ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: GLAMOUROUS SPACE-FARER!

A lovely ILM composite image for ATTACK OF THE CLONES showing Senator Amidala's FLASH GORDON-esque silver chrome Naboo cruiser departing the city world of Coruscant.

CLASSIC IMAGE: COLLISION!

Racing past in their Jedi Starfighters to rescue Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin and Obi-Wan don't have time to witness the warfare going on around them-in this case an under fire Republic cruiser crashing into a Separatist ship, in this superb effects shot image seen only in the briefest of seconds during the incredible visual feast that is the opening battle of EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DEPARTING FORCES!

Here's a shot that has only been shown briefly in one of the early CLONE WARS episodes opening narration moments and was, as far as I'm aware, not fully part of an actual story itself (I reckon its an unused shot from the first CLONE WARS theatrical movie from 2008), showing Republic Warships and fighter escorts leaving Coruscant and soon going into battle.

It's a fantastic image from a great series...

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH...

Still in hiding on Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi, now aware of Padme's pregnancy by Anakin, also knows that she's hiding the truth about Darth Vader's location on Mustafar, in this nicely played scene between Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman from EPISODE III.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image. 

AFICIONADO REVIEW: KNIGHT ERRANT

Those Sith just don't give up! In the first of a new series, can new Jedi heroine Kerra Holt, deep in their territory, possibly save the day?

Check out our review here (contains possible spoilers):

http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/knight_errant_book_one.htmlhttp://www.starwarsaficionado.com/knight_errant_book_one.html

CLASSIC IMAGE: JAR JAR'S BIG ADVENTURE!

In one of the first live action scenes shot for THE PHANTOM MENACE at the UK's LEAVESDEN STUDIOS, Ahmed Best settles into his role as Gungan representative Jar Jar Binks in a corridor waiting area within Senator Palpatine's office on Coruscant. A brief sequence where Anakin (Jake Lloyd) and Jar Jar try to eavesdrop on Queen Amidala's first conversation with Palpatine about the invasion of Naboo was filmed but cut for time reasons from the finished film.

CLASSIC IMAGE: GENEVIEVE O'REILLY AS REBEL LEADER MON MOTHMA

Legendary Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma makes her first appearance in EPISODE III.

In 2003, fans were overjoyed at George Lucas's plans to integrate more classic elements from the original STAR WARS Trilogy into the final part of the STAR WARS Prequel Trilogy, further bringing in the bridge from one side of the Saga's history to the other. As well as Vader at the films finale, we were to have Chewbacca and the Wookiees, spaceship cameos from what would be one of the Rebel Blockade Runners and the Millennium Falcon. But one of the most important links in III would be the birth of the Rebel Alliance to fight the Empire, shepherded into existence by a core group of players including Bail Organa, Padme Amidala and new (later to be RETURN OF THE JEDI figurehead) Mon Mothma. Originally played in 1982 for JEDI by distinguished British actress Caroline Blakiston, this time around the younger incarnation of Mothma would be portrayed by the lovely actress Genevieve O'Reilly. I met a Miss O'Reilly a while back at a UK collectors show at Cheshunt, and she recalled how, despite the scenes being cut from the film (though later released on DVD), she greatly enjoyed working on EPISODE III, loved hers and the others costumes and seeing the aliens, and liked George Lucas. She also remembered how one scene involving the DELEGATION OF 2000 had to be shot without Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa (Smits had not yet arrived in Australia for the filming), so a double was used saying his dialogue and in costume (with the actor re-filming the scene individually and later superimposed over the long shot).

Mon Mothma, as played by the lovely Genevieve O'Reilly

Having already made a small appearance in both THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (as a Xion technician) prior to STAR WARS, Irish born, Australia raised O'Reilly would come to the UK and US and work in a variety of successful film and TV projects (including playing the late Princess Diana in DIANA: LAST DAYS OF A PRINCESS, a regular role as American Operative Sarah Caulfield in the hit BBC spy series SPOOKS (known in the US as MI5) and in the enjoyable political thriller THE STATE WITHIN (with HARRY POTTER's Jason Isaacs). Other film work would include the recent period drama THE YOUNG VICTORIA. She's also had a very good career on the London stage, working with Kevin Spacey at the Old Vic and more recently opposite young star in the making Ben Barnes (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA) in the hit play BIRDSONG (based on the acclaimed book by Sebastian Faulks), at the London COMEDY THEATRE until January 15th 2011). Below is a nice image of the pair linked to the start of the plays run, in a photo shoot taken for the London EVENING STANDARD magazine in 2010 by Nicky Emerson.

 

STAR WARS AFICIONADO wishes Genevieve continued success in all areas of her acting career.

CLASSIC IMAGE: CORUSCANT- A CITY WORLD OF WONDER!

One of the great things that the STAR WARS Prequels did so well, and what continues to make them stand out and be so pioneering in comparison to so many other modern sci-fi films and TV programmes out there, is the incredible worlds of wonder that George Lucas and his team of artists and digital/model makers would think up and create over the space of three movies. And especially so for EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH - from the volcanic and dangerous Mustafa to the lush, tropical Wookiee world of Kashyyyk, and to here, in this picture, the incredible and beautiful capital and Senate District of the sadly corrupt Republic, and the later birth place of its Imperial Empire- Coruscant- as seen in this terrific ILM image - a true testament to the films amazingly talented artists and model makers.

We look forward to seeing these incredible vistas once again on both the small screen (with pristine quality Blu-rays next year) and, even better, the big screen, and in 3D, in the hopefully not too distant future...