• Inside Entertainment,  Old vs New

    The Return of the Jedi vs The Rise of Skywalker

    The final movie in the Original Trilogy, Return of the Jedi (1983), is an unbalanced film. Harrison Ford had wanted George Lucas to kill off Han Solo; Ford thought that Solo no longer served a purpose in the story. He’s right. But nor did Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), C3PO (Anthony Daniels), R2D2 (Kenny Baker), Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), and everybody other than Luke. Once Han is rescued, a plot is invented to keep the ensemble busy – taking down the shield generator so an assault can be launched on the new Death Star. Along the way, we meet some teddy bears who teach us about the…

  • Inside Entertainment,  Media Rants

    Finding Connection

    I had a discussion with somebody once about movies now compared to movies from my childhood (1970s–80s), and she said you tended to have a fondness – out of nostalgia – for things you grew up with. I thought about that, and while I agree that you do develop that emotional connection, the truth is there were a lot of great movies coming out when I was growing up. Here’s a small list off the top of my head (but which I’ve revised and put in chronological order): The Godfather (1972), The Exorcist (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Jaws (1975), Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977),…