The Bearded Trio

Brad’s April Escape (May Edition) May 21 - The Empire Strikes Back Throughout the month of April, I ran through 20 films of the Steven Spielberg-George Lucas-John Williams Cinematic Universe, listing random items from each film that stood out to me. Rob and I decided to reserve my entry for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) for today, the 40th anniversary of the film's release here in the United States. The Empire Strikes Back - An Introduction There's no way I will do this film justice in one simple blog post. Its impact is well-established. It's the film that turned Star Wars from a blockbuster film into a franchise that is still going strong, 40 years later. Empire is firmly entrenched at the top of many people's favorite films list - beyond Star Wars film rankings. But why? What's the thing that has kept this film so fresh and resonating all these years later? I certainly don't have all the answers, but I will ...

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am still dancing on the high of the Clone Wars finale that came out Monday morning. Dave Filoni and his crew pulled it off again with this epic final season of the groundbreaking show that began 12 years ago. The final episode, "Victory and Death" brought the tale of the Clone Wars, the objects of fans', at first, curiosity, and later, obsession, to a close. The "Siege of Mandalore" arc was brilliantly woven into the the same time frame as Revenge of the Sith, and concludes a story that has been missing for all of us since the series was initially canceled by Disney in 2013. My thoughts naturally turned to stories that have yet to be told in an official, new canon medium. I drew up a top 5 list - because of course, what's the point of an online blog if not for speculative lists? As I get started on my list, I am very mindful of the fact that an Obi-Wan TV series for Disney+ has been officially announced . B...

Brad’s April Escape - Part 19 April 29 - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Each weekday this month, I’ll screen a film from The Bearded Trio Cinematic Universe and list 10 random scenes, characters, musical cues or performances that I particularly enjoy and look forward to upon every viewing. I’d love to hear similar little things you enjoy about these films, and hope you join me in this escape from the present-day world. Next up is the final entry in the Skywalker Saga, coming out on Disney+ next week, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The Rise of Skywalker - An Introduction This was it. The last film in the Skywalker Saga was finally upon us, just a few short months ago. The story of Rey, Finn and Poe came to a conclusion in a film that can only be described as "big." Big settings, big stakes for our characters, big implications on the rest of the saga. I'll be up front with this - the sequel trilogy, as a whole, did not resonate ...

Brad’s April Escape - Part 16 April 24 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi Each weekday this month, I’ll screen a film from The Bearded Trio Cinematic Universe and list 10 random scenes, characters, musical cues or performances that I particularly enjoy and look forward to upon every viewing. I’d love to hear similar little things you enjoy about these films, and hope you join me in this escape from the present-day world. Next up is a film that effectively split the fan community, but a film I immensely respect, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). The Last Jedi - An Introduction You probably either loved or hated Episode VIII, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson. After the giddy popularity, and (sorry) predictability of The Force Awakens, Johnson executed his own vision for Star Wars with this entry in the Skywalker Saga. TLJ took chances. It was bold. It wasn't afraid to redefine some traditional Star Wars tropes. It took the beloved Luke Skywalker...

Po-Zu have launched the latest screen accurate replica from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the LUKE SKYWALKER, inspired by Luke Skywalker’s boots, as featured in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  Sven Segal, founder and CEO of Po-Zu had this to say about the new boots inspired by Luke Skywalker: "Luke is the ultimate Jedi Master.  I wanted to design something that had the cosplay precision and authenticity our fan-base loves, with the adaptability to convert to everyday wear." "It joins the full range of screen-accurate designs, including Rey, Poe, Finn, the First Order Stormtrooper boots. I have designed it for the duality. This is an important feature for me in sustainability terms, and to produce something that works and can be worn for different occasions.”  The LUKE SKYWALKER Boot - £225 PRE-ORDER for July Dispatch A leather Chelsea boot with finger gores, featuring a removeable elasticated gaiter, which can be worn with the boot, as featured in the film or wi...