Well my friends, the time has come to end this saga at it's sixth chapter. However I will not be back 30 years later to do another; maybe. I hope I've given you some good products to entertain and prepare you for The Force Awakens. I myself am about to do my prep by reading lots of Stars Wars comics, watching some of my favorite Clone Wars episodes, and watching the film saga a few days before Episode VII arrives in theaters.
But asides from stories involving Luke, Vader, and Obi-Wan there have been some great stuff about the love and phenomenon that is Star Wars. This last part highlights some very entertaining Star Wars related material that I recommend you check out. It's just people taking their love of Star Wars to the next level. Just like a guy who re-edited the prequel films so he could make a dark part in Star Wars history just a little more bearable to get through.
Tag and Bink Were Here
A two-part comic that turned into four after it's huge success. This mini series chronicles the adventures of two rebel volunteers during the events of the original Star Wars trilogy. To stay away from trouble, Tag and Bink find themselves constantly in the middle of it. The two TIE fighter pilots who went down the Death Star trench with Vader; that was Tag and Bink. The two storm troopers who Chewie knocked out right before Han was frozen in carbonite; that was Tag and Bink. And the Emperor's guards dressed in red on the 2nd Death Star; that was Tag and Bink.
Going back and watching the trilogy makes me laugh any time one of their scenes comes on. Now, the 4th chapter is a prequel. Tag and Bink are younglings during the prequel trilogy, who accidentally erase Kamino from the Jedi archives and then follow Anakin and Padme to Naboo, where they try to help Anakin woo the senator. Go out and get this one immediately!
Fanboys
A film that not many people knew about when it was released, yet is now known as a cult classic in the Star Wars fan community. It stars a lot of actors you know from other projects, but not enough to remember their names. It also has quite a few Star Wars alumni cameos. Kyle Newman directs this film about a group of life-long Star Wars friends in the Fall of 1998. The group is anxiously awaiting the release of The Phantom Menace, and are devastated when one of them receives a life threatening illness. The group decides to trek across the country to Skywalker Ranch in hopes of stealing a copy of the film they can all watch together.
When released, this film was only playing in a few theaters in the country, and I was so excited to see it I dragged my wife along with me. She had never heard it, and now she gets mad when I watch it without her. It's hilarious, heart-warming, and a must-see for anyone who likes Star Wars.
Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed
Many years ago the History Channel did a special about Star Wars. It talked about the cultural influence on society, and also it's influences. Scholars and celebrities weigh in on where George Lucas got his inspiration for his saga. We see not only Joseph Campbell's classic heroes journey, but also influences of biblical, greek, and japanese mythology. The Empire is compared to Nazi's, and George W. Bush is compared to Anakin Skywalker. You can find this on YouTube and it's a great in-depth look at the Star Wars mythology.
How Star Wars Conquered the Universe
Last year, Chris Taylor wrote a book that has now become the Star Wars bible. Taylor spends hundreds of pages chronicling the Star Wars story. It starts out talking about George Lucas's family and childhood. And how a car accident sent Lucas on a path from being race car driver to film maker. It shows the struggle Lucas went through to get the first Star Wars film made, the rise of his Lucasfilm empire, and the effects it had on his personal life and marriage. We read about the conception and reception to the Star Wars prequel films, and the thought process that led to Lucas selling Lucasfilm, and Star Wars, to Disney in 2012.
Throughout my life I've read and seen quite a bit about the making of the original Star Wars trilogy, but this book went beyond that. We see what the franchise went through between the trilogies, what went on behind the scenes during the prequel films(and how you can't blame Hayden Christensen), and when Lucas decided it was time for him to bow out. It really is a great read for anyone who loves Star Wars.
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