I might be on BBC World Service today on a program called “The World” The World Today . They’re doing a special on 30 years of Star Wars and I just spoke with a producer for the show. They’ve recorded my comments, but I’m not sure if they will use them. I was speaking quite naturally until they said “We’re recording now” at which point I became nervous and incoherent!

• To find out if you can listen where you are in the world.
• If nothing else, it will be online here tomorrow.

Of course, if they don’t use anything I said, they just gained a slightly bigger audience for the price of an international phone call.

UPDATE: My mistake, I called the show “The World” instead of “The World Today”, in case anyone is paying attention.

One of the highlights for fans at a Star Wars convention is the chance to buy unique merchandise, including an exclusive, limited-edition action figure. Because this has led to bottlenecks and long lines in the past, the Celebration IV store will be bigger than ever, self-service, well-stocked with merchandise, have plenty of check-out lanes…and be open 24 hours a day from the opening of the show on Thursday until the close on Monday!

For three months they worked on the only full-scale Millennium Falcon, the spaceship from the original Star Wars trilogy, to be built for the films.

And now Lucas changes his mind. More DVD money for them, I guess. The DVD will be available only for a limited time (=mad fan rush) between September and December this year, but the trouble is we all know it won’t be for a limited time. We’ve all been burnt before. Remember the Celebration “exclusive” toys that were later available online for all fan club members? Remember the multiple versions of multiple DVDs we’ve had.

And still, I will probably buy this set as well. I am a completionist, I run this web site, I need to have it all for reference if not for anything else. But all you regular fans, don’t buy it if you have the Special Editions. Or let’s organize a fan refund campaign- anybody who has spent more than $100 on different original trilogy versions in their lifetime gets half-off on this version!

In any case, the only cool thing to come out of this development is a Han Shoots First t-shirt; an official one. Good to know the folks at LucasFilm get the joke, and the irony. I just hope they realize the tragedy they have created as well.

The new DVDs will include the original version of the trilogy and the special edition. And yes, by original versions they seem to mean the ones that showed up in the first run in the theatres. So no Episode IV, yes Ewok celebration song and so on. Enjoy!

• Best Villain: Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
• Best Hero: Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi
• Best Fight: Obi Wan Vs. Anakin on Mustafar

While these are extremely lightweight awards, the Star Wars prequels do have some history with them. After Episode I, Lisa Kudrow went before the Jedi Council to ask for permission to host the 2000 MTV Movie Awards and that was a great sketch. Also, Yoda’s fight in the climax of Episode II won in 2003 for Best Fight and the pod race won in 2000 for the Best Action Sequence. After the Special Editions, Chewbacca was awarded with a lifetime achievement award by Carrie Fisher.

The awards will tape on the 3rd of June and will air on the 8th of June on MTV. You can vote here to make sure Obi and Ani take home their prizes.

Duel of the Fates: Sanskrit Lyrics

Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah

Korah Rahtamah Yoodhah Korah

Korah Syahdho Rahtahmah Daanyah

Korah Keelah Daanyah

Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah

Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah

Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah

Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah

Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah

Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah

Korah

Korah Matah Korah Rahtahmah

Korah Daanyah Korah Rahtahmah

Nyohah Keelah Korah Rahtahmah

Syadho Keelah Korah Rahtahmah

Korah

Source : The Sheet Music for Duel of the Fates

What does it mean?
According to John Williams in his interview to the Star Wars Insider, the inspiration for the theme of DOTF was an old Celtic poem called ‘CAD GODDEU - The Battle of the Trees’. From the nine words used in the Sanskrit version it is evident that the entire poem has not been translated. The actual poem spans many pages. But a little knowledge of Sanskrit allows me to make the speculation that a general meaning might be ‘All the dread is mainly in the head’. This, to a certain extent, matches a line of the original poem, which says "Under the tongue root a fight most dread, and another raging, behind, in the head." Make what you want of it.

This story was originally sent to TheForce.net by DevanJedi of GalaxyFarAway.com

Newspaper clippings

In Gujarati

Ahmedabad Newspapers

Bombay paper

Suddenly, ObiWan’s half the man he used to be,
And his shadow’s hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Why he had to go I don’t know he wouldn’t say. (“Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can imagine?”)
I kept whining along, now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday, the practice droid was such an easy game to play.
Now losing limbs is here to stay…
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

From the Lines
Hi! I (DevanJedi) just saw it in Hindi; and I must say, the dubbing was done well. I knew every line in English, so could tell the difference. It was well done; but for a bit of a heavy dose of  Hindi! Another problem was that the ‘profecy of the chosen one’ was reffered to as ’ chosen by God’! God? In Star Wars?

The voices were well done; Jar Jar sounded like himself, as did Watto, Boss Nass, and the Neimoidians. It was cool; and I’ll be off to see it again soon!

Pictures from the last country on earth to see TPM!

Thats me! DevanJedi of GalaxyFarAway.com reporting from Baroda, India!

Timings at Rajshree Cinema, Baroda, India!

Everybody’s been waiting for the 22nd of October


Half an hour before the first show; no one slept over from the night before to get tickets here!


The Hindi Poster!


More people just before the show started!