The Bearded Trio

According to The Hollywood Reporter all is not well behind the scenes on Star Wars VII. With the exit of Michael Arndt from the project it seems according to rumours that a spanner has put firmly in the works. Specifically Kathleen Kennedy has expressed her desire to push the whole project back to 2016 while studio CEO Bob Iger is adamant for the original 2015 release. THR Write: According to those close to the project, producer  Kathleen Kennedy  and most of the film's creative team have asked Disney to push the release to 2016, but studio CEO  Robert Iger  is adamant that  Episode VII  -- perhaps the franchise's most anticipated installment since 1999's  The Phantom Menace  -- not budge. That has created enormous pressure on all involved, with director  J.J. Abrams  stepping in to take over scripting duties with  Lawrence Kasdan , who co-wrote 1980's  Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back , considered the best film in the series. For his part, Arndt worke

Thanks to the Star Wars official Youtube channel, we get this gem of a retro find.  Notice the  scene between Ben and Darth and the pre-effect  Lightsabers. This trailer for the theatrical re-release of Star Wars showcases many of the film's most famous scenes and features some surprises -- including unfinished lightsaber effects during the duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Also notable is the narration, which describes the movie as "a billion years in the making," and the closing graphic that celebrates the film's Academy Awards. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

With only eight weeks until Christmas, we thought we would start giving you some gift ideas to make that Christmas shop a little easier. First up we have the perfect gift for any serious movie goer.  1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die is a must for anyone who loves their movies.  Starting from 1903 with The Great Train Robbery, the book takes you through 100 years of cinema history picking out the creme de la creme.  Boasting a checklist at the beginning of the book so you can mark off all the movies you've seen.  I challenge anyone who can claim to have seen everyone. Spielberg and Lucas are well represented in the book.  George Lucas can claim two entries (as director) with Star Wars and the other for American Graffiti although some of his other movies that he didn't direct are also mentioned in the book. Spielberg has nine entries as director with Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, The Color Purple, Schindler's Li

Check out this great video showing previously unseen out-takes of Star Wars Episode IV.  The blooper reel was originally shown at SDCC by J.W. Rinzler. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

It was announced yesterday that Academy Award-winner Mira Sorvino will join the cast of TNT's Falling Skies as a recurring character.  The Spielberg produced show will be entering its fourth season in 2014 and has gone from strength to strength. Sorvino won an Oscar in 1995 for her role in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite at the age of 29. She is set to play Sara.  The character is describes as "a woman far removed from her former life as a graphic designer who is now dogged by death at every turn, yet she has never felt more alive, free or fearless. A chance encounter with guerrilla fighter John Pope (Colin Cunningham) leads her to join the resistance and develop a strong personal bond with the outlaw-turned-warrior." Source THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

The Ohio State Marching Band show off their stunning choreography as they pay tribute to the movies during a football match at the Ohio Stadium. The nine minute routine pays tribute to Superman, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean. A must watch. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

This week on our quick fire questions we have actress Andrea Deck. Andrea has been in the hugely movie adaption of Les Miserable and in the TV series, Mr Selfridge. Now she's set to star in another movie called Creditors. You have the opportunity to get involved with the movie by backing their campaign over at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1913997996/creditors-the-film . They are giving away some great rewards depending on what you pledge, from badges all the way up to being a producer of the show and even a credited actor's position. "Creditors" is the story of a love triangle, which finds itself unraveled when an American painter, Freddie Lynch, whose career and marriage are in decline is approached by an admirer, Grant Pierce, in a secluded hotel on an island in England and eased into making sense of his troubled relationship with his wife, writer Chloe Fleury. Lets get the quick fire questions under way. You're stuck in a swamp on Dagoba

Fortress is one of those films I've seen dozens of times and somehow never tire of. It's the type of movie you can just put on and get lost in without having to invest too much energy in to follow. A prison/escape movie set in a future (2017) where the US population has grown so big that they have had to introduce a "one family one child" rule to control it. Ex-soldier John Brennick who is played by The Highlander himself Christopher Lambert is arrested for trying to smuggle his 2nd time pregnant wife into Canada after they lost their 1st child. Sent to a corporately run prison operated by cyborg guards led by the Prison Director (Robocop's Kurtwood Smith) and a super computer called Zed-10. No one has ever escaped the Fortress but it has never tried to hold anyone like John Brennick, the most decorated Black Beret in US history before either. Concocting a plan to escape the facility and take his wife and unborn child to Mexico John is forced to enlist h

Steve Marshall over at Worn by Heroes got in touch to let us know about their Kickstarter campaign to bring high quality T-shirts with designs that give a nod to some of our favourite TV shows and movies.  In the mix are some great Spielberg related designs. What got our attention was these designs in particular: BACK TO THE FUTURE JURASSIC PARK RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK The last one is easily our favourite and we're placing our ordernow.  Make sure you get yours in too by clicking on this link and supporting the campaign at the same time. Here's what Worn by Heroes have to say about their t-shirts: We love movies. We love TV shows. And we love showing off our intimate knowledge of a film or show with an awesome t-shirt which only our fellow hardcore fans will recognise. There's nothing like that moment of recognition on a strangers face as they clock the reference on your t-shirt. We've got a huge collection of movie t-shirts from loads of

Haaretz.com have reported that Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List archive has been transferred this week from California to Warsaw, specifically the museum of the history of Polish Jews in Warsaw. The archive includes dozens of boxes that are filled with testimonies which were unloaded over the weekend at the museum.  These testimonies are from 52000 interviewees in 57 countries which were interviewed over a six year period. Haaretz.com write: The testimonies, which were collected from 52,000 interviewees in 57 countries, though mostly from the United States, are of inestimable historical value. They tell not only about the conditions of life and death during the Holocaust, but also about the lives of Jews, Roma, homosexuals and Hitler’s political opponents during the years before World War II. Read more here THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

Finally we are starting to get some official news from Lucasfilm and co.  The latest news is that Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams have assumed screenwriting duties for Episode VII. As Episode VII continues pre-production, Lawrence Kasdan and director J.J. Abrams have assumed screenwriting duties for the film. Kasdan, who has been serving as a consultant on the film, is a veteran of several classic Lucasfilm productions, writing the screenplay for Raiders of the Lost Ark and serving as co-screenwriter for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Acclaimed director and screenwriter Abrams' credits include Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Fringe, and Lost. "I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and J.J. working on the script," states Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. "There are very few people who fundamentally understand the way a Star Wars story works like Larry, and it is nothing short of incredible to have h

Personally I didn't mind the fourth Indy movie.  I feel I'm in the minority though.  Even Spielberg it seems is apologising for some of the decisions in the movie.  Every one remembers the "nuke the fridge" scene where Indy climbs inside a lead lined fridge to escape the blast of an atomic bomb test.  Admittedly it wasn't everyone's cup of tea including its director. Steven Spielberg said at a recent special screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark in Los Angeles I know in Indy 4, you didn't buy the refrigerator and the atomic bomb... I know! I know! But we tried! We tried! I was pushing the envelope! By the way, I take full responsibility for that -- that was completely my idea! Even Harrison said to me: 'Nobody is going to buy this!’ I find it strange that this one scene is focused on and not others.  I love the Indiana Jones movies for what they are.  Adventure movies mimicking the old fashioned Saturday morning black and white adventures shown

Yesterday saw the release of the enhanced ebook editions of JW Rinzler's superlative Making of Star Wars books.  Well to celebrate we decided to create a mock up and possibly give the author an idea for his new book Well Rinzler, it seems has already an idea as he replied to our tweet: @thebeardedtrio After the one on the Holiday Special. (joke) — J. W. Rinzler (@jwrinzler) October 22, 2013 Can't wait to find out how they got Fisher singing like that. Rob @Welshslider THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

Looper young star Pierce Gagnon has been cast as Halle Berry's son in CBS' new summer series Extant, the network announced Tuesday. From Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, the futuristic thriller follows a female astronaut (Berry) who tries to reconnect with her husband and son (Gagnon) when she returns after a year-long solo mission in outer space. Her experiences lead to events that ultimately change the course of human history. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Extant-Pierce-Gagnon-1072386.aspx THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

Hans Zimmer who composed the soundtrack for Man of Steel has revealed he has not been asked to compose the soundtrack for the planned Superman Vs Batman. He said: "Honestly, I'm just sort of grappling with that right now. "Quite seriously, the thought right now is that no, I don't want to go and take what I did with [Christopher Nolan] and just plonk it into another movie. There isn't one good reason to do it, and there are so many good reasons not to do it." "I really enjoyed working with Zack Snyder, so part of it would be a personal decision. At the same time, I wouldn't want to put the ideas I used in the Chris Nolan Batman movies into a Superman movie. It just wouldn't feel right. "I'm a procrastinator, and right now, I don't want to make a decision. Zack hasn't talked to me about it, so I don't have to worry about it! I'll worry about it when I have to worry about it, and then, if I'm lucky, I'll

Today I bought the enhanced version of J.W. Rinzler's Making of Return of the Jedi on my Kindle Fire HD.  Here's a quick video I recorded on my phone to show you the delights you can expect from the enhanced version. Rob Each enhanced eBook will include all the text and art from the print editions plus bonus multimedia content featuring around 30 minutes of rare behind the scenes video, around 15-20 minutes of rare audio interviews, and additional art work and photos. The enhanced eBooks will be compatible with iPads (and iPad Minis), the Amazon Kindle app for Apple devices, Kindle Fire devices, Nook HD and Tablets, and the Google Play Books Reader for Android and Nexus devices. We also have to add this note whenever talking about the availability on platforms: Functionality of the audio/video content is subject to your eBook device. Check the store listing on your favorite eBook retailer site to find out whether your device is capable of playing audio and video element

Out today are the enhanced ebook versions of J.W. Rinzler's Making Of Star Wars books.  How can perfection be improved I hear you ask?  Well the ebook versions come with 30 minutes of rare video footage, approx 20 minutes of audio interviews and additional artwork.  So if you have an Ipad, Kindle Fire, Nook HD or a Google Play book reader enabled device then you are in for a treat. I've ordered mine today.  The price is £17.76 from the time of writing this. Each enhanced eBook will include all the text and art from the print editions plus bonus multimedia content featuring around 30 minutes of rare behind the scenes video, around 15-20 minutes of rare audio interviews, and additional art work and photos. The enhanced eBooks will be compatible with iPads (and iPad Minis), the Amazon Kindle app for Apple devices, Kindle Fire devices, Nook HD and Tablets, and the Google Play Books Reader for Android and Nexus devices. We also have to add this note whenever talking about th

Celebrating its 50th anniversary tonight is the impressive Cinerama Dome theatre.  What a way to celebrate too by having Raiders of the Lost Ark showing but not only that have the director of the movie, Steven Spielberg taking questions from the lucky audience. LA Times  tell us: Still regarded as one of the finest theaters in Los Angeles, the Cinerama Dome will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an upcoming series of screenings and events. Designed by Welton Becket and Associates and completed in 1963, the structure was the world's first all-concrete geodesic dome, made from 316 interlocking panels. The theater itself features a screen 32 feet high and 86 feet wide. The anniversary series opens on Tuesday with a screening of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with a Q&A before the movie with its director, Steven Spielberg. "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" was the very first film screened in the Dome and ran for over 66 weeks. Stars Mickey Rooney, Ma

Casting news and rumours have hit top gear in the last few days for Jurassic World.  Here's a quick round up with what we do know and a few rumours too. Josh Brolin is apparently in talks to be in the movie.  Not only that, the rumours are that Josh is in talks for the lead role. Josh played Brand in Goonies, another executive produced movie by Steven Spielberg Nothing has been put in concrete yet but if and when we will let you know. Another lead role has been taken up by young Ty Simpkins.  Ty has also had experience with Spielberg movies as he appeared in the 2005 War of the Worlds. Nick Robinson who is currently in Melissa and Joey has also been confirmed.  Robinson is rumoured to be playing the role of Ty Simpkins' brother Other casting rumoured: Bryce Dallas Howard, David Oyelowo, Idris Elba Rob @welshslider THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

Thanks to Jedi News for bringing this to our attention.  This is a payroll invoice showing the wage George Lucas was getting from Warner Brothers during his THX-1138 days.  Amazing to see the famous director was only getting $125 a week at one point. Hollywood Reporter write: Lucas first joined Warners' payroll when Francis Ford Coppola brought his friend on board as an assistant on 1968's Finian's Rainbow. Studio payroll memos highlight how Lucas was getting paid $110 a week and was even bumped up to $125 per week. Warners' internal memos between executives highlight the young Lucas' interest in sci-fi. A year later, Warners came aboard to distribute Lucas' THX 1138, paying him $2,500 in installments. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/early-george-lucas-contract-reveals-649370 THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

Our Facebook page has just hit 3000 likes.  Thank you for supporting us and spreading the word.  May the Force be with you all, always. https://www.facebook.com/TheBeardedTrio THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

Finally some Political news where it seems politicians are doing it right.   Screendaily.com report how UK Culture secretary Maria Miller has visted Los Angeles to meet a number of senior executives from the US film and TV industry. Miller met with representatives from Disney, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros and HBO during the week-long visit, exploring different avenues of collaboration. The Conservative MP listened to industry suggestions on ways to further incentivize US productions shooting in the UK, on top of the existing tax reliefs for film, animation and high-end TV ventures. According to the DCMS, Miller was keen to acquire first-hand knowledge from HBO as to how the UK TV tax credit is working at ground level. She also discussed how the Game of Thrones production model could be replicated in other areas of the UK outside London and spoke to Lucasfilm about Star Wars: Episode VII, which is due to shoot in the UK next year. Read more at  http://www.screendaily.com/news/culture

Steven Spielberg with MICHAEL BAY He may be my least favourite movie director (should I be typing this in caps when talking about Bay?  You know?  Loud, in your face etc.)  anyway, as I was saying he may be my least favourite movie director but I wouldn't wish this on him and commend him for continuing to work. From the BBC News website: American film director Michael Bay has been injured in an attack in Hong Kong while filming on the set of his latest Transformers film. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of blackmail and assault after they demanded money from the film crew, police have said. Mr Bay, 48, received injuries to the right side of his face. But he declined to seek treatment and continued filming in a busy area of Hong Kong island. A local newspaper in Hong Kong reported that three men caused what it called "a huge disturbance" to the filming of the American science-fiction film. It said that the men could have missed out on disturbance fe

Christian McKay as Grant Pierce T his week on our quick fire questions we have actor Christian McKay.  Christian has been in so much over the years including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Poirot, Borgia and recently, Ron Howard's Rush.  Now he's set to star in another movie called Creditors. "Creditors" is the story of a love triangle, which finds itself unraveled when an American painter, Freddie Lynch, whose career and marriage are in decline is approached by an admirer, Grant Pierce, in a secluded hotel on an island in England and eased into making sense of his troubled relationship with his wife, writer Chloe Fleury. Lets get the quick fire questions under way. You're stuck in a swamp on Dagobah.  What one movie, TV show, album and book would you take? I'd use my Alec Guinness impression to get me out of the swamp.  Movie: The Kid, Chaplin  TV show: Coronation Street  Album: Albeniz's Iberia, played by Alicia de Larrocha  Book: The Complete

Kumar Pallana, an Indian character actor with small parts in movies such as “The Terminal” and “The Royal Tennenbaums,” died suddenly Oct. 10 at the home he shared with his son in Oakland. He was 94. “He lived life to the fullest,” said his daughter Sandhya Pallana of Dallas, who confirmed the death to The Associated Press. “It was really wonderful how well he was received and how well he was liked and that people appreciated his unique and creative style.” Kumar Pallana — a plate spinner turned Texas yoga instructor turned, in his late 70s and long beyond, sought-after character actor in films by Wes Anderson, Steven Spielberg, and others Kumar Pallana's Life Lessons Trailer for The Terminal

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. ,  Oct. 17, 2013  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF), an operating foundation dedicated to improving the K-12 learning process by documenting, disseminating, and advocating innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies, has named  Kristin De Vivo  to the position of executive director of GLEF Research. GLEF Research will advance the Foundation's mission by developing and supporting current and new research programs and projects. Partners include universities, lead educators, and educational organizations. The creation of GLEF Research, in addition to the existence of the Foundation's current division, Edutopia, signifies the Foundation's commitment to undertaking scientific research to investigate and evaluate strategies that improve learning and to making these findings accessible and useful to the public. "Through Edutopia's digital media resources and community, we highlight what wo