A Galaxy Here and Now

A Galaxy Here and Now
Author: Peter W. Lee
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2016-02-05
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476624089

Star Wars begins with its famous title sequence, setting the story in the ancient past of a remote galaxy. Yet the phenomenal success of the film, the franchise, and its "expanded universe" is based upon its reflection of historical and cultural milieus here on modern-day Earth. This collection of new essays examine various ways in which George Lucas's saga touches upon contemporary social and political issues. Topics include the impact of the film's score on musical genres, feminism and NASA, the epic mimicry of Western-African and Bedouin cultural motifs, gender identity construction, Cold War narratives in radio and national mythology, and fan interpretations of authorship and authenticity.

Star Wars Year By Year New Edition

Star Wars Year By Year New Edition
Author: Kristin Baver
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2021-11-02
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0744055660

Discover everything you've ever wanted to know about Star Wars in this complete history of the most famous franchise in movie history. Painstakingly researched and superbly illustrated, Star Wars™ Year By Year: A Visual History, New Edition presents a unique Star Wars timeline-the full history of the amazing Star Wars phenomenon as you've never seen it before. This stunning visual journey features trivia and cultural cornerstones from director George Lucas' early life through to the iconic movie stills, comic books, novels, toys, video games, and theme parks that have spawned from five decades of seminal film making. Fully updated and expanded, this edition encompasses all nine episodes of the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies, along with the standalone movies Rogue One and Solo, and the acclaimed television series, The Mandalorian. Produced in full collaboration with Lucasfilm and written by renowned Star Wars experts, Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual History, New Edition is ideal for Star Wars fanatics and newbies alike. © & ™ 2021 Lucasfilm Ltd.

Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars

Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars
Author: Douglas Brode
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2012-07-02
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 081088514X

In 1977, Star Wars blazed across the screen to become one of the highest grossing and most beloved movies of all time. In Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology, Douglas Brode and Leah Deyneka have assembled a provocative collection of essays that explore such hot topics as race and racism in the Star Wars galaxy, Judeo-Christian and Eastern religious themes, homosexual romance, and philosophical and political implications—earthbound and otherworldly. The wide range of essays collected here will engross readers, both fans and scholars alike.

One with the Force

One with the Force
Author: Krista Noble
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2024-11-19
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 153819872X

Explores how popular religions and philosophies have influenced and are manifested in the world of Star Wars. You have watched Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star in A New Hope, seen Yoda merge with the Force in Return of the Jedi, and heard Rey contact the Jedi of the past in The Rise of Skywalker. But did you know that the Star Wars films contain parallels to religions and philosophies from around the world—from Christianity to Buddhism, and from Native American teachings to the Vedic knowledge of ancient India? In One with the Force: 18 Universal Truths in Star Wars, Krista Noble explores these parallels. She discusses the Force, collective consciousness, enlightenment, and immortality, revealing that the Star Wars films have a universal perspective on life. Readers will learn about the connections between these films and the Vedic tradition, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Native American/First Nations beliefs. They will see that the philosophy of the Jedi doesn’t only apply “in a galaxy far, far away”; it is also highly relevant to everyday living. Like Luke Skywalker, we should all search our feelings to discover the deepest truths of life, pursue our individual destinies, and strive to reach our full potential as human beings. In these ways, we can embody the wisdom of the Jedi.

Reframing 9/11

Reframing 9/11
Author: Jeff Birkenstein
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2010-08-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1441119906

September 11th, 2001 remains a focal point of American consciousness, a site demanding ongoing excavation, a site at which to mark before and after "everything" changed. In ways both real and intangible the entire sequence of events of that day continues to resonate in an endlessly proliferating aftermath of meanings that continue to evolve. Presenting a collection of analyses by an international body of scholars that examines America's recent history, this book focuses on popular culture as a profound discursive site of anxiety and discussion about 9/11 and demystifies the day's events in order to contextualize them into a historically grounded series of narratives that recognizes the complex relations of a globalized world. Essays in Reframing 9/11 share a collective drive to encourage new and original approaches for understanding the issues both within and beyond the official political rhetoric of the events of the "The Global War on Terror" and issues of national security.

Lightsabers, Batmobiles, and Kryptonite

Lightsabers, Batmobiles, and Kryptonite
Author: HowStuffWorks.com
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2013-07-09
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1402288514

Come meet some of the world's biggest superheroes and villains and discover whether you have what it takes to be one in this exciting, interactive ebook by the curious minds at HowStuffWorks. You picked out your superpower years ago. You can change into your costume in seconds. You could take out a Sith Lord with your lightning-quick lightsaber moves. Not so fast! Before you can start vanquishing bad guys, it's important to be schooled in the science of saving the world. In Lightsabers, Batmobiles, and Kryptonite, the team at Discovery's award-winning website HowStuffWorks.com reveals the science behind your favorite superheroes and supervillains and their ultracool devices and weapons, from Batmobiles and warp speed to lightsabers, Death Stars, and kryptonite. This interactive ebook also explores other cool technologies from the science fiction realm such as liquid body armor, replicants, and invisibility cloaks. Discover: How Batman and the Batmobile really work 10 Star Trek technologies that actually came true If warp speed and lightsabers can really exist Whether Superman would win against Harry Potter, Sith Lords, and even Chuck Norris! How new liquid body armor can make us superhuman And more! Packed with podcast clips, interactive quizzes, videos, photos, and trivia tidbits, Lightsabers, Batmobiles, and Kryptonite will prepare you to do battle with the world's most evil masterminds.

Culture, Identities and Technology in the Star Wars Films

Culture, Identities and Technology in the Star Wars Films
Author: Carl Silvio
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2014-11-26
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476611068

Released in May 1977, the original Star Wars movie inaugurated the age of the movie blockbuster. It also redefined the use of cinematic special effects, creating a new textual universe that now stretches through three decades, two trilogies and generations of fascinated viewers. The body of critical analysis that has developed from this epic focuses primarily on the Star Wars universe as a contemporary myth. However, like any fiction, it must also be viewed--and consequently analyzed--as a product of the culture which created it. The essays in this book analyze the Star Wars trilogies as a culturally and historically specific phenomenon. Moving away from the traditional myth-based criticism of the films, the essayists employ a cultural studies model to examine how this phenomenon intersects with social formations such as economics, technology, race and gender. Critical approaches are varied and include political and economic analysis informed by feminism, contemporary race theory, Marxism, new media studies and post-humanism. Among the topics covered are the connections between the trilogies and our own cultural landscape; the problematic issues of race and gender; and the thematic implications of Lucas' presentation of technology. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Futurama: Looking Backward at Present Day America

Futurama: Looking Backward at Present Day America
Author: Christian Schlegel
Publisher: Anchor Academic Publishing (aap_verlag)
Total Pages: 77
Release: 2014-06-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3954892979

Matt Groening developed together with his friend and colleague David X. Cohen the TV-Show Futurama, set in New York in the year 3000. Groening describes his ‘vision of the future’ in Futurama as corporate, commercial and confusing which is not what he expects it to be, and it is not necessarily valuing this world as good or bad. Thus, the assumption of this study is that Futurama presents a stereotyped science fiction-world that deals with themes and problems of our present time. This becomes clear when looking at the excessive use of allusions and references to political and historical events as well as to popular and classical culture. The creators comment that way on topics that concern us – or at least should concern us – today. The task of this study is to identify these topics and references (focusing on America as a political entity), and thereby discuss the points of criticism Futurama raises.