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“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” This quote from “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace” not only fits in the context of Anakin Skywalker’s doomed journey to the dark side, but also reactions from super fans of the space opera franchise when this prequel released in 1999. ‘The Phantom Menace’ introduced a whole new cast of characters and was set 32 years before ‘A New Hope,’ during an era of turmoil in the Galactic Republic. George Lucas took a massive risk by pursuing Anakin Skywalker’s story after the success of the original trilogy. Would ‘Star Wars’ survive without Harrison Ford’s devilish charm, Carrie Fisher’s spunk and Mark Hamill’s pure goodness? The short answer is yes, but the road to get there was not easy. On its face, ‘The Phantom Menace’ was a commercial triumph — it saw intensive coverage from...

Promenade, a new film from John Jencks, has begun production in Brighton this week. More on the film below.

We’re hearing rumbles that a new British film is heading our way sooner rather than later from director John Jencks. The Hippopotamus director is helming Promenade, a Brighton set whodunnit, next and the project has just started filming, we hear.

The announcement comes with an ambiguous tagline: “50 Cast, 12 Stories, 1 Plot. No Heroes.” Colour us intrigued.

Here’s a synopsis for the film: In Brighton on the South coast of England, sharpened by the sting of sea spray, and mellowed by numinous light, a tight-knit community of oddballs and heart-felts live together in a tatty old mansion, the Fletcher Apartments. When a golden feather, the priceless antique mascot of the building, unexpectedly disappears, the residents have a mystery to solve. Will they find the talisman that previously bound them together, or will their community,...

There are plenty of stories out there about actors getting injured by other actors on set. Harrison Ford was famously (accidentally) punched in the face by Ryan Gosling on the set of "Blade Runner 2049." Dolph Lundgren punched Sylvester Stallone so hard in "Rocky IV" that the latter's heart swelled. Usually, however, they aren't injured by someone who isn't going to be seen on camera. However, during the shoot for 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," Andrew Secombe, the actor who played the CG character Watto, caused a big injury for Liam Neeson, aka Qui-Gon Jinn. In fact, he nearly broke Neeson's nose, according to "Star Wars Insider" #196. 

This all happened on Secombe's very first day of shooting. Watto, of course, is the Toydarian character who owns the secondhand shop in Mos Espa and forces the enslaved Shmi Skywalker (Pernilla August) and her son Anakin (Jake Lloyd) to work as his underlings.

The "Star Wars" prequels bring up a lot of things for people. Some grew up with the original trilogy and didn't love the backstory for Darth Vader. Others saw their first "Star Wars" film with "The Phantom Menace" and fell in love with the franchise because of it. Whatever side you fall on, or even if you rest somewhere in the middle, there are a few parts of the prequels that are largely considered problematic. Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best was bullied to an insane degree, though he did return as Jedi Kelleran Beq in "The Mandalorian" season 3 to much admiration. Then there is Watto (Andrew Secombe), the Toydarian who ran a second-hand shop in Mos Espa on Tatooine, and forced the enslaved Shmi Skywalker (Pernilla August) and her son Anakin (Jake Lloyd) to work for him. 

The character has been accused of perpetuating harmful stereotypes, and while I won't go into that here,...

The most rudimentary research into the creative origins of the groundbreaking 1977 sci-fi flick "Star Wars" will reveal to the reader that creator George Lucas was inspired by "Flash Gordon" serials from the 1930s, as well as Akira Kurosawa's 1958 epic "The Hidden Fortress." Kurosawa's film famously opened with two clownish characters (Kamatari Fujiwara and Minoru Chiaki) who aimed to earn their fortune as samurai. After several misadventures, the peasants unwittingly become embroiled in a much larger plot about a missing princess (Misa Uehara), a war, and a brave protective warrior (Toshiro Mifune). "Star Wars" borrowed that film's structure, introducing audiences to its sci-fi action through the eyes (lenses?) of the robotic characters C-3Po (Anthony Daniels) and the non-humanoid R2-D2. 

C-3Po was a prissy, fastidious droid who seemed impatient with the foibles of the organic beings he lived with, and was frequently panicked and afraid. The only time...

It's worth remembering that the span of time between the release of George Lucas' 1999 film "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" and the present day is now greater than the span of time between the releases of the original "Star Wars" and the "The Phantom Menace." For many years, "Phantom Menace" was discussed -- endlessly -- as the utter nadir of "Star Wars," inspiring a level of peeved punditry the internet is still recovering from. If a general overview of online "fan reactions" were any sort of gauge by which to measure a film's popular acceptance, then there hasn't been a good "Star Wars" movie since perhaps 1980. It inspired a generation-long crisis of pop culture adherence that manifested in a million hour-long YouTube thinkpieces and even documentary films. It would take about 20 years before "Phantom Menace" was relitigated and declared to be good, actually. 

One thing that can...

Interview James Hunt 18 Jun 2013 - 07:00

James chats to directing legend Dirk Maggs about Hitchhiker's, superheroes, Neverwhere, sci-fi, and making radio sound sexy, big, and raw...

As a radio writer and director, Dirk Maggs' body of work is about as impressive as it gets. As well as being hand-selected by Douglas Adams to continue the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series, he's also responsible for this year's smash-hit adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and the Hitchiker's Live touring stage show. James managed to catch up with him for a chat about life, the universe, and everything geeky.

So last year you did the Hitchhiker's Live tour, which reunited the radio cast on stage and had people like Stephen Fry and Neil Gaiman guesting as the voice of the book. And clearly, it was a great success, because as well as releasing the live recording, you're doing another run this year,...

Watch 8 film clips from Fox Home Entertainment's Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out, now available on Blu-ray/DVD from March 26th. Being a big Lego fan (who isn't, right?), I find the characters in Star Wars extremely cute and the kids will absolutely fall in love with all 22 minutes of the short, and effective release. Guy Vasilovich directs from the writing by Michael Price, with Joshua Walker producing The Empire Strikes Out. Voice talents include Anthony Daniels, Kenneth Colley, Brian Blessed, Julian Glover, Lloyd Floyd, Matt Sloan, Ahmed Best, Lisa Fuson, John Armstrong, Andy Secombe, Tom Kane and Sam Witwer.

Watch 8 film clips from Fox Home Entertainment's Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out, now available on Blu-ray/DVD from March 26th. Being a big Lego fan (who isn't, right?), I find the characters in Star Wars extremely cute and the kids will absolutely fall in love with all 22 minutes of the short, and effective release. Guy Vasilovich directs from the writing by Michael Price, with Joshua Walker producing The Empire Strikes Out. Voice talents include Anthony Daniels, Kenneth Colley, Brian Blessed, Julian Glover, Lloyd Floyd, Matt Sloan, Ahmed Best, Lisa Fuson, John Armstrong, Andy Secombe, Tom Kane and Sam Witwer.

Four clips from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D With the nearing of the eagerly anticipated George Lucas film finding release in 3D, we invite you to check out these clips and reminisce a little. The Fox release finds theaters again on February 10th, pouring back keen fans of the franchise ready to see their favorites including Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Queen Padme Amidala), Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine), Andrew Secombe (Watto), Pernilla August (Anakin's Mother), Ray Park (Darth Maul), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Anthony Daniels (C-3Po) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2). Every Saga Has A Beginning. This epic movie takes a journey back to the earliest days of the Star Wars legend. Witness the first historic meeting between young Anakin Skywalker and Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi, the young Jedi Knight who comes to be his mentor for a time.

Four clips from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D With the nearing of the eagerly anticipated George Lucas film finding release in 3D, we invite you to check out these clips and reminisce a little. The Fox release finds theaters again on February 10th, pouring back keen fans of the franchise ready to see their favorites including Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Queen Padme Amidala), Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine), Andrew Secombe (Watto), Pernilla August (Anakin's Mother), Ray Park (Darth Maul), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Anthony Daniels (C-3Po) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2). Every Saga Has A Beginning. This epic movie takes a journey back to the earliest days of the Star Wars legend. Witness the first historic meeting between young Anakin Skywalker and Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi, the young Jedi Knight who comes to be his mentor for a time.

Four clips from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D With the nearing of the eagerly anticipated George Lucas film finding release in 3D, we invite you to check out these clips and reminisce a little. The Fox release finds theaters again on February 10th, pouring back keen fans of the franchise ready to see their favorites including Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Queen Padme Amidala), Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine), Andrew Secombe (Watto), Pernilla August (Anakin's Mother), Ray Park (Darth Maul), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Anthony Daniels (C-3Po) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2). Every Saga Has A Beginning. This epic movie takes a journey back to the earliest days of the Star Wars legend. Witness the first historic meeting between young Anakin Skywalker and Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi, the young Jedi Knight who comes to be his mentor for a time.

The Hero Complex is reporting that to go along with the special events that they have planed for AMC theaters, that all RealD3D theaters on the opening day of Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace will be handing out Darth Maul 3D glasses. The glasses, pictured above, will be available while supplies last and unlike some 3D movie glasses giveaways you will not have to break them after the movie is over. Like stated earlier this promotion is going along with the one AMC is doing in ten select AMC theaters where they are giving away Hasbro toys and 3D glasses that look like Pod Racing Goggles. Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Pernilla August, Oliver Ford Davies, Hugh Quarshie, Ahmed Best, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, Terence Stamp, Brian Blessed, Andrew Secombe, Ray Park,...

First poster for the 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace Every Saga Has A Beginning...again. Lucasfilm's upcoming 3D re-release is set to open in theaters on February 10th, 2012. This epic movie takes a journey back to the earliest days of the Star Wars legend. Witness the first historic meeting between young Anakin Skywalker and Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi, the young Jedi Knight who comes to be his mentor for a time. The film explores the beginning of the legend as the Empire begins to take shape amidst a galaxy in turmoil. The cast includes Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Queen Padme Amidala), Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine), Andrew Secombe (Watto), Pernilla August (Anakin's Mother), Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) among others.

First poster for the 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace Every Saga Has A Beginning...again. Lucasfilm's upcoming 3D re-release is set to open in theaters on February 10th, 2012. This epic movie takes a journey back to the earliest days of the Star Wars legend. Witness the first historic meeting between young Anakin Skywalker and Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi, the young Jedi Knight who comes to be his mentor for a time. The film explores the beginning of the legend as the Empire begins to take shape amidst a galaxy in turmoil. The cast includes Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Queen Padme Amidala), Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine), Andrew Secombe (Watto), Pernilla August (Anakin's Mother), Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) among others.