Left to my own devices

May 27th saw the debut of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. For the uninitiated, it is about the fallen Jedi master, and what he gets up to between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope . If that doesn't mean anything to you, then you probably won't get much from this blog post. If you're curious, however, keep reading. Just know that there are spoilers ahead. We're now five episodes into what has been presented to us as a six episodes limited series. The finale drops tomorrow, hence the timing this particular entry. I've very mixed feelings about the show, and  some strong opinions about it, as well as the overall direction of the Star Wars franchise in recent years. The end of Obi-Wan 's fifth episode left us on a fairly major cliffhanger, with several plot threads dangling. I have doubts as to how well they can wrap it all up, coupled with a theory as to whether or not Episode VI is truly the last one. Again, spoilers.

The last decade or so in pop culture has really been a nostalgia treat for folks around my age. Our sentimentality for intellectual properties such as Batman, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Transformers,The Conners, Will & Grace, etc. has been indulged to the nth degree. That's a positive, I suppose, though there is a downside: what will the youth of today have to look back on 20-30 years from now for their own nostalgia? The mining of past content to satiate the appetites of people longing to look back really does create a vacuum.

Obviously, Star Wars didn't teach me everything there is know about life, but it certainly helped. I can recall watching the Darth Vader / Luke Skywalker clash in Return of the Jedi and thinking of my own problems with my father. The older I get, the more I identify with Obi-Wan Kenobi, particularly when he's urging caution at following the supposedly stray tie-fighter, but the younger, impetuous Han Solo won't listen. And, the sequel trilogy struck me with the already-creeping realization that the vicious circle of good vs. evil is cyclical, rather than final, in nature.

It is my contention that the lackluster box office performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story , and the boffo reception for Avengers: Infinity War are potentially harbingers of the same future for what is now termed the 'cinematic universe' existence for both the Marvel and Star Wars franchises. That may sound odd, so of course some explanation is in order. Part of what follows necessitate going back a few years. As is well-publicized, Marvel has different "phases" of its cinematic universe. Everything is planned-out (something which Star Wars could benefit from greatly). It could be (and has been) argued that Marvel's template is very much rote by this point, even with the inclusion of fresh directorial blood with recent films. Nevertheless, the process seems to have done well for them. The movies have almost always done well at the box office, and the average moviegoer seems genuinely invested in what happens with the characters.

I've had mixed feelings about The Last Jedi since seeing it opening night last week. It certainly has its moments, scenes which shock, dismay, and make you want to stand up and cheer. Alas, they are part of a film that feels disjointed and, if we're being honest, attempts to do too much. A lot happens in The Last Jedi , and it isn't always presented very well. Important moments occur, but they're not allowed to marinate, because we're on to the next one. And, finally, there are plot holes and plot devices galore. Enough vagueness. Let's dig in to what works and what doesn't regarding the latest entry in the venerable Star Wars saga. What follows are, of course, SPOILERS. If you haven't yet watched the movie, then turn back now.

It's May the 4th, which means that it's (national? international?) Star Wars Day . Pretty much a hype tool for the movie/TV show/book franchise, Star Wars Day is nevertheless an awesome 24 hours of remembrance because, hey, it's Star Wars . I thought it would be a good time to do a ranking of the best of Star Wars , so, here again is another List of Truth, courtesy of yours truly. Let's start-off with where it all began -- the films...

One of the sad realities of life is that, while we may be, say, 40 years of age, we only retain firm memories of perhaps 33 to 35 years of those four decades. Of course, memories of being diapered, laying in one's own poo and unable to articulate thoughts aside from the occasional (frequent?) bawling or tantrum session may not be quite what we want to hold on to. Of course, there are things I wish I remembered. Mama, for example. She was my maternal, Hungarian-born great-grandmother who emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. She and my mom were very close, and mom has made it clear how much mama (real name Marie) loved me. She'd come to visit us and thought the world of me. She died when I was a little over three years old, so there are no memories of her, just some pictures and what mom has told me. There are snippets of memory. There's the brief remembrance of toddling across the ranch house my parents and I lived in during the '70s and '8...

I read a rather over-the-top article recently that posits the notion of how Star Wars: The Last Jedi will render Return of the Jedi "meaningless," though the article never adequately explaining how it will do so. There are a jumble of thoughts about how The Force Awakens was just a remixed A New Hope (not untrue), and how the new trilogy is just redoing the original trilogy (an assertion I find odd, since we haven't seen 66% of the new trilogy yet). Regardless, I will let one particular section of the article speak for itself: Luke’s moral and spiritual triumph on the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance’s military victory at Endor, and even Lucas’ awesome special edition scenes of people dancing and shooting off fireworks across the galaxy were pointless. The “Star Wars” universe slipped right back into tyranny and the resolution of the original trilogy was as fleeting as Hayden Christensen’s acting career. If this movie is what its title implies, then Luke mi...

A week ago I saw the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One , at an IMAX theater with a group of friends and a crowd of adoring fans. There were laughs, whoops, hollers and applause. It was a great experience, including the post-film discussion at BW3. That night, I gave the film a 9 out of 10. A few days later, I went back for a second viewing, and now give it a 7.5 I still quite like it, but the lowering of the rating was deserved. It's a good movie, but not without faults. Allow me to explain (spoilers ahead).

In just a few days, the seventh Star Wars movie will premiere in theaters, and I will be there for its opening. I'm older now, so this won't be any late night craziness (there's a 1:00am IMAX screening for those die-hard fans brimming with energy). This will be a 7pm showing, followed by food & drinks afterward with friends, to dissect the goings-on. Sixteen years ago I stood in line at the Savoy 16 for the midnight premiere screening of The Phantom Menace . Dear reader, I can not express to you enough how I hope Thursday isn't a repeat of that experience. The first new Star Wars film in a decade (and the first without George Lucas's involvement), The Force Awakens promises a lot. I really hope it delivers. J.J. Abrams is at the helm for this installment. He isn't known for his originality, so I expect to see a lot of echoes and throwbacks to the original trilogy (hopefully none to the prequels). At least we'll have Harrison Ford, Carrie Fishe...

I see a lot of movies. Well, maybe not as many compared to professional film critics, but probably more than the average movie-goer. So far, I've seen forty-three 2015 movies. And that's just the ones released this year. It doesn't count the older films I've watched. Some folks like to kid me about this love of movies, of how often I'm at the theater. But it's more than just some moving pictures on a screen. For me, they are -- or at least can be -- life markers. Following are some films, and the memories I associate with them:

This weekend finally saw the theatrical release of the much-anticipated Oz: The Great and Powerful . I saw it yesterday, in 3-D and on a massive screen. I thought it was OK. While a visually impressive film, the acting left something to be desired (perhaps because they were mostly acting against blue screens and characters who sometimes weren't there). My two favorite characters were CGI (except for the voices): Frank the monkey and China Girl. Mila Kunis seemed miscast, although I like her in most other things.