Page Turners They Were Not

In the original cut of The Empire Strikes Back, Emperor Palpatine was played by the actress Marjorie Eaton with chimpanzee eyes, voiced by the legendary Clive Revill. Later, for Return of the Jedi, distinguished stage actor Ian McDiarmid got the part. For the 2004 DVD release of the Original Trilogy, the original emperor as seen in The Empire Strikes Back was replaced with McDiarmid. Not only was...

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back. In honor of the occasion, every episode this week of Page Turners They Were Not will focus on the second entry in the Star Wars saga. Today, we celebrate what makes The Empire Strikes Back a great film, as well as why it is my favorite in that galaxy far, far away...

This Thursday the 21st marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back. In honor of that occasion, Page Turners They Were Not presents a full-length commentary to the film. Join with me as I take you through my favorite entry in the Star Wars Saga.

With big news in terms of casting the Mandalorian Season 2, I thought it would be fun to speculate as to the nature of the appearances of Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, and Bo-Katan Kryze in this series. Join with me on Page Turners They Were Not as we responsibly speculate what we might see in the near future.

Akira Kurosawa's 1950 masterpiece Rashomon is the story of a murder and rape as told from four different points of view. While Seven Samurai may be his most defining film, this film may be Kurosawa-san's most complex. Join with me as I give you my thoughts on this classic, as well as how it connects to that galaxy far, far away...

Earlier this morning I had intended this episode to be about a debate I got into last night with a fellow fan. However, that all changed when I discovered that a certain actress who had played a character in vocal form would be reprising her role in live-action. So I decided to combine the two topics to bring you today's episode. Join with me!

In honor of Mother's Day, today we will discuss the mothers of Star Wars, particularly the mothers of the Skywalker family. We'll be covering Shmi, Padme, and Leia, as well as those mothers who played a part in raising our heroes. Star Wars would not be what it is without these strong women who were often willing to put the interests of others before their own. Join with me as we celebrate.

Today, for the very first time, page turners they were not presents a full-length movie commentary for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Join with me as I give you my own insights as we enjoy George Lucas’ 1977 classic that first transported us to a galaxy far, far away….

The 90's were a golden age for Star Wars games. Many an hour I spent immersed in that galaxy far, far away, whether it be in the FPS Dark Forces or the flight simulator Tie Fighter. Join with me as we discuss those days gone by, as well as where we find ourselves in this day and age.

In the stirring conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance battles the sinister fleet of the Final Order in the air as Rey fights the resurrected Emperor Palpatine on the ground. As this is the final battle of the Skywalker Saga, how does it measure up? Join with me and I'll tell you.

In the original Star Wars Trilogy, there are two major plot twists which changed the way fans look at the movies. One was the most iconic moment in the saga, the other retroactively created some awkward moments. Join with me as we discuss two iconic moments in that galaxy far, far away...

On this Star Wars Day we celebrate the end of an era, as The Clone Wars has finally come to its conclusion. Victory and Death was the final episode of season 7, as well as the final episode of this long-running series. In addition to discussing the impact of this animated show, I will also be discussing a bit of news regarding a certain Academy Award-winning director/screenwriter being brought on...

Since the original Star Wars film was released in 1977, fans have wondered how the Galactic Empire was able to destroy the Jedi Order. It was not until 2005's Revenge of the Sith that they had their questions answered. Later, season 6 of The Clone Wars shed more light on the diabolical plan known as Order 66. Join with me as we discuss...

William Wyler's 1959 adaptation of General Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is an epic in every sense of the word. It tells the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish aristocrat living in a time of Jesus Christ. When Judah and his childhood friend Messala disagree on the Roman Empire's presence in the Holy Land, it sets off a series of events that eventually culminate in one of the most...

With the heroic Resistance on the run from the sinister First Order, it was decided that they needed to reach a base from which they could send a signal strong enough to reach their allies on the Outer Rim. Such a base existed on the mineral planet Crait. The ensuing battle was more of a last stand than a major offensive, with hope seemingly lost until a familiar figure appeared to face down the F...

One of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars Canon is Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's former padawan learner. This is very ironic due to the fact that this individual was strongly disliked by many a fan when she was first introduced in 2008's The Clone Wars film. Join with me as I chronicle the history of this character from her first appearance on the battlefields of Christophsis to her mo...

Fans of Star Wars The Clone Wars have had to wait 8 years to see the return of their beloved show. Now that it is upon us, the question becomes: was it worth the wait? Well, I'm here to tell you that it was totally worth it, and then some. Join with me as I discuss two story arcs in this series: The Bad Batch and The Siege of Mandalore.

Princess Leia's aptitude for the Force was first demonstrated in The Empire Strikes Back, as she was able to sense Luke as he dangled beneath Cloud City. Leia's abilities in the Force seemed limited to sensing others until we saw her perform a rather unusual "space-walk" in The Last Jedi. Recently, in The Rise of Skywalker, we learn that Leia had trained as a Jedi. Join with me as we discuss how o...

Akira Kurosawa's 1975 Soviet film Dersu Uzala might be his most obscure work, yet I see some interesting parallels between this story and that galaxy far, far away. It tells the story of a soldier on a survey mission of the easternmost parts of Russia who befriends a native hunter who is more wise in the ways of the wilderness. Join with me as we celebrate this underrated gem, as well as discuss t...

The first major battle of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy occurred on the First Order's Starkiller Base, once known as the planet Ilum. After the destruction of the Hosnian System, the Resistance was desperate to stop this weapon of mass destruction before it could cause any more chaos in the galaxy. Join with me as we discuss...

Soon after the release of Star Wars in 1977, Lucasfilm realized that the universe George Lucas created was big enough for stories beyond the movies. Thus began the Expanded Universe, full of further adventures of our heroes. In 2014, with the Sequel Trilogy on the horizon, Lucasfilm declared that the Expanded Universe would not factor in to the canon that would be established in the upcoming entri...

One of the greatest ingredients of that galaxy far, far away is the music of maestro John Williams. Nearly every piece of music he has composed for this story is iconic and recognizable, and immediately capable of conjuring images of space battles and lightsabers to all who hear it. Join with me as we celebrate the contributions of this Oscar-winning composer!

The future of Star Wars on film is uncertain. In the last few years, Lucasfilm has had a difficult time keeping the creators they have hired to develop new projects. Therefore, there is very little we can say concretely regarding more movies. Join with me as we discuss this uncertain future, as well as what I would like to see in that galaxy far, far away...

Akira Kurosawa's 1961 samurai romp Yojimbo is the story of a ronin with no name who wanders into a town and offers his services as hired muscle to both sides in a turf war. This film has become one of the most iconic films in Japanese history, and has had a huge impact on the Western genre in the United States (and other countries). Join with me as I discuss the connections I see between this film...

Perhaps the textbook definition of a Star Wars battle, the Battle of Endor takes place on three fronts: on land, in space, and on the Death Star. This style of battle has become what I look forward to the most when it comes to action in the Star Wars saga. Join with me as we discuss one of the most emotionally investing sequences in that galaxy far, far away...