Loot Crate - Dream Crate!

A week or so ago, the fine people over at Loot Crate asked me to write about my "Dream Crate!" Basically, about things I would want to receive in my own Loot Crate box. For those of you who don’t already know, Loot Crate is a monthly mail subscription service who deliver a mystery box containing a variety of geek and gamer related items pop culture items. Which is awesome!

For my "Dream Crate," the theme would be "Space Adventure!" So any space related franchise is welcome to squeeze in.

Alien Franchise T-Shirt

Every Loot Crate needs an awesome t-shirt, right? For my Dream Crate, an exclusive t-shirt from the Alien franchise would be amazing! It could feature a unique artistic design of the Xenomorphs or just about anything else from the films; it’s all awesome. You just do not see enough Alien shirts, so that would be a unique addition.

A Star Wars Comic Book

Marvel has been releasing some very well received Star Wars comics lately. Including any one of the issues from the new Marvel's Star Wars comic book selection would be a great way to get me and others hooked on an enjoyable new story.

Firefly Poster

Everyone needs more Firefly merchandise, am I right!? And I'd love to have a "shiny" new Firefly poster on my wall. It could be a more artistic, minimalist poster, or something more traditional; any type of Firefly poster would do, honestly.

Guardians of the Galaxy Figure

Even though the figure does not have to be a Funko POP, like in the picture, any type of figure from the film would be a great addition to my Dream Crate. Who doesn't want a little Groot or Rocket Raccoon figure to show off on their desk or shelf?

"See you Space Cowboy..." Decal

"See you Space Cowboy..." is a phrase you'll see at the end of an episode of the critically acclaimed Cowboy Bebop. A decal of the famous quote is a small yet great addition to the Dream Crate. I could think of a dozen places I could put it! 

Gundam Mystery Figure

Mobile Suit Gundam is one of my latest obsessions, and those mecha robot suits in the franchise look so impressive. Receiving something like a mystery bag/box with a random Mobile Suit from any of the various series would be exciting since you never know which one you'll get!

Free-For-All: Assorted Keychain,  Lanyards, ect. from Star Trek, Halo, or other space franchises 

As with most Loot Crates, there’s an assortment of various smaller items, such as a keychain, lanyards, or other things. A few examples might be a Star Trek keychain, a Halo lanyard, or even a Tom Baker Doctor Who scarf! Half the fun of Loot Crate is the surprise of just not knowing what you’ll find inside, so I want to leave an element of surprise in mine! Especially since Loot Crate does a great job including trinkets and items that you never really think to buy but are cool to have when you get them. 

That concludes my Dream Crate rundown! What do you think? What would be in yours; what’s your preferred theme? Let me know in the comments below and if you want to know more about Loot Crate, be sure to check out their website by clicking here.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Star Wars: Rogue One Trailer 2

During the Olympics, a new trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One was revealed. And it is phenomenal! Now this is how you make a trailer. There is almost nothing that spoilers the film, or at least not without context. Take note studios, this is how you make a trailer! And all the scenes of the Imperials look incredible. Even though it is CGI, the Star Destroyers look just like the original models used in Star Wars (1977). The tone is serious and war movie-like, yet not dark for the sake of darkness. Alan Tudyk plays humorously deadpan droid, K-2SO, and Donnie Yen looks absolutely awesome (seriously, go watch the Ip Man trilogy to understand why). Everything about this trailer makes me excited for Rogue One! And after an abysmal and disappointing summer of movies, Rogue One is what we need to redeem a slow year by December. What did you think of the trailer? Please comment below and check back soon for my review of Suicide Squad!

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New Han Solo Played by Alden Ehrenreich

Alden Ehrenreich will play Han Solo in the untitled 2018 Young Han Solo film, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The 24 year old star has had roles in Hail, Caesar!, Blue Jasmine, Beautiful Creatures, Stoker, and various other independent films and minor TV roles, none of which I have seen. Some may be throwing up their arms in protest and raving about Alden being a “bad choice” for Han Solo; honestly, I have not seen Ehrenreich, so there is nothing for me to say positively or negatively about the casting choice. 

Han Solo is literally my favorite character in all of fiction, and a young Han Solo prequel film does not sound particularly necessary to me. However, Lawrence Kasdan, the screenwriter of The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens, is working with his son, Jon, to pen the script. In many ways, Kasdan has proven to be the unsung hero of the Star Wars franchise. Even though the film feels unnecessary when we could have a Boba Fett standalone film, until Disney proves otherwise, these Star Wars films are going to be amazing, so why not get excited!? One of my favorite YouTubers, Hello Greed, sums up my thoughts almost perfectly in the video below, so you can watch that for a little something extra. But to sum up my thoughts, Ehrenreich is likely to be a brilliant young Han Solo in yet another stunning Star Wars adventure. After The Force Awakens, my optimism is high for anything Disney makes, so it's hard not to be excited! What do you think? Please comment below and let me know!

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Top 10 Star Wars Characters: Happy Star Wars Day

May the Fourth be with You! Yes, today is May 4th; Star Wars day! And to celebrate Star Wars day, let's rank the Top 10 Star Wars characters from the movies, TV shows, video games, and novels!

Honorable Mention: Darth Revan

A central aspect of the Knights of the Old Republic video game, Darth Revan is a fixture of the Old Republic era. Revan's storyline showed me how powerful the Star Wars Expanded Universe could be, and if there is one EU story that should be adapted into a film, it should be Revan's story, or even better, a Netflix original series.

10: Rey

Introduced in The Force Awakens with a mysterious past, Rey stood out the most among the stellar new cast, largely thanks to Daisy Ridley's stunning performance. By the time the new trilogy concludes, I have a feeling that Rey will rank even higher on this list. At this point, we know very little about Rey's past, so we will have to wait and see what happens in the next film!

9: Boba Fett

How does a character with only 6 minutes 32 seconds, 4 lines, 5 complete sentences, and 27 words of dialogue become an iconic villain? Well, having one of the most bad*ss character designs ever and an insanely cool spaceship certainly helps. After the Original Trilogy, Boba Fett's backstory has been fleshed out, and honestly, a Boba Fett movie would be such a better idea than a Young Han Solo film, so here's to hoping!

8: R2-D2

Come on, who doesn't love this plucky little guy? Thanks to the audio editors, Kenny Baker, and the effects team, R2-D2 might not speak a word of English, but he has more personality than many main characters. 

7: Chewbacca

Everyone's favorite laughing fuzzball, Chewbacca is yet another iconic character, who never speaks a word of intelligible dialogue. With his return in The Force Awakens, Chewbacca will hopefully continue to be a lovable supporting character for our heroes.

6: Princess Leia

Revolutionary in many ways at the time for subverting the "Damsel in Distress" cliche by having the "Damsel" actually fight, Princess Leia is a landmark character in science fiction. 

5: Yoda

“Do, or do not. There is no try.” With his role in The Empire Strikes Back being especially noteworthy, Yoda is the exact opposite of the stereotypical "legendary warrior." He is the Jedi Master, the character that embodies everything that a Jedi is. 

4: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi stands as one of the few characters to be well represented in the Prequel trilogy, largely thanks to Ewan McGregor. Of course, Alec Guinness brilliantly played the character in Original trilogy, enough so to land an Oscar nomination. Is Obi-Wan Rey's father? Who knows, but we will find out soon.

3: Luke Skywalker

Often considered a "whiny" protagonist, unjustly so, Luke Skywalker is the quintessential example of the Hero's Journey. Each film, Luke progresses as a character, as a hero. He faces trials and tribulations on his journey, conflicted between dark and light, if only briefly. Now, in the new Trilogy, we will soon discover his new role.

2: Darth Vader

A few years ago, Darth Vader would have easily topped this list, and while he is certainly the greatest villain ever in fiction, he is edged out by my top pick. With that said, Vader is such a fascinating character. In Star Wars (1977), Vader's entrance is unforgettable, and arguably one of the best villain introductions ever. At first, Vader served as the imposing antagonist against our lovable heroes. While his past is hinted at the first film, little is uncovered until the ultimate plot twist is revealed. Darth Vader is Luke's father, and the entire dynamic of the character changes, which all comes together with his ultimate redemption in Return of the Jedi. Darth Vader is not just my favorite villain; he is always vying for number one spot as my favorite character of all-time. 

1: Han Solo

Was there ever a question that Han Solo would be number one? Heck, just look at my profile picture, post signature, or any number things and Han Solo is obviously my favorite Star Wars character of all-time. He is witty, bad*ss, a smart-mouth, and just plain cool. Throughout the Original Trilogy and The Force Awakens, Han progresses and develops from the heartless scoundrel that gunned down Greedo in the cantina to actually caring for someone other than himself by Return of the Jedi. However, *Force Awakens Spoilers* ultimately Han returns to the only thing he knows after personal tragedy. And finally, Han's character came full circle with his death by the hand of his son; a poetic end for a beloved character. *End Spoilers* And of course, Han shot first. Was there ever a question?

Who are your favorite Star Wars characters? Please comment below and May the Fourth be with You.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Star Wars on Netflix - Season 1 Official Live Action Teaser Trailer

Star Wars is coming to Netflix! Coming soon, Netflix and Disney will release a Star Wars series live-action series title, "Star Wars: Fury of Maul," obviously starring Darth Maul. No word on the release date yet. However, as the teaser shows, it appears to be following Darth Maul after the events of The Clone Wars. Will a Netflix budget be able to handle the special effects required for quality Star Wars content? Considering how Daredevil is one of the best things to come from Marvel, a Star Wars Netflix series could be amazing! With that said, the trailer's effects and production design are lacking a bit, so who knows. What do you think of this breaking news? Please comment below and let me know!

Happy April Fools Everyone! Hope y'all liked that!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Indiana Jones 5 is Officially Announced! Ford and Spielberg Return!

Indiana Jones 5 is Officially Announced! Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg will return and the film opens on July 19th, 2019. Wow, this is exciting news! Of course, Walt Disney Studios now own the rights to Indiana Jones in the deal for Lucasfilm, and honestly, the fact that the new film is neither a reboot is surprising. Even more surprising is that Spielberg is returning to direct. In the past, he indicated that he was finished with action adventure flicks after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but hey, Disney probably waved a wad of cash in his face and a lot of creative freedom, so he is back! 

If you are somehow unaware, the Indiana Jones franchise is one of my all-time favorites, right behind Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. However, due to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull being the most disappointing film in cinematic history, or at least from my perspective, I used to think that leaving the Indiana Jones franchise finished was the best idea. Now, with The Force Awakens bringing back Star Wars to its former glory, my faith and confidence in Disney to do the same for Indiana Jones is rather high. Spielberg is one of the greatest film directors of all-time, and some of his best work lies within the Indiana Jones trilogy, particularly Raiders of the Lost Ark. Considering The Force Awakens’ return to practical effects, it should be no question that Indiana Jones does the same with practical stun work. My only concern is that Ford is 73, and who knows how long he can keep being an action hero. Hopefully, he can give Indiana Jones a strong sendoff and pass the torch to the next generation, much like he did in The Force Awakens. 

Other information released is that Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce the film, and David Koepp, who has worked on Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Mission: Impossible, and Spider-Man, will write the script.

What are your thoughts on this news? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoiler Discussion - Part 2

It's time for Part 2 of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoiler Discussion! And as the title suggests, massive spoilers are ahead, so if you haven't seen the movie, what the heck have you been doing with your life!? Go watch it now! Now, let's talk some spoilers!

Starkiller Base

It's the Death Star, again, but bigger. As far as criticisms go, Starkiller base essentially being a bigger Death Star is the most valid, and honestly the only one with much weight behind the argument. Should the central McGuffin been something other than a giant weapon that destroys starsystems? Yeah, probably. Is it as big a deal as some are making it out to be? Nope, it's still different enough, and can you honestly think of something better?

With that said, using Starkiller Base to destroy basically all the politics in the Star Wars galaxy is rather brilliant. Now one of the worst parts of the Prequel Trilogy is completely out of the picture! As it turns out, there were some deleted scenes that take place about the Senate on the planets that were destroyed, which might have added some weight to the moment where they are destroyed, albeit at the cost of pacing. However, we will have to wait until the Blu-Ray to see if the scene would have been worth keeping in the film. But as a whole, Starkiller Base is the one plot point that is a bit too similar to the previous films. 

Poe Dameron Sidelined and Originally Died?

Poe Dameron is hailed as one of the many highlights of The Force Awakens and for good reason. Oscar Isaac made the character instantly likable, and his chemistry with Finn made for an awesome Bromance in 5 minutes! However, according to sources, Poe was said to have died in the Tie-Fighter crash in the original script. Probably after seeing how great of a character the writers had, the script was changed and Poe merely went missing in the crash. Many reviews complained that Poe did not receive enough screen. While I agree to a point, his exclusion is one of the many brilliant decisions that the writers made to prevent the film from being cluttered and overstuffed, like many films are today. Of course, Poe should definitely play a major role in Episode VIII now that Han Solo has died. 

Luke Skywalker

Thanks to the brilliant marketing, no knew that Luke Skywalker would have almost no screen time and zero lines of dialogue! And while some may be disappointed by his lack of screen time, nothing about the marketing alluded that Luke would have much of a role in the film. In fact, not including Luke is a brilliant decision by the creators. The Force Awakens benefits for the limited number of central characters and saving Luke for the next film should prove to be a great asset to the film. While not many people seem to disagree, Luke exclusion from the film was excellently executed.

Millennium Falcon: "The garbage will do"

Easily one of, if not, the best scene in the film is when Rey and Finn are running from the First Order to find a ship, Finn says, "What about that ship?" and Rey shouts, "That one's garbage." The quad-jumper ship that they are running towards explodes, and Rey shouts again, "The garbage will do," as the camera pans towards the Millennium Falcon! First time watching the movie, I literally gasped loud enough for my brother to hear two seats away. Just wow! That is how you introduce the Millennium Falcon! The scene makes the Millennium Falcon an integral part of the story and doesn't just stop everything to have a moment. The Millennium Falcon is shown, only the audience thinks of it as anything special, and the plot continues in possibly the best starfighter chase of the franchise, or at least since Return of the Jedi. Everything about the scene is perfectly executed. It highlights one of the many strengths of the film in that it doesn't dwell on the past to get the audience nostalgic. All of the aspects from the Original Trilogy are incorporated into the story organically.  

Do you have any thoughts on these topics about Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Please comment below and check back soon for more spoiler discussions!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2016

My countdown of the Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2016 continues with my Top 5 most anticipated movies of the year!

5: Suicide Squad

DC's Suicide Squad had me swaying back and forth on whether I should be excited or dreading it, and as apparent by the placing on this list, my expectations for Suicide Squad are fairly high! The recent trailer has me majorly hyped for DC's movie about the villains! Seriously, that is one of my favorite trailers in a while, and one that makes me want to watch the trailer multiple times. Of course, knowing DC, the movie could be utter garbage, or it could be DC's best since The Dark Knight. Either way, I know where I am going to be on the week of August 5th....

4: Doctor Strange

Assuming Disney and Marvel can continue to produce exceptional standalone films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man, then Doctor Strange should be one of the best of the year! Horror director, Scott Derrickson, should bring a creepy vibe to the Doctor Strange film. With fan favorite, Benedict Cumberbatch, playing the titular character, my hopes for Doctor Strange are high! However, some of the casting choices are a bit on the odd side and some of the source material are questionable as well. With that said, when Marvel's biggest disappointment in nearly three years is the incredibly entertaining, albeit somewhat flawed, Age of Ultron, you know that your standards are high, so Doctor Strange is almost certain to deliver! And also don't worry about the director's lackluster track record; James Gunn did not make any good movies before Guardians of the Galaxy either and we all know how awesome that turned out!

3: X-Men: Apocalypse

Bryan Singer brought back the X-Men franchise to new heights with Days of Future Past! And X-Men: Apocalypse will introduce one of the most iconic villains in the X-Men universe! Sure, some might be wary because of how weird Apocalypse looks, but with Singer directing and the brilliant casting of Oscar Isaac, it should be great. Yes, the likable Poe Dameron is going to play one of Marvel's most evil villains! The recasting of the younger X-Men characters also gets me excited to see what the film has in store. Hopefully, the Biblical references are minor and won't tick some people off.

2: Captain America: Civil War

Heck yeah! Even when everyone was hyping up Age of Ultron last year, we all knew that Captain America: Civil War was the Marvel movie that we were most excited for! And from the trailers, the Russo Brothers are not going to disappoint! Civil War might be departing from the source material more than expected, yet I'm not too worried. As long as the film is not dragged down by unnecessary side villains, Civil War will should be an emotionally riveting battle between comrades!

1: Star Wars: Rogue One

Duh, how could Rogue One not be number one? Star Wars: Rogue One, or as it is officially titled, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, will follow the group of Rebels that stole the Death Star. It is said to be a Star Wars war film, and with its diverse and fascinating cast, Rogue One will kick off the beginning of Star Wars' standalone films. Whether or not Rogue One is a critical financial success will determine how everyone will view these standalone films. On one hand, Rogue One could end up being a very fun and entertaining film, like say, Ant-Man for example. Or it could turn out to be another modern classic like The Force Awakens. Only time will tell. Either way, there is absolutely no film that I am more excited for than Rogue One! It even features several of my favorite obscure actors, like Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, and Mads Mikkelsen, so that makes even more hyped!

What films are you looking forward to the most? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Spoiler Discussion - Part 1

Welcome to part one of my multi-part spoiler discussion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens! If you have not seen The Force Awakens, go watch it now and then come back because major spoilers are ahead. For everyone else, this post is intended to discuss spoilers, so go crazy with spoilers and thoughts in the comments. This discussion series will focus on specific characters, moments, and points of discussion.

Supreme Leader Snoke and Crazy Theories

If one character could be changed, it would be Supreme Leader Snoke. Based on what we see in this film, having the brilliant Andy Serkis play a motion-capture character seemed unnecessary. Making him a CGI character might pay off in the sequels. However, the CGI quality was somewhat lacking in The Force Awakens. Then there is that moment when everyone wonders: "IS HE IS A FREAKING GIANT!? PLEASE NO!" Thankfully, it was a hologram, so he was probably just compensating for something.... But yeah, even if the creators were planning on making him a giant, hopefully they are listening to the backlash against the idea, and Snoke will either be small in stature or relatively normal.

Other than whether or not Snoke is a giant, the biggest thing about the character is the question of who the heck is he!? Is he Darth Plagueis? Or Palpatine? Heck, why not Jar Jar Binks? I'm sorry, but all these fan "theories" are getting a little out of hand! Some have even said Darth Vader or Mace Windu, which is absurd! And don't get me started on how dumb the time-traveling Kylo Ren "theory" is! My guess is the logical one: Snoke is a new character! At this point, people might end up disappointed if Snoke is not related to a preexisting character, but as long as Snoke is an interesting antagonist, I'll be satisfied. And Disney, please make the CGI look better in the next film!

Han Solo Dies

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO" HAN SOLO DIED!!!!!!! My favorite character in the history of fiction is dead! His death has even gotten me to change my profile picture back to a new picture of Han! But wow, watching my favorite character die was an experience! Thankfully, I did not hear any spoilers before seeing the film. However, believe it or not, I called his death as soon as a new Star Wars movie was announced. Sure, you might not believe me, and as crazy as it sounds, I never wanted to write about it because if I was correct, I might spoil the film for someone other than my brother. Heck, I never even told my friends, only my brother, Jacob.

With that aside, Han Solo's death was apparent to me as soon as he walked toward Kylo Ren on the walkway. However, giving almost a warning to audience was intended and created incredible amounts of tension as Kylo handed Han the Lightsaber. What made it all the more powerful is Ford's surprised, yet not sad, expression, as he helped his son in some way. It was painful to watch in the best way possible. Chewbacca's wail of anger and despair as he shot Kylo and mowed down some Stormtroopers was the perfect way to bring the audience back from the shock of Han's death. All around, a superbly executed scene with so much emotion! And Harrison Ford finally got to kill off his character like he and the writers wanted to in Return of the Jedi.

Leia and Chewie not Mourning

Han's death did lack in one area.... After Chewie, Rey, and Finn returned from the battle, Chew walks right past Leia! He just walks right on past as Rey hugs Leia. This is such a missed opportunity! Leia and Chewie knew Han better than anyone. As Chewie walks off the ship, Leia and Chewie should have embraced and mourned briefly, or something like that. Honestly, if there was one thing that I could change about The Force Awakens, this is it!

Do you have any thoughts on these topics about The Force Awakens? Please comment below and check back soon for more spoiler discussions!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Star Wars: Episode VIII Production Teaser

Star Wars: Episode VIII Production Teaser dropped with a brief clip from the new film! Obviously, if you have not seen The Force Awakens, spoilers are ahead. Now this production announcement is an interesting idea. How often does a film announce that filming has started? But this is Star Wars, so it makes sense. As expected, the clip is not anything new or particularly exciting, but it is an interesting piece marketing. Do you have any thoughts? Please comment below and check back tomorrow for the first part of my spoiler discussion of The Force Awakens!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.