Tag: Star Wars

Culture on My Mind – The 2018 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The 2018 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
November 30, 2021

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2018Day four of this look at our holiday tradition of LEGO advent calendars marks the last of this miniseries.

We’ve been doing these since 2015 and I have been chronicling the daily builds on Instagram. The 2019 and 2020 sets have been previously featured on this site, and to count down to this year’s builds, I’m taking a look back at the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 sets.

These boxes contain twenty-four unique small builds, many of which are abstract, along with exclusive mini-figures and whimsical winter-themed spins on Star Wars staples. Among my favorites over the years are the winter Chewbacca, the rebel pilot snowman, and the AT-AT and R2-D2 pair with reindeer antlers. The 2018 box bounced all over the Star Wars franchise, including the original trilogy, The Force Awakens, and The Freemaker Adventures (which I haven’t seen yet, but plan to soon since it’s on Disney+).

The 2021 day-to-day images are posted on my Instagram account. Feel free to follow me there for whimsical observations, tons of pictures of my dogs, and this annual tradition. That adventure (and December itself) begins tomorrow.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The 2017 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar

Michael Falkner1 Comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The 2017 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
November 29, 2021

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2017

Welcome to day three of the look back at one of the holiday season traditions in my household. We typically like the annual LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, though we have been branching out a bit over the last couple of years.

We’ve been doing these since 2015 and I have been chronicling the daily builds on Instagram. The 2019 and 2020 sets have been previously featured on this site, and to count down to this year’s builds, I’m taking a look back at the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 sets.

These boxes contain twenty-four unique small builds, many of which are abstract, along with exclusive mini-figures and whimsical winter-themed spins on Star Wars staples. Among my favorites over the years are the winter Chewbacca, the rebel pilot snowman, and the AT-AT and R2-D2 pair with reindeer antlers. The 2017 box shifted the focus toward the Rebels television series, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and a little bit of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The 2021 day-to-day images are posted on my Instagram account. Feel free to follow me there for whimsical observations, tons of pictures of my dogs, and this annual tradition. That adventure (and December itself) begins in two days.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The 2016 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar

Michael Falkner2 Comments

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The 2016 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
November 28, 2021

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2016

It’s day two of the look back at our holiday season tradition with advent calendars. We typically like the annual LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, though we have been branching out a bit over the last couple of years.

We’ve been doing these since 2015 and I have been chronicling the daily builds on Instagram. The 2019 and 2020 sets have been previously featured on this site, and to count down to this year’s builds, I’m taking a look back at the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 sets.

These boxes contain twenty-four unique small builds, many of which are abstract, along with exclusive mini-figures and whimsical winter-themed spins on Star Wars staples. Among my favorites over the years are the winter Chewbacca, the rebel pilot snowman, and the AT-AT and R2-D2 pair with reindeer antlers. The 2016 box focused on the original Star Wars trilogy with a heavy lean toward The Empire Strikes Back and a nod toward the prequel trilogy.

The 2021 day-to-day images are posted on my Instagram account. Feel free to follow me there for whimsical observations, tons of pictures of my dogs, and this annual tradition. That adventure (and December itself) begins in three days.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The 2015 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar

Michael Falkner3 Comments

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The 2015 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
November 27, 2021

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2015

One of the holiday season traditions in my household is advent calendars. We typically like the annual LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, though we have been branching out a bit over the last couple of years.

We’ve been doing these since 2015 and I have been chronicling the daily builds on Instagram. The 2019 and 2020 sets have been previously featured on this site, and to count down to this year’s builds, I’m taking a look back at the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 sets.

These boxes contain twenty-four unique small builds, many of which are abstract, along with exclusive mini-figures and whimsical winter-themed spins on Star Wars staples. Among my favorites over the years are the winter Chewbacca, the rebel pilot snowman, and the AT-AT and R2-D2 pair with reindeer antlers. The 2015 box focused on the original Star Wars trilogy with a hoiday twist.

The 2021 day-to-day images are posted on my Instagram account. Feel free to follow me there for whimsical observations, tons of pictures of my dogs, and this annual tradition. That adventure (and December itself) begins in four days.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Rogue Squadron Grounded

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Rogue Squadron Grounded
November 22, 2021

I’ve seen various reports about the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie to be directed by Wonder Woman alum Patty Jenkins. The more reputable sites are saying that movie is merely delayed while others are reporting that the film is shelved indefinitely due to “creative differences” and friction with Lucasfilm.

Either way, this makes the third (at least) film project in the galaxy far, far away that is delayed, following trilogies by Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and the David Benioff/D.B. Weiss duo (Game of Thrones).

The film by Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) is still on the books.

Honestly, considering the immense popularity of starfighter titles in Star Wars history and the success of television for the franchise, this might be for the best.

In 1993, LucasArts released a space flight simulator game called Star Wars: X-Wing. It placed the player in the cockpit dogfighting against the Empire. It was followed by TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, and X-Wing Alliance, along with several expansion packs. These titles advanced the stories of the galactic jet jocks and their missions.

Between 1996 and 2012, authors Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston crafted a ten-book series about the adventures of Rogue and Wraith Squadrons. This series still stands as a major milestone and fan favorite in the former Expanded Universe, divorcing readers from the Skywalkers and the Force and exploring the world of aviators. Michael Stackpole also had explored this territory a year earlier with the 35-issue comic book series Star Wars: X-Wing – Rogue Squadron. That series also included the 2005 prequel X-Wing – Rogue Squadron, which tells the story of Luke Skywalker’s departure from the fighter team.

The Prequel Era also got involved with 2001’s Star Wars: Starfighter and 2002’s Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter.

Rogue_Squadron_Movie_Logo

The tales of Star Wars fighter squadrons are immensely popular. It’s evident thanks to nineteen years of books, comics, and video games that the stories are easily serialized. I think that Lucasfilm would be better served by putting Rogue Squadron on television, treating an eight to ten-episode stretch as a novel length presentation in a continuing series of missions against the Empire, Imperial Remnant, or First Order. The stories of these pilot heroes are better served by long-form serialization instead of one-shot film treatments.

The room exists in the Star Wars legend and has potential for many years on Disney+ as the pilot roster can naturally shift. It’s also a great chance to explore the galaxy without lightsabers, Jedi, and the Force.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Disney+ Day 2021

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Disney+ Day 2021
November 15, 2020

You get a bonus edition of Culture on My Mind because I’m thinking Disney.

Disney+ Day marks the anniversary of the Mouse House’s streaming service, and the second anniversary was on November 12th. The event served as a teaser for new content and features as well as a premiere day for new titles.

New Arrivals

To celebrate the second anniversary of Disney+, several new titles were added to the service, including:

  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Home Sweet Home Alone
  • Marvel Assembled: The Making of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  • Marvel Studios’ 2021 Disney Plus Special
  • Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett
  • The Making of Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles
  • Entrelazados
  • Enchanted (2007)
  • Spin
  • The World According to Jeff Goldblum: Season Two
  • Fancy Nancy: Season Three
  • Olaf Presents (a series of animated shorts)
  • Ciao Alberto (a Luca short)
  • The Simpsons in Plusaversary

The list also included an assorted collection of Walt Disney Animation Studios shorts.

IMAX Enhanced Films

Select Marvel films have been upgraded on the service to include their IMAX presentations. A typical theater presentation is in either the 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which means that for every inch tall, a movie is either 1.85 inches or 2.35 inches wide. IMAX uses a 1.90:1 ratio, which offers up to 26 percent more screen space.

The films included in this lauch are:

  • Iron Man (2008)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
  • Captain America: Civil War (2016)
  • Doctor Strange (2016)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
  • Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
  • Black Panther (2018)
  • Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
  • Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
  • Captain Marvel (2019)
  • Avengers: Endgame (2019)
  • Black Widow (2021)
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

The IMAX presentations on Disney+ do not include the IMAX Enhanced DTS sound, but there is a possibility of adding it down the road.

Star Wars Teases

Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) – A teaser is available on Disney+.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Logo

Marvel Teases

  • X-Men ’97, a revival of the beloved 1997 Fox animated series (2023)

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  • Moon Knight, based on the Marvel Comics series. For more information and a peek at the First Look footage, check out the New Rockstars video.
  • She Hulk, based on the 1980s Marvel Comics series created by Stan Lee and John Buscema. For more information and a peek at the First Look footage, check out the New Rockstars video.
  • Ms. Marvel, based on the Marvel Comics series. For more information and a peek at the First Look footage, check out the New Rockstars video.

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  • Spider-Man: Freshman Year (an animated series)
  • I Am Groot (an animated series)
  • Ironheart, an original series based on the Marvel Comics character.

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  • Agatha: House of Harkness, a spinoff from WandaVision

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  • Marvel Zombies, an animated series based on the Marvel Comics series
  • Secret Invasion, an original series based on the Marvel Comics series and presuambly playing off all of the Skrulls that we keep seeing in the MCU. Once again with the breakdown, I present New Rockstars.

New Rockstars also recorded a discussion on all of the titles from the presentation today.

Pixar Teases

  • Cars on the Road (an original series based on the films, coming 2022)
  • Win or Lose (an animated series about baseball in Fall 2023)
  • Behind the scenes feature-length documentaries are also coming in 2022 for Turning Red and Lightyear.

Disney Teases

  • Zootopia+, a short form series based on Zootopia (coming in 2022)
  • Tiana, a new long-form musical series continuing 2009’s The Princess and the Frog (2022)
  • The Ice Age Advenures of Buck Wild (a spinoff of Ice Age, coming January 28, 2022)
  • Baymax! (an original series based on Big Hero Six, coming Summer 2022)
  • Cheaper By the Dozen (a movie presumably based off the 1950 and 2003 films, premiering in March 2022)
  • Disenchanted, the sequel to 2007’s Enchanted (Fall 2022)

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  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid (which is getting yet another revision) (December 3, 2021)
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
  • The Beatles: Get Back (November 25, 2021)
  • Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (Spring 2022)

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  • Better Nate Than Ever (Spring 2022)
  • Hocus Pocus 2 (Fall 2022)

  • Pinocchio (the next live action reimagining, coming Fall 2022 with Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis)
  • Limitless with Chris Hemsworth (from National Geographic, coming 2022)
  • Welcome to Earth (a National Geographic series with Will Smith, coming December 8, 2021)
  • America the Beautiful (from National Geographic, coming 2022)
  • Sneakerella (an original movie, coming February 18, 2021)
  • The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (February 2022)
  • High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: Season Three (2022)
  • The Spiderwick Chronicles (a new live-action series)
  • Willow, a series following the 1988 film (2022)

We’ll probably get more information at the Disney Investor’s Call, but it’s good to see what’s in the hopper for many of our favorite franchises and properties. Also remember what came from last year’s investor call. All of those things are still on the horizon, including more Marvel and Star Wars content.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Debrief: Dragon Con 2021

Michael Falkner1 Comment

Debrief: Dragon Con 2021
Atlanta, GA – September 2 through September 6, 2021

Just like that, Dragon Con 2021 is in the books! And, wow, it was a weird year.

Attendance was reported at 42,000 and you could definitely feel it. Thanks to the pandemic precautions – proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test along with a 100 percent masking requirement – and attendance caps (including limits on daily sales), the crowds were significantly thinner. Let me tell you, though, I could get used to an attendance cap at Dragon Con. Maybe 65,000 to 70,000 in normal times?

Despite the smaller crowds, we did a lot of good work this year for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, raising $120,000 for that charity. That’s $10,000 more than we pulled together in 2019 with just over double the weekend crowd.

It was also a getaway that I really needed. With everything that’s been going on recently, I needed to see the geek family and get my mind orbiting around a lot of fun and creative things. I mean, let’s face it, I’ve missed these people.

It’s important to note that the Marriott and Hyatt were flooded with partiers at night who weren’t wearing face masks. It seemed that, once the sun went down, enforcement went out the window. Since I’m seeing several reports of attendees popping positive for COVID-19, panelists who refused to wear masks on panels, and vendors who went unmasked at their booths, I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone get tested for COVID-19 (both rapid and PCR if you can) and limit the spread as much as possible in the meantime.

There were a lot of naked respiratory orifices at Dragon Con 2021. Far. Too. Many.

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Culture on My Mind – Gingertail’s Mandalorian

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Gingertail’s Mandalorian
May 28, 2021

This week, I have music from The Mandalorian on my mind.

Specifically, this cover by YouTuber Alina Gingertail.

These musical versions of Culture on My Mind are short and sweet. Have a good weekend, and I’ll see you again very soon.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar

Michael Falkner4 Comments

Culture on My Mind
The 2020 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
December 25, 2020

Promotional image via The LEGO Group

One of the holiday season traditions in my household is the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. These annual boxes contain twenty-four unique small builds, many of which are abstract, along with exclusive mini-figures and whimsical winter-themed spins on Star Wars staples. We’ve seen a winter Chewbacca, a rebel pilot snowman, a Santa Porg, a “gonk” power droid decorated like a present, and the AT-AT and R2-D2 pair with reindeer antlers.

It’s whimsical and it’s fun. It makes us laugh.

This year’s box was tied to the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, which was so much fun to watch (but was definitely not canon). This year’s box also included The Rise of Skywalker in the mix of Star Wars favorites. A couple of my favorite builds this year were Vader’s Castle (for the ingenuity) and D-O (for the cute factor).

As you can see, the day-to-day images are posted on my Instagram account. Feel free to follow me there for whimsical observations, tons of pictures of my dogs, and this annual tradition. I compiled last year’s photos into a single blog post.

I hope this holiday season finds you and yours well. Stay warm, stay safe, and I’ll see you next year.

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Disney Investor’s Call 2020: Addendum

Michael Falkner1 Comment

Culture on My Mind
Disney Investor’s Call 2020: Addendum
December 21, 2020

Since it was just announced, I have one addendum to my post about the Disney Investor’s Call: The Book of Boba Fett.

The news was dropped at the end of The Mandalorian‘s season finale, and it was formally announced on December 21st.

Now, among things that shouldn’t need saying with the actual words being right there in the tweet and Facebook post, this is a new series, not the third season of The Mandalorian. A new series that Disney couldn’t talk about at the investor’s call because it would spoil the back half of a currently airing production.

Nevertheless, certain geek websites and YouTube talking heads insist that Temuera Morrison and Boba Fett are replacing Pedro Pascal and Din Djarin because of behind the scenes “drama” or some bantha poodoo.

Don’t give them the oxygen or the credit. They’re lying to you.

Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett is coming in December 2021. The Mandalorian is slated to return for a third season soon after that.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.