Holiday Stuff!!

Hey there, hope you had a good Christmas. Believe it or not, I had a pretty good one too. Topping the list of cool gifts is this bad boy:



Nice, eh? A brand new digital camera that's smaller than my old one, has like 4.1 megapixels (a lot better than my old one) and even has video capabilities.

One word. Sweet!!

That's not the only present I found under my tree.


Here are some of the others: A Red Wings polo shirt, Lost Season 1 DVD set, Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 2, and Saw:Uncut Edition DVD. Plus I got a set of 50 blank DVD+Rs for my DVD recorder. Another gift that keeps on giving.

Anyways, I hope all of you had a good holiday and a nice, safe and Happy New Year.
See you in 2006!!!!

Merry X-Mas!!!!

Hey, wanted to take this time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope it's a safe and joyous one! Take care and enjoy the day!!!

New Short Story Posted

My new short story is now up and online.

It's called "College Dog" and it's something that took me a little over three hours to write out.

The idea for the story came about while checking out one of the Yahoo Groups I visit. A guy did a series of morphed photos of himself changing into a dog and wanted to see if someone could do a story based on the pictures. After looking over the photos, which were quite good by the way, I came up with a storyline and typed it out.

I'm quite proud of this little story and, as an added bonus, I sent the story to the guy who posted the pictures and he loved it. So that's cool.

Anyway, if you want to check it out, click on the headline above. Blog at you later.

Web Site Updated

Finally got around to updating the old site today, put up another new photo with yours truly and a famous person :) added a new short story and a few new photos, plus added a few new links to the page as well. Check it out by clicking on the headline above.

Also, want to give a shout out to two new people I've met online recently, both while checking out the Batman Fan Films webpage: So I want to say hey to Thomas, who's planning not one or two, but four various fan film projects. Good luck with that, and a big time hey to David, who's also planning a Batman fan film of his own, which looks good from the previews I've seen, and not only that, but he's helping me out with something major that I'm planning to launch next month. Thanks again Dave and best wishes with your project as well.

That's it for now. Blog at you later.

Get Well Wishes

Normally I use my blog to talk about things going on in my world. But with this entry, I want to use this to talk about someone else.

My online friend James, who lives in the same state (Michigan) as I do, was recently involved in an auto accident. Basically, while he was running to lose a few pounds for the wrestling team he competes in at school, he was struck by a car that slid on the ice. The car's bumper struck him dead on the left knee and shattered it.

The damage he suffered was pretty severe. From what I know, James has a vertical fracture in my femur above the knee. A broken fibula, and a shattered patella. The doctors put pins in his femur and fibula, reconstructed his patella and wired it together. He tells me the wires will eventually be taken out, but the pins in his leg will be there permanently.

Now what happened to James struck very close to home for me, for I was struck by a car over a decade ago. The extent of my damage was a broken fibula and tibia in my left leg. I spent over two months in a cast and another four rehabbing it. I have a steel rod and four screws in my leg which will be there permanently. Aside from a bit of soreness from overuse and aches when the weather gets rainy, my leg's fine. I'm also sporting a nice scar along my knee as a result of the surgery.

My friend's back home from the hospital now. He won't be able to put weight on it for several weeks and he has a long rehab yet to come. He did tell me that he'll be able to walk normally on it again in about nine to ten months. It took me about eight months to fully return to normal.

So now, I want to extend my get well wishes to James for a speedy recovery. I've been where you are bud, so I know what you're going through now and for the months to come. So hang in there, stay strong (even through the tough times yet ahead) and I know you'll be back on your feet very very soon. Take care bud.

New Short Story Coming Soon

Hey there.

It's been a while since I've written -and completed- a short story. But last week, I was able to write one out in three and a half hours. I was very inspired by some outside help, so that played a vital role.

I won't give too much details about the story just yet, but you'll see the story on my website within the week.

Sports Page Blog: 11/7/05

Time to talk some sports.

First of all, Terrell Owens is an idiot. Plain and simple, he's a flat out idiot. Here's a guy, an all pro wide receiver for the Eagles and all he's done this season is pretty much tick off and alienate the team to a point that they had to suspend him for four games and then de-activate him for the rest of the season. Basically, he won't play at all the rest of the year.

You know what I think? Good riddance.

Granted, he's a great player, an outstanding reciever. But his off the field attitude, which includes repeated jabs at his QB for the team, Donovan McNabb, his ongoing dispute about his contract (which he signed last year and already wanted it renegotiated) and now having a fight with an ex-teammate in the locker room was way too much for the Eagles to take. The team has had to put up with Owens' soap opera tactics since the preseason back in August and they were fed up with it.

This is yet another classic case of an overpaid egomaniac pro athlete who couldn't deal with being a team player, using the media to air out his "differences" instead of handling it in house, and pretty much dividing the team as they got off to a sluggish start. It's a shame that it had to come to this, especially to a team that reached the Super Bowl last year and had a good chance to reach it again at the start of the season. Owens and McNabb had the chance to be one of the most prolific duos the NFL had ever seen. But Owens' ego couldn't handle that, and that's why he's a player without a job.

I have no sympathy for Owens. He's done this sort of thing not once, but twice before (with San Francisco and then with Baltimore when the 49ers traded him two years ago, forcing the Ravens to deal him to Philly) and his attitude and behavior was too much for the team to take. I'm glad the Eagles did this move and I'll be shocked if any other NFL team would take Owens and his baggage, although I'm sure some team will. So like I said at the start, T. O. is an idiot and the idiot got what he deserved.

The NHL: I tried to hold a grudge against the NHL. I really did, after the lockout and the way the season was shut down last year. I wanted to hold a grudge against them and don't care about them after all that had happened.

But I'm a hockey fan. And it's hard to stay away from a sport that you love. So I came back to it.

How long did it take for me to get back to it: I was watching it on opening night. Yeah, I really held firm to my grudge.

And now that the season's been up for about a month or so, my team, the Red Wings, are off to a hot start. And all these new rules the league had put in place actually has worked. I even like the shootout. So yeah, I'm back to being a hockey fan. You can't forget something you love.

The NBA: Basketball is back, baby! I love the NBA. And my hometown team, the Pistons, are off to a hot start. The critics, however, have such teams like Miami, defending champ San Antonio, and Indiana taking the crown. Well call me a homer, but you cannot ignore a team that's been to the Finals two years in a row and held the NBA crown back in 2004. So until these other contenders say otherwise, my money's with the Pistons.

Lastly, belated congrats to the White Sox, for ending an almost 90-year drought and winning the World Series a couple weeks back. They defintely earned it, so you have to commend them for the win. I know the Cubs fans are sick over the fact that their crosstown rivals got the championship before they did, but hey, the Sox were clearly the better team this season.

That's it for the sports. Blog at you later.

Catching Up

Hey there, it's been almost a month since my last blog and I got a lot to share. Some of which I'll devote total entries to later on, but here's a recap:

-- My birthday was great, got a brand new toy: A DVD recorder that I love and some cool DVD box sets. I'll show you photos of my new toy soon.

--Went to the ComicCon recently. Another great time that didn't blow my limited funds. I mostly got some unique DVDs and met two cool people. I'll have a full report later.

--I made some decisions regarding my movies. My major project, "Mark of the Wolf" in particular. For details on that, go to my movie page.

--The new TV season is now underway. A lot of my faves are back with new episodes, like "Lost", "Desperate Housewives", "CSI", "Family Guy", "Smallville" and so on. But the new programs are out there as well. My faves out of the new bunch: Fox's "Prison Break" and "Bones", the WB's "Supernatural". I want to like ABC's "Night Stalker" as well, but I can't get past the remake factor. I'm a hard-core fan of the original show with Darren McGavin as Kolchak, so any new retelling of that just rubs me the wrong way. The stories are interesting enough though, so that's probably why I still catch it every now and again.

--And finally, three new online friends have joined the Network in recent weeks. So it's time to give some shout-outs to Josh, Paul, and to Sam, who's my first online bud from across the pond, he lives out in England. So welcome again guys to the M1N.

That's it for now. Blog at you later.

It's My Birthday!!!

On this day a long time ago, in a place far away, a legend was born.

That legend is me. :)

Today's my birthday everyone!

That is all.

Movie Review: The Brothers Grimm

Hey there.

Got a chance to check out another film recently, "The Brothers Grimm". Now, when this first started coming out, I really wasn't expecting to check it out, but as I got to see more of the previews and by chatting with some friends, my interest peaked for this, so I got to check it out.

I was pleasantly surprised by this.

Best way to describe this film is a twisted, almost surreal fairy tale come to life. Think of all the well known fairy tales (Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, etc.) and put a different spin into it. Then take two brothers who are well known as fairy tale writers and find out that they're a pair of con artists who make up these stories to make a fast buck. Until they are caught by the authorities and are ordered to investigate a hoax or else. Only they find out this hoax is very much real, and the stories and characters are real as well.

Now, I was pleasantly surprised by this film because it pretty much hooked you in. If you're familiar with the fairy tales you grew up with, you almost instantly recognize which story is being talked about (I've heard they use four of them, but there might've been more than that). Songs and lullabyes used in these tales or you might've heard as a kid suddenly take on a more sinister, almost creepy tone. And how all of these stories link together to the universal plot really does work well. Plus, there are a ton of funny moments that made me and the audience laugh out loud. There's also some real scares and shocks and a few gory moments that also work in pace with the film.

Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, who play the brothers Grimm (Will and Jake, respectively) did a good job as they are swept into this surreal fantasy. But some of the supporting characters also had some key moments too. I won't give those away, you just have to see for yourself. There's a lot of CGI involved in this film. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but the bad parts don't detract from the whole tone of this film and I give props to Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys, Baron Munchhausen) who did a great job directing this and putting all of it together.

Pretty much, this film is a great ride of a fairy tale. Funny, scary, shocking, heartwarming and it all makes for a great movie. No doubt, this is my pick for the surprise dark horse film of the year.

Birthday Wishes

Hey there.

Another quick blog entry. The next two days represent birthdays for a couple of people that I know pretty well.

Today (August 26th) is my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!!

And tomorrow (Saturday August 27th) is my best friend Rob's birthday. Happy Birthday Bud! Hope it's a good one.

That's it. Blog at you later.

Now Online: Mark One Films!!!

Hey there.

Wanted to let you know that the film project page is now up. Click the title link above and check it out. It's a brief opening page, but it will tell you what I have in store and what I hope to see come out of this. Check it out. Thanks.

The Film Project Page is Coming!!!

Hey there. Those who have been to the front page of my website have noticed that along the side, along with the other links, like The Blog here and Stories & Poems, I have at the bottom, two other links that are coming soon. One is devoted to one of my favorite programs of all time, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and another is devoted to my upcoming film projects.

Well, I plan to have the MST3K page up and running by the end of the month at best, but my other page, the Film Project page as I've been calling it, will be up sooner than that, probably by the end of the week.

I won't go too much into detail about what the plans are for this page, I rather leave that for when I have the page done and ready to go, but I can say that this will be the home base for what I hope will be an adventurous new project for me. Call it a stepping stone for what I have in mind for 2006 when I finally get my "Mark of the Wolf" motion picture off the ground.

So like I said, the page will be coming soon, by the end of the week. I'll fill you all in when it's up and running.

That's it for now. Blog at you later.

A Week of Writing

Hey there.

Had a week off from my job the past week (Woo!) and it was good to get away from the job for several days.

Originally, I was planning to use this week off to go out of town, preferably to Chicago to attend the Wizard World comic book convention, which I had heard about several months ago, which would've been nice, cause it would've given me the opportunity to visit a few of my online friends who live in the area.

But the monster that is paying the bills pretty much shot that trip idea all to hell. It sucks, but you deal. And, I'm definitely going to head out there next year for sure.

So what did I do this week?

Write. Write. Write and write some more.

It was good, got to really do a lot of work on some of my short stories that have been collecting dust for days, weeks and months. A lot of the stuff you'd see posted on my website very very soon.

I also got to post up my long gestating novel in progress, A Date with Destiny. I've been working on it off and on and mostly off for quite a while now, but I got the chance recently to dust it off and move it over from the Werewolf TV Series Forum to my webpage (It's still at the other site as well)

It's good to be back working on it again and it's also good to hear some people's comments about it as well, mostly favorable. I've always had it in my mind to make it a novel and try to get it published one day. So getting back at it will hopefully help speed the progress. So I'm going to keep at it and see what happens.

I also have another novel I'm trying to work on that's gotten good buzz, but it's going to be a while before I post that on my page.

Well it was a fun week. A chance to relax and enjoy one of my favorite hobbies. Tomorrow, I gotta get back at work. Can you tell I'm looking forward to it?

Before I go though, I do want to give some shoutouts to several new online buds I've met recently. I want to say hey to Cody, Chase and Jay, who's from my home state of Michigan.

Nice meeting you guys and welcome to the Network.

That's it for now. Blog at you later.

Sports Page Blog

Hey there. It's been a while since I did a blog about sports. And with a lot of sports issues going on, I figured now is a good time to give my two cents.

1. Baseball and Steroids: What went down Monday (Aug. 1) when Baltimore's Rafael Palmiero got suspended ten days for violating MLB's steroid policy clearly shows that this issue is still a very strong subject and the way baseball and the players who are caught with it has a long way to go.

Now, I watched the news back in March when Palmiero vehemently denied in front of Congress that he never ever took steroids. Period. To hear him say that back then and to find him busted several months later shows how much stock we take in what he says.

Which brings up another issue, I find it amazing that after these players get busted for failing the policy, the one excuse they use over and over again is that it was taken unintentionally or accidently and that they never deliberately taken them. I'm sorry, but that excuse goes right up there with my dog ate my homework or the check is in the mail. I'm sure back in the spring, MLB and all it's teams have crafted a list of what's safe and what's not as far as supplements go.

So the players definitely should've known better and to not go to that excuse. Because in the court of public opinion, that line doesn't wash. Some, not all of them, had to know and were just stupid to get themselves caught. Especially Palmiero, after his flat out denials a few months ago.

I find it a shame that a few weeks ago Palmiero was celebrating the fact that he hit the 3,000 career hit plateau and now his entire career and potential Hall of Fame credentials are on very shaky ground because of this incident. What's even sadder is the fact he has no one to blame but himself for the situation he's in now.

2. The NHL is Back: So the guys in the NHL finally got off their stubborn streak and put together a collective bargaining agreement a couple of weeks ago.

Well, whoo-hoo.

Forgive my sarcasm, but this should've been done ages ago, instead of costing the entire 2004-05 season because both sides were so hard-headed to look at the big picture. And look what happened, the players who were so hell bent on not having a salary cap now have a salary cap. And they made out less than they would've even back in that last minute attempt to save the season back in February. And the owners, even though they kind of won this showdown, still wound up losing a ton of money and revenue because of what went down.

Now the league hopes to make a lot of changes and new additions (shootout to decide games, no more red line, etc.) to try and win back the fans who, like me, were pissed off over this joke of a lockout. Will I return to the NHL to see my hometown team, the Red Wings, play again. I don't know. Part of me says maybe, but another part of me is still mad that we lost a whole season over something so stupid. So, if I do come back, it's going to be a while before I get over this.

3. Larry Brown: Now, I'm glad that NBA coaching legend Larry Brown won his first NBA title with my hometown team the Pistons last year and came within a game of winning two titles in a row. But I have to say I'm glad that sorry soap opera of whether he's going to coach in Detroit or New York is over, since the Pistons fired him and the Knicks picked him up. It was getting way out of hand with him and the constant rumors during the crucial playoff season and he was getting to be the coaching vagabond that all those hoop fans knew about him thru the years. The Pistons front office grew tired of this and had no choice but to let him go. Now, he's signed a five year megabucks contract with the Knicks and the town is over the moon, thinking that he'll be the final piece to get them back to the NBA title. To be honest, that team has way too much baggage in my mind to see that happening. And, I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves that club after a couple of years when he yet again becomes restless. Now, once again I say thanks for leading my team to the title, but as far as I'm concerned, Larry Brown has more than worn out his welcome in Detroit. It's the Knicks' problem now.

4. Lance Armstrong: Now, I don't normally talk about cycling, but I have to give mad props to Lance Armstrong for winning his seventh straight Tour de France cycling race a couple weeks back. Since this was his last competitive race, I can't think of a better way for him to go out on top. Even more amazing considering several years ago, he was literally fighting for his life when he was diagnosed with cancer. For him to not only come back from that, but to win what's considered the world's toughest cycling race seven years straight is quite an achievement. Nothing else to say about that but congrats Lance and may you have a long enjoyable ride into retirement.

That's it for now. Blog at you later.

Getting Caught Up

Hey there.

Been a few weeks since my last entry, and even longer since I did a blog that had nothing to do with Star Wars, so I figure it's time to get caught up with what I've been up to.

--First of all, I was sick as a dog this past week with a major head cold. And trust me, there's nothing worse than being sick during the summer. Trying to get over a cold when the temperature are in the high 80s really sucks big time. The worst three days I've had in a while and believe me, I don't recommend it.

--Have you ever seen a movie getting as much hype as the Fantastic Four movie's been getting? I mean, it's everywhere. TV ads, games, action figures, and it's being promoted on everything from high speed internet service to the NBA playoffs to fast food ads. All I gotta say is with all this hype, it better live up to it when the film comes out this weekend. I'm going to try and check it out this weekend and see for myself. When I do, I'll let you know what I think of it.

--Work on my stories has resumed. I got one that's almost finished and another that I'm planning to start real soon. Don't want to give too much away, but when it's done, I'll post it up on my Stories section.

--OK, I said I wasn't going to mention Star Wars in this blog, but I had to include this: I finally got all of my photos from the Star Wars Celebration 3 trip and will be posting the "good" ones before the week is out.

--I'm also in the early, early stages of doing another website overhaul. It won't be as big as the last one, but expect a new look front page and I'm finally going to open up sections on my "in development" film projects and "Mystery Science Theater 3000", another one of my favorites. Watch for them soon.

--Speaking of favorites, a petititon is up on the Werewolf TV Series website to see if the reruns for the short-lived series will be able to be seen on the upcoming Horror Channel. Go here to check out the petition and hopefully, your signature can help bring this classic back to the airwaves.

--And lastly, it's been a while since I've given out "shout outs" to my online friends. But I want to say hey to my newest internet buds, Tristan and Elliott. And, also a hearty "welcome back" to Josh, Jason and Brandon. a few of my friends who I hadn't seen online in a while. Over the past couple of weeks, I got to see them online again and it was good to catch up with them.

That's it for now. Blog at you later and I hope you all had a great 4th of July and best wishes to all the men and women fighting for our nation overseas.

Movie Review: Batman Begins (IT DOESN'T SUCK!!!)

I remember it like it was yesterday.

It was the opening weekend of "Batman & Robin", the fourth big screen installment of the Caped Crusader's adventures and, like many fans, I was looking forward to seeing it. I'd seen the trailer and thought it would be a great film.

Then, I saw it.

Oh, to say that this film FLAT-OUT SUCKED would be an insult to those films that actually do suck. Everything was wrong with this movie. The script, the plotline, the costumes (A Bat-suit with nipples, for crying out loud?!!!) all of it was terrible. I remember sitting at the theatre as the end credits rolled just shaking my head over the fact that I wasted my money on this tripe.

Which brings me to what I did Wednesday, almost eight years later, seeing the first new Batman film since that debacle, "Batman Begins"

As the film was being made, I kept telling myself that it's going to disappoint us. Part of me wished and hoped that it would so that I wouldn't be let down yet again. And I'm sure the WB guys were hoping it wouldn't be a letdown either, since a bad review or bad box office would surely kill any chance of seeing the Dark Knight on the big screen again.

But as word got about the cast and we finally got to see actual footage from the movie, it was starting to look good to me, that these guys finally learned their lesson from the mistakes of the last film. Then I got to hear about the plot and that it would be a more realistic Batman, my interest peaked even more. But I had to tell myself to not get my hopes up. I didn't want to be let down again.

But I finally caved in and decided to see it, on the film's opening night no less. All the time I kept telling myself, please, don't let this film suck.

Well after seeing it, I can honestly sum it up in three words:

IT DOESN'T SUCK!!!

First of all, kudos to Christopher Nolan, the film's director, who really made great strides to make the film real. Gotham City looked real, like a big urban city, not some art deco wreck that was the case in Batman & Robin. I also give him (and the film's co-writer David Goyer) credit for giving us fans reasons why Bruce Wayne became Batman. They went to the original comic books for inspiration, using actual characters from the long rich history of the Batman to tell the story, which I applaud since most directors hardly even look at them when it comes to making comic book films. They also gave us realistic reasons behind the Batsuit (which has no nipples, thank you very much) the other weapons and even the Batmobile (which for the first time, looks like a machine that can kick ass, not just some vehicle for show). And, also it was the first time I saw a Batman film that really used bats as a primary part of the film, not just some decoration. If and when you see it, you'll see what I mean.

Now for the cast, I originally had doubts about Christian Bale playing Batman. I mean, I'd seen him in such films as "American Psycho" so I knew he could do the dark stuff. But could he really carry off playing not only Bruce Wayne and Batman as well? After seeing it, I say without question, he knocked it out of the park. He captured not only the real Bruce but the billlionare playboy facade as well (another thing we haven't seen in the films) And he was at his best with the cape and cowl. Changing his voice, giving off a grimaced look, he nailed Batman down perfectly. An excellent job, better than Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer or George Clooney could ever do.

The supporting cast also were quite good. Michael Caine as Alfred really did a good job not only being the loyal butler but the perfect sounding board for Bruce, consoling him when necessary and putting him in his place when warranted. He also had several good one-liners that made me and the rest of the audience laugh out loud. Gary Oldham was good as Gordon, Batman's lone friend in the police force. He also had several one liners that worked and, for the first time in the Bat-films, really helped to establish the relationship between him and Batman that makes sense as to why they're good allies for so long. Morgan Freeman was very good as Lucious Fox, Bruce's ally who helps provide the way cool toys that would work for the Caped Crusader. And even the bad guys in the film did a good job. Cillian Murphy, who I remember in the sleeper hit "28 Days Later" was a perfect choice as the villainous Scarecrow. I can go on and on about the rest of the group, including Liam Neeson who did a great job as Bruce's mysterious friend Lucard and even though she didn't really make a good romantic interest in my eyes, Katie Holmes wasn't too bad either.

Overall, I really loved this film. It had a great blend of action, suspense and well placed humorous moments. The fight scenes were great and the chase sequence involving the bad-ass Batmobile and Gotham City police was excellent. I also liked how Bale introduced himself as Batman to one of the villians (you'll have to see it for yourself) and even the ending gave you a hint as to what to expect for the sequel, which I have no doubt in my mind will happen.

This time, as the closing credits rolled for "Batman Begins", I didn't shake my head regretting seeing this. In fact, me along with several others in the audience actually applauded. Not since "Spider-Man" had I seen an comic book origin film captured perfectly. They finally got the Caped Crusader right and I really hope they continue to build on this.

Movie Review: Revenge of the Sith

Hey there. Well, after all of my blogs about my trip to Star Wars Celebration 3, it's only fair that I finally do a review on the sixth and final film, "Revenge of the Sith".

Going in, I wanted this film to really make up for the semi-lackluster films that made up the prequel trilogy and I wanted this to tie everything into the original films that made me a Star Wars fan in the first place.

Well, after seeing it, I believe it did.

The film earns points off the bat for starting with a great space battle sequence right after the opening credits. I recall Episode 2 did the same thing. The action scenes are a lot bigger, bolder and more creative this time around and the set ups that lead to them worked pretty well.

The major plotline about how Anakin Skywalker goes to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader made some sense especially about what leads to it. He gives in because he didn't want to lose his wife, Padme. In a moment of weakness, he lets his guard down, costing a fellow Jedi his life and essentially giving up his soul to the Dark Side. The setup that leads to that and the payoff was well done and really gave us fans a moment where someone we've seen in the first two prequel movies face a shocking demise.

There were other key scenes in the movie that were unlike ones we've seen in the previous movies, like when Anakin went to the Academy to pretty much take out the much younger Jedis in training (a very tense unnerving moment that could've been a lot worse had they shown the actual event, but thankfully they didn't) and the scenes where other members of the Jedi were taken out by the Clones as well. But the big money moments for the movie for me was at the climax, where there was not one, but two kick-ass showdowns: Darth Sidious vs. Yoda (what I like to call the undercard) and Anakin vs. Obi-Wan Kenobi (or the main event, in my opinion).

Both of them were well done, well choreographed showdowns where you wished that it wouldn't end. The give and take between the two sides in both fights were impressive. I was blown away by what the Lucasfilm guys did with the CGI Yoda in Episode 2, but in Episode 3, it was increased tenfold. At the theater where I'd seen it, you can hear me and the crowd pulling for Yoda as he and Sidious (aka the Emperor) tangled back and forth.

The main event was just as good between Anakin and Obi-Wan. I recall from the SWC3 event where Rick McCallum, the film's producer said that this fight went on and on and on. And he was right, it was a great battle. I commend both Hayden Christensen (Anakin) and Ewan McGregor(Obi-Wan) for really pulling off all the stops in this battle. Combining their choreography, along with the digital effects and the great background they set in a lava planet, made it one of the best sequences I've seen in the prequel trilogy.

Now, as much as I liked this movie, there were some moments that didn't set well. I think Natalie Portman, who plays Padme, really didn't have much of a presence in this film as opposed to Episode 2. The way they took care of her character at the end felt kind of forced and weak compared to the main emphasis in the film. I wished they had given her a more shocking and stunning exit, to me that would've made the end fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan more compelling as would've his eventual change to Darth Vader in the black costume that we all know.

Another thing that got to me was the somewhat rushed ending to the movie, which pretty much set things up for the original trilogy, especially Episode 4: A New Hope. I think they should've put significant points to the original trilogy slowly and build it up so that we fans have a sense of this movie passing the torch to the original films. What they did wasn't bad, but I think they could've done a whole lot better.

But all in all, despite of the stilted dialogue and the weak emphasis of using Padme and the rushed ending, it was the action scenes and the climatic fights that sold it for me. I'd mentioned about the great space battle at the start of the film. I also enjoyed the showdown between Obi-Wan and General Grievious. Showing Grievous in action, especially with his multiple limbs sporting countless lightsabers was a definite cool moment. I put him and Darth Maul in Episode 1 as the best villians in the prequels. A shame they couldn't put them together. What a tag team that could've been.

So, weighing it all together, I'd say Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, is by far the best of the prequel movies. I would also rank it the third best film of the entire Star Wars saga, right behind A New Hope (Episode 4) and The Empire Strikes Back (Episode 5). Lucas definitely pulled one out of the hat for his last big screen chapter of his space odyssey and it was a good, not great, way for it to go out.

My Trip to SWC3-Episode 6

"Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith" is kicking some serious butt in the box office, taking over $200 million since it's been out May 19th. With the final film in the saga playing in theaters, here is my final entry regarding my trip to Star Wars Celebration 3 in Indianapolis. I told you all about what happened each of the days me and my friend Rob were there. Now, I'll take a look back recapping what I remember from SWC3.

First is the lines. I've been to a lot of places, but I've never been to a place where line standing was a requirement for attending an event. I mean, these were the longest lines I've ever been in. Ever. I still have flashbacks to that first day when me and Rob had to stand at a line that stretched all the way from the Convention Center to the RCA Dome several yards away. That was insane. And, this was happening every day of the Celebration!!!

Another thing I take from SWC3 is the fiasco at the Store. Without question, that store and the way they ran it was the biggest mess of the entire event. This was the first time I've ever attended an event and didn't leave without getting a T-shirt or cap showing that I was at that event. Also, it was the first time I couldn't get inside to get any souvenirs either. Before I left for the trip, I was telling my friends and co workers that if they wanted anything from the event, let me know so I could pick it up for them. Thank goodness they didn't take me up on that offer, cause I didn't have a chance to see the merchandise, much less buy it.

I didn't leave the Celebration empty handed though. I was able to score some cool stuff while I was there. Here's a photo of most of my swag:

My collection of stuff from Star Wars Celebration 3.

Among the goodies I picked up include a Clone Wars drawing of Yoda, a postcard set of all the Star Wars movie posters, including the rare edition for A New Hope, a Star Wars cup, a Star Wars Trivial Pursuit T-shirt, a "Star Wars is Forever" pin, a "Revenge of the Sith" wristband and other various magazines and posters, including a cool one featuring all of the major characters from the Star Wars saga, signed by the artist.

But the big prize I got from SWC3 was this:

The talking Darth Vader action figure:

the most coveted item at SWC3.

Yes, this is one of the prized talking Darth Vader action figures that was an "exclusive" item at the Celebration. In my opinion, I think it was the overwhelming demand for this figure that was probably the reason why a lot of us who attended SWC3 couldn't get into the Store. What made it more of a joke was the fact that the "rules" for getting this figure weren't enforced at all. Originally the plan was for each person to get no more than four of these figures and that's it. (Before I left for Indy, my plan was to get two, one for me and one to sell to help pay off my expenses for the trip) But, from what I heard, the so-called workers at the Store didn't enforce it at all, causing a lot of these people to grab a lot more than four.

One of the things that really pissed me off throughout the whole weekend was seeing many people walking around the Center with boxes and boxes of these figures, knowing good darn well that they were hording these from the rest of us fans and probably charging a hell of a lot more than the regular price of $15. What a joke!!! Making matters worse was seeing some of the dealers at the Exhibit Hall trying to sell them (and the exclusive cases they came in) for a lot more, like $50 and up.

So, how did I get a hold of this figure? Interesting story, but first let me share how my bud Rob got his. On the second day of the Celebration, after we were totally frustrated about not getting in the Store to even attempt to get one, Rob got to a point that he was going to get one no matter what. As we sat down for a break after getting out of one of the events, we happened to see a young woman with four of the Vader figures. Rob somehow worked up the courage to offer her $50 for one. Just like that. I was surprised and so was she. She even asked if he was serious. He said yes and just like that, she gave him one for the money he offered. Rob would tell me later that he should've thought it through and tried to get it for a lower price, but at the time, he didn't care. He got his Darth Vader figure. I was still without one, but there was NO WAY IN HELL I was going to fork over such a high price for it.

Anyways, back to how I got Darth. The next day, I was walking around the Exhibit Hall and, sure enough, I saw several dealers selling the figures for $40, $50 and more. I walked up to one and saw several figures available. As I was talking to one dealer about them, he told me it was going to cost $50 for a figure, $65 with the case. Insane! As I was shaking my head, an older gentleman just happened to walk up to the booth and was offering to sell a couple of figures he had purchased. While the dealer was hedging on whether to buy them from the man, I spoke up and said I'll buy one from you for $30. Right in front of the dealer's face. The man said sure and we stepped away from the booth to a nearby table to finish the deal. As we were walking away, I could hear the dealer guy swearing under his breath. He was so pissed that I snatched a deal right from under him, but I could care less! After testing out the figure to see if it worked, I got the Vader for about twice the regular price. (In fact, I got $20 of my money back on the last day when a man needed my badge so that he could get inside to purchase an item while me and Rob were waiting outside to get our ride to the airport.) Moral of the tale: Always look for a better deal and never pass up a chance to stick it to the idiots who overcharge. :)

Another moment from SWC comes courtesy of my friend Rob. Now, we both have cellphones. I have Verizon and Rob has a Cingular. Now, one of the sponsors just happened to be Cingular, which had a booth set up at the Exhibit Hall hawking their phones with Star Wars themes and dial tones and the like. On the second day of the SWC (April 22), we were both at the Exhibit Hall taking a break and Rob was trying to call a friend back home (on a Cingular phone, mind you) and couldn't get through. Now, from where we were, the Cingular booth was like, several feet away, and I could hear the high-energy saleswoman harping away about all the incredible uses of a Cingular phone and getting all the Star Wars extras, and here Rob was on an actual Cingular phone and he couldn't even dial out!

The irony of the whole thing was just hysterical. I joked with Rob that he should walk up to that booth and tell the crowd standing around there that their phones suck! Or at least make up such a fuss that maybe he would've gotten a free Star Wars phone or something.

Now, it's only fair since I've been talking about my best friend and our SWC adventures these past few blogs that I should show a photo of what he looks like, so here he is with Ray Park.

My friend Rob with Ray Park.

And while we're on the subject, here's a photo of the Darth Maul action figure that Ray Park signed for me. Before leaving for SWC, that figure was collecting dust in a storage bin with some of my other stuff. Now, after getting a protective case for it, the figure now sits prominently in my bedroom, next to my Darth Vader figure. :)

My Darth Maul action figure, signed by Ray Park

Summing up my time at SWC3, I have such great memories. Sure, there was some stuff that sucked royally, like dealing with the long lines, the mess with the Store and putting up with unseasonably cold weather in Indy. But the good times more than outshined the bad. Like meeting such cool Star Wars fans from all over while we were waiting at the lines. I can recall meeting people from Texas, Ohio and even my home state in Michigan. And it was cool getting to know them while we were waiting, like getting opinions on what to expect from Episode 3, commenting about how Brandon Routh looked in his Superman outfit for the new movie they're shooting (we saw the first photo of it while we were there), and even the NBA and the NFL draft.

And, it was also cool to meet two other guys who were staying at the same hotel as me and Rob. We didn't get a chance to get their names, but we ran into them several times during the Celebration and we all got along pretty well. One moment that stands out was on Day 3 (April 23) of the SWC when George Lucas was speaking. When our day began, we ran into them and they told us all about how they stood in the long line and the cold weather at 4am, waiting to get into see George and that it was cool to see him. Of course, at the time, me and Rob didn't know that we would luck out and get in to see George ourselves once we came to the Center. Later that day, Rob and I ran into those same guys and we just happened to tell them about how we were able to get in to see George in a ten minute span. Needless to say, the guys wanted to kill us. Heck, they even videotaped us telling that story about how we got in. Wherever or whoever you guys are, it was very cool meeting you and I would love to see that video.

Oh, there were so many cool moments. There was even a guy we saw there dressed in a banana outfit draped with a Jedi robe. His name -- I kid you not -- was Banakin Skywalker. He was there at the George Lucas session me and Rob attended and got to ask George a thought provoking question about how do Jedis die. An article on that is posted here.

And lastly, I recall one moment where I was walking around the Exhibit Hall and there was a huge crowd gathered around a lady dressed in what is best known as the "Leia slave outfit". (For those who don't know what that is, watch "Return of the Jedi") After a few moments for taking pictures and the like, I just happened to be standing next to a young boy who, obviously, was in awe of the moment. He, out of nowhere, said to me, "I've never seen anything like that before." What I told him in response was, "See, another reason why I love Star Wars." ;)

I can go on and on and on about all the moments and memories I take from those four days in April out in Indianapolis. The photos I've posted on these blogs were just a taste of what I've experienced. (I've got several more that are being developed and will post them in a seperate page real soon) But, overall, I can say that this was an experience I'll never forget. Getting to meet Ray Park, Daniel Logan and Matthew Wood. Not just meet them, but actually talk with them and share a moment with them. Seeing all the props and artifacts from the movies. Seeing the 1-Man SW Trilogy and the Fan Film Awards. Meeting all kinds of fans from all over. Experiencing my first ever plane rides. And, thru it all, sharing the entire time with one of my closest friends. Yes, my time out at Star Wars Celebration 3 was one of the best times of my life. And, if the rumors are true that they're planning a Celebration 4 in 2007, in time for the 30th anniversary of "Episode 4: A New Hope", I'll be there no matter what it takes.

To paraphrase a line from Episode 4: The Celebration will be with me.

Always.

Up Next: My Review of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith!!!

My Trip to SWC3-Episode 5

Two days to go before Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith opens. And, now just two posts remaining recapping my trip last month to Star Wars Celebration 3 in Indianapolis...

For the three days me and my friend Rob had been in Indy for SWC3, we experienced long lines and great moments. We got to see some outstanding footage and meet some cool people. But, on this fourth and final day (Sunday April 24) of our trip, we just had one thing in mind, getting our stuff together and getting ready to head home.

The main schedule of SWC activities went on till about 4pm, but the flight plans we'd scheduled called for us to leave at 3:30. Which meant we had to be at the airport by 1:30. So we didn't get to spend much time at the Convention Center on this final day. (Not without protest, mind you. We both wanted to stick around till the Celebration officially ended, but to do that would call for a later flight. A later, more expensive flight. As much as we wanted to, our finances just wouldn't allow it. )

We woke up around 8:30am, and we spent more time at the hotel room that morning then we did the other three days. Mostly, we spent it packing up all of our stuff and packing in all the new stuff we had acquired from SWC. Luckily for the both of us, we had enough room in both of our carry on bags to put everything (including our newly acquired Darth Vader talking action figures) safely without breaking it. I also had a newly purchased poster tube, which contained several posters I had either bought or gotten for free at the SWC.

With that done, we double checked to see if we had everything packed and then we left our hotel room. We then grabbed breakfast, officially checked out of the hotel, and waited for the shuttle van to take us to the Convention Center one last time. After the wait, we made it to the Center around 10:45 am, taking along our bags. For the first time of our entire stay, we were able to go inside without any long lines or delays. My guess is that it was the last day, things would be less restrained as compared to the other days.

Once again, we decided to try our luck getting into the Celebration Store, since we had zero luck the previous three days we had tried it. And, to our surprise, we made it inside. Looking inside the place, I could clearly see why the Storehad so much trouble. The place had no organization whatsoever. Hardly anyone ran it and they had like five or six registers, three of which were open that day we were inside. I can think of a million other places that had better run facilities than that Store. And through all of that, we still had to be in yet another long line. After moving about several yards in roughly an hour, and still not moving any closer to the fron of the store to get our order, we gave it up and left. If we didn't have to leave for the airport, ther might've been a shot we got to the front, but we couldn't risk missing our filight.

Afterwards, we got to check out the Exhibit Hall one last time. This was probably the one area of the Center we visited the most of our stay (and where I got the most free stuff). After about a half hour or so, we left and made our way outside and called the hotel shuttle van to take us to the airport. About 20 minutes later, our van arrived and we left the Convention Center for the last time.

We made it to the airport in plenty of time and, after an unusually long process with the security screening (especially with me because of all the metal zippers I had on my sweatsuit setting off the detectors) we waited at the lounge as we prepared to board our flight. I couldn't help but notice a lot of people who were just coming from the SWC waiting at the airport as well, not just at our flight but for others as well. I could spot them from the SWC badge lanyards they were wearing or various T-shirts and gear that I'd saw at the Celebration. It was cool that all of us shared that one bond at being at one of the biggest fan events of the year for those four days.

At about 3:30, me and Rob boarded our plane for Detroit. As compared to my first plane ride, this time I was more prepared for this flight. I expected the plane to shake and jerk as it prepared to leave the ground. This time around, I wasn't as nervous and I had no problems as it took off. The hour or so flight wasn't so bad and it didn't take long for us to land in Detroit. This time, however, we were in for a bit of a surprise. We didn't expect the weather to be so cold that there was actually snow on the ground as we approached Detroit. Also, due to all the high winds and cold air, our plane actually experienced a little turbulence as it took several huge dropoffs as it descended to the ground. More than enough to make anyone's lunch come back up. A good thing I took a Dramamine pill before I left. I can't say enough good things about that pill for making me enjoy my first ever plane rides without incident.

And with that, the trip was over. Four days ago, we had left for Indianapolis to attend Star Wars Celebration 3 and now it was done and we were heading back to our respective homes. What can I say, it was four incredibly amazing days, filled with stories and moments that I know me and Rob will never forget. I know I had a great time and it was definitely something that I was proud to be a part of.

Next up: The final episode -- reflecting back on my entire SWC3 experience.

My Trip to SWC3-Episode 4

We're at three days now till Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith hits theaters, so let me continue with my series of blogs recapping my trip to Star Wars Celebration 3 at Indy last month...

The one theme that's been prevalent so far on my trip has been lines and no chance for major events. Me and my friend Rob had missed out on a lot of good stuff so far on our trip because of the long lines and going into Day 3 (Saturday April 23) of the SWC, we knew that we were going to miss out on the biggest event of them all.

You see, this was the day that the Master, the one behind the entire Star Wars saga, the one who made me, Rob, and thousands of other fans worldwide of the Force, George Lucas, was going to appear in person for three Q and A sessions.

And we knew there was NO CHANCE in Hell we were going to see him.

None.

From what we had heard the previous two days at Indy, we knew that there would be long long lines to get a chance to get in to see Lucas. In fact, we had heard there'd be lines starting up as early as 4am outside the Convention Center. Considering that it'll take about twenty minutes from us to get from our hotel room to the Center and throwing in the lines, both Rob and I pretty much gave up on any shot to see the Master. So we didn't even attempt to get up early to try. So we got up around 8:30 am, grabbed some free breakfast at the hotel and figured to show up at the Center at our usual place in line and take things from there.

In fact, just as we were about to board the shuttle van to take us to the Center, we ran into a couple of guys who were staying at the same hotel as us -and whom we got to know pretty well from our long line stories - tell us that they had just came back from seeing one of George Lucas' sessions. They had been up pretty much all night and were in the line around 4am just to see him. As they were telling us about how cool it was to see him, it gave us even more validation that there was NO CHANCE we were going to see Lucas.

None.

So, as we arrived at the Convention Center shortly past 10am, our original plan would be to try to get in the Celebration Store line again. We figured if everyone was in line to see George, then we'd might get a shot.

Surprisingly, we got into the line to get in the Center pretty fast. Faster than we had ever been the past few days. It would be the first of many surprises to come.

When we got inside, we saw yet another line stretching out by the entrance. We figured it was the line for the Store. Rob asked one lady is this the line to the Store. The lady told us this was the line to see Lucas.

Whoa. Seems we had a chance after all. But it was still a long shot at best.

As we were about to get in the back of the line, we noticed that everyone was wearing blue wristbands. We found out those were needed if you wanted to get in for one of Lucas' chats.

Moments later, I noticed someone passing out wristbands and me and Rob quickly went up to the person and got a wristband.

Hey, our chances were getting better. But still, long as the lines were, we'd probably miss out.

No sooner then we got our wristbands on, we heard someone shout out on a bullhorn that the doors for the Lucas session were opening and that they were taking people in now. Wasting no time, we quickly followed the field of people in front of us, racing up the stairs that led to one of the ballrooms and making our way inside.

And with that, we were in. In to see George Lucas. From no chance to getting inside in a matter of like, ten minutes. Just like that.

I was so floored by that, I was almost hysterical. Rob tried to play it cool like it was no big deal, but I know he was pretty psyched about it too.

So here we are, inside to see George Lucas after what seemed like it would be impossible. They told us to not take video and that to quit taking photos after a few minutes. So here's one of my few shots of it. It's not perfect, but it's one of the best I could take.

The "Star Wars" Master himself, George Lucas

Pretty exciting. Nothing major came out of that session, but come on, we got to see George Lucas in person for crying out loud!! I would hear later on that day that he did mention about the new live-action Star Wars TV show and the 3D Clone Wars cartoon series in an earlier session, so it was cool to hear that breaking news.

Coming off that, me and Rob went back to the Exhibit Hall to check out some stuff. Once again, at the Hall I scored some good stuff, including a free SW Trivial Pursuit T-shirt, a DVD about the Star Wars figurines and I got my hands (finally!) on the much sought after talking Darth Vader action figure. I had to pay a bit more than what they were going for, but I didn't care, I got it and I was happy. (The story behind how I got my action figure -- and how Rob got his -- is something I will save for my last SWC3 blog entry).

Afterwards, we split up for a bit as I went to the Autograph Hall so I could get another autograph. I had enough for one more star and I wanted to get the guy who does the voice of General Grievous in Episode 3, Matthew Wood. Once I got there, I found out the lines were closed to get in and I had to try again later. Bummed by that bit of news, I decided to walk around, checking out some of the area outside the Convention Center. Meanwhile, Rob got to hang out at the Fan Club Lounge where he saw Jake Lloyd, who played Anakin in Episode 1, chatting for a bit.

After that, we tried yet another attempt for the Store again (again no chance) and then we thought about trying to get in for either "Star Wars in 30 Minutes" or "The 1-Man Star Wars Trilogy", two shows we had heard a lot of buzz about but figured we couldn't get into because of the long lines. Since both were happening at the same time, we had to choose one or the other. We tried for the SW30 show first, but the lines were way too long, so we then headed for the One Man Trilogy show. At first, the lines seemed too long for that one and Rob wanted to bail. I still wanted to give it a go, and as it turned out, the line was moving along enough for us to get inside and see the show.

Now, the One Man SW Trilogy show is basically this: one man, Charlie Ross, performing the original SW film trilogy ( A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi) by himself. No props, no instruments, no visuals, nothing. Just him and a blackened stage as a background. Plain and simple, the guy was amazing! He crammed all the good parts of all three movies into a hour-plus show, complete with the theme music, opening crawl and all the key characters, using his voice and his body. Incredible, and funny as hell!!! The one line that stood out for me was when he was re-enacting the key scene from "Jedi" when Luke removed Darth Vader's helmet so he could see what he looked line. Playing Luke, Ross gave a dramatic pause and said, "I thought you were black!" The whole crowd roared with laughter on that one. It was a great show and I'm glad I got to see that.

After that was done, me and Rob split up again as I tried one more time to get Matthew Wood's autograph. Heading down to the Autograph Hall, I saw that the lines were open this time around and made my way in. It took about 40 minutes or so, but I got in and met him.

Matthew Wood, the voice of General Grievous in Episode 3,

signing a photo of the character for me.

And then, I got a photo taken with him. I told him you're a very popular person these days. He laughed and said, "I know." He's a very cool guy and he autographed my photo with a line that he uses in the movie, "You're a BOLD one!" So, when I get to see the movie, I can't wait to hear him say that line.

Me and Matthew Wood from "SW Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith."

After that cool experience, I raced back upstairs to meet up with Rob for another big event going on, this one involved Visual Effects Supervisor John Knoll showing the crowd some of the visual effects behind not one Episode 3, but also some vintage photos from the original trilogy for a book he's doing. We also got to see some visual bloopers made from his team that were hilarious.

Afterwards, I took Rob to a mall nearby the Convention Center where it had an impressive food court setup and we each got some good (and inexpensive) food to cap off our last night in Indianapolis. We then made our way back to the hotel where Rob hit both the pool and the sauna while I unwinded by catching a little NBA playoff basketball on TV.

What a day! Seeing George Lucas. Catching some cool shows and events. Meeting one of the key guys behind Episode 3 and I got the prized Darth Vader action figure. Without a doubt, this was the best day of my entire SWC3 experience.

Next up: Episode 5 -- The last day at SWC3 and heading back home.

My Trip to SWC3-Episode 3

Hey there. Back with yet another entry recalling my trip to last month's Star Wars Celebration 3 at Indianapolis...

On the second day (Friday, April 22) of the trip, me and my friend Rob got up around 9am and made our way from the hotel to the Convention Center. Pretty much, our experience from the first day with the long lines and huge crowds convinced us that the major events we were hoping to check out before we left for Indy weren't going to happen. Therefore, we missed out on seeing a live satellite chat with the future Darth Vader, Hayden Christensen, that took place earlier in the day. Besides, we were still wiped from Day 1, so we got to rest instead of making the early trek. We also figured there was no way we were going to catch George Lucas' chat on Saturday because of the lines and crowds (more on that on the next blog)

When we arrived at the Center, we were again met with another long line that stretched out till about the same place we started at yesterday to line up (near the RCA Dome). On top of that, it was raining as well, so we were off to yet another fine start. Luckily for us, two things worked in our favor. First, the rain let up shortly after we got in the line and second, the line was moving faster as compared to Day 1.

Once inside, we decided to try our luck and go to the Celebration 3 Store and pick up some stuff, in particular, the exclusive talking Darth Vader action figure. We would soon discover that going to the store wasn't going to happen. Turns out, the demand for the items were so great that a lot of people made their way to the store and because of too many people, the store was closed for the day. Which means, even a little past 10 in the morning, the store wasn't going to let anyone in.
Now that sucked. Especially when one of the people working at the Center said, in the most grating voice, that "the store was capped for the day." This guy said this phase several times within our earshot and frankly, it got on my nerves. This was the number one problem of the whole SWC3 experience, dealing with the problems of the store and the lines at the store. It was a royal pain and many people (me included) feel that the people running the convention really dropped the ball when it came to the store and handling the crowds at the store.

Anyways, knowing that the store was a no-go, me and Rob headed to the Exhibit Hall to check out some of the booths. I got some cool free stuff while I was there, in particular a red wristband, promoting Revenge of the Sith (one that I'm proudly wearing to this day and will continue to wear up to - and even after - seeing Episode 3), a "Star Wars is Forever" pin, and a free bonus DVD for the SW Trivial Pursuit game. Now getting that disc was pretty cool and has made me consider buying the actual game.

After stopping at the hall, our next stop was checking out the Lucasfilm Archives exhibit. Very cool to see some of the actual props and costumes used in all of the Star Wars films. (photos from that coming soon) From there, we went to the Fan Fair Hall where we saw some cool displays and got an opportunity to meet one of the original SW characters, Han Solo

Me and "Han Solo" in front of the Millenium Falcon backdrop at SWC3.

OK, it's not Han Solo exactly, but hey, he was a good sport as he took a lot of photos that day.

After that, we went upstairs to one of the ballrooms to check out what I think was one of the major highlights of the Celebration, a chance to see actual footage of Episode 3! After getting in yet another long line and waiting about a half hour or so, we got in and saw it.

Now, what can I say about the ten minutes or so of footage:

OH MY GOD!!! IT'S FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!!!!

I mean, we didn't hear any actual dialogue as it was drowned out by some well done music, and it didn't show too much to be classified as a spoiler, but it was everything I expected it to be, and more than fueled my belief that "Revenge of the Sith" will be the best of the prequel films. There was stuff with Yoda being the kick-ass Jedi we thrilled at from "Attack of the Clones", footage from a major ship battle, stuff with Darth Sidious and Yoda (which I call the undercard of the fights we'll see in the film) and of course, footage from the main event matchup between Anakin and Obi-Wan.

After seeing the footage and getting a thunderous standing ovation, RIck McCallum, producer of the Star Wars films, said something that really validated our hopes about this film. He said that he believes that this is the one, the one all the fans have been hoping for. He went on to say that he could show even more footage from this that topped even that (which we all were hoping for but didn't happen) and that the lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan just goes "on and on and on", which really psyched us up. From what I hear, they say this is not only the longest fight in Star Wars films, but the longest sword fight in film history.

Coming off the high from seeing that footage, me and Rob split up as he went to get some autographs at the Autograph Hall (including Temera Morrison from Episode 2) while I walked around. I got a chance to go by the Store and see if maybe there was a chance to get inside. Of course there wasn't, but I was able to pick up some copies of the official program guide from one of the workers standing outside the store entrance. He told me that there was a seven-plus hour wait for those going into the line and getting their stuff, which was totally insane.

After meeting back up with Rob, we went and checked out the Star Wars Fan Film Awards, where we saw the winning entries of the annual fan film competition. All of them were well done and some were pretty funny and all worthy of the awards they received. It was also cool to see Warwick Davis, who played Wicket the Ewok in "Return of the Jedi", hosting the ceremony and we also got to see some of his own personal movies, including one he did while filming Episode VI, called "Revenge of the Ewok" A cute and funny film.

Once that was done, we headed back to the hotel and rested up for the night. Halfway thru the trip and still, more was to come.

Up next: Episode 4 -- Day 3 and the best day of the entire trip!!!

My Trip to SWC3-Episode 2

Hey there. Continuing my series of blogs recapping my trip to Star Wars Celebration 3 in Indy last month...

Me and my friend Rob had arrived in Indy and we couldn't wait to get to the city's convention center and take part in the Celebration, but first we had to go to the hotel we were staying at and check ourselves in.
One of the first things we were concerned about while we were planning our trip was where our hotel was located. We knew that our hotel was about seven miles away from the Convention Center, which sucked cause it meant us having to find a way to get there instead of walking across the street or down the block to the place. Due to us planning this trip late in advance we missed out on getting to stay a bit closer to the action. Rob had though about renting a car for us to use, but that would be costly (especially with the parking rates) and we'd much rather put our money to good use at the Center instead.
Then we thought about probably taking a cab to and from our hotel to the Convention Center. Again, it would be costly, but not as bad as the first option. But, we caught a break. I remembered reading at the hotel's website about them providing a free shuttle service to and from the airport. We called the hotel from the airport to come pick us up and we were good to go. Then came another break. We found out that the same hotel also was doing shuttles to and from the Convention Center at only $3 per person. So it wouldn't hurt us too bad as far as travel costs go.

We arrived at our hotel, the Best Value Inn about 30 minutes after we'd landed. It wasn't too bad, but I thought it could've been better. But hey, I wasn't complaining. It served our purpose for the four days we were there and that was good enough for me and my friend. After checking in and dropping off our bags, me and Rob set out for the Convention Center.

When we arrived at the Center, we'd find out something that was going to be a major theme for the entire weekend at SWC3:

Lines.

Long Lines.

Lines that seemed to never, ever end.

Trust me on this, throughout the entire set of blogs on my trip, you will hear me mention the L-word a lot.

The first line we would encounter was the Registration line. This was the line we had to be to get our gear that we'd need for the Celebration. Cause if we didn't have the stuff, in particular our badge, we weren't getting in.

While at the line, I'd be exposed to my first SW experience, seeing the many fans and followers decked out in their best SW costumes. Me and Rob took many photos of them and one thing I'll say right off the bat: they were very well done.

Also at this line, we saw several people from with the 501st Legion, a group of SW fans who were serving as volunteers for the entire Celebration. The 501st stand out because they're dressed like the Clone troopers from the Star Wars movies. Both me and Rob got to take photos with one of them. This is me with one of them.

Me and a Clone trooper at the first day of SWC3.

The line quickly moved along and finally we were inside and picked up our info packets, with our badges and everything. Once that was done and we were officially registered for the SWC3, we went to the Hyperspace fan club line where we'd get some other stuff. One of the things they had was the official souvenir movie guide to Episode 3. I was tempted to open it up, but decided to wait. Rob, however, didn't and looked inside. The first few pages he told me had SPOILERS about the movie. Now, this was my major goal of the entire weekend, to not hear anything about the plot that would spoil my experience of seeing the movie. Once Rob told me that, I made it a point to not open that guide until AFTER I see Episode 3. (To this day, as I type this, I've still haven't opened the guide where as Rob has looked at several pages here and there, including the weekend of SWC3, where as he told me, "he couldn't help himself.")

After that, we were escorted out by security and were told that we had to go to the fan club line of the Center, where we'd had to be since the Celebration didn't officially open until 12 noon. (we'd arrived early, around 10:30am) Both me and Rob would find out much later that we should've hung around inside as several people were, cause at least we'd be inside when the Celebration opened. I'll explain later.

So we walked out of the Center and went to the end of the Fan Club line. We had no idea that the end of the line was so long that it stretched well past the Center, went up two levels of the outside area, past another long area by the back of the building and finally stopped near the RCA Dome many yards away. (It was getting so bad, soon the line was stretching around even the Dome itself!)

This was not a good way to start the SWC3 trip in my opinion, being in one of the longest lines I've ever been on. In fact, we were still in that line when the Celebration officially opened, completely wasting that "Fan Club exclusive" first hour we were told about when we signed up. Making matters worse was the fact that I was running on about an hour's sleep, going thru my first case of jet lag and the after effects of taking my Dramanine pill. There were a few instances I almost nodded off while standing in the line.

I guess somehow I survived it, because we finally got inside the Center a little past 1:30pm (Woo-Hoo!!) But man, by that time, I was so drained, I wanted to get something to eat first before I passed out.

After refueling myself with some expensive chicken tenders and fries, me and Rob finally made our way to the activities. We thought about going to the Celebration Store and seeing what they have, but we decided against it and figured we'd check it out another day. (Boy, what a mistake that was, but I'll tell you that in a later blog)

After going around one of the Exhibit Halls, I'd met up with a familiar face. Matt Busch, who I'd met a few years back during one of the Comic Cons I go to and got to know thru various emails, was there as one of the several official Star Wars artists showcasing their works at the Celebration. It was cool seeing him again and we shared a quick word or two before I left to check out some of the other exhibits.

Because of the time wasted in lines and the like, we missed out on a lot of the things we both were planning to check out on the first day, but we were able to catch one event: an interview session with Ian McDiarmid, who plays Palpatine in the movies and has a major, major role in Revenge of the Sith.

By the time that was done, it was almost 6pm, and Rob and I headed off to the Autograph Hall to get some autographs from some of the many stars from the movies. Now, being that I had limited resources and autographs cost about $10 per ticket and tickets ranged on how popular the stars were, I had to plan carefully. There was one person I wanted to get without a doubt: Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and in my opinion, the coolest character in that movie.

As me and Rob stood in yet another long line, we heard on the loud speaker that the Autograph Hall was going to be closing soon. We were bummed by that news, and considering the people that were standing in front of us, chances are that getting Park's autograph were going to be slim and none, and if we were going to get it, it would be rather quick and cold.

Resigned to that fate, we struck up a conversation with other fans at the line and we were all chatting about how these lines suck and our not too thrilling adventures on this first day at SWC3. Then, the coolest thing happened. While we were all talking, with our backs away from the signing table, we didn't know that Ray Park had gotten up from the table he was at and was making his way to the line, shaking hands with the people that was in the line and taking photos with them. I was so floored, I almost dropped my digital camera.

He then made his way to us and we got a photo taken with him. Here's mine:

Me and Ray Park, "Darth Maul" from SW Episode 1.

And then, if that wasn't cool enough, after meeting up with everyone in the line, Park made his way back to the table and finished signing everyone's autographs, including ours. I got him to sign my Darth Maul action figure I'd bought years ago after Episode 1 had came out. Very cool.

Then, a short time later, just coming off that high, came another bonus. While Rob was getting several other signatures, I waited around the area. He then came over to Daniel Logan's table to get his autograph. Logan plays the young Boba Fett in Episode 2: Attack of the Clones and is rumored to have a role in Episode 3. After getting his autograph, Logan was cool enough to take some pictures as well. I got to take Rob's picture with Logan and Rob then took a photo of me with Logan.

Me and Daniel Logan, "Boba Fett" from SW Episode 2

After that cool experience, Rob and I thought about going to check out the SWC Opening Ceremonies. We then saw yet another long line that stretched outside the Center, and after hearing word that the line was being closed to stop overflowing, we decided against it. We grabbed some food from the Center (more expensive grub!), called the hotel shuttle van, got in the van and rode back to the hotel. It didn't take long for us to call it a night around 10pm, the earliest I've been in bed in a long time.

It was a long, hectic, crazy and cool first day at the SWC. More adventures to come...

Next up: Episode 3-- Day 2 and my first look at Revenge of the Sith!