At EA’s Press Conference from E3 2012 on Tuesday June 5^th, they announced several games, mostly involving their sports department, EA Sports. EA offered three first-person shooters, a third-person shooter, a Sim game, a massive multiplayer online (MMO) expansion, a racing game, and four sports titles. Part one will cover from EA’s first-person shooters to their racing game.

The first-person shooters that EA announced were Battlefield 3 Premium, Medal of Honor Warfighter, and Crysis 3. Battlefield 3 Premium is a special network system that incorporates early access to future downloadable content (DLC) along with special customization for characters and dog tags. It also includes new weapons and vehicles. Four new DLC game maps will be available, including Close Quarters (a special infantry-only map), Armor Kill (A special vehicle focus map, which is one of the largest game maps to date), Aftermath (A game map that takes place at a city struck by an earthquake), and End Game (which introduces motorcycle combat vehicles). Battlefield 3 Premium is currently out for $49.99, along with the Close Quarters DLC.

The next first-person shooter EA announced was Medal of Honor Warfighter. After the failure of the reboot, simply known as Medal of Honor, this is another attempt by EA’s to revive the Medal of Honor series. However, the only selling points EA expressed for this series revival were the game’s use of the Frostbite engine, and, according to the promo video, the ability to choose which side you want to be on. Will this truly be the revival of the classic series or will it fade off like its previous title?

The last first-person shooter that EA announced was Crysis 3. Using its self-titled “Crysis Engine”, Crysis 3 seems to be a fresh light into the futuristic first-person shooter. Complete with beautiful details and cinematics, Crysis 3 brings intense first person action to this futuristic sandbox shooter.

The third-person shooter EA announced was Dead Space 3. Dead Space 3 seemed to take the survival horror out of third-person survival horror. With amazing action and beautiful direction, Dead Space 3 at first appeared to be a nice continuation of the Dead Space series. Yet this game completely ignores the basis of the Dead Space series. There was a lack in the survival horror aspect as well as the space aspect. With the press conference putting a heavy focus on the drop-in/drop-out multiplayer aspect, will Dead Space 3 be another Resident Evil 5, or will Dead Space break the boundaries between survival horror and action shooter?

EA also announced a return of the Sim builder series with SimCity. SimCity worked to push the limits of what the series was known for, and with the use of the Blast Box Innovation Engine, SimCity hopes to revolutionize the city building genre and bring the series back from its continuous slump. Some features of the New Sim City include trading with neighboring cities, global market trading, city specialization (which will influence the look of the city), as well as many multiplayer features including a shared city, trading with online neighboring cities, and controlling different cities in an open online region. Many of these features were not detailed during the EA Press Conference, but more details will can be found here.

Bioware, owned by EA, also came up to the stage to announce new expansions to their MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. Bioware announced that there will be new Player versus Player (PvP) warzone maps, ranked PvP character transfers, new available companions, a new playable species, and a new planet to explore. Bioware also announced that there will be a higher level cap, new challenges including a nightmare difficulty, and lastly, starting in July, Old Republic will be free to play up to level 15. Bioware promises to keep Old Republic fresh and up to date for their hardcore fans.

In the field of racing games, EA announced the new addition to the Need for Speed (NFS) series with Need for Speed Most Wanted. With the accepted reboot of Hot Pursuit and the failures that were Shift 2 and The Run, the Need for Speed series hopes to make another comeback with a reboot of Most Wanted. NFS hopes to continue with the more than acceptable success of Hot Pursuit by bringing back the autolog system and making it even more integrated than before, so that there would be a more in-depth competition between fellow online players as they compete to become the most wanted in this open world driving adventure.

The overall presentation of EA’s new games was a bit lackluster this year. But with a few highly anticipated games like Dead Space 3 and Crysis 3, EA hopes to bring its title out of the slump it had gotten itself into. Part 2 will continue with EA Sports’ game releases.

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Dark Horse Digital reaches a new landmark, turning one year old this Friday. To thank our loyal fans, Dark Horse announces an anniversary appreciation discount.

This weekend, Dark Horse Digital is offering 10% off all titles in the web store, with an additional coupon to newsletter subscribers and new subscribers who have signed up by this Thursday. And yes, the coupon stacks with an even greater discount off your order!

The sale starts this Friday (April 27) and ends Sunday (April 29) at midnight PST—so head over to Dark Horse Digital and sign up for the Digital Newsletter to maximize your discount on some incredible comics.

Dark Horse Comics launched its standalone comic-reader app and digital store on April 27, 2011 and has received incredible support from the continuously growing digital-comics fan base.

Since then, Dark Horse Digital has grown significantly in numbers and readership featuring it’s most popular, best selling titles including Star Wars, Buffy, Serenity, Hellboy, Conan and Mass Effect as well as exclusive digital only comics such as Falling Skies, Prototype 2 & Dragon Age. Dark Horse Digital also provides sales and discounts for its reader base on a weekly basis. We currently offer thousands of comics and are continuing to increase the digital availability of the Dark Horse back catalog.

Dark Horse Digital is available through all modern web browsers and features cloud storage in both the Android (beta) and iOS apps.

In the meantime, the creator of The Escapist’s Zero Punctuation Reviews (TM) and author of 2010’s runaway hit novel Mogworld is back with his hilarious follow-up. Jam takes the prophecies of the Mayans and turns them on their ear, with a twist on the apocalypse that no one could have expected. The first chapter will run in the newly released digital edition of Mogworld, available today for Nook and Kobo eReaders.

Since 2007, Croshaw’s animated Zero Punctuation reviews have packaged prescient criticism with frenetic animation, off-color humor, and rapid-fire delivery, making him a household name in the gaming community. Mogworld was his first foray into published fiction and has sold through multiple printings! Now, the debut novel finally makes it’s way to tablet readers, marking the beginning of Dark Horse’s foray into digital prose!

Additionally, readers will have a chance to get their first look at Jam, which is set for release later this year. Jam, a dark comedy pitting a handful of twenty-something slackers against a singularly sticky apocalypse, which is set for release later this year.

“You asked for it – by Christ have you been asking for it – and it’s finally here, the Mogworld eBook” said writer, Yahtzee Croshaw. “Now I just have to stop procrastinating on the audiobook version.”

Mogworld is available today for both Barnes & Noble’s NOOK™, as well as the Kobo Vox eReader.

Jam arrives on sale on October 10, in print as well as digitally.

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This year at Anime Boston the Dealer’s Room was packed with booths covering two large rooms. Almost anything you could think of, you could find there. QB plushies? Yup. Brightly colored Pokemon hats? In abundance. Strange Japanese-imported collectibles? You betcha. Here are some of the best deals we found this year in the Anime Boston Dealer’s Room.

Manga generally had the most dramatic deals. At Comicopia, if you bought two volumes you got 10% off, four volumes 15% off, and eight volumes 20% off (2-10%, 4-15%, 8-20%). However, New England Comics had a competitive ‘Buy two get 30% off’ deal going on, and Cheap Manga probably stole the show for manga deals. With them, a single manga was $5, five volumes were $20, and 30 volumes were $90 (that’s 1-$5, 5-$20, 30-$90).

Not too far off at the Anime Pavilion, eight volumes cost $60, 14 cost $100, and 45 cost $300 (8-$60, 14-$100, 45-$300). Not to mention Anime Pavilion’s selection consisted of less popular titles than Cheap Manga’s.

Other notable deals were to be found at New England Comics’ booth, where brand new Star Wars comic omnibuses were 60-80% off, making $25 volumes only $7. Each yaoi manga volume at NEC was $7, but if you bought five or more they were $5. Elsewhere you could find deals such as ‘Buy 1 get 2 free’, ‘All manga 20% off except new releases’, and ‘10% off yaoi’.

Also of note to those looking for manga, or looking to trade their manga away at the convention, is the swap meet. The swap meet took place in the evening on Friday and Saturday, and I was able to trade away three virtually valueless items I got in a grab bag for three volumes of manga. Overall the manga scene at the con felt a bit like a game of hot potato; pass that stuff on to the next person before you’re stuck with it for too long.

Figurines were also in abundance at the con, though only a few were on sale. World of Warcraft figurines were $40 each, but $70 if two were bought together. A set of four Walking Dead figures went for $75, and Ore no Imoto figurines were two for $65.

T-shirts could be found for $20 each, two for $36, and three for $48.

Funimation was also hocking their wares by the entrance gate, accompanied by a pair of Cat Planet Cuties mascots in eyecatching costumes, or the lack thereof… Most notable amongst the prices at their booth was a Blu-Ray collection of Evangelion for $20. The first season of Black Butler was $60, as was the new retelling of the Fullmetal Alchemist story Brotherhood. Hetalia films were $25 a pop, Excel Saga was there on Blu-Ray for $40, Baccano was available for $30, and Claymore would set you back $40.

Aftermarket retailers such as Anime Madness, Video Games New York, and Harrison’s Comics and Collectibles were nearby as well offering great deals on anime, music, and video games.

Video Games New York was selling a hacked Wii with emulators and homebrew apps for $150, alongside rare oldschool games (Final Fantasy Anthology for $25, Metal Gear Solid 1 complete with case and booklet for $40) and Japanese import and Japan-exclusive games for old and current consoles alike. New York Video Games was also selling unused Dreamcast consoles for $150, and their stock rotated daily as they brought new items up from their store in New York.

Harrison’s Comics and Collectibles from Salem, MA had a back wall all to themselves, with a huge, nerdgasm-worthy collection of old school N64, Genesis, Atari, Sega CD, NES, and SNES games. Starfox 64, Ridge Racer, Ninja Gaiden, Duck Hunt, you name it, they had it, many for single-digit prices. They also carried Japanese-imported music, anime, comics, and figurines.

Overall, the Dealer’s Room was a great place to get cheap manga, games, CCG cards, plushies, figurines, clothing, model kits, anime, hug pillows, collectible items, and some surprises. Many of the items on sale were direct-from-Japan imports. The best part of buying imported goods at the con is not only do you get to see and touch the item yourself before you buy it, but you also save a lot on shipping costs.

If you’re considering importing something online, you might want to hold off until your next local con to see if you can find it there and make sure it’s what you want. You may also want to wait to buy your manga at a convention, judging by the burning-down-the-house prices exhibited at many of the vendors’ stalls.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.animeboston.com

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From Friday, February 17 to Sunday the 19, in Orlando, Florida, Mega Con opened its doors once again to Comic, Sci-fi, and Anime fans for one of Florida’s biggest conventions of the year. People flock from all over, to one of the biggest gatherings of fans for the goal of trying to out nerd each other, and with over an estimated 40,000 attendees, this was one of the busiest years for Mega Con.

Despite the crowd, it is easy to get around the convention and check out all the shops that were set up. There were a vast variety of different shops; Comics, anime, collectables, cosplay costumes, and even weapons (blades). But probably the most impressive thing there were the prices.

Naturally you can find collectable comics that range between $100-$600, but they also sell various comics at a high discounted price. You could purchase a $30 comic set for only $5, and if you’re interested in the Essential or Showcase series, which average $17 a volume, can be picked up for around $9. This is usually the reason why many fans and enthusiasts go to the convention, and it is worth it.

If you were to come to Mega Con without friends, you would have made friends fast within the convention. Thousands of people, with similar interests, gathering together, it is real easy to just go up to someone and reference anything in comics or anime, and you’ll fire an instant connection. Here at Mega Con, you really feel like family.

One issue with Mega Con was that they did not prepare for the crowd that showed up. Employees were pointing people one way and others pointing them another. As for the convention floor, at points, it felt like trying to go downstream against migrating salmon. There were so many people that there was no order on where to go or how to get somewhere.

One solution that Mega Con should do for next year is to set up the convention floor like New York City. Setting the floor up in a grid and having certain paths go in one direction would help with the flow of traffic, rather than having everyone going everywhere which just adds more chaos into a very crowded environment.

Despite the few issues with Mega Con’s crowd, the convention itself was a truly amazing site and one of the best experiences of anyone’s life. If you are a fan of comics or just want to experience something unique, you should check out your local conventions.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/digital_ramapge/

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The future of Marvel Digital Comics has arrived; you can download the Marvel Comics app 3.0 for your iOS device right now. This all-new update takes the unparalleled Marvel Comics app experience to the next level a stunning new interface; broader array of search and browse functions; improved performance and stability; easier management of purchases and downloads; and more!

In celebration of this exciting new upgrade, the Marvel Comics app is offering a special sale on the biggest new launches of 2011, including FF, X-Men Schism, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man and more until Tuesday, December 6, 11pm EST. So why wait? Upgrade your Marvel Comics app now to take advantage of this unprecedented offer.

“Marvel is committed to giving our fans the best digital reading experience possible and with this latest upgrade to the Marvel Comics app, I’m proud to say we’re delivering just that,” said Peter Phillips, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Marvel Digital Media Group. “So whether you’re a fan of Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine or the Wizard of Oz, you’re going to find some great comics to read—and they’re going to look better than ever.”

Dark Horse Comics are taking digital moves as well to expand the reading experience for their fans and readers. Their digital evolution continues after seeing huge success with digital sales. Dark Horse Comics will now make their comics available digitally the same day they are on sale in comic shops.

Beginning December 14, all titles from Dark Horse Comics will be on sale the same day in both print and digital format, allowing new-technology readers to access their favourite comics at the same time as their print-oriented counterparts. Dark Horse Digital launched its standalone comic-reader app earlier this year and received incredible support from the continuously growing digital-comics fan base, a new type of comics fan eager to adapt to new technologies.

Since then, Dark Horse Digital has grown significantly in numbers and readership with the additions of several key titles to the digital roster, including Star Wars, Buffy, Angel & Faith, and Dollhouse. Dark Horse Digital also provides weekly sales and discounts to its readers, currently offers over eight hundred comics, and continues to increase the digital availability of the Dark Horse back catalog.

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Joel Edgerton, an Australian actor, may be the first person to become a cast member in “300: Battle of Artemisia”. He is currently in talks with Warner Bros. for the role. The movie is set to debut in 2013 and is the sequel to “300”.

The film will be directed by Noam Murro, who also directed “Smart People”, and will cover the span of 10 years, although its main focus will be on the same three-day span of time from the last film, but in a different location. It is based on the upcoming graphic novel by Frank Miller entitled “Xerxes”.

In the film, Xerxes has risen to power in fifth century B.C. He is known as “The King of Kings” and seeks to destroy the Greeks who were responsible for the death of his father. Xerxes also wants to become a god, which he accomplishes. Miller stated, “It’s the Battle of Marathon through my lens.”

The Battle of Marathon, in which the film begins, occurred ten years before the Battle of Thermopylae, which the Spartans fought in “300”. However, the Battle of Artemisia was fought simultaneously with the Battle of Thermopylae. Edgerton would play the General Themistocles, who leads Athens in a battle against the Persians.

“The lead character is Themistocles, who became warlord of Greece and built their navy,” Frank Miller said. Mark Canton, one of the movie’s producers, said in regards to the film, “We have to say that Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, his writing partner, have killed it. They’ve done a tremendous job making a highly intelligent, epic story that will stand on its own.

But, it’s not a conventional sequel and, for what we do, that’s what you hope and pray for. That you can be original and authentic at the same time.” Producer Bernie Goldman also hinted at Gerard Butler and Lena Headey returning in the sequel, albeit with small parts, though this has not been confirmed.

Joel Edgerton has previously been in “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”. He played a young Owen Lars, Anakin Skywalker’s stepbrother and Luke Skywalker’s uncle, in the films. “Animal Kingdom” was his break-out role that made him known internationally.

Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” and Disney’s “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”, which will both be coming out in 2012, will also feature the actor. He will play the role of Tom Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby” and the part of Jim Green in “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”.

Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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Dark Horse has announce its intention to offer retailers a special stock-up incentive tied to five great new Star Wars series coming out in 2012.

Retailers who order fifteen copies of any of the following titles receive 5 percent off of their initial orders for that title: ‘Knights of the Old Republic: War’, ‘Dawn of the Jedi’, ‘Knight Errant III’, ‘Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison’, ‘Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead’.

And what are these chapters in the Star Wars saga going to revolve around?

Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison — Ghost Prison takes place a year after Revenge of the Sith and will showcase Darth Vader’s impact on the galaxy in ways fans have never seen. Darth Vader will serve the Emperor to the best of his abilities. After all, Darth Vader makes no mistakes.

Knights of the Old Republic: War — The Knights of the Old Republic video games and comics chronicle one of the most popular eras in Star Wars, making Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War the perfect entry point into the Star Wars galaxy.

Dawn of the Jedi — Here’s your first look at the Star Wars of 25,000 years ago, before there were lightsabers, when the ties to the Force were new, and before the Jedi spread out into the galaxy. It began with the mysterious pyramid ships — the Tho Yor — scattered to the eight corners of the galaxy, and ended with the establishment of an order that would change the universe forever.

Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead — Boba Fett is dead. The most infamous hunter in the galaxy has been hunted. He’s lying, broken, on the desert floor. He’s more blaster holes than man. It’s the ultimate ending. However, this is just the start of our story. With the fall of Fett broadcast across the galaxy, someone rises to avenge him.

Knight Errant III — Jedi Knight Kerra Holt continues her one-woman crusade against the Sith from behind enemy lines on her most dangerous mission yet.

Look for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War #1 in this month’s issue of the Diamond Previews catalog.

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If dreams are the thoughts of our subconscious as many believe, then those of Darth Vader himself during his brief periods of rest show his longing for his former life. Once upon a time, he was a young Jedi knight in love. Now lost, Darth Vader is exceedingly calculated and powerful, the picture-perfect Sith Lord in some ways.

Featuring priestesses and betrayals, combat through space and gunfights through an ambush, this has the makings of an excellent storyline. Available for pre-order here and releasing at the end of November, The Lost Command is a hardcover release that details the complete mission of Darth Vader’s search for Garoche Tarkin, the son of Moff Tarkin, in the Ghost Nebula System.

This story takes place some 20 years BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) and the destruction of the first Death Star on the galactic calendar. Fans may remember Grand Moff Tarkin as the man responsible for the Death Star’s attack and destruction of Alderaan in Episode IV: A New Hope.

Scripted by Haden Blackman, penciled by Rick Leonardi, ink and colors done by Dan Green and Wes Dzioba respectively, lettering from Michael Heisler, and cover art by Michael Kutsche, this is a tale of three men haunted by their past deeds and their continued fight for the survival of their futures.

Traditionally, Garoche Tarkin is not a character that appears in the main storyline, but is featured in this comic as a man torn between his sense of duty and his moral compass. Garoche’s development throughout the story showcases the possibility of what his father, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, might have been like in a different life without the Empire’s controlling hand.

However, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is not without a heart and thus is still a father that is concerned about the disappearance of his son. The loss of his son would make Moff Tarkin furious, a man second only to Darth Sidious in his ruthlessness and military savvy. His anger would be great and his vengeance swift should Lord Vader fail to find his son.

The beginning and ending depictions of Lord Vader almost mirror each other in his subservience to his master, Darth Sidious. In addition to that portrayal, Vader’s reality is one of literal and figurative disrepair. For every part of his arms and legs that are damaged, there are replacements being fitted at each turn of the story, the beginning and ending sections showcasing his return to full-figured misery.

In contrast to his reality, Vader is plagued by dreams where he is healthy and whole, not half a man consumed by his anger. They depict his would-be life had Padme and his unborn son both survived. Vader’s dreams are a bitter joy to dream of and wake from, as they show Lord Vader not as a Sith Lord, but as a happy and loving man.

Against all preconceived notions of power and ruthlessness, guilt is what culminates in the ultimate ending of the story, with Vader returning damaged and Moff Wilhuff Tarkin coldly plotting the death of his enemies due to the loss of his son. This gives yet another avenue of insight into the mind and story of Moff Tarkin and his relentless pursuit of his enemies throughout the rest of his lifetime in the Star Wars Universe.

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Over the past few years we have seen a lot of movie remakes or rebooting — has Hollywood run out of ideas or could it be an excuse for making a mistake the first time round? Among the most recent examples, we have seen remakes of movie and television series such as The A-team, Footloose and Fame with The Amazing Spider-man and Superman in the pipes.

If you think they are about to slow down, you should check out the amount of remakes that are in the planning stages. According to OhNoTheyDidnt.livejournal.com there is an extensive list of movies that are being dusted off and ready for a reboot, including Guys and Dolls, Alien, Total recall, Romancing the Stone and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Were these movies that terrible? Why do we need to see them remade?

The new saying in Hollywood seems to be ‘if it’s is not working, let’s go back to the beginning’; the studios seem to be finding big bucks in well-established franchises and rebooting them with young fresh faced stars. But the exciting thing about movies with original ideas is that we don’t know what’s going to happen next; Is the films ending going to make us feel good, sadden us or is it going to shock us?

The problem with these prequels or reboots is that we know how the story is going to end. A reboot can be a risky proposition because it takes some of the drama out of the story.

When Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi were fighting during the Star Wars prequels, we already knew already how that was going to end — we knew Obi Wan would win and Anakin would get burned and be transformed into Darth Vader.

Boxoffice.com editor Phil Contrino says it’s a real test of the filmmaker and the story to use younger, well-established actors for their reboot without running the risk of not having the same “star power.” Films like Indiana Jones, Die Hard, and Rambo are all associated with the actors who played these characters and bringing in someone new may not have the same impact.

So if that’s the case, then why reboot? Well one of the reasons is that it’s much less cost efficient. By the time you get into the third or fourth sequel, the actors and directors demand ridiculous amount of money, says Contrino. There is also a lot of control over the project at this point so if the whole thing is scrapped, the writers and producers can start fresh and simpler.

This is one of the reasons why the Spiderman movies starring Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst was ended and rebooted with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone — it was just too difficult to make the movie with the same cast and crew. Another factor for reboots is that it bring a new energy to the franchise. Contrino points out if a reboot is successful, it sets the stage for a really good rebooted sequel.

After Batman Begins came The Dark Knight and this movie earned $530 million at the box office, becoming the 3rd film of all time and will be followed by another sequel in 2012, The Dark Knight Rises.

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Since the first Star Wars film was re-released on VHS in 1981, director George Lucas has changed at least one element of every film with each new release, often causing a stir among the most loyal fans of the franchise. With the release of the 9-disc special edition Blu-Ray of episodes I-VI on September 16, Lucas has upset fans once again by making a number of changes to episodes IV, V, and VI.

Some of the most controversial changes are the addition of the word “NO!” two times to Darth Vader’s dialogue when he throws the Emperor over the edge in Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks’ eyes now blink, and Obi-Wan’s fake “Kryat Dragon” roar has been changed.

Not since Lucas decided to make Greedo shoot Han first in the Cantina in episode IV for the 1997 Special Edition have fans been so upset about the changes made to one of film history’s most popular series. Twitter has exploded with commentary on the subject, and there are even a number of Facebook pages dedicated to voicing their dissatisfaction with a number of Lucas’ decisions.

One of the most upsetting aspects of the changes is the fact that the original versions won’t be available on Blu-Ray. In 2006, after years of strong protest concerning the 1997 revisions, the original trilogy was released on DVD, but the quality of the picture was not improved.

Lucas has made it clear that he does not want the originals to be preserved. In a 1997 interview with American Cinematographer he stated that “[a] hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the [Special Edition] version.” This view has left fans looking to purchase old copies of the original VHS tapes as a part of their protest against this mentality.

Despite the strong dissatisfaction with many of the content changes, there are still a number of additions and revisions that have been mostly accepted by fans. Notably, the decision to change the puppet version of Yoda in episode I into a CGI version that more closely resembles the original trilogy has met general approval, both for continuity and visual appeal.

George Lucas has been on a quest to make his films better than they were originally, and to include aspects of the film to help make his newer Star Wars films match more closely with the original trilogy. The problem with this mentality is the huge number of fans that liked things the way they were, even with all of the flaws and mistakes.

Who knows, perhaps t-shirts protesting Darth Vader’s comical “no!” will become just as popular in a few years as “Han shot first” t-shirts are today. But unless Lucas makes a sudden change of heart, or loses the creative rights to his films, fans will have to accept whatever creative decisions George Lucas makes.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/StarWars

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Oprah Winfrey and James Earl will be awarded at the next Oscars ceremony.

Winfrey will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work.Jones along with makeup artist Dick Smith, will receive awards for their magnificent careers. Both prizes will be handed out at the Governors Awards next November.

Winfrey is best known for her talk show, but that is not the only reason why they have decided to honor her. The Oprah Winfrey Show has been on air over 145 different countries. Her program redefined the talk show genre and made Winfrey one of the most influential women in the US, as well as the wealthiest black women in the world.

Her last broadcasting was last May after 25 years on the air. She was seen alone on stage, telling her viewers how much they had meant to her for the past years. Afterwards, Madonna and Beyonce also took part in the show.

Amy Korin, a Winfrey fan who was watching the recording of her last program said “She said, ‘This isn’t goodbye. This is until we meet again’.”

The last episode filmed in front of 13,000 fans had the intervention of Tom Cruise, Aretha Franklin, Tom Hanks and Stevie Wonder, which paid tribute to the presenter.

Last January, Winfrey launched her own TV network. The channel is called OWN “Oprah Winfrey Network”. It is a joint venture with the Discovery channel and will offer round-the-clock lifestyle programs.

Oprah’s philanthropic work includes the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls that opened in South Africa in 2007. There has been controversy about the decision of giving her an honorary Oscar. Newspapers as Los Angeles Times even call the decision a “boneheaded move.”

Despite every attack, Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defended their decision saying that Oprah is always ready to give what she has and fight against any injustice.

“Oprah has given and given and given,” he said. “This is not about personality. This is about a person who has come from the depths, risen to the heights and given back.”James Earl Jones has always been known for his appearance in more than 50 films such Field of Dreams, Patriot Games and The Hunt for Red October.

He also gave the voice to the devil Darth Vader in the Stars Wars film and was nominated in 1971 for The Great White Hope.

His co-star Smith is known in the cinema industry as “the godfather of make-up”. Smith won an Oscar in 1984 for his work on Amadeus. He also was in the cast of The Exorcist, Taxi Driver and the Deer Hunter.

According to BBC News, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said their awards were given to individuals for “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

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