Sunday Mercury - Anorak City

Darth Vader in a kilt on a unicycle playing Star Wars

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:26:10 +0000

Star Wars: Vulgarity in the robot world

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:22:58 +0000

Happy Pancake Day!

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:48:27 +0000

Taking the young Padwan for a first glimpse of a giant Star Wars world

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:52:33 +0000

When I think of my childhood I generally think of two things, football and Star Wars.

I was obsessed with both. So far none of my daughters have shown an interest in either.

That is until Lily my 5-year-old saw an advert on the television for the 3D release of Star Wars: Phantom Menace, or Episode 1.

She asked me if I would take her to see it, the answer was of course a resounding and very enthusiastic yes.

Phantom Menace was the first film in the new Star Wars trilogy, they were however of course prequels confusingly.

Mixed reviews by many greeted the film first time around. It was slated for its very prominent CGI characters and settings.

Jar Jar Binks in particular, the Gungan creature who added the comedy aspect. Many felt it was one annoying character too far.

Such was the level of the hatred towards the character a lot of good things were overlooked about the films.

With this in mind I decided me and Ly should watch it in style so we
headed for the Giant Screen Cinema at Millennium Point.

Star Wars: A new perspective

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:59:22 +0000

There are always two sides to every story...

Best Hallowe'en picture ever (again)

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:36:16 +0000

I posted this last year but damn it, I'm going to post it again.

It harks back to a more innocent age before our hopes and dreams were crushed by Jar Jar, jumping Yodas and midichlorians...

Star Wars: the saga in heavy metal

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:18:49 +0000

Recommended by our good friend Ryan Adams ...

(Yes, THAT Ryan Adams!)

Darth Vader wins and Oscar

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:41:16 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Film legend James Earl Jones is to recieve an honorary Oscar it has been revealed.

Jones, who is best known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars film, has appeared in more than 50 films during his career. He was Oscar nominated in 1971 for The Great White Hope.

The prizes will be handed out the Governors Awards in November.

Lightsabre record bid at sci-fi weekend

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:31:44 +0000

Calling all Jedi-wannabes. It is time to dig out the lightsabre and hyperspeed it along to the Heritage Motor Centre for the weekend of July 9 and 10, when there will be an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest Light Sabre battle.

You can either bring along your own weapon or make one on the day and join in.

The record attempt is part of a sci-fi weekend at the centre, when visitors can enjoy close encounters with some of the stars of movie and TV classics of the genre.

On the Saturday, Colin Baker, the sixth Doctor Who, Mark Silk, the voice actor in Star Wars for Aks Moe, and Rusty Goffe, who played Jawa in Star Wars Episode IV, will be attending.

On the Sunday R2D2, aka Kenny Baker, Mike Edmunds, who played an Ewok, and Rusty will be there to meet and greet fans.

A "Sci-Fi at the Movies" exhibition will feature original weapons, artefacts and costumes from films, on loan from the private collection of Skywalker Promotions.

Dave Matthews from the Creaky Cauldron, Stratford-upon-Avon's unofficial wizard, will be hosting special workshops over the two days where children can learn how to make a wand, how to create spells and how to be a wizard or witch.

Dave will also be running an old fashioned, fully functioning apothecary using a selection of traditional herbs, roots and incense.

In addition, there will be special exhibits, tours, quizzes, story-telling, fancy dress competitions and craft activities. Visitors are encouraged to come in fancy dress and have their photo taken with the characters and celebrities. They can also watch a selection of movies in the cinema and buy official sci-fi merchandise.

There will be sci-fi fun throughout the summer holidays as well with the 'Sci-Fi at the Movies' exhibition, daily quizzes and other activities, including family craft activity Thursdays, running from July 23-Sept 4.

There is no extra charge for the sci-fi events as it is all included in the standard museum entry fees which are £11 for adults and £8 for children aged five to 16. Under-fives get in free. Concessions are priced at £9 and a family ticket is £34.

For more information visit the website at www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk

Star Wars: The Sopranos in space?

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:20:03 +0000

RICK McCallum, the producer of the second Star Wars trilogy, has clarified claims that there are 50 hours of film for the much talked about Star Wars TV series.

He points out that there are fifty hours of script, rather than footage.

More worryingly, he states that Lucas-Film would not be ready to start production for at least three years, and possibly longer than that.
It gets worse.

With the current state of the TV industry he is unsure whether it will ever see the light of the day:

"Network television and cable television as we know it are implodin so we're not really sure that in five years' time we can release a dramatic one-hour episode because it's all reality TV now."

If it does go ahead fans can expect something a little different.

"Basically, it is like The Godfather; it's the Empire slowly building up its power base around the galaxy. It's about what happens in Coruscant, which is the major capital," says McCallum.

"It's about a group of underground bosses who live there and control drugs
and prostitution."

May the Force be with him, then.

Feeling the force...of nature

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:42:29 +0000

Apparently being a Dark Lord of the Sith holds little sway over inclement weather. This damp Darth was posted oustide the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, waiting for tourists (that'd be the ones who've taken shelter) who fancied having their picture taken with him, when a thunderstorm broke out.

Is it just me or does he look like the kid from the Volkswagen Passat ad?

(Photography by Associated Press - AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Darth Vader does Disneyland

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:44:50 +0000

Love this new advert for Star Tours at Disneyland...

Guns N 'Roses and Star Wars collide

Fri, 27 May 2011 15:18:15 +0000

Either the best or worst thing I have seen in ages. I just can't make my mind up which!

Darth Vader VW ad - the out takes and bloopers

Thu, 26 May 2011 16:05:03 +0000

You've seen the ad. Here are the bits they didn't include!

Robot jedi fight it out

Wed, 18 May 2011 12:12:23 +0000

Two robots battle it out in a lightsaber duel to the scrap yard.

Yaskawa equipped two of its Motoman industrial robots with blades for this year's IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Shanghai.

For more robot action, see our sister blog Weird Science.