November! And Star Wars Shortened.

It's November! After we've all recovered from the Halloween induced sugar coma, it's time to start thinking about Turkeys, pumpkin pies, finishing up those final term papers, finishing up those grad school apps, studying for the GRE, and maybe squeezing in some time in-between to work on my Nanowrimo novel (National novel writing month). But most importantly November means: Star Wars!
What? You're not following that logic you say? Well, if you'll recall, I did post about this November/Thanksgiving connection with Star Wars a couple years ago. It is an unwritten tradition in my family to watch at least one Star Wars movie at Thanksgiving. (The other holiday where this tends to happen is Memorial Day, near the anniversary of when the original trilogy came out).
So to get into the Star Wars-y mood, I stumbled across these brilliant videos: Star Wars Shortened. Three guys act out in abridged form all six movies within 20 minutes. And the results are very clever and hilarious. I especially like how they express Episode II: Attack of the Clones, through song. It being possibly the worst of the Star Wars prequels, that is all it needed. The lightheartedness mixed with the solemn with which they handle their version of these films is phenomenal and a must watch.

As American as Apple Pie

It's the fourth of July! The day our country declared that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

So today I am going to list a few things that to me are just American-ness at it's best. Now these are not the stereotypical things people think of when they think of America. There's definitely more to this country than eagles, George Washington and loud tourist clothing.

So what do I deem filled with Americana?

#1. Bruce Springsteen.
Now I know most people think of genuine American music as country, but Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is THE American Band. All of his songs just have an American feel to them and fill you with that fervor that makes you feel glad to live in this country. Even if he does sing about the grittier side of our country, it's still super American. The song that epitomizes this feeling the most, is I would have to say, "Born to Run."

#2. School House Rock
Where else did we learn not only grammar and math, but American history? It's one of the only chances we had as kids to see our cartoon Founding Fathers dancing like chickens and pursuing happiness.

#3 1776-the musical
Here we also get to see dancing and singing Founding Fathers. Not to mention that they weren't all that different from us. They had tempers, emotions and crazy personalities. And that Congress wasted just as much time back then. Plus it made politics look really fun. Not to mention I fell in love with John and Abigail Adams and how sweetly their marriage was portrayed.

#4 The Music Man
This movie is just the epitome of small town America. Which is why I love it. Of the times on family road trips, when we have driven through Gary Indiana, or Iowa, we always think of it fondly.

#5 Norman Rockwell Paintings
He captured the hometown family feel of America perfectly. His iconic images portray a simpler and happier time, but I think that it still exists in America today.#6 Will Smith
Because he is little Willie from Philly, the All-American boy. And he also is the hero in many films, particularly Independence Day seems rather relevant.


#7 Liberty's Kids
Because this show was just awesome. It was funny, cheesy, and taught us lots of cool things about the American Revolution. Not to mention it had a wicked theme song.

#8 American Girl, by Tom Petty
This song is just plain awesome and pretty full of American-ness.

#9 Chuck Taylor Converse All-stars
Because these sneakers are so comfortable, just plain awesome, and superly American. And they come in lots of different colors so you can get red, white and blue if you so desire.


#10 Wizard of Oz
This is THE American fairy-tale. It had the best characters and who didn't want ruby slippers after watching it? The little Kansas farm girl going on a strange and wondrous adventure. Very American.

#11 Star Wars
I couldn't resist doing a #11, and if the Wizard of Oz is the American fairy-tale, Star Wars is the American epic mythology. It's the American ideal, a small-town farm boy going up against the evil Empire. That's what's great about America, we fight for the little guy.

Happy Independence day to all! God Bless our wonderful country, the United States of America!

A Thanksgiving Skywalker Special

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating food, family, and football. One of the things that come to my mind at the thought of this holiday in addition to the above mentioned alliterative threesome is Star Wars. Yes, I do mean the epic, dramatic, and at times campy silliness that is George Lucas’ classic saga of the triumph of good over evil. If thanksgiving is about family, then yes, this is in part because of an unnamed tradition, largely spurred on by my mother’s side of the family, of watching at least one volume of this excellent saga. Star Wars is excellent family fare, and not necessarily the nerdy bantha fodder it’s made out to be.

Star Wars is the Galactic saga with something for everyone in the words of the Grandfather in Princess Bride, it has: torture, revenge, chases, escapes, true love, miracles. However, the prequels can be too political and full of the cheesiest lines in the galaxy. The Prequels’ only saving graces are Yoda fighting like a wicked awesome little Tasmanian devil, Natalie Portman as Padme, Liam Neeson as Qui Gon Jin, Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, a fully gadgeted R2D2, and the best light saber fight ever in Phantom Menace with Darth Maul and his double bladed light saber.

I side with the rebel alliance of the original trilogy, because after all, we know that these campier older movies had the best dialogue and the cleverest plots. Who wouldn’t want to team up with guys like Han Solo and Chewbacca and fight the Empire? I must say, having some silly droids along the way would help as well. And I’m sure inside every little girl, there is a Princess Leia. She is a lot tougher than her politically driven mom, because in an era where politics is corrupt, some skill with a hair-dryer-like weapon and bagel-bun hair are a must. And as we all have discovered, it is so much better to be Leia than it is to be Padme, because she has a much better and fulfilling relationship (if not funny and full of more clever playful banter) with Han Solo than Padme had with Anakin. On the one hand you have Harrison Ford, on the other you have wooden-voiced, bad-acting, brooding Haden Christianson. You make the call.

The transcending message of all six of these films is tremendous. Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side as a result of giving into his own anger and desire for revenge. But he is also fuelled in his turning away from the light by the conniving worm-tongue like Senator Palpatine (who eventually proclaims himself Emperor of the new Galactic Empire, doing away with the Old Galactic Republic). Anakin is encouraged by Yoda and the other Jedi to become detached, and not be so preoccupied with saving those he loves and cares about. In the end, he is so bent on keeping Padme from dying, that his own turn to the evil dark side in order to protect her, ends up saddening and killing her. So he brought about the death of the very person he was trying to save. However, we all know, as Luke says, “There is still some good in him.” Because by the end of Return of the Jedi, it is his character of caring about those he loves that saves him, and rids himself of the evil influence of Palpatine forever. When Darth Vader sees his son Luke being tortured by Palpatine, the old good feelings of Anakin overpower the confused and mutilated feelings he had as Darth Vader. He reaches out to defend his son, throwing Palpatine down the endless pit thing. Even though by doing so he destroys the very machinery that has kept him alive. In the end, Anakin redeems himself, and tries to undo the very evil and anger that had influenced his actions for so long. So, contrary to the old Yoda’s beliefs that detachment will save him, it is love and self-sacrifice that redeems Anakin Skywalker.

And as a final word to my fellow rebels, since we all know that the little farm-boy from a moisture farm on Tatooine triumphs over the creepy, power hungry Senator aka Emperor Palpatine. So no more whining that we would rather go down to the Tosche Station to pick up some power converters, let’s get out there and be rebels and join the Light side. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may the force be with you!