The Force Trainer II: Hologram Experience

** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

My kids explored what it is like to be a Jedi on May the Fourth as we had some Star Wars Day fun with Uncle Milton's THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience. Who hasn't watched a Star Wars movie and dreamed of being able to move physical objects through the power of concentration? Utilizing a tablet, special Bluetooth headset, and a holographic display, The Force Trainer from Uncle Milton provides users the feeling of using the Force by allowing you to move holograms with the power of your mind. The Force Trainer II creates holographic images that are impressive to observe then enhances the fun to another level of awesomeness by allowing these holograms to be controlled through the power of your mind mimicking a Jedi's use of the force. This really is impressive, most impressive!

These holograms are created by downloading a free app that works with most current iPads (iPad 2 and newer)and Android tablets (Samsung Tablet 10.1 recommended)onto a device which is placed on top of an included theatrical display and projects images upon special panels to create a three dimensional illusion. My kids were really delighted by these holograms with my daughter yelling out in excitement when she saw her first image "it looks just like the pictures R2-D2 shows in Star Wars!"

While simply viewing these holograms is thrilling in itself, amazingly The Force Trainer also allows you to move them with your mind. Instructions from Master Yoda will guide you through a variety of Jedi Challenges ranging from constructing a light saber to knocking down battle droids. Both my son and daughter agreed that their favorite challenge was recreating the scene from Empire Strikes Back where you raise an X-wing space ship out of a Dagobah swamp.

The Force Trainer harnesses the power of your mind through the included headset which uses advanced dry neural sensor technology that monitors your brainwaves. As people concentrate they generate Beta brainwaves. The headset can detect these Beta brainwaves and send a measurement of their intensity via Bluetooth to the tablet which controls the holograms movement based upon your level of concentration. The higher the level of concentration the quicker you will complete a challenge. There are 10 levels to conquer to move up the Jedi ranks from Padawan to Master. Each level requires an escalating intensity of Beta brainwaves to complete challenges and continue moving on. Can you demonstrate to Yoda the concentration needed to obtain the rank of Jedi Master? Do or do not. There is no try!

The entertainment value of the Jedi Challenges combined with the educational insights that can be gained from its scientific elements earns THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience a nod of approval from A Geek Daddy.  Incorporating music and sound effects from the Star Wars movies with real life holograms that look like they jumped right out of a sci-fi film is a great way to combine learning with having fun.  Parents can jump right in and compete with their children to see who can earn the rank of Jedi Master first making this a great experience for the whole family to enjoy together.  It also comes with a science learning poster to reinforce the educational aspects of this game. This really is worth checking out!



THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience is recommend for ages 8+.  It does require a compatible iPad or Android tablet (not included), Internet access to download an app (though not needed to operate the app), and 1 AAA battery to power the neural sensor technology.  It is important to achieve a good fit with the adjustable headset because if the sensors don't maintain a good connection the game will be interrupted and paused because the game needs to be detecting Beta brainwaves for the challenge modes to function. The sensors must be flush against a person's skin on his or her forehead and behind each ear. Be aware it may take some adjustments and trial and error before a good connection is established but once you get it working the headset works very well when it comes to interacting with the holograms.  The Force was awakened in our house with this great product from Uncle Milton as my children really had a blast pretending to be Jedi and interacting with the Star Wars holograms.

CLICK HERE for more information about THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience from Uncle Milton.

MOVIE GIVEAWAY -- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Digital HD

To celebrate our reaching 5,000 followers on Twitter, A Geek Daddy is giving away one of my favorite movies courtesy of Disney Movies Anywhere.  One of our lucky social media followers will win Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back via a Digital HD download code.  To be eligible for this giveaways you must be over 18 years old, reside within the United States, follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet which is embedded below before February 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST.  Simple as that!  Each RT will be assigned a number based on the order it was received and random.org shall select our winner.

Congrats to Mandi from Tampa, Florida who won the giveaway

Follow @Geekdad248 & RT for chance to win THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK on Digital HD (US Only - Ends 2/11/16) pic.twitter.com/I9JGXEuvxk

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) January 30, 2016

Encourage your friends and family to follow A Geek Daddy on Twitter and Facebook because the more people that are connected to us the more opportunities arise for this blog to be able to host great giveaways to share with you. Thank you to all our blog readers and social media followers who have made our blog a success by joining this dad in his adventure in parenting and who also appreciate enjoying the geeky side of life.

GIVEAWAY DISCLAIMER/RULES:  Disney / Disney Movies Anywhere is not a sponsor or affiliated with this giveaway in any way.  A Geek Daddy received a complimentary digital movie download code for Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back from representatives of Walt Disney Studios at Blogger Bash 2015 which is being used as this giveaway prize.  It is A Geek Daddy blogs best understanding that this is a valid code being provided in this giveaway but unfortunately if the code does not work the winner is out of luck and there is no substitute prize.  There is no cash value for the prize being awarded.  The provided code for a digital movie download expires on April 10, 2016.  Winner must be following @Geekdad248 at the time of drawing and will be contacted by DM.  Winner must reply within 48 hours with an email address in which the prize can be sent or an alternate winner will be selected.  Digital Download code can only be redeemed from a computer network account registered within the United States.  A Geek Daddy will email the digital download code to winner.  Winner must create a FREE Disney Movies Anywhere account to access the movie.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion. A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.

Lost Piece of Star Wars Heritage Rediscovered & Restored

Short films running before the feature presentation at movie theaters have been a marketing niche for Disney & Pixar films in recent years so it is an interesting tie-in that as Star Wars joins the Walt Disney Studios family that a short tied to that franchise which was though lost has just recently been found and restored.  While filming scenes for Empire Strikes Back in England, the movie's art director Roger Christian pitched a script he had written to George Lucas.  Lucas was impressed enough with the script that he provided a budget for Christian to produce a 25 minute short film called Black Angel and committed to have it play in select European movie theaters (including 400 theaters in the United Kingdom) in front of the Empire Strikes Back.  Black Angel accompanied the original release of Empire Strikes Back and then it disappeared not to be seen again for nearly 35 years when the original production audio and video were recently discovered in storage at Universal Studios and restored.  For years because the short was never seen in U.S. theaters or re-released many Star Wars fans though Black Angel was just a legend or hoax.

It's real though and here is Roger Christian telling the story about the short film followed by Black Angel in its entirety:



At the time it was created Black Angel received kudos from the movie making community with director John Boorman motivating the cast and crew of his 1981 movie Excalibur by having them watch Black Angel and people who saw the short in theaters keeping its memory alive over the years until it was rediscovered.  Roger Christian also notes that George Lucas after watching Black Angel modified the light saber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on Dagobah in Empire Strikes Back to be in slow motion because he was impressed by a similar style used during a fight scene in the short film.

Christian is now attempting to create a film based upon the full script he originally presented to George Lucas to review and has launched an Indiegogo campaign to get production off the ground which has already raised more than $100,000.  CLICK HERE if you are interested in contributing or for more information on the Black Angel feature film.

Star Wars Command: The Battle of Hoth

Just before the first snow storm of this winter hit our town, A Geek Daddy Blog received a surprise box of goodies from our friends at Hasbro filled with the company's newest line of toys called Star Wars Command for us to play with and test out.  These Star Wars Command toys are like the little green plastic army men of my youth but instead of pretending to fight in World War II you are transported to the Star Wars Universe to play out  your favorite scenes from the franchise's movies or television episodes.  They have themed toy sets ranging from the brand new animated series Star Wars: Rebels (which is my son's favorite tv show) to Empire Strikes Back (which is my favorite movie).

So as the snow started coming down you know my five year old son and I couldn't resist going out in the backyard and recreating the Battle of Hoth.  My son's rebel troopers put up a valiant fight led by Chewbacca and Han Solo but they just were no match against Dad's powerful legion of AT-ATs and snow troopers.  In the end though a mysterious snow ball from outer space knocked out the approaching Geek Daddy armada allowing the rebels to slip away to battle another day.

My son had a blast playing with these toys and I was whisked back to acting like a kid myself for a few moments while we enjoyed playing Star Wars in the snow.  Then it was time for dinner and a return to the real world; but as we were packing up I took a moment to appreciate this moment of father-son fun and bonding that we often don't get enough time for in the everyday hustle and bustle of life.  Next I realized it probably wasn't the best move to play with white colored toys in the snow...we'll be finding a few of these figures after the snow melts.  Fortunately, a number of the rebels including Han Solo, Chewbacca and R2D2 were made of blue, brown and orange colored plastic and easily stood out in the frozen tundra of our patio.

For being small injected plastic molded figurines these Star Wars Command toys have some nice sculpts and detail to them.  Recommended age for these micro-figure battle sets are for children 4 years old and up.

#CommandtheForce with the Star Wars Command battle packs. They come in a variety of sizes ranging in price from $4.99 for a play set that includes 9 figures to $59.99 for the Star Destroyer set that includes a gigantic vehicle that shoots out energy blast balls to devastate your opponent's army.

While we had a great time playing out the Battle of Hoth together, the toy set that my son really wants to get his hands on is the Star Wars: Rebels - Jedi Duel battle pack.  This includes all his favorite characters from the tv show: Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, Sabine Wren, Zeb Orrelios, and C1-1OP "Chopper" plus bad guy The Inquisitor and a few stormtroopers to boot.  Plus it has two vehicles included the PHANTOM space ship and an AT-DP armored walker.  We've decided to hold this battle pack aside for a little while though because it is just too valuable to use as a reward, or bribe, when the need may arise.  My son doesn't know we have this in hand so he'll be thrilled when we eventually give it to him.

For more information about the Star Wars Command toys visit starwars.hasbro.com

DISCLAIMER:  Hasbro provided A GEEK DADDY Blog with complimentary Star Wars Command toys with an approximate retail value of $50.  These toys were provided with no obligation to provide a positive review regarding them.  The views and opinions in this post are my own.

Pigs In Space: The Star Wars Themed Muppet Show Episode that Predicted the Future

 

Wow! I stumbled across a Star Wars themed episode of The Muppet Show the other day finding myself amazed that the original series is as good as I remember it being as a kid and that Jim Henson had the insight to know way back in 1980 that someday in the future The Muppets and Star Wars would all be a part of the Disney family. Kermit the Frog & cast are joined in Episode 417 of The Muppet Show by Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (in C3PO costumer), Peter Mayhew Mayhew (Chewbacca) and R2D2 (listed as played by himself in the show credits).  The Star Wars quartet go on a variety of missions behind the scenes of the show and on stage wrapping up with a foreshadowing song number that has the Muppet and Star Wars characters singing together "When You Wish Upon a Star" in front of a prop that looks very much like a Disney amusement park castle.  Freaky!!!

There are some nice Star Wars skits in the show including a "Pigs in Space" feature and a Fred Astaire inspired dance number by C3PO.  It is also funny that at this point in his career Mark Hamill was really concerned about being type cast as Luke Skywalker in Hollywood so he insisted that if he appear on the show they do something that differentiated Mark Hamill the actor from Luke Skywalker the character.  So the show has a gag where Mark Hamill is portrayed as Luke Skywalker's "cousin" who is showing off various talents in an effort to get his own skit on the variety show.  While I was hooked into the watching the episode by the Star Wars connection, I have to say I was truly impressed by the  non-Star Wars related performances in the The Muppet Show which reminded me of just how great this family friendly show was in its time. I highly recommend sitting back for a half hour and enjoying this classic original episode of The Muppet Show:

Here are a few easter eggs from the show you may want to look out for while watching it:

Hanging on Scooter's bedroom wall during his "Six String Orchestra" number are posters of Luke Skywalker and an upside-down Star Destroyer.

This episode of The Muppet Show was released prior to Empire Strikes Back appearing in theaters but Hamill is wearing Luke Skywalker's never before seen Bespin costume from the movie.  Hinting that this may be tied to the upcoming Star Wars sequel, the Muppets refer to his costumer throughout the episode frequently pointing it out and asking him "Who's your tailor?" which the audience wouldn't get the connection to until watching the movie in theaters and seeing him wearing it.  Even Mark Hamill says to Luke Skywalker "Who is your tailor? I love that outfit" in the high-tech for its time ending of the show that has the two of them appear with Kermit the Frog at the same time.

Similarly at the time of the show's broadcast, the audience wouldn't have known that Darth Vader's identity is revealed in Empire Strikes Back but The Muppet Show episode teases that the true identity of Dearth Nadir (Gonzo) would be revealed during the "Pigs in Space" skit. Was this a hint to the audience that Darth Vader's identity would be revealed in Empire Strikes Back?

Frank Oz was the puppeteer and voice on this episode for Ms. Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Animal.  He also was the puppeteer and voice for Yoda in the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi movies.  At the time this episode aired people wouldn't have known who Yoda was as the character first appears in Empire Strikes Back.

The space ship piloted by Ms. Piggy and her crew in "Pigs in Space" is named Swinetrek, a nod to Star Trek.

Disney purchased the rights to The Muppets in 2004 and Star Wars in 2012.  This episode that aired in 1980 foreshadowed that with its final number that has the characters sing one of Disney's trademark songs "When You Wish Upon a Star" with a castle behind them which are often combined to promote the company's theme parks and media products.  Now you can purchase Muppet / Star Wars co-branded items like these toys we picked up at Disney World.

The Ultimate Trophy for a Man Cave of Home Theater

Admit it, a big part of the allure of having a man cave or home theater room is to have the bragging rights to having the coolest room among your friends and family.  Big screens televisions, surround sound stereo, wet bars, sports memorabilia, foosball, pinball and video arcade games.  If you really want to have the coolest room on the block, I don't know if anyone else could trump this...a life-size Han Solo in Carbonite display. Yes you can now purchase Jabba's most sought after trophy for your own trophy shelf...just as if it had been transported off the movie screen from Empire Strikes Back.  How cool is that?!

Sideshow Collectibles is celebrating its 20th Anniversary by showing the quality that has made it a leader in movie memorabilia collectibles and toys in debuting this 7 foot replica of the movie prop from Empire Strikes Back.  The display is made from figerglass and other high quality materials for authenticity and sturdy construction.  It also features film-accurate light effects in the base, side panels and rear power canisters to provide a wow factor when people see it.  From the pictures it really gives the impression that you'll feel like you are looking at Han Solo in his carbonite prison.  It appears the rear power canisters also provide a sturdy base of support similar to the frames that hold up a big screen TV to make sure your prizes possession doesn't come tumbling down.

If you are interested in purchasing a life-size Carbonited Han Solo, Sideshow Collectibles is taking pre-orders now.  This item will only only set you back $6,999.00, which you can pay in a monthly payment plan of $629.90 installments.  Hey isn't having the coolest party room ever worth the price?!  The only thing more cool than this would be to have Darth Vader and Boba Fett flanking it observing their handy work....oh looks like Sideshow's can hook you up with that too!

For more information about the life-size Han Solo in Carbonite display from Sideshow Collectibles, visit: www.sideshowtoy.com/characters/han-solo

There really are hidden messages in movies!

If you look closely into the scenes of your favorite movies you can see mysterious and spooky clues about events that will take place in the future.  Really … try it out by looking past the main characters and action sequences deep into the scenes and all will be revealed to you! 

Recently DISNEY purchased the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas which was a move that caught many people off guard, but look closely in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and you can see Mickey Mouse everywhere. Was this a clue to the future?

Now just this last week,  J.J. Abrams (the director of the rebooted STAR TREK franchise) was given the helm by DISNEY for also leading the creation of a brand new STAR WARS movie.  Is this brand new news or was it pre-ordained in 2009 when Abrams included a reference to Star Wars in his Star Trek movie? Check this out:

YES, that is R2-D2, one of Star Wars’ most popular characters flying through the debris as the crew of the Enterprise looks on!

Wow! Are these mysterious messages that give us a glimpse into the future?!  No, not really. Actually in many movies there are images hidden within the scenes as inside jokes by the Director.  These images have come to become known as “easter eggs” and often are meant as hidden salutes to other movies.  It’s just ironic that George Lucas included a salute to one of his mentors Walt Disney in the Empire Strikes Back and J.J. Abrams gave a poke to George Lucas in Star Trek.

Sometimes though easter eggs are meant to give a glimpse of the future. Pixar is an example of a studio that has become amazingly astute with inserting easter eggs into its movies to give a sneak peak of things to come.

Monsters, Inc.  in 2001 gave us a glimpse of Nemo whose movie came out in 2003:

In Finding Nemo  (2003) we are given a preview of Mr. Incredible from the movie The Incredibles that was released in 2004:

Movie goers were given a peak at Doc Hudson from CARS (2006) during The Incredibles (2004):

Is that Dug the Dog from UP! (2009) in Ratatouille (2007)?

And the bear villain from Toy Story 3 (2010) makes an appearance in UP (2009)!

And look there’s a poster of Finn McMissile on Andy’s Wall in Toy Story 3 giving a sneak peek at CARS2!

In BRAVE we see a wood carving of Sully … is that the easter egg for “Monsters University”?  The Monsters Inc. sequel “Monsters University” hits theaters on June 21, 2013! 

Here are a couple of other examples of easter eggs in films I’ve seen:

In Raiders of the Lost Ark you can see Star Wars characters R2-D2 & C3PO in the hieroglyphics in this scene:

Did you also notice Indiana Jones escapes from the CLUB OBI WAN in The Temple of Doom?

George Lucas repaid the Indiana Jones references with a nod to Steven Spielberg in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.  Look it’s E.T. in the galactic senate!

In this scene from Kevin Smith’s Mall Rats Jeremy London’s character TS Quint picks up a hat that has “Clerks” printed on it in reference to Smith’s first film, Clerks. 

In the movie TRON, is that Pac-Man I see in the scene?

What easter eggs have you found in movies? Become a member of my "a geek daddy" blog and share with us in the comment section below what your favorites are: