BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: DYING WITH A SMILE!

Dying has never been so much fun than when its in the make-believe world of the movie business, as two icons of their respective arts- actor Samuel L. Jackson and Stunt Coordinator Nick Gillard- film the death of Jedi Master Mace Windu for EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

Nick Gillard will be at the UK's EMPIRE BIG SCREEN event at the 02 this weekend, and will be giving a talk about his life and career in cinema in the CINEWORLD screen 7 stage at 12.45 pm on the 13th August. Check out more on the event here: A Celebration of Film, A Feast for Fans Everywhere - The Live Movie Event | Empire Big Screen

And read our exclusive interview with Nick here: NICK GILLARD INTERVIEW

CLASSIC IMAGE: EMPEROR UNBOUND!

With the Jedi fire extinguished from the galaxy, the first Galactic Empire is now fully established, as its newly crowned Emperor makes his first speech to the galaxy's now leashed and controlled leaders. Deformed and more evil than ever, he declares his intentions for a "safe and secure" society...

CLASSIC IMAGE: BAD DREAMS

On Coruscant, Padme Amidala tries to console worried husband Anakin about the dark and terrible dream he has just ordealed concerning her and their upcoming babies future...a prediction that the young Jedi is determined will not become a reality!

SCENES WE WANT ON BLU-RAY 6: JEDI TEMPLE TRAP!

With the phoney recall signal sent by Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, designed to lure Jedi Knights back to Coruscant- and certain death- a Clone Trooper, disguised as a Jedi, gets ready for more killing. In a blue screen scene filmed at the FOX studios, Obi-Wan and Yoda had to navigate their way around some false Jedi so as to get into the Temple and change the signal, but in the end this sequence was deleted and then revised/re-filmed to become the rather cool action sequence where the pair swiftly take on Clone Troopers outside the Temple and Yoda delivers that awesome lightsaber throw, which, though now iconic, Lucas considered such a violent move for a distinguished Jedi like Yoda that he almost cut it!

CLASSIC IMAGE: PADME'S MISSION...

Here's a great shot of Padme (Natalie Portman) in what I call her Green Riding Hood outfit, during a deleted scene from EPISODE III, where she speaks to the DELEGATION OF 2000 on Coruscant about what can be done about ending both the Clone War and the all-too powerful rein of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine...

The deleted scenes may have already appeared on the 2005 DVD of REVENGE OF THE SITH but for completism they should be added to the upcoming Blu-rays regardless.

CLASSIC IMAGE: JEDI DESTINY...

Within the deserted and wrecked Jedi Temple, Master Yoda confers with Obi-Wan Kenobi as to the culprits responsible for the slaughter of their friends. A confirmation of a worse battle to come is soon unavoidable and inevitable...

Linked to our favourite green Jedi Master, check out this recently activated new clip from PLAY.COM, from the upcoming Blu-ray release, on how composer John Williams came up with the characters much loved theme tune, here: Star Wars - Landing - Play.com (UK) - Free Delivery

CLASSIC IMAGE: CHAMBER OF HELL!

In a dark and smokey medical chamber of horrors buried deep within the hidden realms of Coruscant, the damaged, deformed and brutalised body of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, is worked on by a group of droid surgeons and technicians, to be re-imagined as an evil new form of artificial life support systems and heavy metal armour of the blackest, bleakest kind. A rampaging, hate fuelled force for evil will soon emerge, in this classic image from EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH...

CLASSIC IMAGE: JUNGLE TREK!

On the strange but beautiful world of Felucia, a squad of Clone Troopers, prior to ORDER 66, traverse its wilderness en route to a new battle with Separatist forces.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DROID IN COMMAND

The ever faithful Artoo Detoo stays by Master Anakin Skywalker's side quite literally in his Jedi Starfighter as they pierce the defences of General Grievous's Invisible Hand cruiser and skid across its landing bay in the opening scenes of EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

SCENES WE WANT ON BLU-RAY 2: ANAKIN'S JEALOUSY

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's subtle but deadly turning of Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force was originally even more multi-layered than what was eventually seen in REVENGE OF THE SITH. Darth Sidious's use of jealousy, like Iago's deliberate and vicious fracturing of Othello and Desdemona's tragic love in William Shakespeare's classic play, was expected to be one of the main dramatic elements to have been seen in EPISODE III. Indeed, a similar sub plot was filmed in which Anakin, meeting Palpatine on the landing pad outside the senate building, is told by his respected father figure leader that Obi-Wan's decisions are being influenced by a "female senator" (whom an anxious Anakin realises is Padme Amidala). An earlier scripted element of jealousy by Anakin was cut from a prior scene in the film just before Padme tells him that she is pregnant. Sadly, though this Palpatine/Anakin scene can be found in script form in J.W. Rinzler's ART OF EPISODE III book, the actual shot scene, which also featured a brief "Hello" cameo from Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, never made it to the finished movie, though I'm sure we'd all like it to appear on the Blu-ray!

CLASSIC IMAGE: COLLISION!

Racing past in their Jedi Starfighters to rescue Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin and Obi-Wan don't have time to witness the warfare going on around them-in this case an under fire Republic cruiser crashing into a Separatist ship, in this superb effects shot image seen only in the briefest of seconds during the incredible visual feast that is the opening battle of EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE HIGHER GROUND!

Atop a hill overlooking a vast volcanic river on Mustafar, Obi-Wan Kenobi warns Darth Vader-the man/Jedi once known as Anakin Skywalker- to stop in his attempts at fighting him, and before he can initiate a dangerous move that will surely leave his opponent/once friend dead or disabled. It's that momentous scene from EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

CLASSIC IMAGE: QUEEN OF ALDERAAN!

Here's a nice posed shot of the lovely actress Rebecca Jackson Mendoza as Breha Organa, the wife of Bail, Queen of the peaceful and important world of Alderaan, and loving, caring adopted mother to the baby Princess-to-be, Leia. Sadly, Breha Organa had very little screen-time in the finale of REVENGE OF THE SITH, but lets hope she gets a chance to one day appear in THE CLONE WARS animated series, or even, here's wishing, the eventual live-action TV series set between EPISODEs III and IV.

CLASSIC IMAGE: SPRINGING THE TRAP!

On the top level observation spire of General Grievous's command warship, The Invisible Hand, which is immersed in a huge orbital battle above the Republic homeworld of Coruscant, legendary Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker engage in their final (all too brief on screen) lightsaber duel with the evil Count Dooku, so as to rescue the captured Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

It will be a conflict with tremendous consequences for young Anakin Skywalker...

CLASSIC IMAGE: POWERLESS TO HELP!

Investigating the raging fires and laser volleys emanating from the chaos of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Alderaanian Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) is prevented from finding out the truth behind whats happening by a force of 501st Clone Troopers, in this dramatic scene from EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH...

CLASSIC IMAGE: DARK SIDE IN TRAINING!

Arriving in Australia several weeks ahead of EPISODE III's filming so as to develop the best fighting skills possible in his duel role of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, Hayden Christensen gamely goes through some exciitng Nick Gillard choreographed moves with Count Dooku fencing stand-in Kyle Rowling. A top class Aussie fencer/stuntman, Rowling had previously appeared in EPISODE II as a pony tailed Jedi in the Geonosian Arena battle and was Lee's fighting/body double in that film, too.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH...

Still in hiding on Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi, now aware of Padme's pregnancy by Anakin, also knows that she's hiding the truth about Darth Vader's location on Mustafar, in this nicely played scene between Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman from EPISODE III.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image. 

CLASSIC IMAGE: LITTLE GREEN WARRIOR!

One of the last surviving Jedi, and one of its greatest, Master Yoda, enters into fierce lightsaber battle with the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, within the Republic's mighty office for the Supreme Chancellor on Coruscant. It can only be a moment from EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH...

CLASSIC IMAGE: TARKIN'S TYRANNY!

Its amazing to see just how the kindest and most gentlest of people can play on screen baddies in film and TV so effectively. The much missed Peter Cushing being a particular case in point with his fine performance as Grand Moff Tarkin in STAR WARS. His acting and character were so great that, despite his demise with the destruction of the Death Star at the end of the first STAR WARS movie (which Cushing regretted as he wasn't able to come back for any sequels), he would return as a younger man for a brief appearance at the end of 2005's REVENGE OF THE SITH, and now, as well as his cruel and nasty adventures continuing in the Expanded Universe of books and comics, can shortly be seen as Captain Tarkin for the upcoming episode of THE CLONE WARS Season Three: The Citadel.

It looks as if evil is indeed everywhere!

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE NIGHTMARE SCENARIO

Jedi Knight Aayla Secura looks on in shock as her Clone Troopers turn their weapons against her in the final stages of The Clone Wars on the strange jungle world of Felucia. Though we all knew it was coming by the third film, ORDER 66 was nonetheless a shocking sequence and certainly one of the stand out scenes of REVENGE OF THE SITH, accompanied by a superb and moving theme by John Williams.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image.