news

 

 

monday 30th june 2008  
>>>things are changing on the celebration japan front.  carrie fisher can no longer attend the convention due to work commitments, and so the organisers have put out this press release.
"when the three-day star wars celebration japan opens at the makuhari messe center on july 19, attendees will be some of the first star wars fans in the world to glimpse never-before-seen, exclusive footage from the upcoming cg-animated adventure star wars: the clone wars, created by lucasfilm animation.
in a special digital theater that seats nearly 2,000 fans, special presentations will showcase brand-new footage from the animated feature that can be seen only in theaters beginning august 23 in japan and august 15 in the united states and much of the rest of the world.
in addition, star wars: the clone wars director dave filoni will be a special guest, bringing audiences fascinating new insight into the development, creation and design of the first-ever star wars animated movie.
in addition to a chance to meet filoni and see scenes from the upcoming movie, fans at star wars celebration japan will also get a glimpse of an episode of the star wars: the clone wars television series, which will begin airing this fall."
fantastic news, and for more from the press release click here and check it out.

no carrie at celebration japan...

sunday 29th june 2008  
>>>we welcome to the site an artist who's stunning artwork is being seen more and more often on trading cards the world over, kevin graham
kevins
interview was a lot of fun to do and the results can be found here or by hovering over the menubar above and clicking interviews.  then go and discuss it at smugglers rants at blogs.starwars.com.

kevin graham

>>>Lightsabre co-founder louis turfrey brings us news of his latest online venture, sci-fi review.  over to louis.  "hi guys, girls and alien beings of unknown origin - abu
within the next few weeks i will be launching a new sister site to www.lightsabre.co.uk - called www.sci-fi-review.com. it's a site dedicated to reviewing everything about sci-fi, horror and fantasy.  the problem is, i need reviews and interviews. loads of them, and they must be original. if you know of anyone that wants to get involved, then pass on their details. if there is something that you want to review, then read the quick term's and condition's on the site and get that review written.
anyone can write a review, just so long as they follow the specs on the site.
the holding page is up at the moment and the aim is to officially launch the site on my 40th  birthday - 29th july.
please note, the site is fan related and non-profit making at the moment." 
many thanks louis for the heads up, and get those reviews written and sent off to louis right now...

sci-fi review - coming 29th july 2008

saturday 28th june 2008  
>>>stan winston, the legendary special effects man, died last week and tributes have been pouring in for the man who literally changed the face of animatronics in cinema. 
Lightsabre
managed to have a word with one of winston's great comtempories, tippett studios head phil tippett
"
i had the pleasure of working with stan on jurassic park. his love of the genre and craft made him one of the significant players in fantastic cinema. his contributions will have a lasting effect on the work we do in the special effects world. he will be missed." 
he certainly will, and by way of tribute enjoy the magic of the original jurassic park trailer...

 

>>>mark newbold brings the second part of our uk games expo 2008 review, detailing the events of the sunday of the event.  click here for the report, and remember to take a good run through our rapidly expanding roleplay section...

don't bring a screwdriver to a Lightsabre fight...

friday 27th june 2008  
>>>contrary to popular belief, george lucas isn't all about the money.  since 1991, when he set up the george lucas educational foundation, he has been quietly working towards helping the education system in american schools, amongst many other endeavours. 
with the forthcoming advances in technology, lucas is keen to make certain a piece of the lucrative pie stays within the school system by proposing the formation of a 'third internet'
.  speaking to the house energy and commerce's subcommittee on telecommunications and the internet he said "as we move into the future, most everything's going to end up wireless and as it ends up wireless, (the government is) going to be auctioning off bandwidth.  as you auction this off, why don't you just hold some back for schools and libraries?"
click here for the full piece, and lucas' aspirations and hopes for the project and its initial and ongoing funding...

the third way...

>>>saturday 28th june 2008, 7.10pm, bbc one.  the season four finale of doctor who, and it looks mesmerising.  watch this trailer below and let the invasion begin...

 

thursday 26th june 2008  
>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with priggy, birthplace of keelivinees...

priggy

 

Birth planet of the late smuggler-turned-pirate Kee-livinees and his wife Tessa.  A world thrust under the shadow of the Empire, until just before the Battle of Endor when the majority of the Empires troops departed to guard the second Death Star battle station.  Anarchy descended upon the planet, and as noted in the Diary of Galante, the people wanted the Empire to return.  They never did...

>>>warner brothers have released the official the clone wars trailer, and it looks amazing. 
click
here to follow the link and enjoy two minutes of mouth-watering genius.  this film is going to be big...

ashoka and anakin

wednesday 25th june 2008  
>>>saturday at moving image toys in north sheilds, tyne and wear was the place to be as dave prowse visited the store and signed for eager fans.  stephen g harrogate-bramley from galactic empire.net was on hand to meet and greet and take many photo's, the results of which can be found right here...

the dark lord himself...and dave prowse...

>>>you've viewed the photographs, heard the praise and seen the price tag - now have a watch and see just how awesome the new lego death star really is.  if this isn't on your christmas shopping list then i'd would be watching out for a visit from an interrogator droid in the night...

 

tuesday 24th june 2008  
>>>setnin select reaches number 295 with artwork by jason brown.  this shows clonetroopers of the republic fighting in setnin space during the clone wars for more looks into the worlds of setnin, click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>our good pal and fellow swora member stephen g harrogate-bramley over at galactic empire.net has dropped us a line to inform us of a fantastic competition they have going on over at gen
charles ross
' one man star wars trilogy is at the customs house, south shields, tyne and wear on july 14th at 7.30pm and you will have the chance of winning a signed dave prowse photograph. 
click here to learn more and enter gen's brilliant competition...

charles ross with his over the shoulder look...

monday 23rd june 2008  
>>>the clone wars is less than two months away and it seems that those coy cats at lucasfilm aren't giving anything away just yet.  at last weekends star wars weekend, the voice of general grievous matthew wood was tight-lipped when quizzed about the possible appearance of ewan mcgreggor and hayden christensen, saying only "i can't talk about it". while confirming the appearance of christopher lee as count dooku, his silence seems to add more weight to the rumours of an almost full cast reunion for the animated epic...

general grievous - mostly armless...

>>>you'd imagine that entering the imperial academy  - or being spawned out of a tube - would at least guarantee you a job for life.  but apparently not so, as shown here in this short film going by the unfortunate title of unemployed stormtrooper...

 

sunday 22nd june 2008  
>>>Lightsabre continues its webmaster interviews.  this week we interview one of the senior members of knights of the empire, mick byrne
we first met mick at this springs spaceport event, where he and kote's members were great hosts and his interview can be found here or by hovering over the menubar above and clicking interviews.  then go and discuss it at smugglers rants at blogs.starwars.com.

mick byrne

>>>cast your mind back nine years to may 19th of 1999.  upon leaving the cinema, what did you find particularly offensive about the phantom menace?  was it, by any chance, jar jar binks?  if so, this link to entertainment weekly is likely to be right up your street...

"who? mesa?".

saturday 21st june 2008  
>>>karen traviss could arguably be the most popular star wars author out there right now. 
not content with taking a computer game adaptation - republic commando - and evolving it into one of the best loved
star wars series, not settling for supporting the fa cup final winners, not resting with being part of the triumvirate that wrote legacy of the force, she has now joined an elite group and become the author of a star wars film adaptation.  the clone wars by karen traviss hits the stores july 26th in hardcover and looks set to be yet another massive smash...

the state got tough on kids reading...

>>>an injured stormtrooper - not something we often see, so how do the rest of the squad deal with this unusual and annoying occurrence?  watch and find out...

 

>>>the nintendo wii and the nintendo ds are the place to be this summer, with two games coming out on the platforms. 
lightsaber duels
is the release on the wii, allowing you to experience the fun and excitement of a lightsaber fight. the game immerses the player in the characters, locations, and epic duels from the all-new
star wars animated feature film and tv series. designed from scratch for wii the game features an intuitive motion-controlled combat system that puts the lightsaber weapon in the gamers hand. 
on the ds comes jedi alliance, which allows the player to experience the combined power of two jedi joining forces to fight as one. with an innovative stylus-based input, controlling the jedi's movement and lightsaber, combat has never felt more immersive. 
click here to go to the official site for more news...

ben and ani - coming your way this summer...

friday 20th june 2008  
>>>3803 pieces of star wars lego including 25 figures and droids in the form of the death star.  now, try and tell us this isn't just the final word in just plain awesome. and while you're at it, order one now before they fly off the shelves - or destroy your planet...

keep the receipt just in case the final piece is missing...

>>>it's not new, it's been seen the world over, but sue us for thinking this is just intensely cool.  the star wars opening credits, as if done by the legendary saul bass.  watch again and enjoy...

 

thursday 19th june 2008  
>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with pege, a tactical foothold for the empire in the setnin sector...

pege

 

Imperial-held world in the Setnin Sector where, for a brief few days, Darth Vader orchestrated his operations while travelling through the Mid-Rim.  Covered in massive mud lakes, Pege was inhospitable, but a world situated in a key tactical location for the Empires uses

>>>the official site has updated its front page with this the clone wars themed piece, and very swish it is too.  click on the image below to be transported back to the galaxies most devastating conflict...

the clone wars - coming your way in mainly pink...

wednesday 18th june 2008  
>>>you may or you may not realise that the image we currently have adorning the top of our site is in fact a fan made collage.  designed by zoltan simon, his artwork has impressed enough people that soon this very piece will be available via official pix, making him the first fan art artist to achieve this honour. 
to check out his brilliant website click here and enjoy the fantastic work on view...
>>>indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull is really whipping up a storm at the worldwide box office.  in just 27 days the third sequel has gathered a worldwide haul of $638,929,045 making it the 34th biggest hit ever, wedged between the incredibles just $10.5 million dollars behind attack of the clones
on the domestic north american front the film has collected $279,472,621, and sits in 35th spot, putting it just ahead of meet the fockers and the matrix reloaded. tracking the figures it seems certain that indy will break the $320 million mark in the states and $750 million worldwide, making it a top 20 film in both charts.

indiana jones - still swinging after all these years...

tuesday 17th june 2008  
>>>setnin select reaches number 294 with artwork by richard skidmore.  this shows frans latka watching the battle of ecaps with jan lomona's daughter paige for more looks into the worlds of setnin, click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>stan winston, the legendary special effects man, has died aged 62. 
finally surrendering to a seven year bout against cancer, winston influenced generations of filmmakers and captivated the imaginations of millions around the globe with his works on the terminator, predator, aliens, edward scissorhands, jurassic park, iron man and the star wars holiday special, as well as this summers indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull.  an icon of the industry, his presence will be sorely missed...

the legendary stan winston...

>>>our good friend and former Lightsabre guest mike barrick has posted a most interesting piece on the force.net regarding the possible appearance of not only hayden christensen in the clone wars, but perhaps other prequel stars as well.  while it's all but confirmed that christopher lee and samuel l jackson are in the august 15th flick, other names such as christensen, ewan macgreggor and ian mcdiarmid have yet to be announced. 
are they even in the film, or is it just fan wishes gone crazy?  no word as yet, but it would certainly attract plenty of attention if the prequel stars were attached to this summers hottest cgi movie...

so, is it hayden or not...

monday 16th june 2008  
>>>carbonite dreams is the new resource for all of your knights of the old republic needs.  freshly launched, this new site aims to bring you the very latest new from the world of kotor, be it comics, books or computer games. 
click here or on the banner below to take a look at carbonite dreams, our latest affiliate...
>>>stormtroopers - there's just no training them these days.  watch this instructional video and you decide whether or not you would really want the job of drill instructor on carida...

 

>>>uncle george just can't stay out of the news, and here he is again appearing in the forbes 100 celebrities list
while luminaries such as oprah - the perennial number one - jk rowling at 8, steven spielberg at 13 and bruce willis at 29 are further up the list it seems lucas, at number 46 between donald trump and keira knightley, is going to be in for another bumper year with another star wars film hitting the screens in two months time and indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull ripping up cinemas worldwide...

come on george, only $50 million this year...

sunday 15th june 2008  
>>>we welcome to the site the man who is half of the amazing team who provide the stunning and insightful art for the incredible cross sections books, richard chasemore.
richard was a great guest and provided us with some awesome examples of his artwork and it can be found here or by hovering over the menubar above and clicking interviews.  then go and discuss it at smugglers rants at blogs.starwars.com.

richard chasemore

>>>we have a couple of audio interviews to make you aware of this week. 
first off, swora ambassador gerald home has been chatting with those good people at the 501st, the results of which can be found by clicking right here.  and our good friend and art director paul bateman has dropped us a line to let us know that the forcecast have been chatting with him about his career and his many
star wars connections, so click here for a listen to that...

gerald home and tim rose 1983 vs gerald home and tim rose 2008

>>>august 18th 2008 is the date that the force unleashed trade paperback hits the stores.  priced at $15.95, here's what dark horse had to say about it. 
"
lucasarts' game the force unleashed, is poised to be the star wars event of the year. the game-play promises to be stunning, but we think it's the story that will blow you away.  revealed here are the origins of darth vader's secret apprentice, the deadly missions on which he was sent to track down and destroy jedi, and the awesome decision he is forced to make that will, literally, change the way you look at the star wars saga!  scripted by the game's author, haden blackman, this graphic novel can be enjoyed alone, or as a companion to the amazing new game." 
amazing stuff, and remember that the game arrives september 16th - click here for the brilliant website - but when does that amazing sounding soundtrack get released?

unleashed august 18th 2008

saturday 14th june 2008  
>>>those crazy cats over at fandango have put on a rather groovy new article.  top ten performances by swimwear on film focuses on those gorgeous leading ladies who have done so much for the fashion swimwear industry, and in carrie fishers case for men of a certain age everywhere.
click through and...well, just enjoy it...

..................oh sorry, miles away.................

>>>there's no getting around it, now the summer is here Lightsabre has got its groove on.  after the star wars dance offs we present a unique view of star wars Lightsabre battles - star wars kung fu fighting

 

>>>august 15th is the date for the arrival of the clone wars, and warner brothers have launched a uk site to promote the film. 
click here for a look at trailers, screensavers, wallpapers and over the next 62 days a lot, lot more...

the clone wars approaches...

friday 13th june 2008  
>>>we posted the 2007 video yesterday and like a rash it's suddenly all across the net, so here for all you dancing star wars fans we present dancing with the star wars stars 2008...

 

>>>we've been busy bunnies here at Lightsabre towers, freshening up the site and organising 9 years of articles and reviews into our tidy new look.  check out our reviews section and go to console games for our expanding games reviews, letting you know just what we think of lucasarts output over the years.

games from a galaxy far, far away...

thursday 12th june 2008  
>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with noscage, one of the two major spice producing worlds in the setnin sector...

noscage

 

One of the two major spice producing worlds in the Setnin Sector, alongside Gista.  The spice caves of Noscage were known throughout the Mid-Rim and the planet was notorius within underworld circles for being both a prime spot for trade and a handy hideaway between 'hot jobs'.  Utilised often by the sectors major crimelords and operators, Nocage's fame spread far beyond the expanse of the Setnin Sector and it became a popular location off the Borden Space Lane running through the sector. 

>>>music has always been important in the star wars universe, from the outlander club right through to chalmuns cantina.  but dancing is just as vital and here we celebrate the light-footed characters of the star wars galaxy with dancing with the star wars stars 2007...

 

>>>Lightsabre will be there - more news on that soon - but charles ross and his one man star wars trilogy is arriving on british shores next month for what could be the final time.  catch this amazing 60 minutes at the following venues in july...
  charles ross one man star wars trilogy july 2008 uk tour  
date venue telephone
4th & 5th norwich playhouse theatre 01603 598 598
6th aberdeen the music hall 01224 641122
7th hull new theatre 01482 226655
8th colchester mercury theatre 01206 573948
9th & 10th jersey opera house 01534 511115
11th salford the lowry 0870 787 5790
12th tewkesbury roses theatre 01684 295074
13th high wycombe swan theatre 01494 512 000
14th south shields the customs house 0191 454 1234
15th stockton on tees arc 01642 525199
16th hayes beck theatre 020 8561 8371
17th belfast waterfront 028 9033 4455
18th crawley the hawthorn 01293 553636
19th lichfield garrick 01543 412121
20th kingston rose theatre 0871 230 1552
21st swansea grand theatre 01792 475715
23rd southend cliffs pavilion 01702 351135
24th swindon wyvern 01793 524481
25th torquay princess theatre 0844 847 2315
27th blackpool grand theatre 01253 290190
26th buxton opera house 0845 127 2190
30th nottingham royal concert hall 0115 989 5555
31st stevenage gordon craig theatre 08700 131 030
wednesday 11th june 2008  
>>>there are rumours and there are rumours - and this one is just that, only a rumour - but it seems that christopher lee might be voicing count dooku in the clone wars
the official christopher lee website had this to say.  "
mr. lee recorded the voice of count dooku for this movie a couple of months ago. it was however, the first time he had to lip synch to a character because they had produced the animation before recording his voice."  let's hope this turns out to be true and not just fan wish fulfilment.

now dooku, but who else will voice their own character...

>>>Lightsabre gets retro on ya as we insist you enjoy this classic star wars television commercial from 1977 and remember that hot summer, the long queues and the promise of two hours in a galaxy far, far away...

 

tuesday 10th june 2008  
>>>setnin select reaches number 293 with artwork by jason brown.  this shows the cargo area of glann cipples massive starship the heart of amagad for more looks into the worlds of setnin, click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>extremetech’s gearlog managed to sneak a look at this bmf, the new 30% larger millennium falcon.
amazingly, the same mold had been used for 30 years until it broke recently, meaning the need to recast and rescale the model. this beauty will be unveiled on july 26th at the san diego comic convention as part of the new
clone wars line.

 

monday 9th june 2008  
>>>our great pals at knights of the empire, along with the excellent galactic legion, were out and about on may 5th working their costumed magic in llandudno, wales for the extravaganza 2008.  have a watch here and get a glimpse of the fun that was had...

 

>>>jason brown brings us his review of last weekends uk games expo 2008.  presented here today we bring you his report on saturdays events at one of the largest roleplay shows ever held in the uk. 
click here for the report, and check back later this month for mark newbolds report on sundays events...

uk games expo 2008 - a million chances to get board...

sunday 8th june 2008  
>>>here's a clip that's sure to fire up your sunday, a two minute scene previewed at the disney hollywood studios' star wars weekends event, and it's a bit of a beauty. 
watch an awesome 120 seconds from
the clone wars, which leaves just 119 minutes to be surprised by come august according to the official running time of two hours and one minute and prepare for the latest star wars film to hit the big screen in just two months time...

 

>>>star wars blueprint the ultimate collection is here, with in-depth looks at the gubbins and workings of five major star wars icons.  the death star, darth vaders life support system, r2-d2 and c-3po, the millennium falcon and various weapons, all are here in minute details with posters on the flip side of the blueprints. 
a must to have in the collection, it arrives in august 2008.
 
saturday 7th june 2008  
>>>the north east wales institute of higher education, or n.e.w.i in wrexham, wales should be your destination this weekend for mercury events star wars sci-fi exhibition event this weekend. 
appearing at the show are richard leparmentier, gerald home, kiran shah, christian simpson, peter roy, laurie good, paul blake, barrie holland, john coppinger, marc silk, richard bonehill and toby philpott.  also appearing are other genre actors such as kai owen of torchwood, danny john-jules of red dwarf, caroline munro of the spy who loved me, predator himself ian whyte and young severus snape alec hopkins.  elstree props are there with a full-sized speeder bike and knights of the empire, the rebel legion and the 99th imperial garrison are in attendance. 
a fantastic gathering of stars, tickets are only £5.00 for adults, £3.00 for under 12's and doors open at 10.00am.
>>>our good friend and fellow swora co-founder stephen g harrogate-bramley over at galactic empire has dropped us a line regarding a fantastic charity event featuring the original dark lord of the sith, dave prowse.  over to palpy
"movie fans of all ages are invited to join in the fun at moving image toys in the beacon shopping centre, north shields on saturday the 21st of june.  dave prowse, the man behind the mask of darth vader in the original star wars movies will be appearing to meet fans and sign autographs.  we will also be holding a raffle to win an extra special prize personally signed by dave prowse, all proceeds of which will go directly to the nspcc.  star wars costume characters will also be making an appearance, so don't forget to bring your camera.  we look forward to seeing you all at what's guaranteed to be a great day for kids of all ages!  for more information contact alex holt at moving image toys on 0191 296 4499." 
sounds like great fun so book your shuttle and get over there...

who knew north shields was so sunny...

friday 6th june 2008  
>>>Lightsabre and jedi news were lucky enough to have been invited down to london to attend the press screening of indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull last month, and now we add it to our events section.  click here for another look at that amazing day...

burns...hurt...hurt...burns...it's like a tommy cooper joke...

>>>star wars pocketmodel tcg have been around for almost a year, launching back in 2007 to great reviews, so here we present a video explaining something about the game, how it's played and the reactions to it at the games expo last summer.  enjoy...

 

thursday 5th june 2008  
>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with nordron, the world where kamira finally ended his life...