The Sport That Sparked Lightsaber Lore [ESPN]
Article (13 minutes) – Greg Garber
“The sport of kendo focuses on mastering the fine balance between body and soul. It is a nuanced discipline, a series of patterns: strikes and thrusts, attacks and counter-attacks. There are more than 1.5 million registered dan-graded kendoka in Japan alone. There are eight levels in the discipline, the last of which can only be attempted after age 46, something that underlines the wisdom it requires…”
Fastest Starship? Most Light Saber Duel Time?: Star Wars Fun Facts By The Numbers [Forbes]
Article (7 minutes) – Hayley C. Cuccinello
“To put these population statistics in perspective, currently Earth’s total population is 7.2 billion, which would rank 7th on this list…”
Jar Jar Binks, A Sith Lord? The Star Wars Theory That Isn’t As Crazy As You’d Think [Cinema Blend]
Video (19 minutes) – Corey Chichizola
“There are a few clips where Jar Jar’s mouth seems to be moving in synch with other characters’ dialogue, which is more than spooky. In the Sith Jar Jar Theory, he was actually using Jedi mind-control and helping to will the events of the first movie to his favor…”
RELEVANT
CERN Researchers Confirm Existence of the Force 😉 [CERN]
Article (4 minutes) – Cian O’Luanaigh
“Though researchers are as yet unsure what exactly causes the Force, students and professors at the laboratory have already started to harness its power. Practical applications so far include long-distance communication, influencing minds, and lifting heavy things out of swamps…”
The Star Wars George Lucas Doesn’t Want You To See [The Atlantic]
Article (9 minutes) – Rose Eveleth
“In 1978, Star Wars won seven Academy Awards. But if you want to watch that original version, the first of George Lucas’s soon to be seven-part saga, you’ll find it difficult. In fact, it’s actually impossible to buy an official copy of Star Wars as it was first released. Lucas doesn’t want you to see that version. Instead, he wants you to watch the continuously updated special editions—movies with added CGI, changed sound effects, and whole new scenes…”
If I Was In Charge Of Marketing Star Wars
Article (6 minutes) – Hassan S. Ali
“Because for all the marketing surrounding the movie, I can still identify NUMEROUS opportunities for branding and promotion that have gone overlooked, probably to the detriment of box office revenues…”
Thanks for reading,
Joe Howard