CLASSIC IMAGE: THE STH EMERGE...

Filmed against Blue screen at LEAVESDEN, Ray Park makes his first crowd pleasing appearance as the fearless assassin Darth Maul, albeit via hologram, for EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE.

REMEMBERING "THE TUNES" VADER ADVERT...

Stephen Calcutt as Vader in the classic nineties advert for TUNES cough lozenges.

One of the best STAR WARS related commercials I've seen on British television was from the late nineties when the cough sweet manufacturer TUNES, deciding that Darth Vader needed some throat lozenges, brilliantly recreated the Motti strangling scenes from the original STAR WARS (right down to the sets and costumed extras), though with a more friendly advice giving Imperial officer going just a little bit too far...

Here's the advert: Star Wars Tunes Advert - YouTube

A terrific recreation of the DEATH STAR briefing room set.

British Classic STAR WARS TRILOGY stand-in/background actor Stephen Calcutt (doubling on set for Peter Mayhew and Dave Prowse) played Vader in the commercial and was very proud of his work in the costume. He recalled to AFICIONADO contributor Ian Trussler a few months back, during a UK convention, that he got paid more money for that one advert than he ever got working on all the original three films combined!

For more on this commercial and some of Vader's greatest film and non-film moments in multi-media, check out the picture/info packed feature here: DARTH VADER LIVES!!

Another Imperial bites the dust!

OF SUBMERSIBLES, SLAVERS AND SITH LORDS! "THE CLONE WARS" SEASON FOUR

Towards his destiny...Anakin Skywalker in Season Four of THE CLONE WARS.

A new extended trailer for Season Four of THE CLONE WARS debuted today and it was fabulous -
The Clone Wars Season 4 "Battle Lines" Trailer - YouTube - full of incredible imagery and action/adventure. Plus more of the baddies we want to see (alongside lots more new ones), and not necessarily fighting against the Republic, more Obi-Wan, more Mon Calamari, more new worlds and creatures, and, most importantly, a lot to come on the Dark Side of the Force and its relationship to Anakin Skywalker, as we finally get to see his anger come out of its bottle regarding slavers-perhaps one more scheme pre-EPISODE III designed by Darth Sidious to get Anakin closer to the Sith.

We'll find out more from September 16th in the US, and probably October in the UK.

Here's some more great images from the trailer...

Sidious launches a new scheme of terror alongside Count Dooku.

New look Clone Troopers in action.

New laser whip wielding baddies for the Jedi to deal with... 

Ahsoka and Artoo-always ready to help!

More great space vistas.

Ventress and the Nightsisters fight back.

More explosive action for the Clone Troopers.

Ahsoka mans the speeder bike turret! Dig those glasses once more!

Always the best man to have on your side: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Jedi mission: liberate the Togrutan slaves.

Fight! Grievous versus Ventress!

Time for another Anakin/Ahsoka explosion!

Those Death Watch warriors rear their heads once again.

A world under siege from the Death Watch.

CLASSIC IMAGE: UNFORGETTABLE VILLAINY

Wearing, in my opinion, the best costume and helmet, from the original STAR WARS, the menacing, lightsaber holding dark vision that is Darth Vader (presumably inhabited by US Don Post employee/ Vader stand-in Kermit Eller?) poses for a promotional image for the LUCASFILM/FOX publicity machine, sometime during 1977-1978.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DUEL AGAINST DARKNESS!

The Sith threat to the Galaxy now confirmed and out in the open, fearless and brave Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, though cut off from his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, continues to take the fight to the savage creature, deep within the bowels of the power complex of the City of Theed. But Darth Maul will soon prove a force with the Dark Side too powerful for even this noble hero to contain, in this terrific action sequence from EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE which we can't wait to see in 3-D...

THE "MENACE" RETURNS...

"At last we will have revenge..."

"Always two there are. A master and an apprentice."

The premiere film of the Prequel Trilogy, released in 1999, which gave the world Darth Maul and his double lightsaber, Pod racing, the noble Qui-Gon Jinn, young Anakin Skywalker, the heroic Queen Amidala and, whether you like it or not, comedy star Jar Jar Binks, returns to the UK TV screens in HD on ITV 1 this today pm (hopefully seeing in one film each weekend, presumably being shown before their viewing rights expire with the upcoming Blu-rays). Sadly, TPM probably won't be presented by them in full widescreen, instead pan and scan (being a commercial channel ITV are afraid to lose their general audience with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen!), but what ratio we do eventually see will surely look pretty darned good!

How about a look back at this classic trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dWA9DwDQpM