Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

This entry is part 4 of 8 in the series Star Wars

The iconic scrolling text at the beginning of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith makes it very clear where we are in the Star Wars story. The first word is stark. War!

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

This entry is part 3 of 8 in the series Star Wars

The second episode in the Star Wars saga is a big improvement on its predecessor, The Phantom Menace. Gone is the dull and convoluted trading dispute plot…

A cappella tribute to John Williams

This entry is part 1 of 8 in the series Star Wars

One of my friends shared this video with me when he found out I was going to be watching and reviewing all six Star Wars films this week. It’s a four piece a cappella tribute to John Williams which made me laugh but also appreciate the talent of the guy involved. Enjoy.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

This entry is part 2 of 8 in the series Star Wars

With the release of the complete Star Wars saga on Blu-Ray imminent it seems like the perfect time to re-watch all six films. In story rather than release order….

The Top 10 Summer Blockbusters

Summer blockbusters

IIt’s summer and we all know what that means – long sunny days, plenty of fresh air and good clean outdoor pursuits. Oh yes, and hours of fun inside an air-conditioned cinema with popcorn, hot dogs and a rattling good summer blockbuster.

There are two main seasons for film releases. In order to qualify for Oscar consideration films must have a theatrical run in Los Angeles County between 1st January and 31st December. This generally means that studios release their worthy, serious films in November and December to keep them fresh in the minds of the Academy voters. If you take a look at the winter releases you can pretty much tell which movies will be the stars of the awards season in the spring but summer is the time for the big-budget, big-star name, big entertainment blockbusters to be released. Also known as the films that we actually pay to go and see….

I have some rules for what can be regarded as a true summer blockbuster. They’re pretty arbitrary, not everyone is going to agree….

It has to be an action film, no romances in my lists
It has to be a film I could watch over and over again – it can’t be a blockbuster if one viewing is enough
It’s not an animation (no matter how good it is)
The time of year matters – Die Hard is a brilliant, brilliant film but it’s set at Christmas, not summer
There has to be personality in there, no pointless sequels churned out just for filthy lucre.

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