MTV Movies Blog › Tami Katzoff

'Star Wars' Anniversary: A Long Time Ago In A Theater Far, Far Away

Posted 5/22/12 10:00 am EST by in Commentary

Thirty-five years ago this week, on the 25th of May, 1977, something pretty big happened. At the time, no one knew just how big the thing was. Because on that day, a new movie called “Star Wars” opened in just a few theaters across the country. I think you know what happened next.

So this Friday, May 25th, why not do something to celebrate the anniversary of the event that brought us all so much joy? Here’s a whole day’s worth of suggested activities:

Make your bed: Deck out your room with “Star Wars” linens. You’ll be the coolest kid on the block.

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Happy Birthday, George Lucas: We Come In Peace!

Posted 5/14/12 10:25 am EST by in Commentary

Today is a very special day at The Comlink. It is the birth anniversary of the man who changed our lives, mostly for the better, by sharing with us his dreams and visions. He’s the man who forever altered the fabric of popular culture, the man without whom this column would not exist.

Of course I’m talking about The Creator, George Lucas.

Is there any filmmaker alive today who’s had such a profound effect on his audience? Is there any filmmaker who has inspired such vehement worship -- as well as hostility? I think not. We love him and we loathe him, because of what he gave us and what he took away.

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'Star Wars 1313': What's In A (Domain) Name?

Posted 5/11/12 10:39 am EST by in Commentary, News

This week, the buzzword in the Star Wars universe is not actually a word at all, but a number: 1313, to be exact. Everyone’s wondering why Lucasfilm purchased domain names relating to “Star Wars” and those mysterious digits.

Many theorists say it has something to do with a long-awaited Boba Fett movie, but Eric Geller of TheForce.net doesn’t buy it. “My best guess is that ‘1313’ refers to Thursday, January 3rd, 2013,” Geller says. “They may be planning to unveil the starwars1313.com website this fall and use it to tease an announcement that will be made on 1/3/13.” But why a Thursday? “I have no clue,” Geller admits. “It's an odd day of the week to make an announcement, but maybe they really wanted the double-13 repetition factor.”

Geller also has a notion about what exactly Lucasfilm will announce on 1/3/13. “I think it will be details about Seth Green's animated series. Seth Green and his team have been working on this show for a while, and Lucasfilm must be getting close to finalizing certain details.”

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May The Fourth Be With You!: In Defense Of Luke Skywalker

Posted 5/4/12 12:20 pm EST by in Commentary

Earlier this year, before the theatrical release of "The Phantom Menace" in 3-D, we asked various famous folks who their favorite Star Wars characters are. The list included Darth Maul, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Jabba, Lando, Bossk, Dengar, Dr. Evazan and, of course, Boba Fett.

Not one person mentioned Luke Skywalker.

So, for this May the Fourth, otherwise known as Luke Skywalker Day, I set out to discover why. Luke Skywalker, the man who rescued Princess Leia, destroyed the Death Star, freed Han from his dismal existence as wall art, and stood up to the Emperor himself, is undervalued, disrespected, and—though it pains me to write it—unloved. How is this possible?

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The Millennium Falcon: Not Just A Piece Of Junk

Posted 4/24/12 11:00 am EST by in Commentary

Quick – name the coolest spaceships ever to fly across a movie screen. Never mind, I’ll do it: Discovery One. Enterprise. Serenity.

But the one that tops the list, the coolest spacecraft by far, is the Millennium Falcon. And because of that, the students of Parkland High School in eastern Pennsylvania are the coolest kids around.

And these are some cool adults: Ryder Windham, Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas. Together they wrote and illustrated the Haynes Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual, published in the U.S. earlier this year.

Having worked on two previous publications about the Millennium Falcon, these guys know just about everything there is to know about the ship. “I don’t want to say that we know it better than anybody,” says Reiff, “but I think we’ve explored it as much as anybody has.”

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Happy Shakespeare Day: Five Big-Screen Bard Gems

Posted 4/23/12 1:00 pm EST by in Commentary

On this day way back in 1564, William Shakespeare was born... or not, because apparently his exact birth date isn’t known. But today's the day we celebrate the man!.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Bard, here’s the briefest of introductions: Ol’ Will gave us a lot of pretty poetry as well as some fine plays that are the inspiration for countless TV and movie adaptations. If you’re like me, you may have supplemented your high school English class reading assignments with a few of those filmed adaptations (notice I wrote “supplemented” and not “replaced.” I never did that).

So to celebrate the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth (and death, which was definitely on April 23rd), here are my five favorite films based on or inspired by works of the Bard.

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The 501st Legion: Taking The World By Storm

Posted 4/19/12 4:52 pm EST by in Commentary

Last week, 21-year-old Aussie Jacob French completed a grueling trek across his home country. He started last summer and walked 3,000 miles from Perth to Sydney to raise funds for Australia’s Starlight Children's Foundation.

And he did it wearing a stormtrooper costume.

French is a member of the 501st Legion, an international group of costumed Star Wars fans who regularly gather to raise money and awareness for various charities. “Jacob is a great example of the unique characters we get in the Legion,” says Scott Allen, who serves as Charity Officer for the 501st (his current preferred costume is an ESB-era Darth Vader).

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Hey, 'Star Wars' Gamers: Lighten Up!

Posted 4/10/12 7:47 am EST by in Commentary

I have a confession to make: I’m not a gamer. Never have been. You won’t find a review of “LEGO Star Wars” or notices about the latest patch for “The Old Republic” in this space. I don’t pay that much attention to the gaming galaxies of the Expanded Universe, but I just couldn’t escape the furor over the newly released “Kinect Star Wars.”

You probably know what I’m referring to; last week millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror about the Xbox game, specifically its “Galactic Dance Off” feature where, according to the game’s website, you can “dance for Jabba the Hutt and take on other favorite ‘Star Wars’ characters in 4 different locations.”

What seems to be getting most folks in a tizzy is the sight of Han Solo boogieing down to a remake of Jason Derulo's "Ridin' Solo" (called "I'm Han Solo") inside the very room in which Movie Han gets carbon-frozen in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Once again, charges of childhood rape are being thrown around: at Microsoft, Lucasfilm and, of course, George Lucas himself.

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'Lando's Not A System, He's A Man!' Happy Birthday, Billy Dee Williams!

Posted 4/6/12 8:00 am EST by in Commentary

Today (April 6), Billy Dee Williams will turn 75 years old. Mr. Williams, of course, is best known for portraying smooth scoundrel Lando Calrissian in two “Star Wars” movies.

Gambler, businessman, smuggler, pilot, rebel, hero: Lando is all these things and more. And although Han may be the wittiest and Yoda the wisest, Lando does utter quite a few memorable lines in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. So, to celebrate Williams’ big birthday, I give you my Top Ten Most Memorable Lando Lines, in random order.

1. “That blast came from the Death Star! That thing’s operational!”

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'Hunger Games' Is No 'Star Wars,' And That's Okay

Posted 3/28/12 2:44 pm EST by in Commentary

It seems like every time I go online I see another news article or blog comparing “The Hunger Games” to “Star Wars.” I get it: they both made a lot of money and they both have trilogies. But that’s all the similarity I see. Don’t get me wrong, I like “The Hunger Games.” I’ve read all the books and I liked the movie, a lot. But Suzanne Collins is no George Lucas, and “The Hunger Games” is no “Star Wars.” And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Here are just a few of the many ways “The Hunger Games” differs from “Star Wars”:

1. We all know that “Star Wars” takes place “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” Collins’ story happens in the future, but right here at home – a North America that somewhere along the way is renamed Panem.

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