Star Wars News Update 7.1

(fan art)

Episode VII Movie News Summary

Okay, apologies all around if anybody was expecting me to live up to my word about sharing Episode VII news.  Between writing, audiobooks, junkets, and weddings... I've been a tad busy.  I'm not going to promise anything, but I will try to keep an update once a week from here on out.

So, the big news of the week came yesterday (Thursday, October 24, 2013) when Lucasfilm announced that Michael Arndt was out as writer of "Episode VII" and J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan were in. Also buried in the press release was the fact that Ben Burtt is returning. Here's the press release:

As "Episode VII" continues pre-production, Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams have assumed screenwriting duties for the film. Kasdan, who has been serving as a consultant on the film, is a veteran of several classic Lucasfilm productions, writing the screenplay for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and serving as co-screenwriter for "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." Acclaimed director and screenwriter Abrams' credits include "Super 8," "Mission: Impossible III," "Fringe," and "Lost."

"I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and J.J. working on the script," states Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. "There are very few people who fundamentally understand the way a "Star Wars" story works like Larry, and it is nothing short of incredible to have him even more deeply involved in its return to the big screen. J.J. of course is an incredible storyteller in his own right. Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to this point and we have an amazing filmmaking and design team in place already prepping for production."

Location scouting, production design, casting, and costume design are already underway on "Episode VII." A team of gifted artists are working to bring the latest installment of the "Star Wars" saga, including director of photography Dan Mindel ("Mission: Impossible III," "Star Trek"), production designers Rick Carter ("Lincoln," "Avatar") and Darren Gilford ("Oblivion," "TRON: Legacy"), costume designer Michael Kaplan ("Star Trek Into Darkness," "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"), special effects supervisor Chris Corbould ("Skyfall," "The Dark Knight Rises"), sound designer Ben Burtt ("Lincoln," "Star Wars: Episodes I-VI"), re-recording mixer Gary Rydstrom ("Jurassic Park," "Saving Private Ryan"), supervising sound editor Matthew Wood ("Star Trek Into Darkness," "The Master") of Skywalker Sound, and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett ("Star Trek Into Darkness," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End") of Industrial Light & Magic. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, with Tommy Harper ("Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," "Star Trek Into Darkness") and Jason McGatlin ("Tintin," "War of the Worlds") serving as executive producers.

John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII.

Shooting is scheduled to begin Spring 2014 at Pinewood Studios for an expected 2015 release.

Special thanks to comingsoon.net for compiled information.

May the Fourth Be With You

Yes, I’ve taken a horrendous break from this blog to focus my time and attention on continuing my chupacabra books series and – yes, I’ll admit it here and now – another obsession that I’m still too obsessed over to take the time away from it to write about it.  However, I am breaking my hiatus to talk about one obsession that I have purposely saved for just this day… Star Wars.  If asked what my longest and dearest obsession is, it would be my love for this space saga.

Briefly turning the clock back in order to provide some perspective, I saw the original Star Wars on opening weekend.  My dad took me as an early gift for my seventh birthday; however, I specifically remember not carrying a lick about Star Wars (I think I actually wanted to see some Disney movie instead; ironic now, I know), and I think my dad wanted to see the movie badly enough not  to care what I wanted for my birthday – and am I ever glad he did.  It is one of my earliest and favorite memories, watching the opening scene with C-3P0 and R2-D2 under attack by Darth Vader and his storm troopers.  I was hooked, smitten, captivated, and flabbergasted.  I had never felt such instant passion about anything life had to offer until that moment.  To this day, I feel like watching Star Wars defined the person I eventually would become.

As I’m sure anyone with an IQ higher than 25 knows, Star Wars is not just a movie, but an empire (pun intended).  There are all six movies, the books, the soundtracks, the board games, the video games, the collections, the toys, the TV series, the expanded universe, etc, and I have a distinct passion for each of them; so this in no means the end of including Star Wars in my obsession blog.  This submission is meant only to be an introduction for what will eventually come and to say, “May the Force Be With You.”

I Can't Get 'A Time For Us' Out Of My Head!

Today, I was doing my volunteer work for Garden Grove's Meals on Wheels program and upon walking into the Senior Center to drop off my empty cooler, I was surprised to hear music I had not heard in years.  Every Monday a pianist comes to play a wide variety of slow, atmospheric tunes - like something you'd hear in the background at Nieman Marcus - but never in the three years I've been delivering meals on Monday's have I heard the pianist play 'A Time For Us'.  Well, I just stopped walking and stood to wait for him to finish as if I had just happened into a concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

Before this morning, I cannot remember the last time I heard Nino Rota's romantically devastating theme for the 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet, a brilliant film that I've seen many times; the first being in my 7th grade English class.  The best days at school were always the days we watched movies in class but when the movies were actually enjoyable, it was the cherry.  I remember being just as enthralled with the score as I was with the film.  In fact, I had become so obsessed in my search for this piece of music, it took me weeks to eventually find it on a 1968 Billboard compilation CD.  (You have to think back before the internet, if you're old enough, to a time when it took more effort than just flipping open your laptop or pushing the Safari App button on your iPad to find information).  Of course, it would have helped if I knew what the title of the score was called or who the composer was rather than just approaching music store employees with Bauhaus t-shirts, saying, "You know, that theme from Romeo and Juliet".

Anyway, here it is with some clips from the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet (in my opinion, the best film version):

Of course, I must also give a little background about the Milan-born Italian composer Nino Rota, who I believe was the catalyst to my obsession for film scores beyond John Williams.  Nino was also notable for the films scores of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti.  He also composed the music for the first two films of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy, receiving the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Godfather Part II (1974).

Grazie mille, signor Rota.

Fa-La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La

Okay, I freakin' love Christmas.  The lights, the tree, the weather, it's all a little obsession.  And I'm sure as most of you know by now, I have even written a children's picture book called 'The Night After Christmas'.  Some of my favorite memories growing up are also Christmas memories.  In fact, if I have to pick a favorite day out of the year over any other, it would be Christmas Eve with the Heblers, where the centerpiece to this annual tradition is a family recipe of Hungarian noodles made by the Hebler men.  This tradition is at least 20 years old and started the year my Grandmother Mickey told my Grandfather Ray, "You want noodles?... do them yourself!"

Yes, the noodles are a pain in the ass to make, but oh so worth it.  I could post a Christmas Festival that would put my recent Halloween Festival to shame but then, what would I do next year?  Better I divide it up into groups, and besides, I don't have the time and energy to put forth the effort into an-all-around "Christmas" post to do it justice.  So, instead, I will substitute my monthly "I CAN'T GET 'song title here' OUT OF MY HEAD!" for a list of my 12 songs for Christmas, which would be accurate anyway since all month long, I have one Christmas song stuck in my head after another.  I have even started this on my 'The Night After Christmas' Facebook page, but instead of spreading them out until Christmas, I'm just going to list them all here, right now.  It's kind of a 'naughty' feeling, like opening you Christmas present before Christmas.  I love it!!!

So, here they are, in no particular order, the songs you'd hear me sing at the top of my lungs in the shower, car, or anywhere else where I think I'm alone (and hope so too, especially in the shower).  I hope you obsess about at least one of these holiday classics as much as I do:

1.  "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Thurl Ravenscroft, written by Dr. Seuss for the classic 1966 TV special, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  You know you've all head this song before.  The lyrics are fun as well as having a catchy tune.



2. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Olivia Olson, written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff.  This is probably my favorite contemporary Christmas song.  I even like Mariah Carey's version; however, Olivia Olson's version from the scene in 'Love Actually', is the film that introduced this song to me in 2003 even though the song was written in 1994.



3. "Sleigh Ride" composed by Leroy Anderson (1948), lyrics by Mitchell Parish (1950).  As is with most Christmas songs, there are a million different versions, and even though I like most versions of Sleigh Ride, every one from Debbie Gibson to T.L.C., there is nothing like the original musical version, before the lyrics that came two years later, conducted here by my all-time favorite conductor, and little obsession, John Williams.  To me, there is something special about the absence of the words the sound of the cracking whip.  Besides, this version is my first memory of this song.

4. "Winter Wonderland" written by Felix Bernard.  Again, another classic Christmas song recorded and re-recorded on just about every Christmas album since its inception; however, of all the artists who have sung this song, there is only one version I've heard where it sounds like the artist was BORN to sing this song, and she is the amazing Annie Lennox.

5. "Christmas At Ground Zero" by Weird Al Yankovic.  The first time I heard this was on Dr. Demento's Christmas Classics album (which has a lot of great songs like 'Green Christmas') but this has got to be the funniest, original Christmas song I've ever heard.  I do want to give props to South Park's version of 'O, Holy Night' sung by Cartman, but I don't want to interfere with the original version, which is also a favorite, so Weird Al definitely gets the spot for the funniest.  The lyrics are priceless.

6. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" sung by Burl Ives, written by Johnny Marks (1965).  All those cheesily great stop motion TV classics from the 1960's and 1970's bring back some of those special memories I spoke of earlier, and "A Holly Jolly Christmas" is the best song to flip those memories on like a switch.  This song was written for the 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' Special and is the most popular song to be written originally for any one of those Christmas specials, and nobody will ever sing it better than Mr. Ives himself.



7. "(There's No Place Like Home) For the Holidays" music by Robert Allen, lyrics by Al Stillman (1954).  This song was originally written to associate with the Thanksgiving holiday, but it has become even more popular as a Christmas song.  Perry Como recorded this song twice during his career, but my favorite version is sung by the soft, pitch-perfect voice of Karen Carpenter (damn, she's skinny).  I know it'll be difficult, but try to ignore the '70's cheese and enjoy the song.



8. "We Need A Little Christmas" by Johnny Mathis, written by Jerry Herman.  Now, I didn't know this until I did the research for this post, but this song was written for the 1966 Broadway production of 'Mame' and originally sung by Angela Landsbury.  However, it is not Christmas unless I have Johnny Mathis's tenor ringing in my ear, and I love this song for its jubilant and festival spirit.

9. "Somewhere in My Memory" by John Williams (1990).  Again, I've fallen victim to my little obsession with John Williams, but his original song for the film 'Home Alone' has become a Christmas staple for me.  It is truly a beautiful song, which was nominated for an Academy Award, and like 'The Color Purple', it should have won.



10. "Carol of the Bells" (aka 'Ukranian Bell Carol') by Mykola Leontovych.  I could not find a year when this piece was written so I think it's unknown, and probably the oldest song on my list.  What I love most about 'Carol of the Bells' is the rise and fall of tempo's and crescendo's.  It is an extremely lively piece that, for me, builds a picture of what Christmas was like before all the contemporary hoopla I see today.  I imagine a much simpler time not filled with presents and merchandising, which allows me to appreciate the holiday's roots.  Enjoy this a Capella version by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.



Okay, so I was really, really torn with what version to post, so for this one time only, I also want to post the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version.  This version goes against the purpose of this post and negates what I said about the origins of celebrating Christmas as a holiday, but I love it, and it is the polar opposite of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version, which is almost like a completely different song all together, so enjoy.



11. "Do You Hear What I Hear?" lyrics by Noel Regney, music by Gloria Shayne Baker (1962).  I'm not really sure why I love this song so much.  I've tried to analyze it and pick it apart, but I just can't - it's a mystery.  All I know is that I was obsessed with this song for two Christmas's in a row during the late 1980's.  I actually have other songs I'm more obsessed with now, which should take this #11 spot, but I used to love this song so much, it seems like a crime not to list it before I reach #12.  So, here it is, as sung with elegance by Mr. Bing Crosby:



12. "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg (1980).  Some may or may not consider this a Christmas song just because it takes place on Christmas Eve, but they play it on KOST FM here in Southern California during their 24/7 Christmas song marathon, which runs from mid-November to December 25th every year, and that is where I first heard this song and fell in love with it immediately.  This is a chilling, haunting, but beautiful song.  I think it's the perfect song to end this series as it makes me feel the same way I feel when we reach the end of another year, reminding me how quick life goes by.  In my research for this song, I discovered Mr. Fogelberg had passed in December 2007 to prostate cancer.  He has a very large fan base and this is the song they chose for his tribute:



Well, sorry to end it on a downer but there you have it.  Of course, there are so many wonderful Christmas songs out there, I barely skimmed the surface.  I actually feel like I'm betraying other favorites like 'O, Holy Night', 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!' or 'The Christmas Song' but it wouldn't be the 12 Songs of Christmas with 13 or 14 songs... so too bad.  Maybe next year.

And if you actually sat there and listened to each and every one of these songs, I'd be amazed.