Inside Skywalker Ranch

Have you ever been inside the confines of Skywalker Ranch? Not me, though I've curiously driven by when driving through the Bay Area. Each time there's a glimpse of something new I'm thoroughly interested. In an article from SFGate.com this intriguing picture appeared.


George Lucas created a replica of his first office at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California. February 27, 2013. Photo: Erik Castro, Special To The San Francisco Chronicle



Lucas Cultural Arts Museum Profile

This morning, CBS This Morning presented a profile of Lucas that included another look at his proposed Cultural Arts Museum in The Presidio. In it, they mention both his recent nuptials to Mellody Hobson, but also that his collection could be rotated in new exhibits every six months and not come back to the first ones for six years. Not bad for a genius, billionaire, [married] philanthropist.

The Maker Married Mellody!

Last weekend, at Skywalker Ranch, Mr. George Lucas married his sweetheart, Ms. Mellody Hobson. If you've ever seen the two in person or, perhaps, being interviewed by Oprah, its no surprise that the two finally tied the knot. Congratuations to the Lucas-Hobson families!





This weekend the two are having an enormous reception in Hobson's hometown of Chicago.
Stars Celebrate George Lucas' Wedding at Chicago Soiree (Video)

ILM: Creating the Impossible

If you've not seen the 2010 documentary, Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible, it's definitely worth your time. Packed into one short hour, the film does a good job showing the birth of the special effects giant and the achievements the company has made in the last 35+ years. 

If you absolutely can't spare the time, at least check out the 52-minute mark. JJ Abrams speaks to the challenges of keeping up with Star Wars and a few tricks used in the making of his first Star Trek outing.

Rare 1980 TESB Hotline Recordings

This is an excellent blast from the past. In the era when long distance phone calls could run you a dollar per minute (better call at night or on a weekend!) the sequel to Star Wars had a unique hotline where callers could here a tease from The Empire Strikes Back. By calling 1-800-521-1980* you'd hear exclusive messages from Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and James Earl Jones.

*I'll save you the trouble. The number goes to athe voicemail of an unrelated person now.

John Dykstra's Birthday

Today is the birthday of John Dykstra (b. 1947) who led the original Industrial Light & Magic team for Star Wars (1977). Many of the shots that astounded audiences, and led to the film winning an Oscar of best Visual Effects, were created with his Dykstraflex camera. The computer-controlled camera was developed to move around a spaceship model or object so that in playback it looked like the ship was doing the moving. Multiple layers could be composited to create the movie's distinctive look of moving spaceships and other objects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dykstra

George Lucas Proposes Museum In San Francisco « CBS San Francisco

If Lucas gets his way The Presidio will have another major institution celebrating American illustration. George Lucas Proposes Museum In San Francisco « CBS San Francisco

A New McQuarrie Portfolio

You've got the art from the Ralph McQuarrie portfolios for the Original Trilogy? Consider branching out for this 35th Anniversary Battlestar Galactica Portfolio on sale now at Dreams and Visions Press.

Ahmed Best Bets He Knows What You Got

Most times this Wendy's commercial is shown in my neck of the woods they cut off the very real beat boxing skills of Ahmed Best. We don't see a whole lot of the Jar Jar Binks actor on the national stage so it's pretty cool to see him pop up here.

Horror Beyond Imagination (from the other George)

Today's Nowherebad.com shirt of the day mixes popular bedfellows Star Wars with Zombies in the form of Tauntaun of the Dead. 

The artist, Blair J. Campbell, has some other interesting mash-ups including this nifty Super Mario Bros. mix.