Dorking out about Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Yeah, so, we went on and on about “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” on Dorking Out with Chris & Sonia.

In episode 79, we review “The Last Jedi” with Raymond Scott Daigle, who used to work for Lucasfilm. I really loved the movie, even though I thought it was a little too long. I sing the praises of Mark Hamill, and mourn the loss of Carrie Fisher. Also, I think the Porgs are adorable, and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

In episode 80, Scott sticks around for a State Of The Star Wars Galaxy discussion, in which we chat about all the upcoming “Star Wars” projects, including the Han Solo movie and “Star Wars: Episode 9.” Plus, Scott tries to convince us to watch “The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels.”

In episode 81, we talk about “Star Wars” stories we’d like to see. A Star Wars horror movie? A Star Wars romantic comedy? Why not? The podcast goes off the rails because, ummm, someone didn’t do their homework.

And finally, if you’re sick of “Star Wars” (whaaaaaaat?!), you might enjoy episode 82, our podcast in which we share some underappreciated family movies. It was a perfect opportunity for me to talk about “A Town Called Panic.”

Dorking Out Episode 13: Bridget Jones’s Baby, The Prequels Strike Back and The Emmy Awards

Yeah, so, I love any reason to talk about my love of the first “Bridget Jones” movie. It’s one of my favorite romantic comedies of all time. It might be one of my favorite movies of all time. Well, at least top 20. So I am pretty excited about this week’s episode of Dorking Out, in which Smith and I review “Bridget Jones’s Baby.”

We also review the documentary “The Prequels Strike Back: A Fan’s Journey,” which theorizes that the “Star Wars” prequels are better than we think. It’s a really interesting documentary, and it leads to a fun discussion about our relationships with the prequels.

If you want to read about what I think about all the “Star Wars” movies, I rewatched them all last summer and wrote them. Here are the links: “Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return Of The Jedi.”

We chat about Sunday night’s Emmy Awards, too. In this era, when there are a million great shows, how do you honor every TV show that deserves it?

If you listen to the show, I’d love to hear what you think. You can comment here, or on our website or Facebook page.

Dorking Out Episode 12: The Star Wars Prequels Strike Back

Yeah, so, in this week’s episode of Dorking Out, Smith and I talk to the men behind the new documentary “The Prequels Strike Back.”

It’s a really interesting discussion about the “Star Wars” prequels. While original “Star Wars” trilogy fans downright hate the prequels, to a younger generation the prequels are awesome. Have we all been too hard on the prequels? Are they better than we think? Listen and find out.

If you want to read about what I think about all the “Star Wars” movies, I rewatched them all last summer and wrote them. Here are the links: “Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return Of The Jedi.”

Smith and I also review the movie “Sully,” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Clint Eastwood. How do you build suspense when everyone already knows that the story has a happy ending? We chat a bit of the career of Clint Eastwood as well.

You can listen to it on our website, or you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Dorking Out Episode 11: Let’s talk about Fall TV shows

Yeah, so, I love to talk about TV, so this week’s Dorking Out is pretty fun for me. Well, they’re all fun for me, but this one is extra fun, because TV!

Smith, Master P and I share the new fall TV shows that we are most excited about. While Smith and Peter picked all things “Star Trek” and Marvel, my picks were less, umm, genre-related, I guess. I went with “Gilmore Girls,” “The Good Place” and “Pitch,” a one drama about a female pitcher playing in Major League Baseball. I think those picks makes me a bigger dork that Smith and Peter put together.

In our second segment, Smith and I talk about the first year of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show,” which turns into a fun discussion about the current late-night TV landscape. Who are we watching, and who are we not watching? Listen to find out.

You can listen to our podcast on DorkingOutShow.com, or you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and YouTube. For links to all the headlines we discussed, sign up for our newsletter.

The Podcast Awakens: The Sonia Show vs. The Pop Show

Yeah, so, I saw the new “Star Wars” movie “The Force Awakens” on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday night I sat down and recorded a podcast with some fellow nerds to discuss our thoughts and feelings about it.

I’m sure my tens of readers are dying to know what I thought about it. Well, now you can hear what I thought instead of reading about it like a bunch of suckers. One of my oldest friends, Anthony C. Ferrente, director of the “Sharknado” movies, invited me to on his podcast, The Pop Show. This is my first podcast that I didn’t record drunk with my husband.

We immediately dive into spoilers so if you don’t want the movie ruined for you, then maybe hold off listening until after you’ve seen it. Then after you’ve seen, don’t talk to anyone else and immediately listen to us talk about it.

You can listen to it riiiight here, or click the image below to listen in iTunes. I am pretty excited to listen to it myself. I’m sure I say all kinds of assy shit, and sadly I won’t be able to blame it on alcohol. Dang.

 

 

Revisiting Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Yeah, so, it’s time to finish this.

Throughout my chemotherapy recovery I’ve been revisiting all the “Star Wars” movies. You can read my random thoughts about “Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “Star Wars” and “The Empire Strikes Back.” Now, with chemo almost finished (yay!), it’s time to wrap up my little project with “Return of the Jedi.”

I first saw “Return of the Jedi” when I was 12. I loved it, because I was 12. I thought the ewoks were adorable. Years later, I watched “Return of the Jedi” again, and my feelings changed a bit. I thought the ewoks were kinda annoying, and I didn’t like the lame way they killed off Boba Fett. It’s definitely a flawed movie, but it’s still very entertaining. It is my least favorite of the original three movies, but my esteem for it grew after being so disappointed by the prequels.

I haven’t watched the “Return of the Jedi” Special Edition since I saw it in the theater, but I remember really not liking the added effects and scenes. They were distracting and unnecessary. And, like everyone else, I really hate that George Lucas added Hayden Christensen’s ghost at the end, but more on that later.

Let’s get started. Here’s my random thoughts while watching “Return of the Jedi.”

• Here’s my impression of me walking into Jabba’s Palace: “Oh, there’s live music tonight.” *leaves Jabba’s Palace*
• The added musical number in Jabba’s Palace is complete garbage. I think we can all agree on that. It’s really terrible. I would say I hate it as much as “Han shot first” from “Star Wars,” but at least this additional scene doesn’t alter anyone’s character arc. However, it’s just awful.
• The gang’s plan to rescue Han has a lot of holes in it. What if Jabba just dropped Chewbacca down into that hole to fight the creature instead of putting him in a cage? What if R2D2 wasn’t placed on the barge? What if they just scrapped him? I guess Luke’s light saber would have been scrapped, too? What if Leia was able to walk right out of Jabba’s Palace after freeing Han from the carbonite? Would they then have to come up with a new plan to save Chewbacca and the droids?

• Yes, I own a Slave Leia costume. It’s none of your business if I have worn it for my husband.
• The added effects to the Sarlacc Pit are ridiculous. Is that Audrey 2 from “Little Shop of Horrors”?

• I was so sad when Yoda died. I’m not made of stone, people.
• Yoda and Obi Wan really could have helped Luke out by telling him the truth from the beginning. “Hey, Darth Vader is your father, and Leia is your sister, so stop making out with her.”
• “Keep your distance, but don’t look like you’re keeping your distance. [Chewbacca roars] I don’t know. Fly casual.” LOL.
• The speeder bike race is still awesome and exciting.
• Why does Leia change clothes in the Ewok village? Was she just planning on living there? “Oh well. I got separated from my team. I guess this is my new life now.”
• “Great, Chewy. Always thinking with your stomach.” Umm, that’s the first time I’ve seen Chewbacca think with his stomach, so I think “always” is overstating it just a bit.
• “Hey! Point that thing someplace else.” That’s what she said.
• Ain’t no party like an ewok party, because at an ewok party, we will maybe eat your friends.
• I kinda love the scene in which C3PO recounts their adventures to the ewoks.
• When Leia is sharing her memories of her mother with Luke, who is she remembering? We know that her mother died in childbirth (thank you, not-good prequels). Her adopted mother, perhaps?
• The first meeting between the Emperor and Luke: The Emperor is so confident. I guess going to the Dark Side makes you a real asshole, huh?

• It’s a trap!

• I don’t like it when ewoks die. It bums me out. I realize that countless pilots and soldiers have been killed throughout these movies, and entire planet destroyed, but ewoks are so cute and fuzzy. I’m not a monster, you guys.
• Chewbacca doing the Tarzan jungle call while swinging with ewoks on to an Imperial walker is stupid as hell. Is Tarzan a thing a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?
• The added “NOOOOOOO” as Darth Vader destroys the Emperor is laughably unnecessary. This is another one of those added things that George Lucas thinks we need to tie all the movies together. We don’t.

• Throughout the movie, Han Solo has no idea that Darth Vader is his girlfriend’s father. Just saying.
• I’m fine with the added scenes of everyone celebrating the end of the Empire throughout the galaxy. However, I don’t dig the weird spa-like, new agey music over the “yub yub” song from the original “Return of the Jedi.”
• And, why is Anakin’s ghost the young Anakin again? Obi Wan is old. Yoda is old. Shouldn’t Anakin be old? I mean, he was old when he died, so that makes sense. Does Lucas think we’re idiots and we don’t get the connection unless he adds the young star of his prequels? We get it, asshole. We got it the first time back in 1983.

And that’s the end. Thanks, you guys, for revisiting all the “Star Wars” movies with me. I hope you have as much fun reading all my random crap as I did writing it. May The Force be with you.

Revisiting Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Yeah, so, “The Empire Strikes Back” is one of my all-time favorite movies.

Why? Because Han Solo that’s why.

Also, it’s exciting, fun, dramatic and romantic. It’s the best “Star Wars” movie. I’m not sure I can even write about it in a thoughtful way. I just love it. I don’t need to explain it. GAWD!

I remember seeing it in the theater in 1980 and thinking Han Solo was the dreamiest man ever. I was 9 years old, and he was my first real celebrity crush. I liked him in “Star Wars,” but I LOVED him in “The Empire Strikes Back.” I wanted a scruffy-looking nerf herder of my own, even if I didn’t really know what that meant.

Like all kids my age, I was obsessed with “Star Wars” at the time. We had HBO (or maybe Showtime, I can’t remember exactly), and it aired “Star Wars” every day, multiple times a day. I had the movie memorized. I had the toys. I couldn’t wait to see “The Empire Strikes Back,” and it didn’t disappoint. I thought it was amazing.

So anyway, here’s my random thoughts while watching “The Empire Strikes Back” this time around.

• Han: “Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?” Leia: “I’d just as soon kiss a wookie.” Han: “I can arrange that. You could use a good kiss.” I think we can all agree that kiss = fuck, right?
• Random guy: “Sir, your tauntaun will freeze before you hit the first marker.” Han: “Then I’ll see you in hell.” RUDE! That’s not a nice way to respond to some rando that’s just trying to help you find Luke.
• “Why, you , stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder.” OH SNAP! Sick burn, Leia.

• Leia kisses Luke. Eww. I’ve made some bad romantic decisions in my day, but at least I never made out with my brother to make another guy jealous. George Lucas knew that Luke and Leia were brother and sister all along, right? I’m a little surprised that the movie would have them kiss or have any romantic tension between them at all considering where it was headed.
• The battle on the ice planet (the sixth planet in the Hoth system) is still awesome. The introduction of the AT-ATs is so cool.
• “I feel like I could take on the entire Empire by myself.” Oh, Dak. You might as well have talked about how you only had two days to retirement and you were going to sail around on your boat “Live-4-Eva.”
• Yoda the puppet > Yoda the digital effect
• “You like me because I’m a scoundrel.” He is not wrong. Am I right, ladies?

• Yoda sends Luke into the spooky cave that is strong with the dark side. I think we all have a cave that is strong with the dark side, and in it we can explore and work out our daddy issues. Wow. That sounded dirtier than I intended. I don’t want you guys thinking about my cave. Stop thinking about my cave, you guys!
• Working for Darth Vader would be the worst. If you make a mistake he uses The Force to choke you out. I would settle for a bad performance review, but I assume the Empire doesn’t have a HR department.
• Han Solo is always translating for Chewbacca. Doesn’t anyone a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away want to learn a new language? If a wookie is going to be hanging out with you all the time maybe you try to learn a few key phrases. Or better yet, maybe Chewbacca needs to try Rosetta Stone or something.
• Yoda: “Size matters not.” Luke: “That’s what she said.”

• Damn, Lando is smooth. They should have known that they couldn’t trust him, though. The guy wears a cape. I wouldn’t trust a man who wears a cape (other than a superhero, of course).
• Boba Fett is so cool in this movie that they rewarded him with an unfortunate origin story in the prequels.
• When Lando opens the door and Darth Vader is sitting at the table, I was absolutely terrified the first time I saw this movie. I was so scared of Darth Vader. Now I imagine the awkward meal they shared.
• Once again, Darth Vader is standing right next to Leia and he doesn’t seem to realize that she is his daughter. WTF! He knows that Luke is his son, and he knows that Padme had twins. Does Darth Vader’s Force not acknowledge women? Sexist!

• “I know.” [swoons]
• I cried in the theater when they froze Han. I cried really hard.
• Funny story: When I first saw “The Empire Strikes Back” and Darth Vader tells Luke that he is his father, I thought he was lying. I totally didn’t believe it. People would say, “I can’t believe Darth Vader is Luke’s father,” and I would say, “That’s because he isn’t Luke’s father. He’s lying. He’s a bad guy, and bad guys lie. He is trying to trick Luke.” I truly believed this, even though Luke searched his feelings and knew it to be true. It wasn’t until my repeated viewings of “Empire” on cable that I searched my feelings and knew it to be true, so I was on board by the time “Return of the Jedi” came out in theaters.

• Why is Lando dressed like Han Solo at the end of the movie? Does flying the Millennium Falcon require a uniform?

• The Empire Strikes Back” is the first movie I saw as a kid in which the good guys didn’t win at the end. With Han Solo still frozen in carbonite and on his way to Jabba the Hutt, I couldn’t believe it when the movie was over. “BUT WHAT ABOUT HAN?” The fact that the movie was over with unresolved stories seemed unfathomable to me, but it’s part of what made me love it even more than “Star Wars.”

I’ve got one more “Star Wars” movie to go! You can read my random thoughts about “Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith” and “Star Wars.” I will get to “Return of the Jedi” very soon.

The Empire Drinks Cabernet Sauvignon

Yeah, so, good buddy Kate invited me as her 1+ to a fancy Halloween party at a winery. Why did Kate invite me and not someone who is awesome and super fun? Because it was a “Star Wars”-themed Halloween party, and everyone knows that I love “Star Wars.” On our first date I out geeked mighty, mighty good man David by telling him I went to the “One Man Star Wars Trilogy” … twice.

As you can see from this blog’s masthead, I already own a Princess Leia costume, but I realized that a lot of the women at the party would be dressed as Princess Leia. Sadly, when it comes to “Star Wars” there’s slim pickins in the universe for the ladies. Kate and I bought some really cute “Star Wars” dresses on ThinkGeek.com. (There were a lot of Princess Leias at the party, but also a lot of female stormtroopers, jedis and fighter pilots. Nicely done, ladies.)

It was such an amazing party. It’s a lovely winery. We met some really cool people. There were “Star Wars”-themed cocktails. They had a room for dancing that was decorated to look like outerspace with a huge X-Wing fighter overhead. There was Jabba the Hutt and a Han Solo frozen in carbonite. The wine was delicious, and the food was so tasty. We had caviar and sipped soup from a teeny tiny bowl. We felt so fancy. We had a really great time.

So, it really bummed me out that there was a man in blackface at the party.

Blackface isn’t OK. It’s never OK. I couldn’t comprehend that someone who was at the same party I was at thought blackface was a great idea.

He was dressed as Lando. Dude, just be Lando. You don’t need the blackface. I saw an Asian Lando. It’s all good. I saw a black woman dressed as Princess Leia. You don’t need to blackface to dress up in a Halloween costume.

I told Kate that the answer to the question “Should I wear blackface?” is always no, and she made a really great flow chart for this blog post.

Not only was there a man at the party in blackface, but everyone seemed fine with it. They thought it was hilarious. Everyone posed for photos with him. I assume none of them are planning a run for public office, because that shit will come back to haunt them. Now, all the photos from the party are up on the company’s Facebook page, and people are commenting, “LOL!”

Ugh. Really? It’s depressing and so disappointing.

Kate and I were not fine with it. We found it really disturbing, and we tried to stay as far away from that jackass as we could. Later in the evening, Kate and I went outside to get some air. We were sitting on some steps outside, and I’m not going to lie, we were talking some shit about that guy, because – come on – blackface. Seriously. WTF?! Then he walked by us and he said, “Ohhh, I’m going to bale some cotton.” He really did say that. I’m not making that up. We just sat there with our mouths wide open in utter disbelief. He clearly heard us, and he wanted us to know he heard us. I guess he thinks he’s not racist, but was acting racist for us, because he thinks we’re the assholes. Yes. We’re the assholes. The dude in blackface is a swell guy, and the two ladies who are offended are the assholes. Riiight.

There was also a creepy “last call” vibe at the end of the party with some desperate dudes making some Hail Mary passes, including a man who tried to follow me into a bathroom, but I closed the door in his face. We had a five-minute conversation earlier in the evening, and there was nothing in that conversation remotely suggesting that following me into the bathroom was something I was interested in. Umm, no.

So, when you remove the blackface and the bathroom creeper, it was still a really great party. We drank a lot of really great wine at the party. How much wine did we drink? Enough wine that when we got back to our hotel we were disappointed that the nearby Applebee’s was closed. That’s right. We were so drunk that we wanted to eat at Applebee’s. Ewwwww.

Big super thanks to Kate for inviting someone who usually goes to bed by 10:30 p.m. even on Saturday nights to be her +1.

 

 

Star Wars Day

Yeah, so, every season the San Francisco Giants have “Star Wars Day” at the ballpark.

Obviously, I go to this game. I mean, I kinda have to, right? The main things I’m geeky about are “Star Wars” and the San Francisco Giants. This is my day.

This year was a crazy good giveaway: an R2-D2 beanie. They were giving them out to the first 10,000 fans, and I needed to make sure I was one of the 10,000. So, my mom, because she is the nicest lady in the world, hopped on BART and was at our house a little after 10 a.m., so that mighty, mighty good man David and I could get to the ballpark early.

We were at the ballpark about 90 minutes before the game started, because we are dorks. We weren’t the only dorks, though. There were A LOT of people in line before us. Still, I am happy to report that we got our beanies. David is giving his to our son, because David is a grownup, whereas I’m a selfish dick dork.

R2-D2 beanie achievement unlocked!

David and I didn’t dress up in “Star Wars” costumes; however, we did wear our “Star Wars” T-shirts. We even dressed up The Kid in a “Star Wars” shirt, even though he wasn’t going to the game.

Using The Force to play Endless Alphabet.

We saw a lot of folks in costumes at the ballpark. One of the things that kinda bums me out about “Star Wars” is — for ladies — there’s pretty much only Princess Leia (or Queen Amidala if you are into those lame prequels that I have had Eternal Sunshine-d from my mind.) I was glad to see a few ladies dressed as R2-D2 and some random jedi knights. I hope we get a little more variety in the new “Star Wars” sequels. There must be more than one or two women in a galaxy far, far away.

So anyway, we saw a lot of costumes. I felt particularly bad for the people that dressed up as ewoks or Chewbecca, because — in a San Francisco rarity — it was actually warm that day. Seriously, we left the house without sweatshirts, you guys! We saw a few people wearing the full-on Darth Vader costume, and I kept thinking, “They must be sweating like crazy in that costume, and it must smell terrible in there.”

An amazing view of AT&T Park … and my Star Wars shoes.

Sadly, this was the only Giants game we have been to this season. It’s shameful, really. We are going to an A’s game on Saturday, and I’m hoping we can squeeze in another Giants game before the regular season is over. Obviously, the Giants will make to the playoffs, but playoff and World Series tickets are really expensive.

David and I at the 2010 World Series.

Toddler Bowl

Yeah, so, even though I’m not into football, we decided to have some folks over for the Super Bowl. We titled it Toddler Bowl.

Our good buddies Jeff, Jess and their son Henry came over, and the kids ran wild while we stuffed our faces with a cheese football (made by Jess), drank beer and talked over the game that mighty, mighty good man David actually was trying to watch. Sass and Beegs attended as well, because apparently they want to build up their toddler tolerance, and because there was a cheese football.

Cheese football, you guys!

While David wore his Seahawks gear, because he actually likes the Seahawks, Jess and I opted to wear our quidditch gear. And if you don’t know what quidditch is, then I feel sorry for you! Also, I’ll meet you at the bike racks later, and you can take my lunch money.

Stupefy! Harry Potter-themed selfies!

I didn’t watch much of the game, because football is no baseball, but I did watch the halftime show because I’m an American. I thought Bruno Mars was awesome. I’ve heard his songs on the radio, and I knew he was popular. Now that I’ve seen him perform, I get it. I see why he is a thing.

Our halftime show for the Toddler Bowl was Calvin and Henry dancing while they watched Bruno Mars dance. It was probably the cutest thing ever. It was so cute that I didn’t think to capture it on video. I was enjoying the moment! You guys, I was enjoying it so much that I forgot to capture it on social media, which means it basically didn’t happen, right? Oh well. You’ll just have to take my word for it.