Now that the Skywalker story arc has come to an end, culminating in nine films over 40+ years, it makes sense that a full box set (causing Star Wars fans like me to drool), would emerge. Packaged in several different ways, the full saga comes in HD, Blu-Ray and 4KUltra/digital formats, with each of the physical disc sets housed in a decorative box. Nevertheless, the HD box set (not currently available in the US that I could find beyond eBay and Amazon.UK) contains only the feature length films (9 discs), whereas the Blu-Ray box set includes the films and the Bonus Material discs (18 discs). Neither include the digital format that’s automatic with the 4K box set. Additionally, in the digital version of The Rise of Skywalker (TROS) Bonus Material, there is an interview with the legendary composer John Williams not found elsewhere. Therefore, looking at each version individually, then compiling them, leads to the granddaddy of them all – the Best Buy exclusive I ultimately settled on. Sold as a Collector’s Edition featuring the Blu-Ray and 4K/digital formats plus the Bonus Material (27 discs!!), I immediately strained my budget to pick up this beautiful set. So, just over $270.00 later (includes tax), let’s take a look at what I got…
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Features (Slide Show Below):
Similar to the other box sets, the Limited Edition outer shell is donned with the infamous Death Star. However, of great note, this box, when compared to the others, is a completely different shape and considerably nicer. It slides open from the center like a solid set of black movie curtains to reveal a chrome looking hard cover book. Also unique to this set, it features the iconic name/symbol “Star Wars” emblazoned on the cover. A small sheet of paper with directions and the digital codes lies just inside the box. Opening the book’s cover, you see the beloved stars in space image and “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far way.…” shown to the left, followed by the same name/symbol “Star Wars,” this time in its traditional yellow, on the right – sparking feelings of love, imagination and youth. Inside, with each turn of the very thick pages, all of the nine films are individually featured through beautiful end to end full-color concept art while the Blu-Ray and 4K discs are each tucked into their own slots. Once you’ve flipped through the films, the final pages housing the Bonus Material, include black and white set photos from all the films depicting two films per turn with TROS receiving its own full section at the back. The book ends with the stars in space, this time with no words or images and the back of the book simply sports the iconic LucasFilmLTD symbol we’ve all come to know and love. Finally, as with all the box sets, there is a lovey kind of hard card, semitransparent letter penned by none other than Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. It also has “Star Wars” watermarks. A nice touch to say the least! So, now that we know what the Limited Edition piece looks like, let’s take a look at the pros and cons shall we?

Pros and Cons:
First, let’s discuss price. Rounding to $272.00 with tax, including the Bonus Material, this basically makes every disc just over $10.00 each. For me, that’s a pretty decent price since the more basic 18 disc Blu-Ray collection is approximately $146.00 before taxes. Additionally, buying the individual discs, all now available in a Blu-Ray and 4K/digital combination, would be approximately $30.00 a piece before tax. So overall, you’re getting all three formats for about the same price wrapped in a special edition box and book. Therefore, it’s definitely worth pointing out that having all the latest formats at your fingertips in one set is pretty nice. Particularly since this is the only box set to contain all nine films in the 4K format.

Further, the digital format of the films are also in 4K which is a nice feature that I didn’t expect at all. The Bonus Material, on both the discs and digitally, is Blu-Ray. The drawbacks? Well, as noted above, all nine films are now individually available for purchase in 4K which makes this a considerably less “special feature” in the box set. It’s also important to note that these discs can be rather difficult to remove from the book which wouldn’t be the case with the individual discs. I recommend using clean hands and gently lifting the disc from the bottom with just a couple fingers then gripping it between your fingers and palm while sliding it straight out. Gloves will also better protect each disc reducing fingerprints and overall wear and tear. Thankfully, the book pages are fairly sturdy. Still, they, and the discs, unquestionably require special attention as not to damage them through manipulation.  

Next, as already described, along with the book inside, one of the biggest pros is the outer box. Yet, though thick and beautiful, the box is somewhat delicate and easy to damage. In fact, I received mine via mail after an online purchase from Best Buy and it was dented in three places – damaged during shipping. Thankfully I was able to exchange it. Additionally, the black paper covering the box is quite soft and easily shows fingerprints after handling. I also envision that any scratches will most certainly stand out on its jet black surface. Basically, this box seems to be designed for display rather than use. Of course, all this is fine, since I likely will not go in and out of it too often. But for those that want the full box set to access all the discs on a regular basis, they may not like this at all. Looking closer at the book itself, its cover is quite sturdy and very aesthetically pleasing. Though it should be noted that the material feels somewhat similar to the outer box and could potentially be just as delicate overall. Simply put. Dropping either one a solid surface at an angle is sure to dent and/or scratch them.

Inside the book, the conceptual artwork is absolutely stunning and the set photos conjure nostalgia and wonder. Yet, from the best of my memory, I’m quite sure that none of the artwork or set photos are new. I believe I’ve seen every one of them, including from the newer films, somewhere before. Whether it be photos in an article or video, on social media, or even from previous VHS or DVD versions, I’m certain all of these details have been released at one time or another. And save for TROS, the same goes for the Bonus Material. Though completely fun to watch and pour over, especially in one set, I am again, pretty sure I’ve seen all the footage before. Furthermore, it stands to reason that if ANY of the footage beyond TROS was new, Disney would most certainly have advertised it this way, right?? In fact, I haven’t done this for all the discs, but when comparing The Phantom Menace Bonus Material to that of the individual DVD from many years ago, the older DVD not only contained virtually all of the box set material, it also contains a little bit more than the newer disc. Seriously?!? This is definitely one the biggest cons of the entire box set. The other negative that’s quite noticeable is the fact there’s no menu/guide to be found anywhere which would be particularly helpful for the Bonus Material discs. This means that you actually have to pop in the disc to know what’s on it. A simple small book wouldn’t have cost that much to create and could’ve been a great way to add a few extra set photos making the menu or guide itself a collectable. It also could’ve served as a feature to market as “all new” and “unique.” Truly a missed opportunity in my opinion!!

Finally, other than TROS, all of these films as well as some of their Bonus Material, are available on Disney+ (until May 4th, when TROS debuts on Disney+). And let’s face it, any major Star Wars fan will likely have a life-long relationship with this platform… LOL!! So basically, buying any box set with or without the Bonus Material is pretty much for your own love of the genre anyway, right?

Conclusion:
Overall, purchasing this box set will ultimately add a specific and beautiful feature to any fan’s collection. However, due to the delicate outer shell and book, as well as the difficulty removing the discs, buying the individual ones might be a better way to go if you’re interested in accessing the discs on a regular basis. For the collector, like myself, this box set is right up your alley! The price is excellent for what you get and the artwork is spectacular. As noted, beyond TROS and the special letter from Mark Hamill, this box set doesn’t offer anything new in the ways of content nor does it come with any sort of menu or guide. These things, for me, are the biggest let down, but I love the box set anyway! Though honestly, I would’ve surely paid more for a little something extra from each movie – something I suspect Disney  will find a way to capitalize on down the road, No?

What about you? Did you purchase this or any of the box sets? If so, what do you think? Let me know if the comments below or reach out to me @obi_juanita on Twitter. Until next time… May the Force Be with You… Always!!

There is something to be said about social experiments that are meant to change your way of thinking; they are not good. With so many people loving to explore other people’s psyche, they should really look in the mirror and see their own. With all of the fun that people can have in making you feel like you are losing your mind, if it is not something that you want to follow through with, you will destroy more than one person’s life, you will also lose yourself. I do applaud anyone that attempts to do work with people’s minds, but I will never be one of them, since I have more going on up there that I know people will never want to know.

Ethan has been able to convince his good friend Sean to help him on his senior project for their psych class. Wanting to conduct a social experiment on his hermit neighbor, Ethan has a plan to make the old man believe that his house is haunted. With help from the smarter and wealthier Sean, the two set up a computer hub that can handle all of the video and audio feeds that they are going to set up in the old man’s house. Knowing that Harold Grainey is a man of repetition, they find the perfect time to make their way into his house and give him the ride of his life.

While setting up their surveillance equipment, Sean also sets up some tech gadgets that will help to reinforce the feeling that the house is actually haunted. With the doors of the house being left open when he is not there, the boys see that there is a lock on the basement door but cannot figure out why. Needing to make their way out of the house before Harold sees them, they are all set and ready to start the experiment of a lifetime and hopefully make their neighbor believe that there is a haunting in his house and drive him mad in the process.

Monitoring the first couple of nights with Harold, Ethan and Sean find the perfect time to start messing with him. Shutting off the power in the house, they see that Harold knows his way around, but does not seem to be afraid of what is happening around him. Needing to ramp up the scares a notch, the two activate the back door to open and close on demand. Now getting the reaction that they expected, Ethan and Sean also see that there is some crazy in Harold’s eyes. Getting an axe from the garage and chopping the door to shreds, the boys are now a little concerned with what the old man is capable of.  With a few more gags to pull, Ethan and Sean are becoming obsessed with what the old man is keeping in the basement since he has started to disappear down there for hours at a time. With their curiosity driving them, the two are able to formulate a plan on how to get someone to check it out, but when nothing is found, they come up with a new method of breaking and entering to find out once and for all what Harold has been hiding from the world.

I don’t know what I was expecting when turning this movie on, it seemed like a different premise than I am used to and it did manage to entertain for the most part. I was hoping for a little more haunting types of gags to be going on, but the ones that they pulled off were pretty cool and would have freaked out a normal person. I am not sure I liked how the story was told in three different timelines as I think even the director got a little confused since one line ruined the outcome of the movie for me. Overall however, you get pulled into the life of Harold and you get to see what he has been dealing with while not wanting to be bothered by the outside world. I do hope that if anyone is suffering from that much pain that they would try to seek and accept help from others, it not only keeps you out in the world, but you appear to be a regular person as well.

​I’ve always had the firm belief that becoming a comedian has to be one hell of a difficult venture. Because while it’s easy to make people scared, or cry for that matter as well, making people laugh and laugh hard takes a certain skill set and those that are successful at doing it, downright fascinate me. Because the finest comedians out there, seem to have a unique understanding of our world and our lives and it often compels me to learn more about the most successful ones out there to discover what makes them tick and what exactly gives them that aforementioned perspective.
 
It’s why I’ve poured over interview after interview when it comes to my favorite funny people, and while I’ve never quite figured out what gives them their unique outlook on life, it’s been a joy to see the mystique surrounding a comedian disappear and appreciate them for the people that they are, and of the many shows and documentaries I’ve watched when it comes to these masters of comedy, there’s one that I continue to pour over whenever I find it on cable or have a spare moment to pop it into my DVD player, since it does a fine job of highlighting the career of one of history’s greatest funny men, in Man on the Moon.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with this film it is a bio-pic that chronicles the life and career of one Andy Kaufman, an enigmatic comedian who enjoyed delivering a unique brand of comedy to the world and well, this is hands down one of the most fascinating and beautiful bio-pics that I’ve ever seen to be honest. In part because it portrays Andy as just a man, one who was driven to become a legend in comedy, the kind that would stand out above anyone else in his field by doing things that comedians simply don’t normally do, and in Andy’s case, it was all about creating a unique and somewhat confusing experience for the audience that came to see him.

Which means that we are in essence, privy to Andy’s obsession when it comes to drawing the audience into the moment he’s creating and there’s something supremely compelling about watching this man stop at nothing to take comedy to a new level, regardless of the cost to his career and perhaps the true beauty of this film, is that it doesn’t judge what Andy did during his illustrious time in the spotlight, it presents it in objective fashion and in many ways, the story finds a way to respect it since it did take some serious guts to draw out a joke as far as Andy did back in the day.
 
But, none of this fascination is possible without a damn fine cast and well, you’ll find that in spades here since everyone turns in an amazing performance and there are some lovely cameos from people who shared the small screen with Andy during his time on Taxi, and Danny DeVito straight up impresses with his straight arrow performance as Andy’s agent, George Shaprio. However, one man steals the show in this film and that’s Jim Carrey, who plays Andy and well, Jim’s acting chops are on full display here since he in essence becomes Andy Kaufman, portraying him with an innocent and impish glee. But the real magic of his performance is that he never once lets Andy become a caricature, Jim always keeps Andy’s humanity on display, making him supremely relatable.
 
In the end, all of these elements blend together seamlessly to create a brilliant motion picture. One that truly celebrates the life and the wonder of a brilliant comedian, and I truly appreciated the fact that it found a way to maintain some level of mystery when it comes to Andy Kaufman, and that it offered an impartial look at his life and his comedy. Because it allows for you to make your own decisions as to whether or not he was a genius or a nuisance, but regardless of what side you settle on, you definitely walk away from this movie with a level of respect for Mister Kaufman, thanks to the sheer determination that Andy exhibited over the course of his illustrious career.

There is an unspoken rule in writing, in that, every scribe out there should find a way to inject something supremely personal into whatever piece they are working on. Because having something personal present within the framework of the story adds depth, and it makes it special for the writer. But the true beauty of this part of the craft, is that few ever know exactly where those personal moments are placed, at least, not until the author fesses up. But while it is cool to know that an important slice of someone’s life has been immortalized within any particular tale, there is a careful line when it comes to this aspect of storytelling that the writer must be mindful not to cross.
 
Because if a scribe decides to add too much of themselves into a tale, it now risks transforming into something the audience might not want to watch to read. For now, a story that was designed to provide an escape or make us think, has transformed into an autobiography, and usually an awkward one at that. And everything the writer wanted to accomplish storytelling wise, is undermined by a narrative that is self-indulgent and egotistical in nature. If anything, making the story about one’s self and trying to disguise it as something fictional is the worst thing a writer can do, and sadly the worst-case scenario is precisely what came to fruition in M. Night Shyamalan’s next film, Lady in the Water.
 
Because for some strange reason, this often-controversial director, straight up injected himself into the story as a writer whose words will eventually change all of mankind for the better and well, it doesn’t get much more egotistical than that. Because it speaks to a writer that was believing his own hype at the time and it immediately removes the audience from what Shyamalan is trying to do here storytelling wise and that’s a downright shame. For this is a story that actually did have a lot of potential when all is said and done. Because you cannot go wrong with a beautiful and original fable that is designed to speak to mankind’s untapped potential.
 
But alas, that weird decision and some odd writing choices only add to the strange and sloppy nature of this film. For the fairy tale world that Shyamalan has assembled here is hastily constructed, complete with plot holes and questions about the beings that show up here and really, the ego-trip and the overall messy script, waste a talented cast. Because Paul Giamatti turns in an earnest performance here, and he’s joined by a stellar Bryce Dallas Howard and so many others. But good acting simply cannot overcome the mistakes made here with the script, and by the time we’ve reached the third act, the performances are forgotten and we’re merely waiting for this slop to come to a merciful end.
 
But what’s truly fascinating about this motion picture, is the sheer fact that it shouldn’t be this awful. Because up to this point, M. Night had proven time and time again that he was capable of writing a solid story, and while he struggled to stick the landing, there were always other elements to celebrate. Which leaves one to wonder if all the heat he took for the ending of The Village, and for relying upon twist endings too often, finally got to Mr. Shyamalan. Because this movie just feels like an incomplete idea, one that was rushed out to prove one’s worth and to strike while the iron was hot and sadly, the critical panning this film received seemingly helped to encourage further struggles from N. Night, since his next film also featured some dubious storytelling choices.