Star Wars

Greatest Hits: Star Wars

Posted on by Josef Havelka

If I didn’t include Star Wars in my greatest hits, there would definitely be something wrong.

Star Wars has been a big part of my life. In 2017 I spoke of everything that inspired me- from my car to decorating our home: My Enjoyment of Star Wars.

A couple of years ago, Towel Day fell on the 45th anniversary of Star Wars. 45 Years Towel Day is reference to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy- a pertinent part of the life I have with my wife.

Not only is Towel Day significant, but so is Star Wars Day. A day that I set aside a few hours to enjoy the franchise in one way or another.

In video games, my name is Deathstar1138. I have passed it onto my son and he carries on the legacy.

Disneyland improved on my already favorite genre and created Galaxy’s Edge. A couple years prior to that, we immersed ourselves in The Void and had our own Star Wars Adventure.

Last year, my daughter’s friend got us seats to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, where we enjoyed a live performance of the music whilst watching the film:Darwin/Daddy Day.

I have plenty more blog posts regarding Star Wars, just do a quick search and you will see. But even as the franchise is a favorite of mine, I still wrote blogs about plenty of other things.

Getting into characters is also a ton of fun. Tomorrow, let me share with you about Cosplay.

Rogue One? Rogue GOne

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today I really had to go and say goodbye to my beloved Rogue One. I was sadder than I expected considering it’s just a car. But it was my car and I displayed within it my love of Star Wars.

Seeing it dismantled kind of sucked. Knowing that it will never be put back together, and that it is being sent away as scrap bothered me a bit. At least today I was able to do one last sweep of my belongings and say farewell to a trusted friend.

No Mo’ Rogue

As with all things that come to an end, I wish there was more that I could have done to prevent this. But hindsight is 20/20. For a vehicle that I owned for a little over seven years, it did me quite well. Plenty of road trips had with this vehicle. And plenty of car sickness- even on the first day my son threw up in the car. These are the memories I’ll cherish most.

Now to find a new form of transportation. I’m sure something will sing to me. Perhaps a sequel to Rogue One or maybe a prequel. I’ll know soon enough. But nothing will ever be the same as my SLAwd.

Darwin/Daddy Day

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Thursday I spent a good portion of my day with my middle child. We went to look for a pinball machine, bought some party favors for the weekend, and then headed into downtown Vancouver. I never bought a pinball machine, but it was good to get out and look. The party favor store was silly and tacky, but we laughed a lot. But the end of my day? That was the best part of the day!

Darwin’s high school best friend is a part of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and she gave Darwin two tickets to see their performance. The VSO played the orchestral music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens while the film was shown on the big screen. Darwin was super happy to take me because of my love of Star Wars!

I was supper happy to go because of my love of Star Wars! I also enjoy orchestras and am always supporting the arts. It was a great show. The audience was full of energy and cheers throughout the performance. It was the best way to experience a film with such a commanding score.

I was really impressed and proud of Darwin’s friend Brooklyn. She has pushed herself to success ever since I can recall. I am happy that she thought of both Darwin and I when it came to the idea of Star Wars and the VSO. That brought me joy.

Walking back to the car, I realized that my life with my kids is changing. It’s not always me doing things for them. They are now doing kind things for me and with me. I had a great time walking and talking with Darwin as we went to the show and headed home. Quality time that I cherish and love.

And the live performance of Star Wars was pretty amazing!

Star Wars Day 2023: Immersed in Galaxy’s Edge

Posted on by Josef Havelka

May The Fourth Be With You!

Today is Star Wars Day. This year I’m not doing any cosplay like I have in the past. Instead I’m just going to enjoy the weekend with a couple of buddies tomorrow as we watch an unedited version of the original trilogy.

Obviously I love Star Wars. When Disneyland opened up Galaxy’s Edge, I was giddy with excitement. When we went last summer- I got to meet Chewbacca once more! It was loads of fun.

Getting immersed in the Star Wars universe was a great experience. When I go back to Disneyland, I will definitely be there again to see more of the land. There is just so many amazing details that make it feel as if you have transported to another galaxy.

I’d love to one day be a bigger part of Star Wars. Maybe I’ll get a job in Disneyland when I retire and can wander around the land in character form. That would seriously be my dream job. Hanging out at Galaxy’s Edge all the time- in Disneyland as well! That’s like a two-for-one kind of dream!

Happy Star Wars Day everyone!

May The Fourth Be With You

Gifts For This 47 Year Old

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I want to take the time today to express gratitude to those who gave me birthday gifts this year. Even as I approach 50 and I can pretty much buy whatever I want- there are gifts that are given to me that prove that people know me quite well.

I did buy myself a record player, and hit up some vinyl stores in Calgary. This was a gift to myself, but my wife approved the purchase in advance knowing how much I wanted a new record player. This one has Bluetooth technology and I took the afternoon on Friday to enjoy some music. There’s something nostalgic and wonderful when you hear a crackle of old records through the speakers.

Deathnote

My middle child re-gifted back to me my “Deathnote” notebook. Only this time, they had taken it to Fan Expo and had the voice actors of three of the characters autograph the inside it. That was awesome and humorous if you know what the anime/manga series is about.

Our youngest gave me some artwork from Akira. A beautiful print that I want to get framed and hung up. This was one of the first anime films I ever saw which blew my mind. Prior to this film, I had seen a few different series, but this one holds a place in my heart.

Star Wars in Original Format

A last minute gift that was given to me from the friend we were staying with- was right up my alley. We had been talking and he mentioned he had copies of the original Star Wars trilogy in high resolution. Unaltered by Lucas- taken from original film and captured in almost 4k format. As if watching the films for the first time in the theater back in the 70’s and 80’s. I am saving watching these for Star Wars Day later this year.

It was a good birthday for gift receiving. Thank you again to everyone who reached out to me wishing me a happy birthday.

Gonk

Posted on by Josef Havelka

So last week we returned from Disneyland and I was inspired by Galaxy’s Edge to finish a project I started last year. My own Gonk.

I had collected parts over the last year to create my little droid. Mostly greebles and a couple of tubs put together in a random fashion. I added hinges to the tubs so that I could use it for storage. I glued and screwed the parts together. I used some bondo on the sides to clean it up.

I put the little dude together and gave him a coat of grey primer spray paint. It already looked pretty good once it went grey. But I wanted to add some more detail in the painting.

I tested some coloring on the top and bottom in order to make it look like a rust bucket. I prefer the way the top half turned out. The bottom was a bit too much. So I’ll re-paint it eventually. But for now, my little Gonk is going to greet me in the garage whenever I return home. It just needs a name.

Disneyland 2022: Day 3- Another Disney Day

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We just finished our third day in a row at the Disneyland Park. We were there bright and early again. In fact, we were able to get to rope drop and be first in line.

Once the rope dropped, we hustled to Galaxy’s Edge and got onto Rise of the Resistance without stopping. That walk took us six minutes and was worth the rush.

Most of our day was casually hitting a few rides, meeting some characters and eating. Theory got a set of ears and had them embroidered. We got lucky and we arrived in Tomorrowland just after Space Mountain had broken down. As our son walked up to ask if they knew how long it would be down for- the ride reopened. Again, we walked right on to the ride. Once it was over, three of us walked right back on before the line grew once more.

The rest of the afternoon was shopping, followed by hours at Galaxy’s Edge. Our two kids decided that they wanted to build their own Lighsabers. Which was a pretty cool experience.

For day three, we had a pretty good time. Now onto our fourth and final day!

Disneyland 2022: Day 1 In The Park

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We arrived early at the park and were second in line to have our tickets scanned. Then it was off to rope drop on Main Street. Once that occurred- it was a mad rush to our first ride: Rise Of The Resistance.

Afterwards was some fun wandering Galaxies Edge and getting onto Smuggler’s Run twice without much wait. Along the way, a Wookiee joined us. That was magical.

Then it was off to the other rides. Loads of smiles as we waited in the stand-by lines. Surprisingly the wait times were not as bad as the app was telling us. We did have a couple longer waits, but nothing exceeded 40 minutes.

Even with one ride crapping out- only lasting five minutes. But we were ready to wait for Space Mountain. Mostly because of the air conditioning. It was mid-afternoon and hot!

The end of our evening was spent in Fantasyland. Followed by a picnic dinner as we sat waiting for the Main Street Electrical Parade. It’s a neat experience to watch as the lights begin to turn on throughout the park from a central location.

After the evening ended, we snuck in another couple of rides followed by some gift shop wandering. A short nap (aka sleep) and we are off to Day 2: California Adventure.

Towel Day and 45 Years of Star Wars

Posted on by Josef Havelka

What a day to be a sci-fi nerd. I was so excited about this day I began writing this blog a year prior. But then I hit a writer’s block and that was the only sentence I wrote all year. Or I just procrastinated. Either way, I fished writing it today.

As many folks know by now, I love Star Wars. It has been around for 45 years as of today. I could go on and on about this science fiction fantasy universe, but I won’t do that today. I already celebrated May 4th.

More importantly- Today is Towel Day! This one is really significant to me. Our oldest received their name from book five of the trilogy. In my opinion- Random is one of the greatest names in this day and age. Random can choose a new name at random and no one would question it. Random can do random things and again, kind of difficult to question. But most of all, Random has suited their name since my wife first agreed to the name a little over 20 years ago.

21 years ago, Douglas Adams passed away at age 49. He was the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Or H2G2. A comedic series of books about the absurdity of the universe. I had recently re-read the novels when he passed. A short time later, the universe clobbered me with a 2×4 and was about to make me a father for the first time. Naturally, I wanted the universe to know that I was game and ready to play along. Random would become the greatest gift and biggest hurdle for my life. Which has brought me to this bit of wisdom:

As significant as today is, and how nerdy it is, one must always be prepared for adventure- so remember to bring a towel. It may just save your life!

Or perhaps just use a clean towel to dry off. That’s important too.

May 4th- This Is My Favorite Day

Posted on by Josef Havelka

It’s here! The bestestest day of the year! May the Fourth- aka STAR WARS DAY!

As you might be able to tell, I am a bit of a fan of Star Wars. It all started in the early 80’s thanks to my father. It was Christmas of 1981. We got a VHS VCR for Christmas. With it, my father had somehow rented 3 videos over the holidays. One of which was Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Five and a half year old me was blown away by it. This was- and still is- my favorite film of the series over the past forty years. I watched the movie at least a half dozen times over Christmas. A couple of years later, my mother took me to see Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in the theater. Shortly after that were a couple of TV movies made of The Ewoks. I remember recording them on videotape and watching repeatedly with my younger sister.

Over the years I have picked up artwork, mugs, movies, and toys that celebrate Star Wars. I never got into the action figures, even though I had bought a bunch in the mid-90’s from that run. I had them still in packages for years and ended up donating them one Christmas to a toy drive. I did keep a couple for my kids to play with. No need to keep things in a box when it’s meant to be enjoyed!

Nearly twenty years ago, I picked up my first replica lightsaber. The joy it has brought me is immeasurable. So I got more and started a collection- just like General Grievous. They are now on display in my son’s room. Passing on a love of Star Wars to my kids has also brought me joy.

My son has taken over my moniker for video games as well. Deathstar1138 was my PlayStation 3 name. He has since used it for his Instagram and other accounts. Our oldest has also grown very fond of Star Wars (and movies in general) because of my passion for it.

At one point in my life I was working at a multiplex cinema which opened the day Episode One came out in 1999. Admittedly, that isn’t one of the best movies in the universe of Star Wars, but it does have a place in my heart. Just like those Ewok films…

Over the next couple of days, I will rewatch many of the films. By the end of the weekend I will have my fill of everything Star Wars for a few months. Then it will be the excitement of visiting Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland that will start it all over again.

Until then, Happy Star Wars Day! And May The Fourth Be With You!

12

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Twelve. One dozen.

The amount of days remaining until we move. So I decided that for the final countdown (BA DA BOO-BOO…BA DA BOO-BOO-BOO) I would share something about each number for the days remaining that makes me happy.

With twelve being such a great number- My daughter suggested talking about the movie “12 Monkeys” since I enjoyed it so much. And it’s eerily poignant with today’s world. But I thought why not talk about how Sesame Street made me love pinball? That’s a bit more fun.

It’s all because of “One two three four five… six seven eight nine ten… eleven twel-el-el-el-el-elve.“ Such a ridiculous cartoon teaching kids to count. But it worked. And the song is forever ingrained inside the brains of any child of the 80’s.

I have a love of pinball because of this. It is my go-to gaming in arcades. I have always wanted a pinball machine. Perhaps one day I will get one. I have also bought pinball video games because I enjoy those as well.

Alien Crush was on the Turbografx16 and I won a contest playing it. Kirby’s Pinball Land on Gameboy filled hours of boredom (my daughter has since destroyed my high scores on that one). As well, I would spend hours upon hours of playing 3D Pinball Space Cadet on Windows (pre-Internet days). But my wife treated me to something truly amazing.

Star Wars VR Pinball on the Oculus. Not only do you play pinball, but you also get to set up a really cool Star Wars Den. The pinball game has a variety of views making it truly immersive. I’ve only played a couple of times, but I am looking forward to playing some more in the near future.

My love of pinball coincides with the number twelve. And with 12 days to go, I look forward to relaxing with some vr pinball in our new place.

Always Two, There Are

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Star Wars Day began a few years ago. “May The Fourth be with you.” Star Wars fans expanded it to include a few more days. I suspect that’s because the SW universe keeps expanding and there is so much Star Wars entertainment to enjoy now.

Today is “Revenge of the Sixth” and yesterday was “Revenge of the Fifth.” Sounds silly to some folks. But fans of the series know this to be true because of what Yoda said when speaking about the Sith (the bad guys for those not following Star Wars lore).

“Always two, there are. No more. No less. A Master and an apprentice.“

I enjoy my fandom and the fun we have. Every one of us expresses our love of Star Wars in many different ways. From quoting movies to tattoos to costuming and prop making. Whatever the case may be- Star Wars is a lifestyle that many of us live.

What is your way of showing your love of Star Wars? How many days do you celebrate the franchise?

May The Fourth Be With You

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today is Star Wars Day. One of my favorite non-holiday dates. I generally like to celebrate with a viewing of a few of the Star Wars Universe films. Plus Star Wars related food stuff.

Later today I will be watching the first episode of the animated series, “The Bad Batch” that is released on Disney+. My son is excited about the show, so I want to share in his enthusiasm. I have not watched much in the way of any Star Wars animated shows, so this will be a good father/son bonding moment.

Like Darth and Luke joining forces to rule the universe as Father and Son…

What are your plans for Star Wars Day? What is your favorite Star Wars film/show? Let me know in the comments.

Deathstar 1138

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As many folks who know me may have guessed- I enjoy Star Wars. I have shared numerous memories here in my blog. But one of the things I am happiest about is that my love of Star Wars has been passed on to my children.

The one thing that got passed on rather surprised me. I had created a username on the PlayStation 3 when my son was about two or three years of age. It was a name that I continued using when we purchased the PlayStation 4. The user name is DEATHSTAR1138. A nod to George Lucas. Both with Star Wars and another of his films: THX 1138.

Over the past few years, my son has been playing video games under my user name. But what is even better, is that he continued with that user name into his Instagram account. It appears that this username is now being passed down from one generation to another. Long live Deathstar1138.

I’m not a big video gamer, so my son is more than welcome to keep using the name. I always thought the name to be quite clever. But I’m a nerd like that.

Have you given up your username to your kids? Do you think you might at some point?

Ignoring the Faults in What You Love

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We all have something that we love to indulge in. Be it food, a sports team, a book, a park, or even a movie franchise. Whatever the case may be, we each have a thing we love. And most of us ignore the flaws.

And we love to share these interests with others. Myself for example- I really enjoy Star Wars. The movies, the books, the toys, the props, the tv shows- all of it. I just love the sci-fi fantasy realm that has been created.

But it’s not perfect. I can even look past the flaws- Those Ewok movies and the Christmas Special- and still appreciate the shows. Nothing is perfect. And that adds to the charm of the series. The diehard fans can nitpick and dissect the shows all they want. But I’m gonna still love the series no matter what.

Especially Empire Strikes Back. That is the best of the film series hands down. Maybe Rogue One…

R2-Tree2

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As I mentioned previously in Shattered Memories, we have numerous trees. One of which has the ornaments the kids have made over the years. We never really had a topper for it. Putting a Santa hat or a top hat on it to try and finish it.

This year, I 3D printed a new topper. It was a fun one based on my favorite fandom- Star Wars. I decided to paint it in traditional Christmas colours- red and green with a hint of dark gold.

Our middle daughter had been waiting for over a week to put the tree topper up. Each one of our kids gets to put the topper on a tree. We rotate which tree every year. The kids’ tree was hers this year.

Now it is completed. And looking good thanks to the 3D files from Mr Baddeley’s Printed Droid.

Happy Life Day everyone!

Bye Boba

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yet another original Star Wars actor has passed away. Today was Jeremy Bulloch- the original actor who played Boba Fett.

Back in 2012 I had the honor of meeting him at the Fan Expo in Vancouver. It was one of the local convention shows that my wife had a booth at selling her handmade hats. (Need a winter hat? Check out Ningen Headwear) I also remember it clearly because it was on a Sunday and the celebrities were literally across from our table looking bored.

So I took my six year old son over to meet a few celebrities. First we met the original Batman and Robin- Adam West and Burt Ward. Those two were sitting together and had a riot talking to my son about being superheroes. After about ten minutes of talking to Batman, we side stepped to talk with Mr. Bulloch.

My son’s reaction was to tell him how we had just met Batman and Robin. Jeremy’s reaction was perfect. The two of them talked about the old Batman show and how bad guys never win. My son knew who Boba Fett was, it’s not like I hadn’t instilled the love of Star Wars at a young age. But it really is different when you never see his face (compared to West or Ward).

Like I said, all three of these gentlemen interacted with nothing but kindness to my young boy. That truly made them heroes in my eyes that day. No fan theories or questions about getting into a costume or what it was like to work with other actors. Just a couple old guys playing along with a kid that they didn’t even know.

But those few minutes with Jeremy Bulloch were as impactful in our lives as Boba Fett’s original five minutes on screen. For that, I wish to say thank you sir.

The Death of Darth Vader

Posted on by Josef Havelka

In honor of the passing of Dave Prowse- the actor who wore the Darth Vader costume in the original trilogy of Star Wars films- I wanted to re-share some lighthearted images. Originally I had shared these over the years on my social media. They are of Darth Vader being not so Darth.

As a Star Wars fan I always wanted to dress up as Darth Vader. I figured I would be a perfect fit since I have the height. Previously I was Obi-Wan Kenobi, maybe it’s time to join the Dark Side.

I’ve also had my kids grow up on Star Wars. On our trips to Disneyland- they each got to enjoy a lightsaber battle against a evil foe- Darth Vader included. Here’s a video from 11 years ago: Darwin vs Darth Vader.

Reflecting on the impact that a character has had on my life is important to me. The actor behind the mask (both literal and figurative in this case) is also part of the remembrance.

Thank you Dave Prowse for your actions as an iconic sci-fi character. You will be missed.

Life Day

Posted on by Josef Havelka

If there’s something that you need to know about me, it’s that I enjoy Star Wars tremendously. Let’s be realistic here, you all know I love STAR WARS. I mean honestly, I have numerous blog posts that are related to Star Wars in some way. Today is no different.

A few years ago I showed my children the classic in bad Crossover ideas ever. The Star Wars Holiday Special. The show is severely cringeworthy attempting to watch it. It’s so bad that my kids literally don’t remember watching it with me. But as a fan, I had to view it. I even grew up on those Star Wars made-for-tv-movies: Ewok Caravan of Courage and Ewok Battle for Endor.

Tonight, Disney+ and LEGO have released a Lego Version of the Holiday Special. I am overcome with joy and cannot wait to view it numerous times! I have been excited for months about this show.

Why?

Because LEGO somehow manages to make their stories based on movies or characters campy and fun while still holding true to the original content. So if you have kids- watch some of those LEGO shows with them. They are a ton of fun.

Tonight I shall wish you all an early “Happy Life Day”.

BB-R2

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I finally did it! I built an R2-D2 on my own. Sort of. I mean, it sure looks like an astromech droid. Only on a smaller scale. For ages, I wanted a 3D printer in order to build a life size R2-D2. But I needed to start smaller so as not to get discouraged.

I found a group on Facebook that creates droids for the 3D printers. They also offer plenty of advice for electronics, sound and lights to one another. You can join the group on Facebook and support the Patreon at Mr. Baddeley’s Printed Droid if you are interested.

I printed the parts over the past month in between all the other projects I had. My little droid was starting to come together.

Last week, I finished painting the droid. I used some acrylic paints that I had on hand. The metallic blue and silver completed the look and made it obvious that it is a droid. After my painstakingly careful paint job, I gave it a clear coat to seal the paint.

After weeks of waiting for parts off Amazon, I was finally able to assemble the droid over the weekend. I’m proud to say that my BB-R2 is completed. I added a remote control to it and he now moves and spins his head. Check out the short video below:

I’m extremely happy with the results. The files for this droid were top notch! I’ve learned a few things from this assembly… like patience, time and money are required… In January I plan on starting my full size droid. We shall see how long that takes. And whether my wife’s patience wears thin.

Toy Action

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My son decided that today he would take some action shots of his Star Wars toys and Lego Star Wars toys.

He set up numerous shots. He also worked in a bunch of techniques that made the toys look like they were truly telling a story. Here is a collection of a few of his favorite pictures:

He was having a great time while doing this. These images he took are fun. He plans on editing these, plus some of the others with a variety of filters. I can’t wait to see what else he comes up with.

Staycation- All I Ever Wanted…

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today I am starting my 11 day vacation. I booked this time off in January as a “back-up” trip to Disneyland when I realized that July’s trip may get affected. And July’s trip did get affected. But so did my back-up dates. So now I am having a Staycation.

Today will be an ever increasing lazy day of sleeping and napping. Over the next few days the rest of my family still has school, online courses and work. I will have the freedom to do whatever I want. You know what that means…

That means time to get really invested in my 3D printing! Download files, prepare the files, print the files, curse that there is a failure, reprint the files, sand the print, paint the print, sand the print, paint, assemble the print, print another file, fail at that and reprint it… the list goes on. But I will have all the time in the world (or at least daylight hours) to work on my prints.

Since I am a Star Wars fan- I actually intend to print a life size droid. This week will give me a good jumpstart on my first one. I suspect it will take me the better half of the year to really get an R2 unit put together. So I may start with something smaller or easier. Yes- I plan on having a few droids built. Don’t tell my wife.

Having time for me is going to be nice. It’s been a very long time since I’ve really focused on what I want. Usually I put the family first and enjoy the ride. We will still hang out this weekend together, but during the week- that will be my time. Or rather, my 3D printer’s time.

Star Wars Day: Revenge of the Fifth

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday evening while I was at work, my family watched another Star Wars film: “Rogue One”. After that, our two youngest watched the “The Phantom Menace”. That is probably my least favorite film but my kids find something in the film amusing. Probably because it is so despised by many in the Star Wars saga that it is reaching a bizarre Cult status. There are a few scenes that I enjoy, but not many.

Move along…

Since today is the day after Star Wars Day. I still enjoy celebrating the film franchise for a day or two after. (Let’s be serious for a bit, I celebrate Star Wars almost daily). This morning, my daughter and I were enjoying my favorite film in the franchise- “Empire Strikes Back”.

We watched Episode V on May Fifth. (I love numbers and making connections like that.) SW:ESB is in my top five films of all time. I can recite it almost word for word. I love that it was more humorous than the original, yet there was ongoing character development.

Discussing Star Wars and the story telling techniques with my children is pretty cool. Our oldest daughter wants to make her own films and our other daughter wants to write stories. Creativity flows within our family. The kids have a keen sense of how music and lighting also play key parts in movies as well.

What’s your favorite Star Wars film? Let me know in the comments.

Star Wars Day(s)- 2020

Posted on by Josef Havelka

It’s May 4th. That means Star Wars Day! (You know, “May the Fourth be with you.”). Since many of you are in isolation, the next few days would be a perfect time to marathon all of the Star Wars movies.

Since I was working the night shift, my son wanted me to wake him up when I got home so we can watch “Rise of Skywalker” before I go to bed. I think I’ll make it through this film, but no others today.

Personally, my favorite is “Empire Strikes Back”. Previously I’ve marathoned the first six films in one sitting. I’m going to do all nine one day. Maybe one of my friends or readers are going to try and stay awake watching the Skywalker Saga films consecutively.

Until tomorrow- (Revenge of the Fifth) May The Fourth Be With You.

Laser Swords

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I’ve always loved movies. Mostly sci-fi films. Especially Star Wars. I’m always on the look out for replica movie props as well. The obvious ones are light sabers. Of which we own three screen accurate ones.

I’ve had them on display in our theater room for ages. Recently a friend made some lightsaber hilts for me out of scrap materials.

Definitely not screen accurate, but fun nonetheless. It reminded me that I too had mad a “lightsaber” almost twenty years ago. It was also not at all screen accurate.

In fact it was just four pieces of plumbing thrown together and quickly painted. But I still have it. Just because… imaginationing is great. Give a kid a stick and it turns into a sword.

Growing up I still make whir and woosh sounds if I finds something that could be a “sword”. I think it just comes naturally. These small glimpses of pretend- it can make a person smile inside and out.

You never know when you might become a Jedi.