STAR WARS BLUEPRINTS

Santa knew just what I wanted for Christmas! I've had my eyes on this Star Wars book from Quarto Knows for awhile. STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS showcases the original technical drawings for sets and props used in the production of a number of these sci-fi movies from the Lucasfilm Archives.

STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS provides an insider's look at the making of these films. From concept art envisioning how characters, settings and vehicles would appear in the movies to illustrations laying out the directions for building the sets scenes were filmed on, readers will get a detailed look into how George Lucas space opera was brought to life. Get a peek inside the creative process of how iconic Star Wars images such as Jabba's Sail Barge and Luke Skywalker's X-Wing went from art department ideas to being on screen in some of the most popular movies of all time.

The book includes more than 250 blueprints for sets and props utilized in Star Wars movie production including 10 three-page gatefold layouts. Scouring through all the details about the creative process of producing the original Star Wars movies included in this 336 page book has put a huge smile on my face as I learn new insights and trivia about these films. Did you know the space-pod EVA from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is shown in a Mos Eisley scene from A New Hope (1977) as an easter egg honoring Stanley Kubrick?

STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS author J.W. Rinzler provides readers with extraordinary details of the production of a number of the Star Wars films that compliment the wonderful imagery included within this book. In addition to his own commentary on details and trivia regarding the production of these movies, STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS also includes numerous interviews with the production designers, art directors, set dressers, and draftsmen who crafted the epic sets. You'll feel like you were behind-the-scenes during the making of these movies after reading this book!

While STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS is really interesting to read with all the incredible insight provided by Rinzler within the text, it is the visuals that really stand out. In addition to all the intriguing blueprints, there are also more than 500 photographs and illustrations from the Lucasfilm production archives. From concept art of snow walkers tromping across the snowy landscape of Hoth to pictures of droids being assembled in Tunisia for desert world Tatooine scenes there are numerous eye catching pieces of art and photographs to look through. You could spend hours enjoying looking through this book before even beginning to read it.

Any diehard Star Wars fan will be geeked to flip through the pages of STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS. It absolutely gets a Geek Daddy nod of approval. This dad blogger is going to be enjoying going through this hardback book reading it and looking at its wonderful visual imagery over and over again. If you want to be a master of Star Wars trivia, STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS is a must get! For more information about purchasing the book, head over to quartoknows.com

Teen Titans Go!

My kids are big fans of Cartoon Networks' Teen Titans Go! animated television series because they can easily relate to these youthful characters  The show portrays DC Comics superheroes such as Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, Robin, and Starfire as kids that take on a variety of challenges as the Teen Titans.  Children, like my own son and daughter, are sure to be delighted when the Teen Titans join LEGO Dimensions on September 12, 2017 as two of the video game's upcoming Wave 9 expansion packs.



The Teen Titans Go! Team Pack includes LEGO minifigures of the DC Super Hero team Raven and Beast Boy.  It also features the 3-in-1 T-Car which can also be rebuilt into a forklift and plane.  Players can also transform the Spellbook of Azarath into Raven Wings and the Giant Hand to either take flight or dig through the earth for adventures in the sky as well as under the ground.

The Teen Titans Go! Fun Pack includes a Starfire LEGO minifigure.  Players can unleash her special abilities to battle enemies and solve puzzles.  Players can also build the 3-in-1 Titan Robot for a roller-coaster fun-filled adventure and then rebuild it into a rocket or robot retriever for more supercharged adventures with the rest of the Titans gang.

Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire each provide access to the Teen Titans Go! Adventure World in Jump City where players can explore several psychedelic areas from the Titans Tower to Wacka Doodles Amusement Park.  Plus these characters also unlock a Teens Titans Go! themed battle arena.  Purchasing either of the Teen Titans Go! expansion packs also allows access to an exclusive original animated episode of the TV show where viewers discover how the vibrant team of teenage heroes stumbled upon the LEGO Dimensions multiverse.

Developed by TT Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, LEGO Dimensions is available for PlayStation 4 / Playstation 3, Xbox One / Xbox 360 and Wii U.  For more information about the video game, please visit www.lego.com/en-us/dimensions

The Secret Life of Pets: Easter Teaser

My kids have been looking forward to seeing THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS since they first started seeing its trailers at the theater last year and while they still have a few more months to go before the film debuts they were excited to get another advance peek at the movie with this Easter themed teaser that Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures released for the holiday weekend.



THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS' story revolves around a Manhattan apartment building where a dog named Max has his life as a favorite pet turned upside down when his owner brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke.  Max and Duke have to put their quarrels behind them though when they find out that an adorable white bunny named Snowball is building an army of abandoned pets determined to take revenge on all the happy-owned pets and their owners in their building.

This really looks like an original and funny movie that children and kids-at-heart of all ages will enjoy.  Our family will absolutely be going to see it after The Secret Life of Pets arrives at movie theaters across the United States on July 8, 2016!  For more information, visit thesecretlifeofpets.com

#SecretLifeofPets #HappyEaster