Deepening and expanding the lore of any fantasy story requires commitment. Sometimes these choices to change the lore can destroy a fanbase. Other times, they can completely upend the perception of that series. For Star Wars, expectations were extremely high as it entered its second chapter. Empire Strikes Back faced the challenge of living up to … Continue reading Ranking ‘Star Wars’: #1 – ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ Ranks Among the Best Sci-Fi Films of All-Time
Ranking ‘Star Wars’ – #2 – ‘A New Hope’ Launches a Phenomenom, Based in Classic Storytelling
George Lucas had just come off the first critical and financial success of his career. American Graffiti was the first piece of nostalgia to resonate with the culture in any meaningful way. After all, the dissemination of popular culture had only really taken hold in the past thirty years with the advent of television. The movies had … Continue reading Ranking ‘Star Wars’ – #2 – ‘A New Hope’ Launches a Phenomenom, Based in Classic Storytelling
Ranking ‘Star Wars’ – #5 – ‘The Force Awakens’ Sparked to Life a Dormant Franchise
It had only been a decade since Star Wars had graced the big screen. However, the perception of the franchise left the franchise in a perilous state. For many, George Lucas had run the ship aground. Longtime fans of the films had acknowledged the dwindling quality of the Prequel Trilogy. Then in 2012, Disney bought LucasFilm in one of … Continue reading Ranking ‘Star Wars’ – #5 – ‘The Force Awakens’ Sparked to Life a Dormant Franchise
2008 in Review: ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’
Reboots and remakes, even sequels, are often lauded by nearly everyone as unnecessary. Calls of “we’ve seen this already” or “it was better when” often prelude paragraphs that go on to compare apples and oranges; decades-old cinema with modern storytelling. The thing is, for beloved franchises, reinventing or revisiting characters from the past actually does … Continue reading 2008 in Review: ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’