Being the Ricardos: An Exercise in Trust
During the height of Cold War paranoia, the American public heard a startling accusation: actress Lucille Ball is a member of the Communist Party. Being the Ricardos is Aaron Sorkin’s third feature as writer and director, and the film stars Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz. As much as Being the Ricardos is a … Continue reading Being the Ricardos: An Exercise in Trust
West Side Story: Musical on a Massive Scale
In this dynamic retelling of the seminal musical West Side Story, Steven Spielberg takes us to the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the mid-20th century as young lovers Tony and María forge a romance amid a hotbed of racial and economic tension. The film stars Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita … Continue reading West Side Story: Musical on a Massive Scale
STAR WARS REBELS Season One and How STAR WARS Was Saved
At the time Disney acquired Lucasfilm in late 2012, Star Wars was in a weird spot. The most popular multi-media franchise of all time up to that point had basically ended. George Lucas had publicly committed to not doing any more films and the only outlet for new storytelling of any real legitimacy to happen … Continue reading STAR WARS REBELS Season One and How STAR WARS Was Saved
SOLO and When Fan Service Goes Bad
Boy, this one’s frustrating. To start, I suppose I should address the elephant in the room: I’m not going to relitigate the director situation in this piece. I have my own theories on how it all went down, but the fact is that none of us know and none of us are likely to ever … Continue reading SOLO and When Fan Service Goes Bad
REVENGE OF THE SITH and the Terrible Burden of Expectations
For the most part I’ve made my peace with the Star Wars prequels. None of them are good, exactly, but Attack of the Clones deals with some interesting ideas and compelling themes hampered by shoddy execution; and The Phantom Menace is far better than its reputation would suggest thanks to imaginative visuals and a raw … Continue reading REVENGE OF THE SITH and the Terrible Burden of Expectations
THE CLONE WARS “Legacy” and the Show That Wouldn’t Be Cancelled
Star Wars: The Clone Wars was cancelled in 2013 following the conclusion of its fifth season, but it wasn’t finished – it continued with 13 additional episodes comprising the show’s sixth season. The Clone Wars finished its television run with the final episode of Season Six, but still the show was not done; truly The … Continue reading THE CLONE WARS “Legacy” and the Show That Wouldn’t Be Cancelled
THE CLONE WARS: “The Lost Missions” and the End of George Lucas’s STAR WARS
George Lucas officially stepped away from Star Wars in December of 2012, but that didn’t mean his influence over the series he created and guided over nearly 40 years would disappear overnight. In a very real way, The Clone Wars was Lucas’s final act in securing his legacy, chipping away at aspects of the Expanded … Continue reading THE CLONE WARS: “The Lost Missions” and the End of George Lucas’s STAR WARS
THE CLONE WARS Season Five and an Untimely End
Because I’m viewing the series in chronological order, for the purposes of this article, Season Five is defined as the episodes on this list beginning with “A War on Two Fronts” and ending with “The Wrong Jedi”. Throughout this series, I’ve talked a lot about The Clone Wars as a passing of the Star Wars … Continue reading THE CLONE WARS Season Five and an Untimely End
Incompletely Incredible – First Impressions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Hard to believe it’s been four years. When the announcement was made that Disney would acquire Lucasfilm, the question of a Star Wars themed land was not if, but when. At the D23 Expo in 2015, the land was officially announced, and now that when is here. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is officially open. Mostly. … Continue reading Incompletely Incredible – First Impressions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
David Daut 