Day 1195: Take Me Home

After months and months of waiting for the movie to come out in the first place, we saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the first time in December. We then proceeded to see the film multiple other times from there on out because we just couldn't get enough of the new film...even if we weren't very happy about the ending. And then we waited again for months and months, seeing the film in theaters from time to time, until we could say "Chewie, We're Home" in the comfort of our own homes and bring home the film to watch unlimited times without having to pay $13 every time to see it in the theater (even if we did pay for the recliner and 3D upgrades). 

That's right, you can now own your own copy of all of the latest adventures from the Star Wars cast, new and old. If the film isn't enough for you, there's plenty of bonus features that give a behind the scenes look at the creation of The Force Awakens, my favorite of which is the one focusing on the music of the film, which I've been listening to on repeat since December. 

You can pick up your copy today, but we're gonna leave it there because, honestly, I think it'd just be more worthwhile for us all to go watch the movie again...because we can now! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1145: I Love That Wookiee

When my friend Allie asked if I wanted to go to Build-A-Bear, of course the answer was yes!

Disney, and especially Star Wars, is literally everywhere these days, which is a far cry from what it used to be. Now, even adults can find constant merchandise right in their backyard, which is great for those of us who live far enough away from the Disney Parks that we tend to go a bit overboard if we do manage to find a Disney store...or anything Disney related for that matter. Build-A-Bear has had connections with Disney for a long time, but now that Star Wars has come into the mix, we figured that a trip to the store would be the perfect way to get rid of some stress after a long week of college.

Being the Star Wars fans we are, we just had to make a Chewbacca and a Han Solo, and because they're the coolest duo in the galaxy, they obviously needed sunglasses too. They're all set to go with their Star Wars sounds and blasters and outfits...unless they happen across Kylo Ren. That could be a problem.

Long story short, we spent a lot of money going to Build-A-Bear at age 20 and we loved every second of it...because we all need a bit more Star Wars and a lot more Disney in our lives. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1088: The Star Wars Holiday Special

With all the talk about Star Wars these days, plus the holiday season that's definitely upon us, I couldn't help but be reminded of a certain video that came out a while back...

That's right, it's time for the Star Wars Holiday special, staring all of our favorite Star Wars characters! With the likes of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, and R2-D2 as R2-D2! Oh, and you can't forget Chewie's family and a boatload of guest stars! 

I remember when I watched this for the first time a couple of years ago with no idea of what I was about to get myself into, and if I'm being honest, I may have just watched it for the Han Solo content. After all, the fact that they somehow got Harrison Ford to do this seriously amazes me. I mean, really? Life Day? And don't even get me started on the weird cartoon and singing segments. 

If you're feeling ambitious, you can watch the entire special on YouTube, because I know you want to: 

Wow I just can't get over this. I'm just going to watch it while I work on blog stuff because it's way more interesting than anything else going on right about now! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 31).

Day 1084: A New Favorite

WARNING! SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS BELOW!

Just remember, if you don't want spoilers, you've been warned!

Due to...recent events...I've realized that now I'm going to have to choose a new favorite character. Don't get me wrong, Han will always be my all time favorite, but I need to look forward to something as we continue through Episodes VIII and IX (I even got those roman numerals right on the first try. Way to go Star Wars, teaching me things). Of course, we have a few contenders here...

I want to hate him...I want to hate him so much, but at the same time Kylo Ren is a Solo, and even if he did murder his own father, there's still a part of me that really, really likes him. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's interesting to see how he is similar and how he differs from Vader and even Luke. Plus, you have to admire his hair. 

Go on, try to tell me BB-8 isn't the cutest little droid you've ever seen. I kind of knew even before I saw the film that I was going to like him, but I didn't realize how much until I saw Episode VII for the first time. I want one of my very own immediately. 

You have to admire Rey in this movie. It'd almost be wrong not to. Considering the fact that she's basically the new main character of the franchise, I'm extremely interested in finding out who her parents are, how she got to Jakku, and what happens now that she's found Luke. I'm also thrilled to see another strong female lead in a Star Wars film, and Rey definitely brought me back to the days of a young Carrie Fisher on screen! 

Now, it seems that when there's Rey, there's also usually Finn, who I'm pretty sure is my best friend's favorite character. Finn really surprised me, and I found myself laughing constantly at his lines, whether they were shared with Rey, Poe, or Han. Absolutely constant laughter with this guy, and you have to admire his bravery, escaping from the First Order and all. 

But ultimately, I can feel one character pulling into the lead for the race for my favorite. Poe Dameron was the character I didn't even know existed (sounds about like every other favorite character), and in typical fashion, he took no time in "dying." You can imagine my relief to find him alive and well, and his relationships with Finn and BB-8 make my life. Of course it would be the best pilot that happens to gain my attention though...it's not like I have a type here or anything (ahem...Han and Killian...ahem). 

Favorite characters, especially this early on, can be hard to determine, but I certainly need someone to pull me through now that Han is gone. We'll see what happens when I see the film a few more times and then after we get two more episodes. One thing is for sure though...it's about to be a long, wild ride. 

Who's your favorite new (or old) Star Wars character? Let me know in the comments! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 22).

Day 1083: Oh How I Love Han

WARNING! SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS ARE BELOW!

I can't wait for the day when I don't have to put giant spoiler warnings at the top of posts anymore...but really, you need to see the film before you find out what happens (although I'm sure that by now you either have to still be on interest hiatus or really good at avoiding them if you haven't seen the film yet).

Regardless, with the loss of a certain smuggler, it feels like I should do a brief celebration of my favorite Star Wars character. I'll certainly miss him, as I'm sure we all will, but I can also see, from a storytelling perspective, the benefits to his death. Wow that sounds terrible.

To remind you just how much I love Han Solo though, here's a quick graphic I made a while back:

As you can see, Han Solo is really my favorite character and is sort of more important than absolutely everything else. Did I happen to pick a character on OUAT that embodies every bit of the spirit that is Han Solo, yes, but that doesn't mean Han means any less. 

Of course, Harrison Ford is the king of priceless expressions, especially in Return of the Jedi, so I went back and found a picture from two years ago with a few of my favorites: 

You also can't deny that he had literally the best line in any movie ever: 

Honestly, I'm not even totally sure why Han Solo ended up as number one in so many of our hearts. He's just the space smuggler we all wanted to survive and end up happy. We wanted his relationship with Leia to work out (and it sounds like, to a point, it did). We wanted him to always fly the Falcon, preferably with the hyperdrive working, and hopefully someday beat his record of the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. How he became our favorite, I'm not sure we'll ever really know. 

But one this is for sure, he IS our favorite, and now that he's gone we'll just have to remember him for all the wonderful moments he WAS there. Like the continuously hilarious lines in Episode VII, my favorite probably being the trash compactor line. It doesn't get much better than that. 

So farewell Han, our good friend and favorite smuggler of all time. You'll certainly be missed. 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 22).

Day 1081: The Force Has Awoken

WARNING! SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS ARE AHEAD!

Wow.

I was lucky enough to grab tickets to Star Wars on opening night, and I have to say that some of that I totally expected...and other parts of it sort of decreased my will to live (ok...really only one part). But overall, I honestly believe The Force Awakens is one of the greatest Star Wars films to date. Empire still beats it I think, because nothing will ever beat Empire, but this movie was just really, really, REALLY good.

I do have to mention that I laughed a lot more than I cried, although I did cry. One of the things I love about the original trilogy that the prequels just don't have is their ability to create humor within the characters that we already have. From 3P0 interrupting (again), to comments about Trash Compactors, Hand Holding, and the Force, this just felt like the Star Wars I know and love, and I think that's the highest title this film can get right about now.

Han, my dear Han, was brilliant to see on screen again. I knew the second he would appear, and I cheered when the Falcon flew again. I cried when he was lost, and I laughed at pretty much everything he said. And you know what, I didn't even really notice how old he is most of the time. Because he's HAN. SOLO. and that's awesome enough.

Let's see, what else?

BB-8 stole my heart, and the bromance between Finn and Poe is my new favorite thing. Rey is a super strong female character and I'm so thrilled to see her on screen. Kylo Ren defines a new sort of Sith that almost seems as evil as anything we've ever seen before. There's a lot of questions left, that's for sure, but I'm still sort of stuck in the "I can't believe I just watched a new Star Wars movie" phase. I figure I'll be here for a while.

If you haven't seen The Force Awakens yet and are for some reason reading this despite the spoiler warning, GO SEE THE FILM. And if you already saw it, even if you saw it more than once, GO SEE IT AGAIN. If you're interested in my experiences at the opening night at my local theater with my friends, I filmed it, and you can watch below!

Let me know what you thought of the new film in the comments below! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 22).

Day 1075: Goodness Gracious Me

With the release of the new Star Wars film, Lucasfilm and Spotify have teamed up to let you know what Star Wars character you would be based on what kind of music you listen to. Basically you sign in through Spotify and spotify-starwars.com and it matches you based on what you listen to the most. And don't worry - if you don't have a Spotify account you can still play along! It'll give you a selection of various musicians, from which you pick 5. From there it'll match you to your Star Wars alter ego. 

Usually, when I do things like this I obviously hope for my favorite character. After all, how awesome would it be to be Han Solo? However, this time things went a bit south...

To be fair, this analysis is probably pretty accurate. Because I spend so much of my time working on homework, I do listen to mainly instrumental orchestral music, and since I'm a music major, Brahms has become a huge part of my life. Actually, a chat with C-3PO about Classical Music kind of sounds fun...for about two minutes. 

Then again, I wonder what all the other characters would listen to? Han is probably some sort of hard rock, and Vader sounds like a Wagner kind of guy. According to the Spotify match, Darth Maul would listen to some serious heavy metal, and I'm personally between some super Indie and Hippie music for Yoda or something very calm and naturalistic. You know, the music with birds in it. Now I'm kind of torn, and I'm spending way too much time going through and finding out what all the characters would listen to. 

Maybe I'll stick with 3PO though...because as far as I'm concerned, he has pretty good taste. Also, you never heard me say that. 

Let me know which Star Wars character you matched up to in the comments below! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 23).

 

Day 1066: For the First Time in...Two Years?

It's sort of a shame when you're really into something one year, and by the same time the next year it's fallen out of favor. I suppose that's simply the way of life, of course, because as time goes on your interests change, especially due to the influence of those around you. When I left high school, Star Wars was pretty much my entire life, and by the time I made it to college, I was surrounded by people more interested in Once Upon A Time than Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. So I went along with it, and the more I got into OUAT, the more Star Wars fell out of favor, and suddenly I woke up and realized I hadn't even watched the films in a couple of years.

I used to watch The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi almost daily. Since I had both the VHS and DVD copies (and later BluRay as well), it was easy to watch them over and over again. In fact, I got so used to them playing in the background, I just let them go while I was doing homework. They were my background noise that, over time, made it easier to do homework (especially Empire, because I'd work during the Luke parts and watch during the Han parts). I had almost every line memorized, and even my cat came to like the films and would join me whenever they were on.

So with the new film coming out this Christmas, I knew that I had to do something. While I still know the films incredibly well, I needed a refresher. Like so many of my fellow Star Wars fans, I set out to watch the entire trilogy before heading to the theater to see the new film, and somehow, I managed to accomplish this task. I watched all six films before going to see The Force Awakens.

I did, however, watch them in an incredibly strange order. Because I prefer the original trilogy (and I've seen the entire saga so many times before), I decided to start with Episode I to see the more chronological version of the series, and I managed to watch I and II in the same night. I was working on a music analysis project and a paper at the same time, which meant I was probably more focused on Carnival of the Animals than I was Star Wars, but I still watched them!

Then, when I returned home for a weekend, my brother and his friends decided to watch Episode IV, which led to a really late, midnight watch of V that same night (I unfortunately fell asleep part way through and JUST MISSED the carbonate scene. I woke up at "is he alive Calrissian?" and I was oh so angry), but I still counted it. I've seen that one more than any of the others anyways. Then a couple of days later I ended up going back to watch Episode III because my brother didn't want to watch on that night because he had work to get done (he ended up watching the end anyways). And finally, the night before heading to see The Force Awakens we finished up with Episode VI. So by the end I watched it in the order of I, II, IV, V, III, VI. Strange, I know.

But now, somehow, Star Wars has infiltrated my life once again, and I find myself more excited about Han Solo and Chewbacca than most other things. It's sort of nice, going back to such familiar territory so I can celebrate the release of a new film with my fellow Star Wars fans, and don't even get me started about how excited I am to attend Season of the Force at Hollywood Studios in a few weeks!

In summary...Star Wars is awesome.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).

Day 1065: Star Wars Finals

Finals Week is rough...but this year, my finals week happens to fall in line with the premiere of The Force Awakens. Of course, our Star Wars friends don't have to deal with finals week, but it seems like they might understand what it's all about anyway...

When you start out finals week with a bad feeling...

Because the entire semester you've been sitting in class like:

Your professors start to tell you that everything will be fine:

But you just look at them with a blank face.

As you leave for your final, you salute your roommates and friends goodbye. 

You head off repeating "it'll work" to yourself. 

And try to convince yourself that you feel like you can take on the whole galaxy. 

Somehow, you manage to make it through the test, and you leave the room with the absolute excitement that you never have to deal with that class again.

Although when your friends and family ask how you think it went you're just like: 

And then, just as quickly as it began, finals week is over. 

May the force be with you this semester! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).

Day 1049: Fandom Life

As a member of the internet and social media, I'm always seeing posts that note "what a time to be alive," and it's occurred to me recently that now, right now, is a wonderful time to be alive, at least in regards to the live of being a fan. Suddenly it's become kind of "cool" to be a part of a fandom, whether it be Star Wars, Disney, a television show, or something else entirely. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I think most of us wonder what people without a fandom do with their freetime.

Honestly, picking a fandom to be a part of isn't even that hard, unless you're trying to stay away from all negativity. There's plenty of that on the internet wherever you go, and while some fandoms are worse than others, every one of them has a few rotten eggs. But seriously, all you have to do to become a part of a fandom is like something, and usually that means becoming absolutely obsessed with something.

It starts out relatively simple, like when I began watching Star Wars. You watch the movie with the smallest amount of interest and enjoyment, and then suddenly something clicks. For me, it was the moment a certain space scoundrel came on screen and I realized that it was indeed Indiana Jones. Boy, I'd been missing out on an entire childhood of Harrison Ford and I had no idea.

And so, you begin to watch (and rewatch) the movie over and over again. With a TV show you end up buying a season pass on iTunes so you can watch the film immediately the next day and every day after that until another episode appears. Maybe you start DisneyBounding your favorite characters, and tweeting the cast and crew. You join internet groups, maybe you create a fan page (or a giant blog dedicated to your fandom), and eventually things just start to get a bit out of control. 

You attend a fan convention, maybe something as big as Comic Con or D23 Expo, or something smaller that simply embodies your fandom. And when you can't go to the conventions because you spent too much money on fan merchandise, you stalk the internet waiting for any possible news. And speaking of fan merchandise, things just sort of start to pop up in your room, especially after people figure out that a gift featuring your favorite character would work perfectly for an occasion. 

And before you know what happened, you're a part of a fandom. You've made friends and learned everything you possibly can about the show or movie: all the head-cannons and real plotlines and accepted truths. You spend the majority of your day thinking about the fandom, and drawings in the columns of your notebooks relate your love of the scoundrel that stole your heart.  

Previously, at this point you'd try to hide your love of the fandom. Kept it completely under wraps for fear of someone finding out you actually have a shrine to a character in your bedroom. But that's a world that exists no more. Now you can be proud of your fandom and the happiness it brings you! 

What fandoms are you a part of!?! Let me know in the comments! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 30).

Day 888: That Time I Met A Wookiee

If there was one thing I was excited for going into this trip, it was getting to attend my very first Star Wars Weekend. And if there was one thing about SWW that I was excited about, it was meeting Chewbacca.

Unfortunately meeting Chewbacca didn't happen...at least not right away.

Star Wars Weekends, on the other hand, was absolutely amazing, so we'll start there!

Considering the fact that it was my very first time at Star Wars Weekends, I didn't really know what to expect, but I have to say I was blown away by the magical things that happen on these weekends. In fact, by the time we got to the fireworks, which I'll talk about later, I was so blown away that I didn't even have words anymore.

To start things off, we made it to the park fairly early, but because we had a VIP package didn't want to get there right away, especially since the night before had been late and most of what we wanted to do was included in the package anyway (I'll talk more about that in a moment). With special viewing for the Motorcade, we had a pretty good spot, although getting in a few minutes earlier probably would have meant front row. As you can see though, we by no means had a bad view. I personally loved the motorcade, allowing for everyone to see the stars of the Saga without heading into an autograph signing or specific show. Plus, it was pretty great to see all your favorite characters...even if some were a bit...frozen. 

Also a part of our package was prime seating for one of the day's shows. We chose the Stars of the Saga "talk show," featuring the special guests of the weekend. Of course, each weekend has different stars, and we were fortunate enough to have Ray Park (yes that's him with the tail), the actor behind Darth Maul, and Jeremy Bulloch, the guy behind Boba Fett's mask. James Arnold Taylor, the voice of Obi Wan Kenobi in the Clone Wars hosted the weekend, and was honestly a joy to watch throughout the day. 

I can't leave without mentioning the Stormtroopers though. As one of the most underrated characters of the saga, despite the fact that there's more of them than the other characters combined, I think Disney has done a wonderful job bringing them to the forefront in a humerous way. The Stormtroopers show up throughout the day, including in their own preshow to the theater shows such as Stars of the Saga. I think I laughed harder watching them than I recently did at a comedy show. 

Of course, we did things here and there throughout the day, but the next part of our package was the dessert party with special fireworks viewing. We didn't get the largest package, but got the moderately priced one (I believe it was around $70 per person), but it was completely worth it. In your pacakge, you had the prime viewing for the parade (including free unlimited beverages, popcorn and ice cream!), the special seating for a show of your choice, prints of each actor for the weekend AND the dessert party with unlimited desserts and beverages as well as that prime fireworks viewing. We all quickly agreed that it was well worth the price. The desserts were amazing, and I definitely enjoyed the chance to try each of the specialty Star Wars Weekend Cupcakes in Mini Form. Personally, I think the Yoda was my favorite. Of course, there were plenty of other treats too, all of which we enjoyed while rocking out to the end of the dance party! 

Finally, to round the day out, there's the absolutely magical Summon the Force and Symphony in the Stars. During Summon the Force, just about every Star Wars character you can image appeared on stage. Our view was a bit blocked by parts of the stage, but it didn't stop me from seeing my personal favorite character: HAN SOLO! 

And then we come to Symphony in the Stars, which is by far one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. I had a video camera in one hand and my phone in the other, meaning I'm not sure how much of the show I actually watched, but it was obviously enough for me to be left speechless. There's just something extra magical when the music of Star Wars is timed to fireworks, all in front of the Chinese Theatre, and I can't wait to return and see it again someday. 

Of course, in my usual style, I just HAD to DisneyBound for the day, coming up with an R2-D2 DisneyBound that felt the most real when I found this Lego version of our favorite droid! 

But wait, there's more! While we couldn't get a reservation on Sunday for the Rebel Hangar, luckily they were serving all week long, so we headed back to Hollywood Studios the following day for dinner with the rebels! Now, as you all know, I was really, really, REALLY excited about meeting Chewbacca on this trip, and when it didn't happen on Sunday I was fairly dissapointed. So you can imagine my excitement when Chewie walked into the hangar, right past our table. The characters at the meal are different from your regular character experience, only staying for a few minutes, and you have to grab them more than they stop at individual tables. The Stormtroopers came by a few times, and I had the chance to trade with one of the Jawas, but Chewie took a while. In fact, he came and went twice before we managed to catch him, because when he was coming up the ramp that last time, I was all over getting a picture with him. And so, I finally got to meet Chewbacca, and it was the greatest moment of the entire trip to be honest. 

You can also see the pictures of our meal, which was great! They serve it more in an appetizer style, so it's a great opportunity to go with friends and try just about everything on the menu, which is all themed to Star Wars. The entire thing was pretty makeshift, but I'd put some money on the idea that this was a test run for possible Star Wars dining experiences of the future, and boy do I ever hope they happen. 

Overall, Star Wars Weekends was amazing. Hot and crowded, yes, but amazing. I can't wait for more Star Wars Weekend experiences in the future, because really, when else can you casually follow members of your favorite band around Hollywood Studios? 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on June 23 due to travel).