Column
Raiders of the Lost Ark Is a Theme Park Ride – and Cinematic Marvel
Raiders of the Lost Ark is 40 years old this June. It is a masterpiece. It was the highest-grossing movie of the year ...
Column
Return of the Jedi Reduced Star Wars to a Repeatable Formula
For better and for worse, Return of the Jedi gave us the Star Wars that fans have today. When critics discuss the history ...
Column
The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker, and What It Means to Be a Good Sequel
Even after its release on home media, the debate around Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker continues — and The Last Jedi by ...
Column
A Defense of the Existence of Ewoks in Return of the Jedi
Everybody knows the oft-cited reasons that the Ewoks suck. These have practically become an accepted part of Star Wars lore. Part of the ...
Column
The Rise of Skywalker Can Correct Return of the Jedi’s Failings
The trailers for The Rise of Skywalker suggest that the Star Wars franchise is still grappling with the legacy of Return of the ...
In the Frame
The Empire Strikes Back Created the Modern Film Franchise
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas effectively invented the modern blockbuster with their work on Jaws and Star Wars respectively, establishing a reliable template ...
Movies & TV
Bob Iger: George Lucas Was Disappointed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens
It seems trivial after the rampant controversy over whether or not Star Wars: The Last Jedi was actually a brilliant meta film on the ...
Column
The Last Jedi Completed Luke Skywalker’s Journey
Luke Skywalker played an important role in the defeat of the Empire in the original Star Wars trilogy, and Star Wars: The Force ...
Column
Game of Owns: Why It’s Worth Surrendering Control of Game of Thrones
It started with sprinkles. I was visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida and had ordered a Butterbeer ice ...
News
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Might Live Again
The best Star Wars moments exude meaning beyond their original context. Think of when Kylo Ren tells Rey: “Let the past die. Kill ...
Movies and TV
How Star Wars Ruined Christmas, and Vice Versa
The Star Wars Holiday Special is not merely a made-for-TV Star Wars tie-in broadcast on CBS in 1978. It is a nightmare come ...
GDC 2014
LucasFilm Games “Did It Anyway, and It Worked!”
At the start of the video game industry in the early 80s, George Lucas invested in game development and let them do whatever ...