CLASSIC ART: FIRE IN THE SKY!

Here's a terrific and evocative piece of art by the late sci-fi talent John Berkey-a favourite illustrator of George Lucas- from sometime between 1976 and 77, showing Rebel X-wing fighters making their attack runs in, out and around the mighty planet killer, the Death Star, from the original STAR WARS. Sadly, this image from Berkey (whose other great film work would include art for KING KONG (1977) and SUPERMAN III (1983)), which was created as part of his commissioned work for the STAR WARS poster campaign, was not eventually used, though one other piece of character/action art (featuring the towering figure of Lord Vader with a defiant Luke, Leia and the droids underneath him) would make the grade as the iconic cover of the UK SPHERE BOOK edition of the movies adaptation in 1977. This Death Star battle art is yet another fine example of the incredible artistic work done for the saga over the last thirty-four years, and its stunning depiction remains indelibly iconic....

Check out more of Berkey's brilliant sci-fi work here:  John Berkey Image Gallery

THE FIRST STAR WARS BLU-RAY FOOTAGE: EWAN AND DENIS!

Check out the first clip from the upcoming STAR WARS Blu-rays exclusively at PLAY.COM. Ewan McGregor talks about his first experience seeing STAR WARS, and his uncle, Denis Lawson as Wedge, on the big screen. Most of the talk is not new, but the inclusion of un-dubbed previously unseen cockpit footage of Lawson against blue screen, with Lucas off camera providing dialogue exchange as Luke, is terrific. Lawson's voice was dubbed over in STAR WARS and EMPIRE's eventual cinema release, but was strong enough to be left intact for RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Clip: Star Wars - Landing - Play.com (UK) - Free Delivery

SPECIAL EDITION CLASSIC IMAGE: DEATH STAR APPROACH!

Before the onslaught of the love them or hate them Prequels, I recall that wonderful and nostalgic brief period in 1996-1997 when the world received the return of the STAR WARS Original Trilogy, restored and souped up with CG and other then digital trickery as THE SPECIAL EDITIONS, with bated breath and a great euphoria of excitement and joy that, after twenty years, it was finally coming back to the cinemas. STAR WARS destiny had come full circle, returning to the big screen where it rightfully belonged, and it looked like it was now never going to go away into limbo ever again, and we were all happy for that. Since the original releases, however, and going into the 2000's, there has been an upsurge in fan grumblings and moans about the changes made to Lucas's new visions of the film (some opinions I fully agree with: I always consider that Han shot first! It's in the original scripts!), as well as anger and frustration at the lack of Anamorphic versions of the original unaltered, pre-SPECIAL EDITIONS, being being released on DVD and, so far, Blu-ray, and a general mild but growing dissent, criticism and hatred of the SPECIAL EDITIONs in all forms, especially with the further changes made to them with the first DVD releases of the Trilogy in 2004. It seems that Lucas, considering the most recent versions of the Original Trilogy to be definitive in his eyes (surely until the Blu-rays in September!), can't win any artistic respect these days with a lot of the fans whatever he does linked to the originals.

With next year being the fifteenth anniversary of THE SPECIAL EDITIONS, I thought it might be nice, instead of talking about the things that don't work (as everyone else seems to do online), for AFICIONADO to do an occasional series on the moments, large or small, considered improvements by Lucas to the films, that do actually work and which should be applauded and appreciated, starting off with this terrific image of the Rebel X and Y-wing fighters in space heading towards the Death Star. This new shot is great (I love the original 1977 scenes, too) and I particularly liked the faster movements of the ships and the camera panning with them, adding to the excitement of the film's final decisive conflict.

Look for more great SPECIAL EDITION shots in the not too distant future...

CLASSIC ART: "AMAZING STORIES" - "RUNNING THE BELT"

Here's a terrific spaceship art cover for a very hard to get hold of issue of the US published AMAZING STORIES sci-fi anthology tales magazine, issue no 597 (Summer 1999), which featured a special one-off STAR WARS story- RUNNING THE BELT- from EPISODE II adaptor/NEW JEDI ORDER devised writer R.A. Salvatore (who is also interviewed in its pages), and concerning the Solo children in a coming of age story. As well as STAR WARS being a major selling point, its probably even harder to get hold of because of the also unique BABYLON 5 after-series tale specially written for the magazine by it's creator, J. Michael Straczynski.

If anyone has the cover art as a better quality scan could they please send it through so I can update the Blog.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: GOING IN FOR THE KILL!

Above the Death Star planetoids surface, two deadly TIE fighters move speedily to intercept a Rebel X-wing fighter (possibly Luke's, from looking at the Fourth Draft script) in a lovely ILM 1976/77 storyboarded image by artist unknown (presumably Joe Johnston).

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image.

GOODBYE, GRANT McCUNE

The late Grant McCune works on painting details to an X-wing fighter for STAR WARS in 1976/77.

The sad news has come in States-side that legendary model-maker Grant McCune has sadly passed away from cancer at the age of 67. McCune was one of the top of his field, with one of his earliest jobs being for the John Dykstra led, newly formed ILM, then working on the first STAR WARS movie in 1976/77, and progressing on to many other famous film and TV projects with the APOGEE effects company, including the construction of legendary vehicles such as the U.S.S. Enterprise for STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE in 1979, and the warship Battlestar Galactica for the epic TV series of the same name.

McCune, an Oscar nominated technician, will be much missed by both STAR WARS fans and members of the effects and model construction industry. Our condolences and best wishes go out to his family.

STAR WARS BLUEPRINTS: REBEL EDITION

If you love all the cool fighter craft and technology of the Rebel Alliance, especially from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, then you're gonna want to get hold of DORLING KINDERSLEY's recently released STAR WARS BLUEPRINTS: REBEL EDITION book/posters.

Here's our review link:

http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/blueprints_rebel_edition.html

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: "RED FIVE STANDING BY"

A great ILM STAR WARS 1976/77 storyboard of Luke Skywalker in the cockpit of his X-wing, at some point during the Death Star attack. We assume the illustration was brought to life by Joe Johnston, and based around the earlier July 1976 filming of the fighter pilot cockpit scenes at ELSTREE.

CLASSIC IMAGE: "THE STAR WARS STAGE"

Built for filming in the Summer of 1979, THE STAR WARS STAGE at ELSTREE would then be the biggest studio soundstage in the UK, and, bar some inconvenient shooting linked to Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING (due to an unfortunate fire which had previously raged on another stage and burnt it down), was primarily first built for use by George Lucas and his teams on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and, three years later, RETURN OF THE JEDI. Supervised by Production Designer Norman Reynolds and his skilled team of craftsmen, the completed stage would first house the enormous Rebel base ice hanger, comprising a full size X-wing fighter prop, numerous prop snowspeeders and the biggest and best creation, the Millennium Falcon, previously built in Wales and sent to ELSTREE in sections for full re-construction. This great establishing shot, seen near the beginning of EMPIRE, shows not just the scale of the set and the incredible props, droids, costumed extras and backgrounds for the film but also evokes the feeling of awe and wonder of spirit in watching a STAR WARS adventure-the likes of which you won't see anywhere else, that there's nothing else out there capable of matching its emotional grandeur. Not in the whole wide world of cinematic entertainment!

AFICIONADO STAR WARS MYSTERY: ART ATTACK!

Does anyone know anything about this lovely piece of art, from 1977, of STAR WARS' classic Death Star attack? Its apparently by Eddie Jones.

Was it unused promotional art for LUCASFILM or FOX? Or possibly unused art for MARVEL, perhaps?

If anyone can help, please get in touch...

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE- A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

Lovely 1976/77 reference art by ILM designer/storyboard artist Joe Johnston showing the varying sizes of the STAR WARS spaceships and vehicles in relation to each other. As always with Johnston's work its simple but elegant, very stylized and ultra cool.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: "ALL WINGS REPORT IN"

Terrific shot of the highly detailed X-wing fighter models ready for filming at ILM in Van Nuys, California during 1976/77 post production for STAR WARS.

They don't make 'em like they used to.