Saturday 31 July 2010

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: CHECKING PADME'S WARDROBE


Prior to filming of EPISODE III, Natalie Portman, watched by Lucas, poses as Padme inside her apartment set at FOX STUDIOS for one of her first set and costume lighting/reference tests, which also proves handy in checking the 2003 digital camera set-up being used. This particular costume would ultimately not appear in the film, though  some of this deleted material linked to the birth of the Rebel Alliance would be on the 2005 DVD release (but still minus a crucial conversation scene, between her and Obi-Wan about Anakin, that we REALLY want to see on DVD one day!)

CLASSIC IMAGE: REPELLING THE DARK SIDE!


The powerful Jedi Master Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to repel the deadly Dark Side Force energies of the corruptible Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) now, finally, exposed as Darth Sidious, in STAR WARS: EPISODE III- REVENGE OF THE SITH.

BEHIND THE SCENES: ADDING NEW DEPTHS TO VILLAINY


Specialist costume and prop builder Ivo Coveny makes some last minutes touches to the impressive prototype Vader costume worn by Hayden Christensen for EPISODE III, at a workshop within FOX STUDIOS, during 2003 pre-production filming for EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: "ALL WINGS REPORT IN"


Terrific shot of the highly detailed X-wing fighter models ready for filming at ILM in Van Nuys, California during 1976/77 post production for STAR WARS.

They don't make 'em like they used to.

AFICIONADO OPINION: WHAT SHOULD BE THE NEXT ANIMATED STEP...


If ever there was proof needed that the Original Trilogy could be made as a superb animated weekly series, following the success of CLONE WARS, this wonderful image from 1978's HOLIDAY SPECIAL is it!

C'mon, George and the gang, bring these great heroes and villains back to us in an all-new dimension!

AFICIONADO STAR WARS MYSTERY: THE UNKNOWN PREMIERE


I recently found this image during an internet trawl, but am slightly mystified with it as to where and when its from. Someone online listed it as a premiere for the original STAR WARS, but I can't find any records of a premiere like this for 1977/78. I think its more likely a premiere for EMPIRE in 1980-it may be the UK Royal Premiere held in May that year at London's ODEON Leicester Square (the exterior certainly looks like it could be their outside foyer), with Chris Parsons filling in for Anthony Daniels (who was ill in hospital) inside the golden suit, alongside the remote controlled Artoo which was used at the event (a picture exists from the premiere of the droid with Mark Hamill and his wife). If that's the case, who played Chewbacca (I wasn't aware that the character was at the premiere)? Peter Mayhew can be seen at the UK premiere in his evening suit, but could he have briefly played Chewie before the film started? Mayhew had played the lovable Wookiee that week for the UK children's programme BLUE PETER, alongside Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in promoting EMPIRE, so the costume was in the country.

If anyone has info on this intriguing image, please get in touch...

Thursday 29 July 2010

BEHIND THE SCENES: HAPPINESS IS BEING WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND!


On the top deck of the amazing Sail Barge exterior set, Carrie Fisher smooches up with an unknown extra inside a Gamorrean Guard suit, in this great image from 1982's US location shooting for REVENGE OF THE JEDI (before it became RETURN) in Yuma, Arizona.

Jedi News - Latest: Jedi News Exclusive: Slave Leia Gave The Kiss Of Life To Jabba's Gamorrean Guard!

CLASSIC IMAGE: TRIUMPH OF THE SITH!


Anakin Skywalker, now the dreaded Darth Vader, and the disfigured form of the ultimate Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, decide to take a little time out from their busy schedule of slaughtering Jedi in order to pose for this fab studio image from 2005.

CLASSIC IMAGE: HAN ON HOTH


Hell be damned, as Han Solo, having successfully rescued Luke Skywalker from an icy death on the freezing plains of Hoth, poses for a quick posed image before taking on a pesky Imperial Probe Droid alongside his friend Chewbacca. Both Solo and the actor who brought him to life, Harrison Ford, would endure many cold weather challenges during the ultimate realisation of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

WELCOME TO 'STAR WARS AFICIONADO'!



THE LOWDOWN ON STAR WARS AFICIONADO


Launched back in 2003, STAR WARS AFICIONADO is the brainchild of British fan SCOTT WELLER. Sad at seeing the death of many STAR WARS fanzines with the astonishing growth of the internet, and fed up with the continuing lack of interesting material presented within the pages of official STAR WARS related magazines, Scott decided to take the bold step of creating a new, non-profit making fanzine, covering the kind of wide ranging features that he had always wanted to see in the monthly magazines since his childhood-articles that would include rare behind the scene information and interview quotes, great on set rare colour and black and white photography from the movies, and detailed archives on STAR WARS related stories (whether they be comics, books, storybook records, etc.), as well as features on the various people who, over the years, have helped shape the making and destiny of the Saga alongside it's creator George Lucas. 

The result was STAR WARS AFICIONADO. As Anakin Skywalker would say: "Yippee!"

Professionally printed in full colour, with high printing costs that, five years on, have still not been recouped, AFICIONADO's printed life, on a once quarterly basis, would happily go from strength to strength after it's premiere issue, with a core group of writers and photo researchers (including intrepid INDIANA JONES meets STAR WARS explorer Ian Trussler and the extensive powerhouse of photos and information that is Chris Baker-my continuing thanks to you both) working together on the magazine who have provided a constant stream of appealing articles and images for publication within the magazine's pages (of which we have also revealed many pieces of rare behind the scenes filming information on the movies to readers several years before they would be made officially available through official LUCASFILM approved magazines and web-sites!!). STAR WARS AFICIONADO, though very small in circulation, has been a consistent cult success, acquiring a very loyal fan readership over ten years (of which we are very grateful for your continuing support). With it's continued popularity, the magazine's printed editions are now no longer available and have since sold out as the publication marches on into new frontiers.

No longer able to afford the cost of printing, and, to this day still trying to recoup previous production costs, AFICIONADO, realizing that it had to join the technological race, decided to carry on in a PDF file format release. The first issue to undergo this change was our revised MAKING OF STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE issue, followed by our THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE. In early 2008 we celebrated the Thirtieth Anniversary of RETURN OF THE JEDI with our most exhaustively researched MAKING OF issue yet, whilst 2009 saw our celebrations for the Tenth Anniversary of STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE and 2010 for the Thirtieth Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, with our new Behind the Scenes Companion. Additionally, we would also decidd to start making available selected back issues of STAR WARS AFICIONADO on PDF, such as seven (the Vader issue), eight and nine (our popular EPISODE III related double issue), ten (our STAR WARS television issue), an issues 1-4 compilation, and our earlier special, equally exhaustive issue from 2005 on the making of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Complimenting this site and the now ceased magazine is the blog site you’re looking at now, launched in July 2010, and full of additional rare photos, quality info and nostalgia you've come to expect from AFICIONADO.

To our ever loyal, continuing readers worldwide, we would like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement. To our new readers, we hope you like what you see here and that we've tickled your interest fancy enough for you to continue reading the site or wanting to get hold of an issue of the magazine.

And if you like it, tell more people about us-we want everyone to enjoy every aspect of the STAR WARS saga. We hope AFICIONADO manages to be a little part of that enjoyment!!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU... ALWAYS!

ENJOY STAR WARS!

ENJOY STAR WARS AFICIONADO!