"Rise of the Empire" (Star Wars) fan film

     First of all, thank you Beth Vickers for letting me know about this amazing project.

     I just found out about an amazing new Star Wars fan film serial called "Rise of the Empire".  The website is here http://www.riseoftheempire.net/.  You can find them on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/riseoftheempirefanfilm?ref=hl. It is being hailed as the ultimate fan film.  The trailer looks incredible.  I am very excited and will definitely be reviewing and watching this every week.

     What I like about the look of this is the producer believes in practical photography, using sets and live locations instead of green screen.  I actually really miss the feel of movies like the original trilogy that use actual locations and sets. The just look better.  The production team wants to film in Death Valley in the same locations the original trilogy was shot at.

    The episodes should be available in the fall.

     Being a fan film they do need funding, which can be done here:
 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rise-of-the-empire-the-ultimate-fan-film--2

Star Wars:Threads of Destiny review

"Revenge is never as satisfying as we think it will be, Raven. You think it ends a conflict, settles a score, but in fact it only internalizes it."-- Jedi Master Soren Darr

This is a Swedish made fan film from 2014. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d40IDc3rQfU&feature=youtu.be.

The cast and crew list can be viewed here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2275656/

The movie takes place 94 years after the Battle of Yavin. Although peace is prevalent throughout the galaxy, a new threat, the Skenvi Empire has emerged.  The New Republic sends Jedi Master Soren Darr and Padawan Raven Darkham to the planet Coreign in hopes they will join the republic. The negotiations appear to be over when Princess Arianna is kidnapped in a bloody attack. Will the Jedi prevail?

This was an incredibly satisfying movie. It was both a great stand alone story and a loving homage to Star Wars. The opening scene is reminiscent of the opening scene of A New Hope. There is a roguish pilot who may have a shady past and is ruggedly handsome. One of my favorite scenes takes place in an establishment reminiscent of the Mos Eisley cantina. There is even a thrilling chase scene through an asteroid field.  I felt as if I were watching the actual sequel to Return of the Jedi. The outdoor scenes are beautifully filmed. The landscape is stunning. The story is easy to follow, the dialog harkens back to the original trilogy, and the action scenes are wonderfully choreographed. The side plot of the burgeoning romance between Princess Arianna and Padawan Raven Darkham is a lot more convincing than the onscreen portrayal of Anakin and Amidala's romance. I have to say, I thought this was better than all three prequels combined. It is easy to lose yourself in the story. I eagerly await part two.

One of this blog's readers suggested I watch and review this movie. Please, if have any suggestions/recommendations, let me know. You can reach me here on the blog by commenting, or here on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Google+.