Episode 5 of the Mandalorian compared to a New Hope. Also...Boba Fett?

Long time Star Wars nerd here, if you didn't already know. I'm here to show how much fan service was actually in the latest episode of the Mandalorian. I've watched it once now, so I might have missed a few things. Stick around to the end and add anything you caught I might have missed! Spoilers for the episode beyond this point, obviously.

Back in 1977, when the first Star Wars debuted, one of the most powerful scenes was the opening. As soon as the opening crawl ended and faded away, we were treated to a pan down of the moons and surface of Tatooine with the Tantive IV flying past. Wow! So here is  shot #1.

Iconic opening scene...

The next scene, almost immediately after scene 1, is a sweeping view of the Mos Eisley space port with the Razor Crest coming in for a landing. The match comes from when Luke, Ben and the droids are checking out the city for the first time.

You'll never find a more wretched hive...

Of scum and villainy...

When visiting lovely Mos Eisley, you better stop in at the Cantina! Now droids allowed! (In fact, they're serving you drinks!)

The actual cantina... minus a few characters. Look! There's Treadwell the droid...

And when in the Cantina, make sure you check out Han Solo's booth. Too bad this character didn't have half the charisma as Han.

I have a bad feeling about this...

This next scene wasn't actually in a New Hope, but I remembered the photo on one of my old Star Wars books when I was a kid. I always thought that Stormtrooper was pretty awesome and that the Dewback was just as cool, and lifelike.

Dewback!

There were a lot of other things that were Star Wars fan service as well. From the EV robot serving drinks, to the R5 droid rolling past, that Treadwell droid I showed in one of the pictures, even the tracking systems on the star fighters were old school. But was this all worth it?

It... felt different, this episode. It was a familiar trip down memory lane and I appreciated it. But is the story enough to carry this episode without all the flashbacks? I mean, if you removed all these nods, does the story stand alone?

What we have is a story of Mando helping out a young bounty hunter in need. Or trying to. The kid ends up falling prey to dreams of fame and fortune and tries to go against Mando. Who pretty much takes him out in a fairly unspectacular fashion. All Mando is learning is not to trust anyone. And he didn't really help.

I'm going to watch it again, just because I like to see if I missed anything the first time around. To say goodbye, here is my final comment on that "mysterious stranger" at the end of the episode. I heard a clinking like spurs, and something triggered in my subconscious. Where had I heard that before? Then it hit me.

If you have Disney+ go to these two times and listen. You'll hear the same sound effect...

If you listen to the sound of the spurs here and in the Empire Strikes Back, you'll find they are identical. Is Boba Fett going to make a come back? And does he need to?

It would make sense. Boba Fett climbed out of the Sarlacc from Jedi on Tatooine. He could have been hanging out on this planet for a while now. And Mando has obviously been here before. He can talk with the Tusken Raiders. 

As a child, I'd have died to see Boba Fett make a return. But now, do we need to see him? Would it make sense? And would it take away from this show? 

What do you think? Did you notice anything I missed? Do you agree with the Boba Fett thing? Let me know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

The Rise of Skywalker... What does it mean?

Rise of Skywalker. I've had some time to stew over the meaning of this title for a while now, ever since the teaser popped out a little bit ago. (read through my breakdown of that trailer here). So, what's the "Skywalker" in "Rise of Skywalker?"

First let's look at the titles of the endings of each SW trilogy...

Let's take a look back at the end of each subsequent trilogy. We have: Revenge of the Sith, Return of the Jedi, and now Rise of Skywalker. (That "R" alliteration with the titles isn't chance, by the way!)

We all know that the stories in the Star Wars galaxy tend to repeat themselves, with new characters and intentions, so I believe that the intention here is to signify that "Skywalker" isn't a person, but a belief, or what the new "Jedi" will become. 

There is a huge push in the last couple of years in Star Wars to make it clear that the Jedi weren't a perfect sect. Anakin was meant to bring balance to the Force, but does balance have to mean only good wins?

There must be a balance... between Dark and Light.  

Check out this sequence in The Last Jedi (which, in itself means the Jedi are done...). Rey has begun her lessons with Luke and he has her focus on everything around her. This is what she feels and describes:

Although Rey has the ancient Jedi texts, I think she will use them not to recreate the Jedi, but to trace back the origins to the first Jedi, and see where the split happened between the Jedi and the Sith. Take the Prime Jedi...

From The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary, this is an image of the Prime Jedi in a state of meditation and balance

This is theoretically the first Jedi. Notice the balance between dark and light. What went wrong? Was it something as tragic as what happened in The Dark Crystal movie? (for those of you who don't know what I mean, in the land of Dark Crystal there was once a peaceful group of beings who grew greedy and split the pure crystal in the land, and thus split the beings into two groups: the gentle Mystics and the evil Skeksis. Very similar to the Jedi and the Sith...)

There is a new Dark Crystal prequel coming up... and I think that its story will show the split of the original beings of Light. 

The Jedi are flawed. The Sith are flawed. Together, they can become strong. 

Rey will go on a spiritual pilgrimage. To get back to the roots of what the Jedi were originally, and try to start a new Order of her own. The Skywalker Order. 

Already, the movement has begun. I read the book: "The Legends of Luke Skywalker" by Ken Liu,  (see my "meh" review on Goodreads) and in it, the legend of Luke Skywalker was spun across the galaxy. Everyone had a different idea about who or what he was and what he stood for. But one thing was true in all of them: he was legendary. 

So, people will forget who he was, but they will know the symbol that he now is. Check out the kids at the end of The Last Jedi. The stable kids in the Fathier arena are all gathered telling stories of the legend, Luke Skywalker. 

A nice replica of the stand-off on Crait. 

And who do the kids all want to be? A Skywalker. Not just Luke Skywalker, they all want to be like him. And the spark has lit that fire. When Rey christens her new Order of Force users the Skywalkers, all these kids and people all around will want to join. To bring Balance. 

Magic Broom boy will be a Skywalker, someday. 

So that's it for now. What do you think? Am I way off base? Am I overthinking things? Will the Rise of Skywalker be just Kylo Ren's return to the light side? 

By the way, give the Kylo Ren Reacts to the Rise of Skywalker Teaser a view. It is of course pretty funny, but also he gets strangely poignant toward the end and really focuses on the music portion of things. I had been brewing these ideas lately and then I saw someone else react the same way. I have a good feeling about this...

Let me know! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @sciteachah

The Rise of Skywalker: My Breakdown of the Teaser... and Beyond.

First off, wow. That teaser was everything I wanted. Excellent. It's got everything I needed to tide me over until December. As a long time fan of the series (about 42 years now) I feel I can offer some insight into what the trailer revealed about the upcoming movie.

Which planet? Not what you think!

The teaser opens with Rey hanging out on a desert planet. Which desert planet? There are so many options. Your first instinct is to guess Tatooine. They'll want to revisit Luke's or Ben's old place, right? Or maybe ever Jakku? Rey certainly wants to go back there to see if her parents checked in. No.

Jedha.

Yes, Jedha. Check out the rock formations. Check out the vegetation. None of that on Tatooine or Jakku. And this, I believe, is the theme of the Rise of Skywalker. A need to go back to the roots of what the Jedi were. Before the Jedi, or different than the Jedi, since there is a problem with the only "good and bad." The Whills. There is much history on the Whills, but never really talked about. (or written, frankly). I believe this is the movie it "will" make its appearance. And we know that is what Baze Malbus and Chirrut Imwe were all about in Rogue One. They were Guardians of the Whills.

Reading a book in Star Wars? 

We know Rey took the Jedi texts from Ach-To, the island Luke inhabited in The Last Jedi. They were hidden in the Falcon in one scene. I believe she will read these books and try to find the beginning of the "Jedi" before things became "Light vs. Dark," and more of a Balance. These books will point to a very ancient place where there are Jedi remains... and that must be Jedha.

Want another clue? It is not from the teaser, but from Star Wars Celebration. Look at these couches:

recognize these couches/benches from Rogue One? I do!

These were the crates used to carry Kyber crystals off of Jedha

Why make crate couches like these if you're not going to reference the planet they're from? Rey's Lightsaber was busted up during by her and Kylo... it needs several new parts, including a kyber crystal. What better place to get one than on Jedha?

Ok. I'm just getting warmed up here. I'm really excited about the next scene that happens. Rey is carrying the legacy saber, or "Rey's Lightsaber" now. That's awesome. Did she repair it? With what? It looks... different. The black section there is different than the original. But this scene isn't all about the saber. It's also the blaster she has holstered at her side. That is Han Solo's gift to her, as the Lightsaber is Luke's. "We've passed on all we know," Luke says this over the video at this point. I like that this means the knowledge of the Jedi, but also Han's knowledge.

This is a quite deliberate juxtaposition of the Force Luke passed on and Han's craftiness. Don't forget the blaster. It's AS important to her character as the saber. 

Then comes the awesome showdown of "man vs. machine..." A New Hope was a classic approach to this, as Luke trusts himself to destroy a huge Death Star. Rey takes a leaping backflip over an incoming Tie. What? I'm guessing this is only a teaser image and won't be in the actual movie. It's cool though!

First set of goosebumps

Then we've got a solo mission to some hidden city in the mountains. Who's flying that A-Wing? Can't wait to find out. The A-Wing is one of my low-key favorite ships in the series. I'm guessing it's Rey. I have a reason why and it's in an upcoming shot... (more on that later).

Is Rey tracking down Jedi clues? this looks like a remote place some ancient Jedi would hang out in. Maybe Ezra shows up? Wouldn't that be something. 

Then there's a scene of Kylo mowing down someone and repairing that mask he trashed after Snoke shot it down. But it's back, apparently.

Only a little lens flare? C'mon JJ!

Is he the only "bad guy?" I'm sure he isn't. Nothing is shown in this teaser, but I am certain that the Knights of Ren will make a much-anticipated appearance. (My original guess for the new movie's name was "The Rise of the Knights." Listen about their blurbs in the Force Awakens and read "The Art of the Force Awakens" by Phil Szostak. There's plenty I'm going to reference from that book.

Here's a clip of the Knights in the Art of the Force Awakens. A lot of material was developed for them... now is the time to reveal!

Cute droids!

But where's R2? NOBODY puts R2 in a corner. 

Then there was clearly the BEST part of the teaser:

Yeehaw!

And the best ship...

Wait... who reordered the round radar dish?! 

Threepio, Finn, and Poe escaping with some loot/rolled up scrolls (or maybe just their lives?)

Still on Jedha getting Jedi clues... (again, where's R2?!)

Then a cutaway shot to the A-Wing pilot... whizzing past a Star Destroyer? Like an OLD SCHOOL Star Destroyer! What's that doing around still? Some remnants of the old Empire?

I'm pretty sure that's Rey going to take down a Star Destroyer. Here's why I think so...

Remember I said I loved "The Art of the Force Awakens?" There's lots of great concepts that were never used in the first two movies, and this A Wing Star Destroyer scene looks super familiar to me. Rey is whizzing around in an X Wing with the top down and using her lightsaber to slice it up. Don't believe me?

I'm guessing this is going to go down like this. 

Cut to Leia checking out Han's old medal she gave him on Yavin 4...

Probably Han's, right?

Cut to me definitely wondering who's cutting onions in the room...

Looks like they're using her old footage wonderfully. Miss you, Carrie!

And then to the next scene... look where they are. Just look! That's the second Death Star remains! Endor has an ocean!

Are there ocean dwelling Ewoks? Yub nub!

Referencing the book again, there are some COOL underwater images of the destroyed 2nd Death Star. They've got to be looking for something the Emperor had stashed away. Holocrons? Something else? Looks like Rey's scavenging background is going to pay off. Please tell me they're after Darth Vader's lightsaber...

One of 3 underwater scenes in the Art of the Force Awakens...

Does Rey need Vader's saber to repair her own? Like some sort of Skywalker legacy that needs both pieces of the light and dark to become one? Oh please be this. That sounds cool.



And then what else do they uncover there? Something Luke says is really unsettling at this point... "No one is ever really gone..." Who is he talking about? Him? Yoda? Ben?

Thanks Youtube subtitles for confirming that was him. And thanks for my second set of goosebumps. 

Or the Emperor?

Well, that's it. I'm guessing this movie will take Rey and friends from one side of the universe to the other to see a lot of strange things. Collecting Jedi relics, finding a balance to the Force. Meanwhile Kylo Ren will posse up with his gang of Knights of Ren and try to track down the remaining spark of Resistance. The real question for us all to ask is whether or not anyone can ever truly be too far gone down the Dark path...

May the Force be with you. Perhaps we'll see I'm totally off base by the time December rolls around, but maybe not. I'll address this entry in 8 months time, I suppose! And yes, I will vow to not watch another Star Wars trailer and let this be my only musing into the end of the Saga. Too much of a trailer can give much away.

An Interview with Danny Susco: The Voice Behind the Soulkind Series

On March 27, 2019, I published The Soulkind Awakening as an audiobook through ACX. I was lucky to meet Danny Susco, an up-and-coming actor/narrator/all-around cool guy, and he narrated my book(s) for me. I'd like to share an interview I did with him recently about the process, the Soulkind story, and about him in general.

Danny Susco

Tell me a little about yourself. How did you get into narrating/producing?

Well, as to myself, I spent a vast portion of my life with my nose in a book. All through school, I always had one on me, ready to open at the slightest free moment.

This, along with joining the marching band, predisposed me to become what I am today: a huge nerd. Like the vast-stacks-of-books, magic-the-gathering, dungeon-master-and-Warhammer-40k kind of nerd.

As for how I got into narrating and producing, I have been told for some time that I have a good voice for radio (also a good face for radio, but that came from my then-girlfriend/now-wife). I always enjoyed reading, both to myself and out loud, dabbled in acting, and made different voices with my brothers ever since I was little.

Then, I went to college and earned a Bachelor’s of Journalism from Ohio University (Go Cats). They wanted to be sure that we would be able to do whatever we needed to create a news story, from shooting video to editing audio.

Fast forward three years from graduation, and I was freshly laid off from the company I worked at since I left school. I had heard of ACX before, and already had a pretty nice microphone for recording audio, so I figured, why not?

How many books have you narrated and do they have a common thread or theme?

Including the Soulkind Awakening, the number of audiobooks I have narrated comes to a grand total of two. I am, however, hard at work on book number three (The Shadow of the Soulkind – tell your friends!), and loving audio producing.

That said, before securing the Soulkind books, I did look over several other titles for ones I might like to record. One was a cookbook (that I ended up recording), which I thought would be good to cut my teeth on. I also looked at a children’s book and a few sci-fi novels (not nearly as well-written as the Soulkind Series).

There was one book that I was offered, but I decided not to take that one up – I’m not certain how comfortable I would be doing an audiobook of a highly niche erotic novel.

What do you love most about narrating audiobooks?

My favorite thing about making audiobooks is also what I like doing with the rest of my time: I love making things, especially for other people to enjoy. I think my favorite feeling is showing something I made to someone and having them go, “Wow, I love it!” That goes for cooking as well as audiobooks.

How do you select a book to narrate? Do you prefer a specific genre or types of characters?

I prefer to stick with genres that I would enjoy reading. In general, that would mean fantasy or sci-fi. However, I am pretty well-read, and love anything with good content that isn’t too dry. Well, almost, now that I think of the erotica novel.

How do you prepare to read/record a chapter? Do you read a book several times before you record the audio? Or do you just about memorize it?

I like to take it chapter by chapter. Generally, I will read through a chapter once, to get a feel for what the mood is and whether there are any problem spots. Then, I will jump right in. It combines the thrill of a live performance with the low pressure of talking to yourself. Plus, I can swear if I flub a word (and I often do so quite loudly, to the great amusement of my wife).

How do you decide on the specific voice and tone to do for each character (in the SK Awakening for example)? What are your favorite types of characters to voice? (who in this book, and why?) 

Well, step one is to ask the author if they had any thoughts on what a certain character’s voice should be. That’s why in the Soulkind Awakening, Jace’s voice is just my own normal speaking voice – it was an author suggestion. Otherwise, it is based on the character’s age, physical appearance, and personality. For example, Straeten is in his early 20s, is a stalwart friend, and works as a stable hand. That made me think of my older brother (currently farming fish in the California desert), so I went for a deeper voice. Or, there was Stroud, the glowering leader of the Guardians, so everything he says is clipped, as if he’s a little annoyed and impatient.

My favorite character voices, though, are the Darrak. It’s a ton of fun to snarl out sentences like a lizard-man.

Do you have a ritual or routine you do before sitting down to record the audio?

Not so much beforehand, save for reading over the material I’m about to record.

I often dangle one hand down next to my chair while recording, though. One of my cats tends to start meowing quite loudly if he wants your attention. So, if I hang one hand down, he can rub up on it and I will scratch his chin while recording.

Is there a scene you just loved to narrate? Is there a scene that was especially difficult to narrate?

I love fight scenes. It’s a lot of energetic lines, so as I’m recording I’m throwing my hands in the air, belting out the action.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that there was a scene that was especially difficult, save for characters with difficult voices talking a lot. For example, Caspan Dral or Graebyrn both have deep, deep voices, and that can be difficult to keep up.

What tips do you have for aspiring narrators/producers?

Don’t be intimidated. When I first considered audiobooks, I was scared off by the expense and jargon, but with a little research, I was able to make something that great and venerable Audible declared good enough to put its stamp on.

Also, if you don’t know what audio editing program to use, download Audacity – it’s free, there are a bunch of tutorials, and you can get plugins to do just about whatever you need the program to do.

What are your next steps in your career as a narrator? 

Just keep recording! The very next step, though, is the second book in the Soulkind Series.

Thank you very much for your time answering these questions, Danny!

Do you have questions for the author? Me? Comment below and I'll get back to you.


Check out Danny's webpage here, https://modernmidwestman.com/. He'll show you some recipes!


Interested in the audiobook process? Read this post I wrote about the whole process here


The Soulkind Awakening is available on Amazon, Audible, and on iTunes. Thanks for checking them out!

Review of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels:The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really great read for me, being a lifelong videogame player. Yes, I've always had an idea or two in my back pocket for the world's greatest videogame. I planned them out, wrote out the mechanics, story and everything.

But obviously, there's more to it than all that. This book talks about the troubles/stresses/crunching involved with the whole process. The goods, the bads, the glamorous and the things people would rather hide.

I've played most of these games and gotten close to the rest. I followed the stories back in the day of the successes and always wondered about the missing ones. Now, I, unfortunately, know why Star Wars 1313 got canned. Every word in that chapter was like a hammer pounding in the nails to this game's coffin. And my soul. Man, that would've been a fantastic game.

While most of these games were made and had success, ending the book with the downfall of what could have been (the Star Wars game) was a bit of a downer. Makes me want to play some games...

View all my reviews

Writing Inspiration: How to keep going

Ever get sidetracked while trying to finish up a writing project? Ever lose those initial enamored feelings you had when you first started writing? Ever trudge through a scene and wonder if it's really worth it?

If you're like me, and I know I am, then you've encountered at least a few of these when writing. Writer's block is not fun. If you haven't developed a routine to write at least a set amount of time each night (as I wrote in this post) then make sure you've made your dedication to writing a strong habit. However, habitual writing is always much easier said than done.

One trick I found was to read about some other authors and their inspirational quotes. Because sometimes not reaching your goals is sometimes a little heartbreaking and hearing that others have gone through similar situations sometimes makes it a little easier to bear.

A powerful focus tool for me

As part of the nightly writing read only a page from a book by Susan Shaughnessy, "Walking on Alligators." Each page is broken into three parts. The first is a quote from an author, the second is a description of this, and lastly, there is a sentence for you as the writer to walk away with.

For example:

"Be careful how quickly you give away your fire- Robert Bly"

There is a detailed paragraph explaining the quote, for example, this one says that sometimes when you have an idea, it is best not to share it with others by "talking" it away. Sometimes an author might have so much fun talking about a book they never get around to writing it...

The takeaway: "Today, I'll save my fire. I'll write, not talk."

I said earlier that I only read ONE of these pages a day. More than that and you lose focus on the meaning of the one. Each of the pages has a different message, so don't waste them! And I'm sure there are other books, perhaps you could share one you use in the comments?

And remember: A writer writes!

Listening to Albums While You Write: The lifeblood and pulse of your story

Some of the questions people ask me about writing are "How can you stay focused on one idea?" or "How can you write every night?"

The answer is routine, as it would be with any habit you are trying to pursue. One of the ways I make sure to write daily is to have a prescribed time to sit down at the computer and a set time I have to write. At least 20 minutes is what I do. Then, if I have an epiphany I can keep writing, and if I get a block I can tap out and say "at least I met my daily goal."

How do you get an idea? That's a whole other topic I covered here. 

The other thing I use is a soundtrack to write to. Here are the three albums that I used consistently in each of the books in the series.

The Soulkind Awakening:
I listened to "Divinities: 12 Dances with God" by Ian Anderson to help write this book. The length of the was my minimum amount of time I would commit to writing each day, which ended up being 47 minutes. It is a diverse album, containing different moods and tempos, and I have fond memories of it. Since I switched albums for the next two books, I hadn't listened to this one in a LONG time. When I popped the album on Amazon Music the other day, I was instantly transported to when I wrote the first book. Another house, another dog, another time.

This was the fuel for my first book!

The Shadow of the Soulkind:
I listened EXCLUSIVELY to Daft Punk's soundtrack to Tron: Legacy. I LOVE this soundtrack. Yes, it is electronic music, but also with orchestral parts to it. It is really something else. I wrote for years to this, and when I actually went and watched Tron: Legacy again, the soundtrack was so inviting and I knew the movie on another level. Some of my favorites are: "Adagio to Tron," for when I need an emotional boost, and "Fall," for when I had some action scenes I needed to hammer out. The whole soundtrack is amazing though and I could get lost in my story easily while listening.

Amazing! Synth/Orchestral/Awesomeness

The Soulkind Master:
Yes, I listened to the Tron: Legacy soundtrack again, but I also tag-teamed my writing with the soundtrack to Skyrim. This is one of my all-time favorite soundtracks. Yes, I love Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, but those are too iconic. They were almost distracting when I would write a scene. I couldn't think of my own story! But "Awake" is epic and dreamlike and paints a picture of adventure in my mind.

No, I didn't have the vinyl, but man that looks nice. Fus ro dah!

Do you have any albums you always listen to when you write? Share below!