A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

Photo Credit: www.rebelscum.com. (C) 1998 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  The boggy, swamp planet Dagobah is the principal planet in the star system of the same name. Although explored, Dagobah remains sparsely populated because of its inhospitable climate and generally unpleasant surroundings. Constantly shrouded in mist and strangled by dense vegetation, the planet is the home to numerous animal life, including dangerous flying predators. The Jedi Master Yoda also makes his home and hideout there and is the only resident of notoriety. – From the package blurb, Star Wars – Power of the Force: Dagobah with Yoda (Complete Galaxy) Twenty years ago, Hasbro, Inc.’s Kenner division released a new assortment of globe-and-figure sets called Complete Galaxy. Sold as part of Kenner’s revived Star Wars: The Power of the Force collection, this assortment consists of four detailed globes based on three planets and one battle station where crucial events of the Galactic Civil War oc

Cover art by Drew Struzan. (C) 1996 Varese Sarabande Records and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) In 1996, Lucasfilm gathered several authors, artists, and representatives from Hasbro and other licensees to discuss a huge multimedia project that was, in short, everything but the full-fledged filmed version of a Star Wars movie. To kick this ambitious campaign, writer Steve Perry was hired to write an original novel for Bantam Spectra that would be the core of the project called Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. The novel. Photo Credit: www.mycomicshop.com. (C) 1996 Bantam Spectra and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) The novel would be a stand-alone Expanded Universe novel, the first of the Bantam Spectra series to depict event between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jed i. All the other products, ranging from Hasbro's Kenner action figures to Nintendo 64 cartridges, would use Perry's novel as a starting point and expand the story, sticking to the essentials of the centra

(C) 1980 Ballantine Books and Lucasfilm Ltd. In November 1980, Ballantine Books, an imprint of New York-based publisher Random House, published The Empire Strikes Back Notebook, a large-format paperback book which presented the complete script for Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Edited by Diana Attias and Lindsay Smith (who later worked on Star Wars: The Radio Drama ), the book not only included the screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett; it also featured selected storyboards drawn by Lucasfilm artists involved in the making of The Empire Strikes Back, including Joe Johnston – who went on to become a successful director – and his assistant Nilo Rodis-Janero. Here at last is the complete script of the exciting continuation in the STAR WARS saga—THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Containing the dialogue and stage directions from the film, the script will take you—again and again—into the thrilling world of this space fantasy. Magnificently illustrating the scr

(C) 1980 RSO Records and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) In 1985, after buying out the disco label RSO Records, British record company Polydor acquired the entire RSO catalog, which included the original two-record soundtrack for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, which featured selections from the score composed and conducted by John Williams.  Polydor, through its PolyGram Records arm, had also acquired the rights to Williams' 1977 soundtrack from Star Wars, which had been released by the now-defunct 20th Century Records, a division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. So when Polydor released the Star Wars soundtrack on the then-still new compact disc (CD) format from the analog recordings, the resulting album was a relatively faithful replica of its best-selling vinyl precursor. (The only differences between the long-play [LP] album and the 2-CD edition, other than format, were that the liner notes from the LP were not included and the 1977 gatefold's photos were present

(C) 2004 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  The bone-chilling cold is not the only danger that awaits a traveler on the Hoth plains. Despite standing over two meters in height, the Wampa ice creature is nonetheless a stealthy predator. Camouflaged by its white fur and the howling Hoth winds, a Wampa surprised Luke Skywalker while he was on patrol and dragged him to its cave as his next meal. When the Jedi freed himself, the Wampa fought him - and lost an arm in the struggle. – Product blurb, Wampa (Hoth Attack) I've been collecting Star Wars figures for 40 years, and even though my collection is far from being even close to complete, I own enough of the small action figures to know that the quality of the figures has improved over the past two and a half decades. Not only are the 21st Century Hasbro figures more detailed than their 1978-1985 Kenner Toys counterparts, but they also now include little "extras" that make them more attractive to adult collectors

(C) 2004 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) Action Figure While patrolling on Hoth, Luke was savagely attacked by a Wampa and dragged by the ice creature to its cave, where he was suspended from the ceiling in anticipation of becoming the Wampa's next meal. Luke used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber from the floor of the cave and freed himself from the ice entrapping his leg. The Wampa attacked again, and Luke fought the vicious creature, escaping only after severing one of the Wampa's arms. – Product blurb: Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) Action Figure Luke Skywalker has had a very bad day on Hoth. While on a routine mounted patrol on the surface of the ice world Hoth, the young Rebel Commander had spotted what looked like a meteor falling from the sky. Before he could investigate, the huge clawed paw of a hungry Wampa Ice Creature slammed him off his tauntaun and knocked him out. When Luke regained consciousness some time

Pros:  One of the best, if not THE best, scores ever written for film Cons:  The confounded Slimline package! OVERTURE: With the unexpected success of  Star Wars  and its Academy Award-winning score, director George Lucas and composer John Williams were confronted by the question posed to most artists when their creations earn nearly-legendary status: How can you top  this ? After all,  Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope  (as the first film in the classic Trilogy would soon be renamed) was, in the late 1970s, the top-grossing film of all time, having edged out Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster  Jaws  in total earnings by the end of 1978. Many fans (including this writer) had seen it at least three or four times at the theaters. (There are many people that saw it dozens of times, even hundreds...and this was before the VCR Revolution of the 1980s took hold!) Kids, and some adults, bought dozens of Kenner's "action figures." Novelizations and pu