Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru Immortalized At Last

The fans have been clamoring for years, and it seems the time has finally come - Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru in all of their molded plastic glory for your action figure playing pleasure!  Yes, the loving couple whose untimely passing after the droid were traced to their home launched Luke Skywalker on his galactic adventure.  None of this prequel nonsense, this is Owen and Beru Lars just as we remember them from A New Hope.  Maybe they should have let Luke go to the Academy with Biggs and Tank...

And speaking of Star Wars and untimely ends, from Dorkly comes "8 Lines That Would Have Ended Star Wars Real Fast".  In honor of Uncle Ben:

Get the rest of the list here:  http://www.dorkly.com/article/17253/8-lines-that-would-have-ended-star-wars-real-fast.

Why Are Some Non-Humans Treated Like "People" While Others Are Not?

I have always wondered why, in fiction, some obviously intelligent entities are treated as "animals" or "pets", while others are acknowledged as equal to their human compatriots. It seems like a very arbitratry thing. Below, I cite three examples of this, and challenge you, dear reader, to explain why these chracters do not get the respect as intelligent beings that they deserve.

1. Chewbacca - Chewbacca flies and repairs the Millenium Falcon, and wields his bowcaster - advanced uses of tools and obvious inteligence. Chewie also displays recognition of human laguage and an ability to communicate directly. He is a key member of the team that helps the Rebellion to triumph over the Empire. Yet for some reason, after destroying the Death Star, while Chewbacca is invited to participate in the Rebel award ceremony, and provides the final celebratory roar, but Princess Leia does not annoint him with a medal like she does Luke and Han. Why not? Don't even get me started on the droids - R2-D2 was property, while IG-88 roamed free as a bounty hunter?

2. Snoopy - Charles Schultz gave Snoopy a quiet wisdom and more emotional range than the humans around him, as well as the ability to fly a plane among other talents, yet he was consigned to the dog house in the backyard, as a second-class citizen of the Peanuts world.

3. Pluto - I believe it was the brilliant Wil Wheaton's dialogue from the movie "Stand By Me" that began my confusion about this: "Mickey's a mouse, Donald's a Duck, Pluto's a Dog - what's Goofy?" More to the point, Mickey, Donald and Goofy all interact as equals. Pluto, on the other hand, is Mickey's pet, walking on all fours among the cast of anthropomorphic bipeds that surround him. Why does Mickey, a mouse, who has relationships as an equally free and intelligent entity with everyone from Minnie to Roger Rabbit feel it necessary to subjugate Pluto as a "pet"?

What does it say about us that we accept the sub-human treatment of some of our most beloved characters?

150 of the Best Movie Quotes Ever

A brilliantly edited video bringing together 150 of the best movie quotes ever - your favorites are all in here:

Predator as an Opera

Arnold's seminal jungle massacre classic reimagined as an opera - incredible job!  "If it bleeds, we can kill it!" - Must watch!

50 Great Facts About Goodfellas

Check out this article at Shortlist.com which lists 50 little-known facts about Goodfellas such as these:

"The dinner scene with Tommy’s mother is largely improvised, including Tommy asking if he could borrow her butcher’s knife and the paw/hoof debate."

"For a film renowned for violence, GoodFellas has a relatively low body count of 10."

"The legendary Steadicam tracking shot through the nightclub kitchen was an accident. Scorsese (right, with De Niro), who didn’t even like using Steadicams at first, had been denied permission to go through the front door and had to improvise another plan. He decided to do it in one long shot to symbolise “Henry’s whole life being ahead of him, doors opening to him. It’s his seduction of Karen and it’s also the lifestyle seducing him”. The shot had to be redone eight times — not because of complications choreographing it, but because it ends on comedian Henry Youngman performing, but Youngman kept fluffing his lines, spoiling the close of the scene."

"Scorsese first heard of Pileggi’s book Wiseguy when he was handed an early proof copy while shooting The Color Of Money in Chicago. Although Scorsese had sworn off making another gangster flick after Mean Streets, he immediately called the writer and told him, “I’ve been waiting for this book my entire life.” Pileggi replied, “I’ve been waiting for this phone call my entire life.” They agreed to co-write it there on the phone."

Great stuff - as if I needed motivation to watch Goodfellas again!

http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/article/938/50-useless-but-genius-facts-about-goodfellas

How To Talk To Your Kids About Star Wars PSA

Parents aren't born with all the answers, and it's important to have help. Here's some great advice on how to introduce your children to Star Wars, before it is too late.

Thanks to Rob for this!

The Legend of Zelda as a John Hughes Movie

If you ever played Zelda or watched a John Hughes movie, you will appreciate this.  If you did both, prepare for geekgasm.




My only criticism - the guys at the Gas 'N Sip should have said "Choice, man - concious choice"

Detroit Says Yes to Eminem, No to Robocop!

A Robocop statue?  I'd buy that for a dollar!

As we learned last night, while Roethlisberger may have a ways to go on his road to redemption, Eminem is now the spokesperson for Detroit.  Good for Mr. Mathers.

On the other hand, a certain Officer Alex Murphy may not be getting the respect he richly deserves from Motown.  Upon a Twitter suggestion that the city erect a statue of it's most famous fictional character, as Philadelphia has done with Rocky, Detroit Mayor David Bing had this to say:

With leadership like this, it's no wonder the city will fall into complete disorder leaving Omni Consumer Products to come in and corporatize it's police force in the near future.

UPDATE 2/10/2011: Followup - Robocop may be getting a statue in Detroit after all!

More Ewoks Than Humans Should Be Allowed

Can't get enough of those furry little critters who kicked Imperial tail and then held a rave?  Well, you've come to the right place.  Here's a quick survey of some of the better video fare centering on our Endorian friends:

Ewok Celebration by Meco

The original Yub Nub sensation, as remixed by the guy who brought us the Star Wars Theme Disco Version (available in hi-fi on vinyl as part of KTel's "Star Power" anthology, which I happen to own).




Ewok Gospel Song Featuring Billy Dee Williams

The tale of a galaxy saved by Wickett and company, set to gospel music, with a cameo by Mr. Colt 45 himself - works every time!



Drunk Ewoks on the Today Show

Ewoks invade Halloween on the Today Show.
It's the tried and true formula: Ewoks + Alcohol + Al Roker = Laughs.
Bear with it, it's worth it.  Inappropriate groping and the moonwalk take it to the next level.



Ewok Barbershop

I don't think a quartet has gotten it's barbershop hooks into me like this since "Baby on Board" by the Be Sharps back in 85.

AT-AT Day Afternoon

Finally, it's not Ewoks, but that other adorable character from the original trilogy that we all wanted to take home as a pet: The All Terrain Armored Transport!

Celebrate The Love!

P.S.  I have been unable to locate Jimmy Fallon's Ewok Celebration which he sang on SNL during Weekend Update.  It seems the copyright police have wiped it clear off the Internet.  If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would be much obliged. Seriously.