I Canto Bight gambling with just any old aliens!

So, in keeping with my "I love aliens in Star Wars" motif, and hearkening back to one of my very first blog entries, I decided to run down all the aliens from the two Canto Bight pictures in the new Vanity Fair Star Wars issue...pretty cool, right? Yeah, I think so too...anyway, as was the theme from Maz's Castle, Canto Bight appears too good to let any old Rodian or Weequay through the doors, so the casino is populated by a whole slew of new aliens - and not just sequel trilogy new, but entirely new! Exciting, I know...also interesting to note is that there appear to be no droids present at the casino...is this a "we don't serve their kind" situation, like back on Tatooine, or does everyone just leave the droids at home when they go out for a night of elegant debauchery? For that, I guess, we'll have to wait and see, but it's an interesting point...anyway, let's pull the slots and see if we come up 7s, shall we?

40 Alien Species for 40 Years of Star Wars!

My passion for Star Wars runs deep, but so too does my passion for alien species - not just in Star Wars, either, but in all IPs. Sometimes, they're not even aliens, as with most fantasy genres, for example (you know, elves, orcs, trolls, and such), but, regardless of their origin, I've always enjoyed non-human characters. In fact, one of my favorite things about Star Wars is just how many alien species exist in the galaxy far, far away, and how many more are sure to be added as the vast and varied tales continue to unfold. So, for my sort of homage to the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars, I decided to make a list of my 40 favorite alien species! (Yes, this was as hard as it sounds.) I hesitate to call it a ranked list, exactly, it's more like a fluid group with the species I like the most toward the top. As you can see from the picture above, I changed my mind several times during the process, and if I did it again from scratch I'm sure I'd end up with an entirely different list, perhaps even with new species added and others left out (there are also eraser marks you probably can't see). That said, take a look at what I came up with and see how it compares to yours! (Okay, I don't really expect anyone to make their own top 40, but maybe a top 10...5?) Anyway, without further ado, here's Rick Dees and the Star Wars Top 40:

No, really, who are you? Or: I'm starting to rethink Rey being a Skywalker...

So, over a year ago, I wrote up a nice, long post about how I was convinced Rey is a Skywalker. I still stand by most of what's in there (some of the more outside-the-box speculation hasn't held up as well after the Aftermath trilogy, but oh well), but lately I've been starting to lean away from the simple, straightforward, dare I say obvious answer that Rey has Skywalker lineage and more toward what started out as a joke:  the midi-chlorians. I know, I know, for many fans that's a four-letter-word, but they exist, there's no getting around it, so why not bring them back into the fold in an interesting way? And what interesting way is that, you ask, well, follow me down the rabbit hole and we'll see...

Introducing the Hyperspace PodBlast! (A Star Wars Podcast)

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, just like I teased in the New Year's Update, yours truly has his very own podcast! Well, it's not my very own, I guess, it's technically half mine and half @ShelBB8's...you know, joint custody...or something...anyway, it's been live for about a week, and we're getting some really positive feedback that's been very humbling since we honestly didn't expect anyone other than, well, each other to listen to it...now, I'm sure you're asking yourself, "self, why on earth did they put out yet another Star Wars podcast?" That's a valid question, to be sure, but, just like with Jello, there's always room for more Star Wars podcasts, and, to be frank, Star Wars anything! And what we're putting out, we think, has its own niche that could fit right in with the rest of your indulgences from the galaxy far, far away...

So, the general premise of the show is:  A Star Wars Podcast with @blivengo & @ShelBB8 delivering discussion, theories, and speculation in 30 minutes or less - the emphasis being on the 30 minutes or less portion. We're trying to be a shorter, weekly show that you can fit in during a regular commute, on a run, working out, sitting in the break room, or, you know, during your afternoon meeting...in other words, we know you're busy, but we know you love Star Wars, and Star Wars-related discourse, so our goal is to deliver said discourse without taking up too much of your precious time. That's how we came up with the idea of having "hyperspace" in the name, as well as coining (I'm pretty sure) the phrase "podblast" (because it's like a quick blast, get it?)...oh, and did I mention it's got a definite humorous tinge to it? If you're a regular reader, you probably already guessed that, seeing as I'm (in my head, anyway) a pretty funny guy, but if you're new to the site, first of all, welcome; second of all, take a look around and I imagine you'll get a feel for my sense of humor more or less instantaneously (it's pretty pervasive). Hopefully you'll enjoy what you read and come back for more, but if you're one of those "reading is so last century" kind of people (or any other kind of people), maybe the podcast will hit that sweet spot for you...I guess what I'm trying to say is, "please like me!" ...only kidding, I'm saying give the podcast a try, and don't be shy about the blog either...

You can find the podcast on all the main podcatchers (iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, etc.) by simply searching "Hyperspace PodBlast!," or you can just click the Hyperspace PodBlast! link right ---> here <--- or at the top of the page...so many options! By the time this post hits the interwebs, there will be six whole episodes available for you to check out, including our newest episode where we talk about romantic relationships in Star Wars as well as "shipping"...it's a pretty great episode if I do say so myself (which I do...and just did). All new episodes will go live on Mondays, so be sure to subscribe if you like what you hear so you don't miss out...and if you really like what you hear, maybe take a minute to write a review since they help "grow the brand" by making us more visible to others...so, yeah, I think that's about it...since you're done reading this, you should totally go listen to the podcast, and, while you do, may the Force be with you...

Follow the Yellow Brick Rogue, Or: How the Rogue One Crew Mirrors the Wizard of Oz

from The Wizard of Oz

Krennic, Death Troopers, and AT-ACTs, oh my! "So, it's been over two months since Rogue One debuted in theaters, Bryan, shouldn't you be talking about The Last Jedi?!?!" Fie on that, I say! Rogue One deserves more written commentary! Exclamation points! Okay, anyway, yes, I am writing about Rogue One again because I think it's a fantastic movie and, in thinking about it quite a bit for the last two months, I've come up with what I think is an interesting correlation between the characters that make up the "main" crew and those in The Wizard of Oz that go "off to see the Wizard." Have I gone completely mad? Probably, but you'll have to read on to be sure...