The Bearded Trio

Book of Boba Fett Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land Director: Robert Rodriguez Writer: Jon Favreau Air date: December 29, 2021 For just over one (very long) year, Star Wars fans have awaited a show speculated about for nearly 20 years. A live action series with bounty hunter Boba Fett as the central character. The post-credit scene in the final episode of the second season of The Mandalorian confirmed The Book of Boba Fett would be a brand-new series on Disney Plus, and Wednesday, the show aired its first episode, Stranger in a Strange Land. I saw references to The Godfather as well as Iron Man in this episode, which I feel was a very strong opening to this seven-episode season. The episode is bookended by extended flashback scenes, taking place within dreams Fett is having while healing in a bacta tank. The center of the episode is the "present day," taking place right after the events in the aforementioned post-credit scene. The Boba Fett we meet in this episode is ...

In the history of cinema, there have been directors who have specialized in eliciting particular emotions from audiences. Some thrill us. Some help us remember. Others help us forget. A few crafted true moving-picture art. Steven Spielberg checked every box on that list and added a few in an unprecedented career. Today he turns 75 years old. A milestone birthday in any culture, and now is as good a time as any to celebrate not just the career, but the man. A man who is responsible for one of the most recognizable characters in the medium’s history (Indiana Jones) while also ushering in an entirely new way to tell a story (Jurassic Park). For children of the 1980s like myself, Spielberg was the ideal storyteller to identify with. Through his films and his characters, he spoke with us, not to us. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) might be the best example of this. The entire first half of the film is shot from the kids’ point of view. He was there with us. An adult perspective meant dan...