Page Turners They Were Not

Earlier this month, the Star Wars Vintage Collection was added to the Star Wars library on Disney+. This new collection includes Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars microseries, the Ewoks cartoon series, the two Ewok films, and The Tale of the Faithful Wookiee, which is the animated segment of the infamous 1978 holiday special. Join with me as we discuss these additions to the library.

Now that we have finished cataloging the scores to the Skywalker Saga, I thought we would do something a little bit different. In 1996, Lucasfilm created a multimedia campaign aimed at filling in the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. This was called Shadows of the Empire. In this story, our heroes attempt to save Han Solo before he is delivered to Jabba the Hutt, while th...

Star Wars is a modern-day myth. Many parallels have been drawn by that galaxy far, far away and the legends and mythologies of cultures the world over. Today I would like to compare it to a story with which we are all familiar: the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Join with me as we examine the connections, as well as discuss why the minimalist storytelling of A New Hope...

We have come now to the end of the Star Wars Skywalker Saga. Maestro John Williams yet again delivers a powerhouse of a score with this final installment of the Sequel Trilogy. Join with me as we examine my favorite of the sequel scores, as well as pay tribute to the profound effect John Williams has had on bringing this saga to life.

Maestro John Williams has done it again! As we continue our exploration of the scores and soundtracks to the Star Wars saga, we come at last to Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Join with me as we delve into the impressive musical storytelling of this entry to that galaxy far, far away...

One of the most, if not the most, anticipated Star Wars project on the horizon is the Obi-Wan Kenobi mini series. Lucasfilm has officially announced the cast of this project. Some of the names were expected, whereas others are quite surprising. Join with me as we discuss.

Politics have been engrained in Star Wars since the very beginning. In fact, some of George Lucas' earlier drafts focused on a lot of political jargon. As the story evolved into what we now know as the original trilogy, the overt political discussions became more muted. But nonetheless, it is still there. As has been pointed out by many a fan, the politics of the prequel trilogy were a big deal. J...

As we continue our discussion of the scores to the Star Wars films, we come at last to the Sequel Trilogy. Maestro John Williams returns to that galaxy far, far away with another wonderful addition to the glossary. Join me as we analyze this new entry in the saga.

On this special episode of Page Turners They Were Not, Josh Mabry and I discuss our childhood memories of George Lucas' space opera. Join with us as we cast our minds back to the early days of our love of that galaxy far, far away...

On this week's episode of A Thousand Generations, we continue our exploration of the scores and soundtracks of the Star Wars saga by taking a deep dive into the score of Revenge of the Sith. Maestro John Williams continues to bring us memorable pieces of the tapestry of music we experience in that galaxy far, far away...

George Lucas' revolutionary space opera exploded onto the big screens and into the history books in May of 1977. Since that time the universe of Star Wars has expanded to fill every corner of popular culture. Sometimes though, the joy of that first film gets lost in the shuffle. To further explore the great fun and great moments of A New Hope, I am joined by special guest Cheryl Corman to discuss...

Well folks, it's that time again; time to celebrate the Oscar nomination announcement! It's been a very difficult year, and one of the things that have alleviated some of stress for me have been the great films released on the streaming platforms. Despite the theaters being generally shut down, the great films of 2020 have been available for viewing in a way that they have not in years past. Final...

George Lucas struck gold when he created the concept of the Force. In addition to the great "gee-whiz" factor, that galaxy far, far away possessed a theology that was simple enough it could be understood by people of all spiritual persuasions. In fact, I believe this to be the reason that this great space opera has persisted for so many decades. Join with me as we explore this terrific concept.

This week I'm joined by special guest Sol Govin to discuss places to live and professions we'd like in the Star Wars galaxy. Join with me as we enjoy and laugh with the wonders of that galaxy far, far away...

In 2002, John Williams outdid himself yet again with the score to Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It is very difficult to create a unique score in Star Wars due to the fact that so many themes are constantly reused. Yet again, maestro John Williams exceeds expectations by creating a work the likes of which we had not yet heard in that galaxy far, far away...

Everyone's favorite scoundrel went from a cynical, selfish smuggler to galactic hero over the course of the Star Wars saga. In fact, this roguish rascal ended up saving the galaxy not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES! Join with me as we discuss how Han Solo went from unlikely hero to savior of the Light. Join me; it is your destiny!

For the first time in a while, there is Star Wars news that I wish to discuss. Rian Johnson, the director of The Last Jedi, has been working on a new trilogy. This was announced around the time that his film was released, but has since been in a sort of limbo. A recent interview has revealed that he is still working on this new trilogy even though it wasn't announced on the Disney Investor Day. Th...

After a hiatus of 16 years from Star Wars, maestro John Williams returned to knock our socks off once again with his score to The Phantom Menace. Not only did the music rise to mythic levels hitherto unseen, it also introduced Duel of the Fates - one of the greatest pieces of film music ever. Join with me as we break down the musical masterpiece that is the score to Episode I.

Since the concept of the Prophecy of the Chosen One was introduced in 1999's The Phantom Menace, fans have speculated as to who the Chosen One actually is. Is it Anakin? Is it Luke? Is it Leia? Is it Ben? Is it Rey? Or is it all of the above? Join with me as I share my thoughts on this controversial topic.

Mandalorians have fascinated Star Wars fans since the introduction of Boba Fett in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978. The novelization of The Empire Strikes Back provided the first description of the Mandalorian people, Much has changed since then, but the public's fascination with this warrior culture has not faded. Quite the contrary; recent canon material has expanded upon this fas...

The score to 1993's Return of the Jedi adds some wonderful new themes to the overall tapestry of that galaxy far, far away. Join with me as we examine the incredible work of maestro John Williams as he added to the glossary he had already created in the original Star Wars Trilogy.

The score to 1977's Star Wars would win John Williams his third Academy Award. Three years later, he would outdo himself with the score to The Empire Strikes Back, which would receive an Academy Award nomination but no win. To me, this is the best score of the Star Wars saga despite the fact that the previous film would win the Oscar. Join with me as we break down the score to the second installme...

Darth Maul first appeared in 1999's The Phantom Menace. Though his screentime was brief, fans fell in love with this mysterious dark warrior. In the years since, the character was brought back via The Clone Wars animated series. I had been one of the few fans who didn't think he was all that interesting in The Phantom Menace, but I came to love him because of the cartoons. The more that Maul appea...

When I first heard that Darth Maul would return on Star Wars The Clone Wars (even though he got cut in half in The Phantom Menace), I thought it was a stupid idea. How wrong I was! Because of The Clone Wars and the subsequent series Rebels, Maul is now one of my favorite characters. When he first appeared in 1999, I thought he looked cool and fought well, but that was about it. His storyline in th...

Join me as we begin our exploration of the scores of Star Wars, beginning with 1977's A New Hope. John Williams elevated George Lucas' space opera to epic heights with his musical contribution. Come with me as I walk us through each piece in this magnificent score.