The Bearded Trio

Varèse Sarabande Records has re-released what kind only be described as a beautiful-looking L.P.  It's the epic The Empire Strikes Back - Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score and this piece of treasure has been out of print since 1980.  Just look at that cover!  If that isn't enough you get special notes from Ray Bradbury, Christopher Palmer and of course the man himself, John Williams.  Below is the full press release with details on how you can order yours: Varèse Sarabande Records  is re-issuing the long out-of-print LP  The Empire Strikes Back  – Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score  by Academy Award®-winning composer  John Williams . Out of print since 1980, the record is pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket featuring the original Star Wars paintings and notes. Available now from  VarèseSarabande.com  along with two limited exclusive versions: “ Imperial G...

Iconic Moment From The Empire Strikes Back - The Gantry Shot.  Okay, it might not be the bottomless pit of the movie but that's still a bit of a jump!  Let's hope those boxes and mattresses are soft enough to take a young Mark Hamill.   Of course, this shot is the dramatic climax to The Empire Strikes Back where (spoiler) we find out that Darth Vader is Luke's father.  Often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father" the actual line in the movie is   "No, I am your father."   This big reveal was kept secret especially to Darth Vader actor, David Prowse who had a reputation of spilling the beans about the plot to media.  To prevent the actor knowing and others, they replaced the actual lines with placeholder dialogue.   Mark Hamill  Tweeted what the original line was on set and the agony of not being able to tell anyone: "The cast & crew first learned of it when they saw the finished film. When we shot it, Vader's line was ...

Rare photos from a scene ultimately deleted from The Empire Strikes Back, the Wampa attack and the aftermath . The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, John Williams and a whole lot more.

Imperial Stormtroopers pursue the escaping Rebels as they flee Cloud City Guest Post by Justin Berger In 1980 The Empire Strikes Back was released in theaters and broke box office records. Not surprising in hindsight given it was the sequel to the most popular film ever made, but during production George Lucas wasn’t sure if the film was going to be the huge hit everyone expected it to be. With budget problems, extended shooting schedules, disgruntled actors and major setbacks seemingly every step of the way, Empire was not an easy film to make. Four decades ago filmmaker George Lucas handed the reins of his big budget Star Wars sequel over to director Irvin Kershner and producer Gary Kurtz. Having just finished directing the original Star Wars roughly two years earlier, Lucas had decided that he was done directing and planned to remain behind-the-scenes for the follow-up, The Empire Strikes Back. This was due in part to Star Wars taking a major toll on him and also out of ...

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 ...