Episode 285 – The 100 Minute Marks of Star Wars

This week we are tackling an extremely important Star Wars topic – what happens at the 100 minute mark of the Star Wars films?  Just like the films themselves, they’re all a little different but they all that thar certain type of galaxy far far away magic. What happens in them, how are they alike and what is our ranking of them?  It’s a Star Wars topic that’ll have you viewing the films and counting numbers in a whole new way!  

PLUS :  the dramatic return of everyone’s favorite pickled celebration, SNOKETOBERFEST!   

So get out that wax paper, celebrate the love and listen today! 

Episode 264 – Holo-Chess Monster Mania with Tom Spina!

The Dejarik or Holo-Chess game scene is classic Star Wars.  It’s a hologram of a tiny little monster fight strategy game played between a giant hairy creature and a gold robot.   Classic Star Wars.   The scene has lived in the hearts and imagination of fans for years but we need to know what it’s all about, how it happened and who each monster is.   There’s only one person who could join us on this quest and that’s our friend from Regal Robot’s TOM SPINA.   Join us as Tom explains it all and tells us all about Regal Robot’s new and amazing replicas of the original monsters.  This is an episode that will tell you absolutely EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about the amazing Dejarik monsters and so much more.   Who is Hunk and what about the mysterious duo of Scrimp and Bulbous!!  Listen and find out!!  

So, get Phil Tippet’s lizard and celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!  

CHECK OUT TOM’S AMAZING STUFF:

www.regalrobot.com

www.tomspinadesigns.com

Episode 258 – Star Wars End Scene Magic

Star Wars movies contain many rich traditions like operatic storytelling, faster and more intense action, explosions, and gorgeous dialogue free end scenes that soar with music and end the film with an epic exclamation point!  Join us as we look at these scenes and rank our own personal top 12 Star Wars cinematic ending scenes!  What do we agree on?  Where do our opinions split? What’s our different number one picks?  Will a Star Wars movie ever end with a blooper reel? So, dance around, give an Ewok an hug and celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!  

Episode 220 – SAGA YEAR MONTH 5 : SOLO A STAR WARS STORY (Yes, No or Maybe Solo)

This month’s addition to SAGA YEAR is a driver and a winner!!  Join us as we look back on that rare little diamond in the saga, 2018’s Solo : A Star Wars Story.  How was the newer Star Wars stuff made Solo a different experience in the last couple years?  What still works for us and how could we possibly see these characters again?  After that we tackle listener submitted questions that can be answered YES, NO, OR MAYBE SOLO! Lots of shower & seafood talk!!  AND : no surprise, lots of Dryden Vos, Lady Proxima and naked Wookiee talk.  So go commit a minor crime for Solo 2 and celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!  

Episode 171 – Remember the Solo (looking back at one year of Solo : A Star Wars Story)

Solo has now been out for a year and this week Jason and Gabe are looking back at what we still love about the film, it’s unique legacy and the lessons learned from the whole Solo experience.  Will we ever see another Star Wars film released in May?  Could we ever see more adventures of young Han & Chewie?  Can we please have more stories about Enfys Nest?   All these burning questions and more in this introspective, fun filled, Kevin Bacon fueled episode!!  

PLUS :  We all learned who’s making the first post-TROS Star Wars movie and we’re separating the facts from crazy rumor!  

So remain calm, remember the silo & celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!!  

Episode 163 – Explosions are Star Wars, Star Wars is Explosions

EXPLOSIONS!  We’ve done some research and discovered Star Wars is actually all about explosions! There are hundreds explosions in the Star Wars saga and we’re talking our top 3 from each film & discussing their size, sound & feeling.  It’s a totally serious episode about a serious topic and explosions is the word that you heard.‬  What explosions are the ultimate from each film?  Listen and find out!
PLUS : Star Wars Celebration Chicago is just weeks away and we are freaking out.  Episode IX panel! What could happen?  The return of Ahmed Best!  Listener reviews & more!So ask Plo Koon about Young Guns Too and celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!!  

Episode 142 – Where’s the Solo Blu Ray I Met At The Beach?

We are finally able to watch Solo : A Star Wars at home and this week Jason & Gabe are digging into all the bonus features it has to offer!  Weird deleted scenes! Roundtable discussions!  Little documentaries!  What’s the deal with Solo at home and how does it all compare to past Star Wars releases?  What’s great, what’s missing and why is Solo the Star Wars movie that can just never catch a break?  Tune in & find out!

PLUS : a hairy BeardWatch update! Resistance stuff!  The start of the epic SnokeToberFest, listener reviews, Obi-Wan Beatle impressions & lots and lots of Grease talk.

So get kicked out of the Imperial Academy & celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!

 

Editorial – Solo in Japan

solojapan.jpg

By Dave Hackerson

Han Solo: A Star Wars Story hit Japanese theaters on June 29, over a month after the film’s initial release in the US. This marked the first time in the Disney era of Star Wars that the release date in Japan did not coincide with the US and other major markets overseas. I’m not exactly sure why that was the case this time around, but I very nearly had to cut myself off from the Force (at least the English speaking faction) to avoid any spoilers that would ruin the surprises in the film. Fortunately we had the World Cup to keep us preoccupied, and the Japanese national team defied all expectations for a stellar run out of the group stage and into the round of 16. In similar fashion, the Han Solo film has surpassed expectations of fans here, with the overall response being positive.

News of the film’s “struggles” at the box office overseas did make its way over to Japan. However, Disney deftly masked over that in their marketing by hyping up the film as the number one feature at the US box office in one of the short TV spots (pausing the screen you see the data they referenced was for the Memorial Day weekend). They also used some clever play-on-words in the Japanese voiceover for the same TV spot, saying “Soro soro, Han Soro (Solo).” The phrase “soro soro” is often used in Japanese when saying “it’s about time” to do something or for something to happen, so this nice little catch copy essentially tells the Japanese audience “it’s about time you head to the theater and check out Solo”. In addition to the TV spots, Japanese morning talk shows also did special sessions highlighting the movie in the run up to its release. These moves apparently paid off, with the film claiming the number spot in the Japanese box office in its opening weekend, bringing in $5.94 million and attracting audiences much more diverse than typical StarWars film, spanning all age groups and demographics. I have seen numerous comments on Japanese Twitter and Facebook of Star Wars fan here pleasantly surprised to hear how the film has drawn in and delighted people with little exposure to the saga. Solo remained at the top of the box office charts for its second week as well, and as of July 9 had grossed over $11.12 million dollars. The film’s success thus far should really come as no surprise given not only the popularity of the Star Wars saga in Japan, but the character of Han Solo himself. One media company conducted a survey back in 1995 on the most popular characters in the saga, and Han Solo ranked number one amongst Japanese fans, beating out the likes of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Our family went to see it in English (with Japanese subtitles) at one of the local theaters on Saturday the 30th, the day after the film was released. There is a USAF base in our neck of the woods in western Tokyo, and from what I saw of the audience at our showing it seemed a third were from there. The US contingent aside, the Japanese audience spanned all ages and demographics, and there were some interesting conversations I picked up on in the lobby as we waited to enter the theater. One person was asking his friend about Donald Glover, and he excitedly told him that he was playing the young Lando. As typical with most major features in Japan, the concession/lobby area has stands set up selling all kinds of merchandise related to the film. I picked up the limited edition of the official Japanese guide, which was packed with great interviews with the cast, concept art for the film, and a special poster insert. There were also toys, books, and nice Solo design folders for holding A4 size sheets of paper (especially popular among students).

We all enjoyed the film immensely, with our oldest commenting that she felt Alden’s performance was quintessential Han Solo. It seemed the audience we viewed it with had a blast watching Solo as well. When people filed out of the theater, many were eager to snap a few selfies sitting in the Millennium Falcon cockpit prop that was set up right outside. Our youngest daughter (4 years) was quite enamored with the whole set, and kept wanting to go back for more pictures. That said, there was a few times where some of the humor in the dialogue only produced a laugh from among the non-Japanese factions of the audience. In addition, I found myself trying to keep up with the subtitles at times, which caused me to miss some of the things happening in the background. Our oldest say that she wanted to go see the film again, so for our second viewing we went to watch it in the Japanese dub.

We felt a different level of excitement than our initial viewing. Would the characters feel the same? Would the Japanese dub of Han match Alden’s performance? In short, the quality of the Japanese was on par with the dub for Rogue One. In fact, in almost every instance the Japanese spoken matched what I thought it would be. The translator not only conveyed the meaning imbued within the original English, but was able to create that same atmosphere and mood. The knockout-job that they did with this translation provided for a viewing experience even better than the first. We were able to really appreciate all the great banter between Han and Lando in the Sabaac, with the dub retaining the way Lando purposefully mispronounces Han’s name after he deliberately says Sabaac the wrong way in attempt to play the fool. Rio Durant sounded no different than he did in the original, with his witty comments effectively delivered in a manner that made me think that’s how Jon Favreau would sound in Japanese. Beckett did not speak with the distinctive drawl that comes with every Woody Harrelson role, but the delivery employed conveyed the character of a man steeped in experience but wore down by years of living the hard smuggler’s life. The exchange between him and Han at the end of the film felt just as poignant as it did in the subtitled version. Perhaps my favorite scene in the dub was the conversation between Qira and L-3 in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. While the dialogue is already loaded with nuance in the original English, the Japanese dub not only kept that nuance, but actually deepened it with the words employed by both characters. Younger audience members may not have caught it, but I’m pretty sure the adults in the theater appreciated the humor of that moment.

The Japanese dub featured not only a cast of seasoned voice actors, but also a number of celebrity guest appearances. One of these was Soichi Noguchi, an astronaut who enjoys the distinction of not only doing multiple missions on the International Space Station, but was also the first Japanese astronaut to work as a flight engineer on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Noguchi has been an ardent fan of the saga ever since he saw Episode 4 as an elementary school student, claiming that the original trilogy was one of his main inspirations for pursuing a career in outer space. He gave a glowing review of the film for the Japanese movie site Filmaga. He wrote “The true charm of the Star Wars saga is its ability to captivate our imaginations and inspire, and Solo chock full of elements which do just that. It’s a great ride for not only hard core fans of the saga, but also people who have never seen a Star Wars film. There’s so much in it that I need to verify for myself that I plan on seeing it at least two or three times more.” Noguchi was especially pleased with how they developed the relationship between Han and Chewie in the film. “Han’s initial encounter with Chewie was absolutely hilarious, but it was also incredibly convincing. The two didn’t get along right off the bat. Each had a different goal in mind, but they teamed up to tackle the mutual task at hand that they both faced. This created the bond between them that deepened as they fought side by side.” Another celebrity to make a guest appearance in the Japanese dub of Solo was Ebizo Ichikawa, the heir to Ichikawa clan of kabuki actors and the eleventh holder of the Ebizo name. A fan of the saga since he was a kid, Ebizo told director Ron Howard and Alden Ehrenreich how happy he was to be involved with the film at the Solo premier event held in Tokyo in mid-June. He lent his vocal talents to one of the Stormtroopers watching over the brawl between Chewbacca and Han at the beginning of the film.

All in all, there has been no real negative backlash to Solo in Japan that emanate from certain corners of fandom in the state. Most people have been happy to come along for the ride. I guess that’s why the Japanese TV spots have repeatedly used one of the film’s more iconic lines: “Ii yokan ga suru ze (I’ve got a really good feeling about this”). My daughter said it best after our initial viewing of the movie. “He (Alden) didn’t look like the original Han Solo, but he was Han Solo. That was a blast.” Considering that she had fairly little interest in Star Wars until The Last Jedi, I’d say that Lucasfilm and Disney have succeeded in making that galaxy far, far away accessible to a broader audience.

Episode 132 – Love Me Dooku (and Clone Wars Saved!)

Join Jason & Gabe as they unravel the mystery of the one and only COUNT DOOKU! Who was Dooku? Why was Dooku?  Where was Dooku?  What’s up with the Lost 20? How is he the Steven Seagal of Jedi?  Tune in as we dig deep into the enigmatic distinguished gentleman Sith Lord!  We look at the scene where interrogates Kenobi in AOTC as a perfect example of Sith lies/truth, riddles and wonder just what Dooku’s deal was!

PLUS: Clone Wars Saved!!! Solo blu ray bonus features, Lady Proxima at home & so much more! ‬

So shoot out some Sith lightning, tell someone the truth about Sidious and celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!

Episode 127- The Art Of The Art Of Solo

Join Jason and Gabe this week as they dive into the new book! They go over everything from early design concepts, to the fascinating time table of production history, thematic and cinematic inspirations, visual metaphors in the film and insight into the continually fascinating Star Wars design process! (and dogs singing star wars, lots of guitar solos and they finally talk about CHiPs!!)

PLUS: What’s going on with Celebration selling out? Episode 9 speculation/excitement!

So put on your spandex for Trixie and celebrate the love with BLAST POINTS!!

Buy the Art of Solo here:

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Solo-Star-Wars-Story/dp/1419727451