A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

Although Darth Vader would perish without his body armor's life support system, he remains a powerful and imposing figure. His black suit and the dark side of the Force protect him from numerous opponents until he loses his cybernetic right hand in a fateful lightsaber duel with Luke Skywalker on the second Death Star.  - Jedi Fact File, Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath) figure Released in 2001 by Hasbro as part of its post- Episode I  "Power of the Jedi" product line, Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath) is yet another scene-specific action figure based on the central character of George Lucas' six-Episode Star Wars saga set "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away."  This almost spectral figure depicts Anakin Skywalker's Sith alter ego as he appears in the climactic "redemption" scene in which "Darth Vader" sacrifices his life by picking up his long-time Master Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine and enduring an onslaught of Fo

(C) 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd. & Penguin Random House. Cover art and design: Will Staehle 2017 is the 40th Anniversary year that commemorates the premiere of writer-director George Lucas's original 1977  Star Wars film. In honor of the occasion, the past 10 months have seen the release of the home media editions of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Season Three of Disney's animated series. Star Wars: Rebels, as well as a YT-1300's cargo hold's worth of 40th Anniversary action figures, posters, limited edition sculptures, and other collectible items.   And in advance of the upcoming theatrical debut of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, many publishing companies licensed by Disney-owned Lucasfilm Ltd. are stocking bookstore shelves with novels, comic books, a seventh William Shakespeare's Star Wars book - this one based on The Force Awakens - and illustrated reference books such as DK Books' Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia. On Tuesday. October 3, Penguin Random H

Episode Six: Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968) Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward Directed by: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick At the onset of the Tet holiday, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch surprise attacks on cities and military bases throughout the South, suffering terrible losses but casting grave doubt on the Johnson administration's promise that there is "light at the end of the tunnel." The President decides not to run again and the country is staggered by assassinations and unrest. - from The Vietnam War's Episode List On September 24 2017, millions of television viewers watched "Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968)" on their local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations, streamed it on the PBS.org website, or had already binge-watched it on high-definition Blu-ray (the box set was released on September 19). Per PBS:   Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, THE VIETNAM WAR, tells the e

Episode Five: This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967) Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward Directed by: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick American casualties and enemy body counts mount as Marines face deadly North Vietnamese ambushes and artillery south of the DMZ and Army units chase an elusive enemy in the Central Highlands. Hanoi lays plans for a massive surprise offensive, and the Johnson administration reassures the American public that victory is in sight. - from The Vietnam War's Episode List On September 21, 2017, 300 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations throughout the U.S. aired "This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967," the fifth part of directors Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's The Vietnam War. This 10-part epic series is an 18-hour look at "one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history." Burns, Novick, and Florentine Films' array of producers, cinematographers, composers, researchers, and

Episode Four: Resolve (January 1966-June 1967) Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward Directed by: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Defying American airpower, North Vietnamese troops and materiel stream down the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the South while Saigon struggles to "pacify" the countryside. As an antiwar movement builds back home, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and Marines discover that the war they are being asked to fight in Vietnam is nothing like their fathers' war. - from The Vietnam War's Episode List On September 20, 2017, viewers who tuned in to their local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations watched "Resolve (January 1966-June 1967)," Episode Four of The Vietnam War, a 10-part documentary series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick ( Prohibition, The War ). A decade in the making, this 18-hour look at one of the darkest chapters of American and Vietnamese history was produced by Burns ( The Civil War ), Novick, and Sarah Botstein. Its tag

Episode Three: The River Styx (January 1964-December 1965) Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward Directed by: Ken Burns & Lynn Novick With South Vietnam in chaos, hardliners in Hanoi seize the initiative and send combat troops to the South, accelerating the insurgency. Fearing Saigon's collapse, President Johnson escalates America's military commitment, authorizing sustained bombing of the North and deploying ground troops in the South. - from The Vietnam War's Episode List On September 19, 2017, 300 PBS affiliates across the U.S. aired "The River Styx (January 1964-December 1965)," Episode Three of The Vietnam War,  a 10-part documentary series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick ( The War, Prohibition ). Produced by Burns, Novick, and Sarah Botstein, this 18-hour examination of one of the most divisive events in modern American history was 10 years in the making. It features interviews of participants from all sides, including civilians and veter

Episode Two: Riding the Tiger (1961-1963) Written by: Geoffrey C. Ward Directed by: Ken Burns & Lynn Novick President Kennedy inspires idealistic young Americans to serve their country and wrestles with how deeply to get involved in South Vietnam. As the increasingly autocratic Diem regime faces a growing communist insurgency and widespread Buddhist protests, a grave political crisis unfolds. - from The Vietnam War 's Episode List On September 18, 2017, PBS stations across the U.S. aired "Riding the Tiger (1961-1963), Episode Two of  The Vietnam War,  a 10-part documentary series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick ( The War, Prohibition ). Produced by Burns, Novick, and Sarah Botstein, this 18-hour exploration of one of the most divisive events in modern American history was 10 years in the making. It features interviews of participants from all sides, including civilians and veterans from North and South Vietnam. (Hence the series’ tagline: “There is no sing