feel to them. However, I was amazed that once the action starts, how fast, smooth and fluid everything looked. There were no jerky movements during the ground battles or during the lightsaber fights. It was different enough to make me eager to see more.
A lot of web sites and "critics" have seemed to be almost chomping at the bit wanting to bash this movie just for the sake of tearing it down. They seem almost jealous of the success Lucas has had with the Star Wars franchise and usually the complaint is that it doesn't seem like it did when they were kids. As I mentioned above, to expect to feel the same way about something 30 years later is idiotic. Quite frankly, these people tend not to be real fans and are looking to just bash on something. Most Star Wars fans will understand what the creators are going for and appreciate it for what it is as well as welcome the chance to have the story of the clone wars filled in further.
So there you have it, one geek's opinion. If you are not much of a Star Wars fan or a casual one at best, you most likely won't enjoy it. But if you are a bit more hardcore in your fandom, as I am, then I suspect that, like me, you will find a lot of fun and enjoyment in this movie and will eagerly anticipate the TV show.
That's it for now, gang. Until next time, May the Force be with you!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Something, Something, Something Dark Side...
I know, I know, I've sucked at being timely in my blog postings. Summer is too damn short in Vermont as it is, so I have been trying to pack as much as I can into it while it is here.
It has been a geek's dream summer so far at the movies. We've seen Iron Man, Indiana Jones, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy and now The Dark Knight. How could it get any better? Well, for me, there is still the new Star Wars animated movie coming in August.
The Dark Knight. What can I say that hasn't already been said? This is one movie that not only lived up to the hype, but surpassed it. What I find great about the whole phenomenon is that the movie is bringing in people who would probably never go see a 'superhero' movie. People who are going because they have heard people talking about it and want to see what all the fuss is about. Or people curious to see heath Ledger's final performance. Either way, there couldn't have been a better movie to show these people that not all superhero movies are mindless slugfests. The Dark Knight explores themes such as what a hero really is, hope, sacrifice and human nature in the face of chaos. The fact that the hero is dressed up like a giant bat is almost a secondary concern. It is a movie that takes more than one viewing to absorb everything it is trying to get across. And if heath Ledger isn't at least nominated for an Oscar, then the Academy are bigger idiots than I already think they are.
On the Star Wars front, I am really looking forward to the theatrical release of 'The Clone Wars'. In case you haven't been watching TV and have missed the commercials, the movie is a computer animated tale taking place between Episode II and III. When I first heard about it I was a bit iffy, but once I finally got to see some clips from the movie, I got more and more excited about it. The movie looks fun, which is what Star Wars always was for me. The prequels, while very good, never quite had that sense of fun that the original Star Wars had. I think this movie will bring that back.
My excitement for 'The Clone Wars' has spilled over into my collecting. It had been awhile since I had bought any Star Wars items for the collection, but this got me excited about some of the new merchandise that was coming out. So when I heard that Toys R Us was going to be having a Midnight Madness event last Friday for the launch of the Clone Wars toys, I made a decision to go. So last Friday afternoon my son and I headed over to Burlington. I had gotten a hotel room so we wouldn't have to make the drive back at one in the morning. We got to Burlington early enough to do some shopping and to go see the late showing of Hellboy. We made it to Toys R Us around 11:30 to find about 15 people ahead of us in line. We got into line just as more people pulled up. In all there were maybe 40 people waiting for midnight. I was amazed at the number of little kids who were there. It was good to see that Star Wars is enchanting a whole new generation. The boy in front of us couldn't have been more than 8 or 9, in his pajamas and wound up something fierce to get in there and get some of the new Lego Star Wars vehicles. Ryan and I were after action figures, including the exclusive General Grievous figure. I tend to go for the exclusives and hard to find items now as there are just too many figures released for me to try and collect them. Finally, right at 12:01, the doors opened and we all trooped in. I grabbed the Grievous figure first. There were plenty of products to choose from and before long our basket was full. Though I stuck to my budget, it wasn't easy since they had the brand new Millennium Falcon. But I fought temptation and only bought a few figures. There were three guys there dressed as Stormtroopers and the whole evening had a fun feel to it. Ryan and I both left happy with our purchases. It was nice to be able to share something like that with my son and I am looking forward to the release of the movie.
The Trooper and I
Ryan and Stormtrooper
So there you have it. As a self-proclaimed geek, this has been a great summer to feed that geekiness. I used to do better hiding it, but I figure I'm too old now to deny my true nature; I am a nerd, but at least I am finally okay with that.
Anyhow, I am on vacation this week. Hoping to do some writing and finally finish up a story that I have taken way too long to write. Also looking forward to catching up on my reading, tv watching and filling my quota of doing nothing. I will try and do just a little bit better about posting more than once every three weeks, but no promises! So until next time, May the Force be with you!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
If Adventure Has A Name....
It must be Indiana Jones!
That's right, dear reader, prepare to get your geek on as we are talking Indiana Jones today.
Went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this past weekend. (Man, that title is a mouthful!) It has been 19 years since the last Indy movie and I was beyond thrilled when I heard they were making another one.
I was 12 when Raiders of the Lost Ark hit theatres in 1981 and to say it made an impression on me would be an understatement. The Indy movies were second only to Star Wars in the impact they had on me. I had seen a few of the old time serials on TV, but here was a full blown, swashbuckling adventure, the likes of which I had not seen. Nazi, car chases, historical relics with awesome power and the bullwhip. More on that in a moment. So from start to finish I was hooked with Raiders. Can't say I was a huge fan of Temple of Doom. It had it's moments, but for the most part was not a great movie. However, Last Crusade made up for it. The addition of Sean Connery as Indy's dad combined with the fun and excitement made for a movie almost as much fun as Raiders. But I was still sad when they all rode off into the sunset.
That is until the announcement came that a fourth Indiana Jones was in the making. The trolls on the Internet chat boards went into their hand wringing of how Harrison Ford was too old and how the movie would suck (I always love how these geniuses say a movie that hasn't even been made yet will suck. They should all become film makers and make movies that don't suck.) But I for one was excited. I could feel the excitement build when the first picture of Harrison Ford in his Indy gear was released. And when the first trailer hit the net, chills went up my spine as the silhouette of Indy putting on his fedora as the familiar strains of the Raiders March began to play. At that point I was on board. As some plot points came out I was convinced it would be good. The filmmakers were not going to try and pass off Indy still fighting the Nazi's. No, it had been 19 years since last Crusade and the new movie was going to take place 19 years later. Other than that I stayed right away from all spoilers...this was one movie I wanted to see fresh.
So how was it? I loved it. Was it the best of the Indy movies? No. But it was a solid movie, better than Temple of Doom. Sure, at places the plot was a little weird, but I wasn't there for a plot that makes total sense. I was there to see Indiana Jones fighting bad guys, exciting chases and cool effects. The movie more than delivered. With Indiana 19 years older, the movie was also able to explore themes of loss, regret and aging. Things that I certainly think about. It may not be fast paced enough for kids today, but for a nostalgic old guy like me, it was a dream come true.
Though as I think about it, that may not be a fair statement. My 13 year old son went with us to see it. To that point he had never cared about Indiana Jones no matter how many times I tried to get him to watch the older movies. But coming out of the movies, he was hooked. He loved the adventure, he loved the bullwhip (I was so proud!) and, being of this generation, he wanted to go right out and get the video games. Though I can remember being excited when Atari came out with a Raiders game. I realized that he is about the same age I was when Raiders came out. Funny how things seem to repeat themselves.
Though he hasn't shown any of the Indy craze that I did after Raiders. That fall I went back to school and started taking books out of the library on archeology. Surprisingly the books only talked about techniques of excavation and the history of civilizations. Not one of them mentioned how to fight Nazis, swing a bullwhip or jump from a horse onto a moving truck. Imagine my disappointment. Sure, I learned a few real facts, but I didn't want real facts! I think that is when I decided archeology probably wasn't for me.
Several times I have mentioned the bullwhip. Raiders had me hooked on it. What a versatile object! Indy used it to swing, climb, fight, even whip the gun from the hands of a back shooting sneak! I had to have one! Luckily, that Christmas my step-dad Curt actually went out and found me a real, honest-to-Indy bullwhip. For the next couple of years that whip and I were inseparable. I learned to crack it, I learned to wrap it around tree limbs and swing. I also learned that the tip of a bullwhip can ricochet off a railroad tie and come back at you and slice half your nose off...which also taught me that when you get hit in the nose with a bullwhip, it is too numb to hurt right off and you may not even know you are hurt until your hand comes away covered in blood. After that you learn to duck. It is amazing how a whip will sharpen your reflexes. I still have that old whip. It hangs in my office, looking like it has seen better days, which it has, but the fun and imaginary adventures that whip and I went on still make me smile and long for younger days, the smell of fall in the air as my trusty whip and I made our escape from imaginary Nazi hoards. I have been tempted to take it out and see if I can still make it crack. My girlfriend has pointed out that this might not be the best idea and I could hurt myself. That just makes me wonder if the old reflexes are still sharp. Hmmmmm...it is a nice day out....
Anyway, getting back on topic, Harrison Ford still can pull off Indy being a believable hero and the fact that he isn't afraid to show his age, to be the wise old warrior, just makes the character more endearing. personally, I couldn't have been happier. The addition of bringing back Marion Ravenwood just made the whole series come full circle for me.
So if you are a long time Indy fan, or if you are a Jones newbie, there aren't many better ways to spend a couple of hours this summer than sitting in a dark theatre, popcorn in hand, revisiting an old friend. Adventure does indeed have a name and that name will always be Indiana Jones!
That's right, dear reader, prepare to get your geek on as we are talking Indiana Jones today.
Went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this past weekend. (Man, that title is a mouthful!) It has been 19 years since the last Indy movie and I was beyond thrilled when I heard they were making another one.
I was 12 when Raiders of the Lost Ark hit theatres in 1981 and to say it made an impression on me would be an understatement. The Indy movies were second only to Star Wars in the impact they had on me. I had seen a few of the old time serials on TV, but here was a full blown, swashbuckling adventure, the likes of which I had not seen. Nazi, car chases, historical relics with awesome power and the bullwhip. More on that in a moment. So from start to finish I was hooked with Raiders. Can't say I was a huge fan of Temple of Doom. It had it's moments, but for the most part was not a great movie. However, Last Crusade made up for it. The addition of Sean Connery as Indy's dad combined with the fun and excitement made for a movie almost as much fun as Raiders. But I was still sad when they all rode off into the sunset.
That is until the announcement came that a fourth Indiana Jones was in the making. The trolls on the Internet chat boards went into their hand wringing of how Harrison Ford was too old and how the movie would suck (I always love how these geniuses say a movie that hasn't even been made yet will suck. They should all become film makers and make movies that don't suck.) But I for one was excited. I could feel the excitement build when the first picture of Harrison Ford in his Indy gear was released. And when the first trailer hit the net, chills went up my spine as the silhouette of Indy putting on his fedora as the familiar strains of the Raiders March began to play. At that point I was on board. As some plot points came out I was convinced it would be good. The filmmakers were not going to try and pass off Indy still fighting the Nazi's. No, it had been 19 years since last Crusade and the new movie was going to take place 19 years later. Other than that I stayed right away from all spoilers...this was one movie I wanted to see fresh.
So how was it? I loved it. Was it the best of the Indy movies? No. But it was a solid movie, better than Temple of Doom. Sure, at places the plot was a little weird, but I wasn't there for a plot that makes total sense. I was there to see Indiana Jones fighting bad guys, exciting chases and cool effects. The movie more than delivered. With Indiana 19 years older, the movie was also able to explore themes of loss, regret and aging. Things that I certainly think about. It may not be fast paced enough for kids today, but for a nostalgic old guy like me, it was a dream come true.
Though as I think about it, that may not be a fair statement. My 13 year old son went with us to see it. To that point he had never cared about Indiana Jones no matter how many times I tried to get him to watch the older movies. But coming out of the movies, he was hooked. He loved the adventure, he loved the bullwhip (I was so proud!) and, being of this generation, he wanted to go right out and get the video games. Though I can remember being excited when Atari came out with a Raiders game. I realized that he is about the same age I was when Raiders came out. Funny how things seem to repeat themselves.
Though he hasn't shown any of the Indy craze that I did after Raiders. That fall I went back to school and started taking books out of the library on archeology. Surprisingly the books only talked about techniques of excavation and the history of civilizations. Not one of them mentioned how to fight Nazis, swing a bullwhip or jump from a horse onto a moving truck. Imagine my disappointment. Sure, I learned a few real facts, but I didn't want real facts! I think that is when I decided archeology probably wasn't for me.
Several times I have mentioned the bullwhip. Raiders had me hooked on it. What a versatile object! Indy used it to swing, climb, fight, even whip the gun from the hands of a back shooting sneak! I had to have one! Luckily, that Christmas my step-dad Curt actually went out and found me a real, honest-to-Indy bullwhip. For the next couple of years that whip and I were inseparable. I learned to crack it, I learned to wrap it around tree limbs and swing. I also learned that the tip of a bullwhip can ricochet off a railroad tie and come back at you and slice half your nose off...which also taught me that when you get hit in the nose with a bullwhip, it is too numb to hurt right off and you may not even know you are hurt until your hand comes away covered in blood. After that you learn to duck. It is amazing how a whip will sharpen your reflexes. I still have that old whip. It hangs in my office, looking like it has seen better days, which it has, but the fun and imaginary adventures that whip and I went on still make me smile and long for younger days, the smell of fall in the air as my trusty whip and I made our escape from imaginary Nazi hoards. I have been tempted to take it out and see if I can still make it crack. My girlfriend has pointed out that this might not be the best idea and I could hurt myself. That just makes me wonder if the old reflexes are still sharp. Hmmmmm...it is a nice day out....
Anyway, getting back on topic, Harrison Ford still can pull off Indy being a believable hero and the fact that he isn't afraid to show his age, to be the wise old warrior, just makes the character more endearing. personally, I couldn't have been happier. The addition of bringing back Marion Ravenwood just made the whole series come full circle for me.
So if you are a long time Indy fan, or if you are a Jones newbie, there aren't many better ways to spend a couple of hours this summer than sitting in a dark theatre, popcorn in hand, revisiting an old friend. Adventure does indeed have a name and that name will always be Indiana Jones!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Star Wars Geeks Anonymous
Originally posted September 6, 2006
Hi, my name is Chris and I am a Star Wars geek.
It started innocently enough when I was nine years old. 1977 was the year of Star Wars, though it took awhile for the movie to make its way up to sleepy little Newport, Vermont. The movie opened in May of ’77, but it was early summer before it showed up here. Up to that point my interest in sci-fi and fantasy was limited to Planet of the Apes and the Six Million Dollar Man. I enjoyed those things as much as any other kid, but it was a take-it-or-leave-it thing for me. Neither one of those franchises consumed my young, impressionable mind.
When the movie finally made it here my parents took me to see it. This was a move they, and their bank accounts, probably regret to this day. I was excited, as everyone was talking about this new space movie, but again I would never have thought, especially at that young age that a single movie would impact my life for the next thirty years.
As most everyone knows, Star Wars (it wasn’t yet known as Episode IV: A New Hope) begins with the famous shot of the Star Destroyer chasing the smaller Rebel craft. But this was like nothing anyone had seen before; the realism of the effects, the apparent size of the Star Destroyer as it seemed to just keep going and going across the screen, this was all mind blowing to a nine year old that was given to daydreaming anyhow. I was hooked from that first scene. To this day I’m not sure I really understood the plot upon that first viewing but I didn’t care. The amazing creatures and planets, the exciting chases and battles, the cool looking villains (even back then I thought Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers were much cooler than the heroes…except maybe for Han Solo) all these things kept my little brain working overtime. I became consumed with Star Wars (apparently not an uncommon thing among kids of my age) and soon figured out the plot with subsequent dozen viewings I got in before the movie finally left the town. But even with all of that, Star Wars was a craze that probably would have soon died out with me to be replaced with something else, except for the fact that George Lucas, besides having made an amazing movie, was ahead of his time in one area: marketing. Up to that point, movie tie-in toys were not common. That was about to change.
Again, it started innocently enough and is again my parents fault. I had done well in school, a feat worthy of a reward, so my mom took me to the local J.J. Newbury store and let me pick out a toy. Lo and behold, there was a rack of Star Wars figures. I had never, in my short life, seen such a thing. These were small plastic figures, where I had been used to only the big GI Joe dolls. I eagerly grabbed a Luke Skywalker, who had a lightsaber that came out of his hand. This was going to be so cool! And even though I didn’t know it, this was yet another beginning.
After that first action figure it was all downhill from there. I became all Star Wars all the time. Christmas consisted of eagerly getting the Sears catalog and circling all the Star Wars stuff that I wanted, which my parents actually went and bought for me. For Easter I would get Star Wars figures in my Easter basket, I played only with Star Wars toys, forsaking all other toys. My obsession with Star Wars concerned my parents as was evident on the Christmas when they decided I needed something instead of Star Wars and instead of a TIE Fighter I got a wood burning set. To say I was unhappy would be an understatement. I still feel bad about getting so upset about it, but a) I was still a little kid and b) we are talking about a TIE Fighter here. As an aside, to this day I still buy any new TIE Fighter they come out with, all in some deeply disturbed way of making up for getting a freaking wood burning kit. But all that said, I did get a lot of the cool toys; the Millennium Falcon, the Death Star playset, an X-Wing Fighter, the droid factory, as well as lots of figures.
Soon my Star Wars stuff went beyond just the toys. I had magazines, trading cards, bed sheets, cereal bowls, basically anything that had Star Wars on it, I had to have. And, the Force bless them, my parents gave in and bought this stuff for me. The other remarkable part of all of this is that my parents didn’t throw away any of this stuff or sell any of the toys. Somehow it all survived with me into adulthood. This is very remarkable as I have heard so many stories of kids who had there stuff sold when they left for college. But thanks to my parents actually holding onto it all it developed into a collection that has grown to include thousands of pieces. And I still have that first Luke Skywalker. As well as the cardboard backing board it came on (what can I say, I was a weird kid.) If only I had known then what I know now I would have gotten cases of those old figures and would now be living quite comfortably. Oh well, live and learn.
Besides turning me into an obsessive collector, Star Wars also fueled my imagination. The creativity it showed to me and inspired in me made me want to be creative as well. When I was a child that creativity came in the form of playing, creating stories for my action figures, continuing the story of Luke Skywalker and friends. When I grew older that creativity took on the form of music and writing and helped in my decision to pursue a creative writing degree in college. And all because a movie helped a small boy learn to dream.
Of course there were two more movies to follow the original Star Wars, but those are stories for another day. Suffice to say, the entire Star Wars saga has had an impact on my entire life.
My name is Chris, and I am a proud Star Wars geek.
Hi, my name is Chris and I am a Star Wars geek.
It started innocently enough when I was nine years old. 1977 was the year of Star Wars, though it took awhile for the movie to make its way up to sleepy little Newport, Vermont. The movie opened in May of ’77, but it was early summer before it showed up here. Up to that point my interest in sci-fi and fantasy was limited to Planet of the Apes and the Six Million Dollar Man. I enjoyed those things as much as any other kid, but it was a take-it-or-leave-it thing for me. Neither one of those franchises consumed my young, impressionable mind.
When the movie finally made it here my parents took me to see it. This was a move they, and their bank accounts, probably regret to this day. I was excited, as everyone was talking about this new space movie, but again I would never have thought, especially at that young age that a single movie would impact my life for the next thirty years.
As most everyone knows, Star Wars (it wasn’t yet known as Episode IV: A New Hope) begins with the famous shot of the Star Destroyer chasing the smaller Rebel craft. But this was like nothing anyone had seen before; the realism of the effects, the apparent size of the Star Destroyer as it seemed to just keep going and going across the screen, this was all mind blowing to a nine year old that was given to daydreaming anyhow. I was hooked from that first scene. To this day I’m not sure I really understood the plot upon that first viewing but I didn’t care. The amazing creatures and planets, the exciting chases and battles, the cool looking villains (even back then I thought Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers were much cooler than the heroes…except maybe for Han Solo) all these things kept my little brain working overtime. I became consumed with Star Wars (apparently not an uncommon thing among kids of my age) and soon figured out the plot with subsequent dozen viewings I got in before the movie finally left the town. But even with all of that, Star Wars was a craze that probably would have soon died out with me to be replaced with something else, except for the fact that George Lucas, besides having made an amazing movie, was ahead of his time in one area: marketing. Up to that point, movie tie-in toys were not common. That was about to change.
Again, it started innocently enough and is again my parents fault. I had done well in school, a feat worthy of a reward, so my mom took me to the local J.J. Newbury store and let me pick out a toy. Lo and behold, there was a rack of Star Wars figures. I had never, in my short life, seen such a thing. These were small plastic figures, where I had been used to only the big GI Joe dolls. I eagerly grabbed a Luke Skywalker, who had a lightsaber that came out of his hand. This was going to be so cool! And even though I didn’t know it, this was yet another beginning.
After that first action figure it was all downhill from there. I became all Star Wars all the time. Christmas consisted of eagerly getting the Sears catalog and circling all the Star Wars stuff that I wanted, which my parents actually went and bought for me. For Easter I would get Star Wars figures in my Easter basket, I played only with Star Wars toys, forsaking all other toys. My obsession with Star Wars concerned my parents as was evident on the Christmas when they decided I needed something instead of Star Wars and instead of a TIE Fighter I got a wood burning set. To say I was unhappy would be an understatement. I still feel bad about getting so upset about it, but a) I was still a little kid and b) we are talking about a TIE Fighter here. As an aside, to this day I still buy any new TIE Fighter they come out with, all in some deeply disturbed way of making up for getting a freaking wood burning kit. But all that said, I did get a lot of the cool toys; the Millennium Falcon, the Death Star playset, an X-Wing Fighter, the droid factory, as well as lots of figures.
Soon my Star Wars stuff went beyond just the toys. I had magazines, trading cards, bed sheets, cereal bowls, basically anything that had Star Wars on it, I had to have. And, the Force bless them, my parents gave in and bought this stuff for me. The other remarkable part of all of this is that my parents didn’t throw away any of this stuff or sell any of the toys. Somehow it all survived with me into adulthood. This is very remarkable as I have heard so many stories of kids who had there stuff sold when they left for college. But thanks to my parents actually holding onto it all it developed into a collection that has grown to include thousands of pieces. And I still have that first Luke Skywalker. As well as the cardboard backing board it came on (what can I say, I was a weird kid.) If only I had known then what I know now I would have gotten cases of those old figures and would now be living quite comfortably. Oh well, live and learn.
Besides turning me into an obsessive collector, Star Wars also fueled my imagination. The creativity it showed to me and inspired in me made me want to be creative as well. When I was a child that creativity came in the form of playing, creating stories for my action figures, continuing the story of Luke Skywalker and friends. When I grew older that creativity took on the form of music and writing and helped in my decision to pursue a creative writing degree in college. And all because a movie helped a small boy learn to dream.
Of course there were two more movies to follow the original Star Wars, but those are stories for another day. Suffice to say, the entire Star Wars saga has had an impact on my entire life.
My name is Chris, and I am a proud Star Wars geek.
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