The Star Wars wars...

George Lucas, I should have known it would be you at the end of Vader's leash.
OK, I actually have nothing against the man, I just thought it was a cool way to start out this blog. But I digress.
As a geek (shocking to some of you, I know but take a moment and compose yourself) I cannot go one single day without seeing something that is related to Star Wars--and I'm not using hyperbole here I seriously am not allowed to go one day without looking at something Star Wars related, they'll take my card away. The proliferation of Star Wars memorabilia is something start out of Space Balls, though I haven't seen Star Wars the flamethrower yet. It seems that everyone and their mother is trying to make money off of Lucas' masterpieces (OK, I'm going to say that 4 out of 6 were genius. This obviously is referring to Episodes II, III, IV, and V, Phantom Menace was god-awful and Jedi, as was brilliantly stated by Kevin Smith, only had a bunch of Muppets)
Now, of course, as a member of the large group of geeks that have been inspired and enthralled by Star Wars from birth, I am in hog heaven with most of this stuff. However, I, a poor college kid, cannot afford to be caught up in all of the geekdom that comes along with a life-long affinity for the Wars. However, recently there have been three particular facets of the Star Wars wars (as I called it in the title) that have caught my eye.

LEGO STAR WARS

Luke, I am your builder.

So I'm a bit slow on the up-take on this front. The first of three LEGO related SW games came out quite a while ago and I was lucky enough to play a demo way before it came out. From the minute I started the game I was hooked. It was fun, easy, smart and down right cute from the first nano-second.

For Christmas I received LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA for Wii and it is one of the better action/adventure games I've played since Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, for obviously very different reasons. You can breeze through the story mode of each movie very quickly and if that was it for the game then it would be horribly unfulfilling. However, the people at Traveler's Tales have thought of that and the replay ability of the game surpasses all expectations. The unlockables are plentiful and the characters number over 100 (I think, didn't do the math...English major)

MIGHTY MUGGS

That's no moon, that's how big their heads are.

Speaking of cute. What's cuter than a wookie with a giant head? That's right, nothing. There is a movement in the action figure community that is known as the Art Toy or Urban Vinyl movement. Basically it means that action figures and toys in general are becoming pieces of art and not necessarily play things or just cool little statues.

These Mighty Muggs are the second in a line from Hasbro (started with Marvel Comics) of over sized cranium-ed figures that are as cool to look at as they are adorable. I, and the toy/action figure world expect these to be a very hot ticket as soon as they hit the shelves (which could be as soon as next week). The only downfall to these awesome little collectibles statues is that their price is reasonable per piece but for an entire collection its going to be quite a blast to your wallet. But this is the price we pay to have trendy toys.

FAMILY GUY: BLUE HARVEST

The force is freakin' sweet with this one.

A time not far from now on a DVD player very close to my television...

That's right. The full-hour Family Guy episode that is almost a shot for shot remake of Ep IV is coming out to DVD on Tuesday. I remember staying up to watch the tape I made of this episode late the night it aired. If I hadn't had a test the next day, I would have watched it twice. Exactly the kind of uproariously funny homage that you would expect from the Family Guy camp, "Blue Harvest" mixed their brand of irreverent humor with the everything that Fanboys wanted to see and hear. That included Stewie as Vader and Lois with braided hair ear muffs!

But what is really cool is the special edition that is coming out, this set includes a lot of extra features that aren't on the regular DVD and will be worth the extra $10 or so. It'll be part of my collection as soon as I get my next paycheck.

Now usually, the cynical side of me would go on a rant about how awful it is that it seems that everyone is just trying to make a bunch of bucks off of the best sci-fi ever created. But the truth of it is, all these new Star Wars related entities are simply paying homage to brilliance in their own ways. The best part is that Lucas and LTD and Lucas Films and everyone on the Star Wars end, for the most part, is totally cool with it. Family Guy in particular has gone on record to say how supportive and cooperative Lucas has been with their spoofs and goofs, wanting to make sure that their characters and even music look, act and sound the same as the ones in the movie. Finally, a legend that can take a joke.

That's it for now, may the force be with you.

Photo Credits:

Lucas - www.vegasartscorner.com

LEGO STAR WARS - www.smh.com

Mighty Muggs - www.blogdebrinquedo.com

Family Guy Blue Harvest www.tv.ign.com

The word Longevity isn't thrown around a lot these days...

"Santa" was kind enough to bring me a copy of the Simpsons Movie on DVD this Christmas. Besides watching it two or three times since December 25th, I've been thinking a lot about what makes this movie, and more importantly this franchise, so successful.
As far as the movie is concerned, it miraculously blends the most lovable parts of the series' essence with everything that you want to see from the Simspons on the big screen. Usually movies, going to the theatre that is, is a sort of individualized experience. It's not a rock show, it's not a panel discussion, it's a movie that you enjoy by yourself and just happen to be in a big room with a bunch of other people. (Note: Rocky Horror is obviously not included in this little theory) However, the Simpsons movie was such an experience, not just a movie. The ambiance of the theatre that I was in was as exhilarating as the film itself. Hear the 'ooh's and 'ahh's when certain characters popped up on screen or sharing an uproarious laugh with the most hardcore of fans made the experience that much more special and worth paying whatever ticket prices were to see it large and in person.
Now that the movie is out on DVD, obviously more people will be able to see it and it will bring back that wave of excitement that initially washed over all fans when it was released. But the real success of the movie on DVD hedges on one key point--The Simpsons really know how to make a DVD.
Ever since the first season appeared on shelves in stores, it has been apparent that the creators, producers, actors, and everyone behind the scenes cares about their fans and the value of their products. The price of a set of Simpsons DVDs is meagerly priced when compared to other series which can cost upwards of $50 sometimes.
When you get that season or compilation home, you tear it open (using your blowtorch and hedge clippers, but DVD/CD security issues will be griped about later), and you notice the detail and the effort that goes into every inch of the discs.
From the artwork on the discs themselves, to the inserts, to the box art, the Simpsons DVDs are some of the most stylish and good looking collections on the market. It's simple but very attractive. This isn't even to mention the work that goes into creating the amusing title menus, writing the inserts, producing the discs and recording commentaries or deleted scene introductions.
The bottom line is that everyone over at the Simpsons camp puts tons of thought, blood, sweat and tears into their products to make certain that the consumer (a loyal fan) will get every penny's worth out of their purchase. For this reason alone, the Simpsons has been able to cultivate a rabidly loyal fanbase that will both continue to grow and retain its membership for (hopefully) years to come.
It doesn't stop at DVDs either. This week (subject to change) the second series of Simpsons figures by McFarlane Toys (the best action figure maker in history, by the way) and the detail in the sculptures, painting and packaging is a reflection of the work ethic and devotion that is shared by the entire staff at FOX and on the show.

Image taken from http://www.toxicshock.tv/ and http://www.toysick.com/ respectively