The Holy Grail

Hi All,

Forget Mary Magdalene. Forget Cups of Christ and Shrouds of Turin. If you want to know what The Holy Grail is....look no further than this Trilogy of films, released on DVD today. What makes this special? 'Star Wars' has been out on DVD before. But what we've had in the past have been the 'Special Editions' of The Trilogy. The Special Editions offer the 'definitive' versions of these films, per creator George Lucas. And while I can appreciate these tooled-with versions, all I've ever wanted on DVD were the Original Theatrical Versions. Because for 20 years, those were the only versions we knew, and were the ones we grew up with. Han shoots first, for God's sake! And we never saw the mysterious gangster (read: awesome and never to be STEPPED ON!) Jabba The Hutt until 'Return of the Jedi.' I clearly remember the first time I saw Jabba, and it was awesome. And it was NOT in the first film. Sy Snootles was a puppet, there was no such thing as CGI, and it was all just INCREDIBLE. I will always respect Lucas, because despite his obsession with re-tooling and his obvious ability to market the hell out of this one trilogy, he gave us Star Wars. And a world without the pure genius and wonder that is Star Wars, is a sad world indeed. He can change the films, add things, create CGI worlds...but he can never, ever erase the memory of this kid who grew up being completely mesmerized by Star Wars. And I was mesmerized by those original films, regardless of Dolby sound or anamorphic widescreen or any of it. Can I see the films clearly? Will this DVD last forever? Check, and check. Okay then. I'm good.

So, I'll be watching these soon, and will review each here. I 'think' they'll get glowing reviews. :)
If you've been waiting for years for these like me, pick them up. They're available till 12/31.

Since I'm a Total SW Nerd Extraordinairre, I thought I'd do that list of 'Favorite Star Wars characters.' Not to be confused with 'Favorite Star Wars Action Figures.' Although I can do THAT list, too.

My Favorite Star Wars Characters

1) Darth Vader: Since I did a list of favorite film characters of all time, and put Vader and Han at numbers one and two, respectively, I'll do the same here. In fact, Vader tops THREE lists for me, since he's also the best villain on film. Darth Vader is the Ultimate Fallen Hero: The Good Guy who gets obsessed and goes all wrong. But more than that, he was just the guy who scared the pants off of us all as kids. I mean, he could sense where you were, if you hid. His breathing gave you chills. His black armor made him seem invincible. His red saber had 'evil' written all over it. And let's not forget the commanders. They all got choked, save Veers and Piett. RIP, commanders. You failed.

2) Han Solo. If Vader was the ultimate villain, Han was the ultimate Hero. He's our cowboy-in-waiting, a bit of a scoundrel (come on, Princess, admit it: You like scoundrels), a bit egocentric, and a bit handsome (smiles!), all while saving the day ("That's TWO you owe me, junior."). Ah, Han. How we love thee.

3) Luke Skywalker. I loved Luke almost as much as I loved Han, because he was very heroic in his own right. He had a dragon to slay, after all, and that dragon's name was 'Father.' His devotion to his religion makes him more mature than Han, if not more skilled in his own defense.

4) Chewbacca. OK, he never had a line of language we could understand. He didn't even get subtitles, come to think of it. But good ol' furry wookie Chewie was the 'best pal' we all wanted: loyal, talented (he could fly the Falcon, after all), and a great guy (wookie) to have in a fight. When they close the doors on Hoth and leave Luke and Han out to possibly freeze to death, Chewie's cry says what we all feel.

5) R2-D2. Again, I might not have understood him, but R2 is the guy (droid) who ALWAYS saves the day, for THE WHOLE GROUP. 3-PO can chide him all he wants, without R2, they'd all be Dianoga-fodder.

6) C-3PO. Jokes about him being the 'gay droid' aside, 3-PO was clever in his own right. He may have been a bit fussy, but the Ewoks thought he was a God, and 3,000 Ewoks can't be all wrong.

7) Boba Fett. The coolest-looking character in the SW universe. Fearless bounty hunters are always great. Too bad he tasted good to Sarlaac. (If you read the Expanded Universe comics, though...he didn't taste so good.)

8) Jabba the Hutt. The mighty Jabba. The Tony Soprano of the SW universe. Quite possibly the ugliest thing on Tattooine. Besides some of his patrons, that is. But you had to love Jabba! The guy (Hutt) was not to be messed with.

9) The Emperor. Proof that Oil of Olay might be a GOOD thing. ha The Emperor is in his own world of power and domination. He might have lost in the end, but he made a great nemesis along the way, in spirit if nothing else.

10) Yoda. I like Yoda, but he's not higher on the list mainly due to the way he speaks. Confusing until you get used to it, it is. His wisdom is awesome, though, and I'm quite sure it's all on that 'Everything I need to know in life I learned from Star Wars' poster.


But what about the action figures, you ask??
Click on them to see the figure.
Hasbro (the makers) have outdone themselves as of late with likeness and quality.
So picking ten is really hard. Cause I love all of the ones I own (which is a lot).

1) General Veers. Perfect, Hasbro. Just...perfect.
2) Snowtrooper, any version. Snowtroopers are the coolest troopers ever. And yes, they DO remind me of the little bubbles from Scrubbing Bubbles!
3) AT-AT Driver. If these toys were sculptures, this would be the most accurate likeness I have ever seen. Wait. They're not sculptures?
4) Tie Fighter Pilot. He was my favorite as a kid. They've come a long way in terms of accuracy since then. Black uniforms, that cool mask..I loved it.
5) Emperor's Royal Guard. Crimson red trumps all other colors. Plus, another cool mask!
6) Ephant Mon. This huge Jabba's patron is the biggest figure they have made (so far...but Hermi Odle is a comin'!). His mouth moves and all. Somewhere, my inner child smiles. And smiles.
7) Darth Vader. They've made plenty of Vaders, but this one is the best. Bonus: he comes with the little debris that he throws at Luke!
8) Ponda Baba. Also known as 'Walrus Man.' Does this version blow away the '70's version, or what??
9) Greedo. I'm a sucker for aliens. They have made soooo many...and they're all really, REALLY great.
10) Weequay. Props to Kenner for making a wonderful 'Return of the Jedi' line. I really need about 100 to get all of the faves in here. There are too many.

The Holy Grail of action figures? A new Imperial Dignitary. Why? Because we wanted him as a kid, and never got him. Also, Yarna d'al Gargan, Jabba's 'plump' dancer. Because they almost made her when we were kids, and we never got her.

Is that enough SW for one day? I suppose. haha

May The Force Be With You. ;)