Two Classics - One Day: Happy Star Wars Day

May 4th is Star Wars day. Yea, I know but it is and thats kinda cool for some of us. Especially, when they do stuff like this.

According to Starwars.com Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the original Star Wars Trilogy, unaltered. For the longest time George Lucas has said he would never release the unaltered versions on DVD. Well he must have realized there was a profit in it. Check out the whole story here. In a way Mr. Lucas is not releasing it, corporate is. I guess those three prequels didn't make the money they hopped they would. Well in any case I'm happy to buy them and help out a company that cares about it's fans. (That last line can be read with some sarcasm since you can't see that I'm raising my right hand.)

Also, for fun check out Lego Star WarsII: The Original Trilogy trailer. The first game was really fun and the idea that I can play in the Origianl Trilogy sounds really fun.

Last night, Mrs. Geek took me to the Egyptian Theatre. If your a fan of this rarely updated sight you know my love for the American Cinematheque We saw Los Angeles Plays Itself. A quasi-documentary/tribute/social-commentary on the history of Los Angeles, both in film and in real life. As someone who lives and loves Los Angeles I thought the film was fascinating.

Director Thom Andersen, uses film clips to reveal an almost secret history of the Los Angeles. Taking the viewer through a portal into the past using a media that we are all accustomed to. He addresses Los Angeles as a "character" in films. Other times he shows how the eclectic architecture of Los Angeles is used by directors to comment on there heroes or villains. How some directors make LA a horrible place, using smog and its urban sprawl as back drop to pain, heartache, social-outcasts. Other directors however embrace Los Angeles and provoke a love of the city that allows the city itself to be a star in the film. I love Los Angeles and this movie meditates on how it feels to love this great sprawling city that is so abused and treated unfairly at times by the movie industry that calls it home. Check out the Los Angeles Times review here. Just for shits and giggles here is the New York Times review.