It’s been nearly two years since I first wrote about Star Wars Uncut, the full-length feature consisting entirely of 15 second homemade clips in an attempt to recreate Episode IV: A New Hope as it was meant to be told, complete with campy acting and low-budget special effects. Personally I found the film to be equally hilarious, and painful to watch, but the very concept remains brilliant.  Recently, director Casey Pugh made a special directors cut available to stream online in its entirety. Funny, you’d think a film touting itself as being “uncut,” would, by definition, be the directors cut — I wonder how that works.  You can watch it here, but for more information on the project, check out their official site here.

[via movieviral]

Released only for the Japanese Sharp X68000 computer in 1991 from MNM Software, here’s a unique adaptation of the classic Star Wars arcade game rendered in vector graphics:

Here’s bit of sad news to start out the new year. Bob Anderson, Hollywood Sword Master and former Sith Lord passed away on Monday. The 89 year-old Olympian choreographed some of Hollywood’s most memorable fights, but is best known for his role as Darth Vader, having donned the mask for many of his iconic duels.

The number of awesome films he’s contributed to over the years is truly staggering. Films like Highlander, Die Another Day, and From Russia with Love, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Princess Bride — the list goes on. In addition to having competed in the 1952 Olympics, Anderson served as a member of Britain’s elite Royal Marines during World War II, suffice to say he lived quite the life. The man was incredibly talented and he’ll truly be missed.

It’s funny I always remember my sense of disappointment as a kid when looking at the amazing realistic cover art on videogames of that era and seeing what I perceived as the terrible lack of quality as to the 8-bit images that I’d see on the screen: So it’s a bit of a joy to reverse that in my later years and embrace the ugly pixels of days past. This 8-bit t-shirt collection does a nice job of taking Star Wars characters and converting them down from 70mm to good old fashioned 8-bit:

8-Bit Bounty Hunters

Vader Strangle Pixels

8-Bit Sand People

8-Bit Falcon

8-Bit Droid Probe

This falls into that category of “too cool not to post.” Ever want to see a bunch of Jedi ninjas battle to the death? Well, thanks to directors James Mark, Justin Lovell, you’ll get to. Featuring the martial arts performance squad Team 2X, this awesome short aims to recreate some of the stylized lightsaber combat featured in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It’s very reminiscent of those over-the-top lightsaber battles from the latest trilogy, but you have to admit those lightsaber duels were probably the best part of the films. Be sure to watch the clip all the way through, as there’s a pretty funny reveal around two minutes and twenty seconds in.

The year is 1980 and what you don’t quite understand as young fanboy is that your parents are dealing with a recession — so while you dream of giant Kenner playlets for your Land of the Jawas playset action figures instead you settle for using your imagination! Or at least that’s what your cash strapped parents told you to do, so alas the sandbox became Tatooine and when you were lucky to get a snow storm it was time to play on planet Hoth. Well through some magic we’ve come across three amazing vintage Kenner playsets from 1979 and 1980 — a magical time when the hype and merchandise machine for The Empire Strikes back was going into high gear:

The Kenner Star Wars Death Star Space Station (1979)

I’m really glad that Kenner mentioned that the Death Star was in fact a space station so your poor parents wouldn’t be confused when they were looking for something the size of a small planet. What I love about this cover is that we have it all: A Stormtrooper fires an impressive looking gun out of a window, underneath him we’ve got Luke and the Princess cheering on Darth and Obi Wan doing their lightsaber thing and then below we’ve got Han hanging out with Chewie and the trash while our two droids exit the elevator shaft. And to drive home just how cool this all is — two kids can play with the same toy and be 100% oblivious to each other.

And the back of the box features a groovy traced inked illustration of the front of the box. But what’s on the inside? Well here are a few of the surviving bits of the “space station”:

That’s right kids: Put that painted cardboard together and recreate your own Death Star! By the way I really feel sorry for the poor parents who didn’t read the fine print and didn’t realize that poor Timmy would need to have his own action figures in his existing collection. And here’s a vintage commercial showing the playset in action:

The Kenner Star Wars Land of the Jawas Action Playset (1979)

Our box cover features a solo child looking at an action packed droid flea-market! And as into emphasize the scale of the scene a giant Sandcrawler sits in the background. Notice how you get the idea that there must be something really cool on the inside of the Sandcrawler — after all there seem to be nothing but Jawas and droids coming out of it.

Now I’ve got to be honest: The desert in the foreground doesn’t look half bad when we get the box open — but that Sandcrawler seems a little bit shabby. So let’s take a closer look inside our Sandcrawler:

Man I knew those Jawas were able to drive a hard bargain — but I had no idea that their impressive vehicle was just a mere prop! But to be fair the “parts list” is well done enough to do double duty as a poster for any young fanboy who likes to do some coloring on the side:

And here’s a video tour of our playset:

The Kenner Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Hoth Ice Planet Adventure Playset (1980)

Clearly by 1980 the marketing department at Kenner was getting smarter at their package design: If you crop the picture of the kid out your audience can imagine themselves playing with the toy while you save the expense of a model release form. What I love about this shot is that there’s no mixing of non-snowgear clad action figures wandering on to the adventure set as they would in the real world world no doubt. And of course there is no mere “playset” but an ADVENTURE SET. And clearly you can see a dogfight going on above our AT-AT Walker. But now on to the reality inside the box:

I have to say that while this is cheap looking, it’s better in two ways: Unlike our Sandcrawler the AT-AT Walker had some dimension to it and there’s a nice background painting to set the mood if you need a Winter scene in the dead of Summer. It’s important to note that the one thing that Lucas did well was to make sure that he got the toy rights to Star Wars. And while these toys look cheap by the standards of today in fact they were high quality for their day. And I suspect the quality and sheer variety of the toys are part of what made Star Wars beloved to a generation that could feel that they owned the series through their playtime.

And lastly here’s a vintage commercial showing off the Hoth Ice Planet:

My research sources:

The Kenner Star Wars Death Star Space Station (1979)

The Kenner Star Wars Land of the Jawas Action Playset (1979)

The Kenner Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Hoth Ice Planet Adventure Playset (1980)

This is crude but brilliant — in the video below some talented computer science students from Poland recreate the Star Wars Imperial March with a set of floppy drives:

Found via Michelle Marie.

This ad campaign for Disney Star Wars Weekend is simply stellar!

Found via Morgan Abbou.

Check out that scowl. Here’s a look at Medicom’s Han Solo Ultimate Unison collectible figure. At just under a foot tall — 30 centimeters to be exact — this posable figure comes complete with everything you need to re-enact your favorite scenes from the films. Well, almost everything. He’s got his blaster, the removable camo jacket from Return of the Jedi and even his breathing apparatus from the asteroid sequence in Empire Strikes Back. He even comes with interchangeable hands. Unfortunately, the scowl has to stay. At least they did a fantastic job of capturing Harrison Ford’s handsome visage — even if he looks a little like Vigo the Carpathian. I just wish they had spent as much time touching up the rest of his skin to match, after all, the list price is set at ¥25,800, or $340 USD. For that price, you’d think they’d throw in a Wookie while they’re at it. Assuming you have the credits to afford one, you can pre-order it at AmiAmi, but don’t worry, you have plenty of time. The figure won’t be shipping until June 2012.

Earlier today, LucasFilm released the official trailer for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D. I’d post it here, but 20th Century Fox has spent most of the day removing it from YouTube. Besides, you’re not missing out on much since it only displays in 2D. That said, I’m not sure how many of you are really looking forward to seeing it again in 3D, especially given Lucas’ penchant for altering his films. Arguably, I don’t think The Phantom Menace could get any worse, but if anyone were to find a way, it’d be him — or Uwe Boll. Still, there still seems to be a market for these 3D conversions, so I’m sure there are some of you out there who just can’t wait. I’m skeptical, and just curious enough to give it a chance myself, and if the film ends looking good enough, I’m sure I’ll see the rest when they eventually hit the original saga. Sorry, I just don’t have any love of Anakin. If you still want to see the trailer, click here. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D opens nationwide on February 10th.

news via collider

Yeah, you read that right. Apparently George Lucas is bringing back our old demon-faced Sith pal for another go in the Clone Wars TV series. Now, I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure that Darth Maul was very recently dead, so there’ll have to be some downright Lucasian story leaps to make this happen. But hey, after how much of a wasted opportunity he was in The Phantom Menace, maybe he’ll do better this time around. Just kidding. That dude’s definitely gonna die by season’s end.

Michael Sacco is a freelance editor and writer.

At this year’s Christmas Toy Fair, Sega’s toy division showed off their officially licensed Star Wars R2-D2 Homestar Planetarium –  a R2-D2-shaped projector capable of displaying over 10,000 stars on the ceiling or wall of your choice. Despite that hefty number, the actual unit isn’t that big, only running on four AAA batteries. The projection only spans about five to seven and half feet depending, with a circumference of almost six feet around, perhaps making it more ideal for bedroom situations. Still, you have to admit the thought of having your own mini-R2 unit spitting the stars onto your ceiling would be sweet. It even includes the Death Star for good measure. The unit hit Japanese stores back in mid-September, but if you want to get your hands on one, you can always import it. It’ll cost ~$87 USD before tax, so it isn’t cheap, but importing toys rarely is.

video via diginfo

It’s true that anyone can collect toys or take up photography, but using both to craft your art requires a bit of talent and creativity. Vesa Lehtimäk understands that. Known to most as Avanaut, Vesa’s spent the last few years photographing his kid’s toys, which include everything from their stuffed animals to Star Wars. He employs excellent use of landscapes and lighting, often to dramatic effect. In short, many of his galleries are breathtaking despite the fact that many of these toys by themselves fail to impress when looked upon with our naked eye. While I’d love to post every single photo he’s taken, it behoove you to follow his tweets, or visit his flickr account. If you’d like to own a print or postcard, several of his works are also available through RedBubble.

One again, the guys at Major League Mods have given Fanboy a peek at their latest work — a special Star Wars-themed surround sound system. This simple 200 watt 2.1 setup features two TIE fighter satellite speakers and  a subwoofer modeled after, you guessed it, the Death Star itself. If you’re concerned about how they sound, each TIE fighter comes equipped with a Yamaha 2¾ inch mid-range and 1 inch dome tweeter with built-in crossovers. The Death Star sub comes with a 6½ inch driver, a full set of control knobs and switches — power, treble, bass, and so on — and features a custom paint job by Nub Graffix. In addition to the RCA inputs for the satellites, there’s also an auxiliary headphone jack for your favorite iDevice.

It might not be as powerful as any five or six speaker set, but its still potent enough to deliver. If you’d like to see or hear it for yourself, Major League Mods will have a booth at New York Comic Con on October 13th through 16th.  If you take the time to stop by, they’ll even let you enter for a chance to win one of their custom R2-D2 Xbox 360s. And, finally, if you’d like to get in touch with them about possibly building you a custom in the future, you can visit their official website for more information.

Regardless of how you feel about the whole My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic thing, you have to admit that this scene from a recent episode, a parody of Star Wars’ ending scene, is pretty much pitch-perfect. Perhaps the world doesn’t need yet another Star Wars parody/homage/reference/whatever, but hey, if you’re gonna do it, you might as well do it right, and it looks like that’s what happened here. Side note: I feel like Vader probably would have made being a “brony” against Imperial law. That’s at least one thing he and I would agree on.

Michael Sacco is a freelance editor and writer, currently working as senior editor at WoW Insider, part of the Joystiq network.

I’ve been trying to convince myself to overlook Lucas’ edits, but I really haven’t found a reason until now. It seems as though the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special – or at least, the portion of it featuring the introduction of Boba Fett — has been included as a hidden treat. The Easter Egg can be found on the bonus disc for the Original Trilogy by accessing the archive for Episode V. After that, navigate your way to “Pursued by the Imperial Fleet,” access “The Collection,” then select Boba Fett’s prototype costume. A menu then pops up on the right with the option “First Look” which will treat you to a short introduction that leads to the Holiday Special. If you’ve never seen the special before, be prepared to be disappointed. The voice acting is terrible, and the plot is a little lame, but it’s a piece of history that rarely sees the light of day. There’s probably going to be more Easter Eggs hidden away, but I doubt any of them could be as pleasing as this one.

via ign

Our favorite Mandalorian bounty hunter is back with this 12-inch exclusive from Sideshow Collectibles. Back in 2007, Medicom released a similar limited edition Boba Fett and while that figure sold exceptionally well, it’s become rather difficult to come by. Thankfully, this upcoming Sideshow exclusive may ease the pain by giving us a welcome alternative. Not only is it an adequate replacement, but the figure might even be more detailed than its Medicom predecessor. For example, his armor seems to be properly distressed, while his pants feature that dirt-stained look for added realism. It also seems to pose well in case you’re fond of photography.

Those of you looking to pick one up should sign up for a Sideshow Collectibles newsletter in order to gain priority access. The figure’s priced at a hefty $174.99 and will be available for pre-order to news letter subscribers starting Friday, September 16th at 10 AM PST. If you can’t that right away, Sideshow also allows you to pay in installments, but I’d recommend avoiding debt if possible. For those of you who want to take your chances, you’ll have to check the Sideshow website for more information.

Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, several outlets he’s written for include the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator, and the collectible toy culture site Tomopop. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.

He’s done it again. Check out one of the latest sets of Star Wars customs from Sillof’s Workshop. This time the theme’s centered around 1940s pulp sci-fi. He does a fantastic job of capturing that retro aesthetic made popular by serials like Buck Rodgers and Flash Gordon. Come to think of it, I’m sure if Star Wars had been filmed in the late ’30s or early ’40s, Buster Crabbe would have been cast as a dashing and slightly cut Luke Skywalker. I’m not sure I’d want to sit through a trilogy of him dressed in tanned tights, but I suppose it wouldn’t look as gaudy if it were in black and white. Any way, check out the rest of these fantastic figures at Sillof’s official website. I just wish he’d strike a deal with Lucas Arts to manufacture them. Who wouldn’t totally buy these?

found via Rampaged Reality

Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, several outlets he’s written for include the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator, and the collectible toy culture site Tomopop. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.

I love Star Wars as much as anyone, but I’ve never really given much thought to the actual work that went into building its universe. I know the films like the back of my hand, but I really couldn’t tell you how to construct your own droid or build a sand palace. I simply wouldn’t know where to start. That’s where a copy of Star Wars: The Blueprints comes in hand. Literally 336 pages of content with over 500 photos,  and illustrations detailing over 250 designs unique to the Star Wars universe. With a limited run of only 5000 copies at $500 a pop — the first 125 actually come signed and hand-numbered for $1000 each — I probably won’t be able to score a copy for myself but serious collectors will want to take note. The book itself comes hand-crafted with a special dyed-cloth case, along with the certificate of authenticity included as well. I can’t imagine many of you wanting invest in a copy, but if you’re crazy enough to buy one, here’s a link to the order form.

It’s true, he does. At least, that’s probably what you should tell your kids if you catch them thinking he’s cool. If you’ve found yourself wondering how to introduce your kids to the holy trilogy and its prequels, the guys at Asylum are here to help. Their PSA highlights just how difficult it can be to raise a kid in a post-Special Edition world. Important issues are covered such Han’s trigger finger, Anakin’s appearance in Return of the Jedi, and Vader’s identity — Revenge of the Sith kind of ruined that, didn’t it? Just do me a favor and don’t dress up like Jar Jar to scare you kids. Those scars could last forever.

Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, several outlets he’s written for include the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator, and the collectible toy culture site Tomopop. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.

I admit that I loved Joel Schreiber’s Death Troopers. It certainly wasn’t the most original concept I’ve ever come across, but the idea of taking Star Wars and adding a bit of horror to the mix seemed to work well enough. Better yet, the story gave us a familiar setting without relying too heavily on established characters — aside from a well-scripted cameo which I refuse to spoil for any of you. Unfortunately, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to read it again. Since its release, there has been an unfortunate increase in zombie fiction. So much so, that I feel it’s over-saturated the market — a shame since Schreiber just released his Death Troopers prequel Red Harvest. It looks interest enough, set in the Old Republic and centered around the Sith and the origins of the virus from the first novel. A few years ago, the very concept of zombie Sith would have sold me on the novel alone, but these days I can’t even bring myself to read a proper summary, let alone recommend it anyone else. I suppose if you’re big on zomibification, you’ll want to check out a copy at your local bookstore, or pick up the ebook online. There’s also an Audiobook for those of you who’re too lazy to read. At least it might have some creepy music in the background to help you through it.l

Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, several outlets he’s written for include the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator, and the collectible toy culture site Tomopop. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.

I’m having trouble imagining a plot device convoluted enough to produce the image above, but then again, Star Wars non-film media has definitely erred on the side of “x character goes to the Dark Side for some reason,” so I’m sure this has happened in print at some point. Credit goes to Phil Noto for this great image. At least he had the courtesy not to give her the cinnamon-bun haircut. That probably would have reduced the badassedness a bit.

Michael Sacco is a freelance editor and writer, currently working as senior editor at WoW Insider, part of the Joystiq network.

These Star Wars hoodies look cool by themselves, but every image I’ve seen of someone wearing one has them looking like a Japanese Sentai hero, or a Mexican Luchador.  I really can’t decide if I want one or not. On some level, looking like a Sentai might be awesome, but you’d also look like the least intimidating thief to ever step in a 7-Eleven. If it’s looking like a superhero we’re worried about, we may as well pick up one of these officially licensed Marvel hoodies instead. Sure, they don’t provide a makeshift helmet, but at least they look silk enough to wear out on a regular basis — the Spider-Man ones do, any way.  If you’re looking to pick one up yourself, each of these hoodies will run you $49.99 via ThinkGeek.

Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, he serves as Features and Reviews Editor for the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.

Okay, it’s not really a full film, just a trailer — but seriously, can we please start up a Kickstarter project to fund a full-length feature? I love the joking conspiracy theory that the George Lucas from the original Star Wars prequels and Indiana Jones was kidnapped and replaced with a pod!George who released the prequels and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. What’s not to love?

Created by one slick gigolo (no, really), the trailer posits George Lucas’ life as one big conspiracy thriller, more along the lines of The Fugitive than The Bourne Conspiracy. And it’s hilarious. So check it out, and give some props to SlickGigolo by passing it along.

Gia Manry is a Texas-based geek who you can hire. Or you could just follow her on Twitter.

As Jabba would tell you, nothing says you’re the boss like your very own smuggler frozen in carbonite. Sure, you could just mount him on the wall of your pleasure palace, but why not find a more practical use for it? The guys at Tom Spina Designs did when they created their own custom Han Solo carbonite desk. It’s truly an amazing piece of functional fanboy art, I just wonder how much they’d charge us for one of our own. I wasn’t able to find a price quote on their official site, but they do have plenty of other great props, and furniture you can browse. After all, why wouldn’t you want your own galactic throne.

Tom Spina Designs via Collider

Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, he contributes to the ModernMethod Network of sites as the Features and Reviews Editor for the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator. He’s also an Assocaite Editor for their popular gaming blog, Destructoid, and the collectible toy culture blog, Tomopop. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.