A break from the pattern

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When I find something done right, I have to mention that too, right?

First, a movie. Commentary on the Star Wars cycle can certainly be found in quantity on line and off. I do see the occasional film (note understatement) and read the occasional work of fiction (ditto), so I feel qualified to make a couple of observations. (I am not one of those fans who you will find in local news coverage or mocked by a late-night commedian. I merely enjoy a good, well told story and have never gone to a theater in costume. Well, not often, and only when its legitimately part of the story...)

Episode III is a masterful film. It manages the nearly impossible task of fitting seamlessly between penultimate Episode II and the original Episode IV. That is not as easy to do as Lucas makes it appear.

Lucas did succomb to the temptation to redo the F/X and tweak some details of (again, with the understatements) Episodes IV through VI. But that gave him the opportunity to get better continuity with Episodes I through III.

The cycle is now a complete story, and tells in grand epic style the of the rise, fall, and redemption of Anikin Skywalker. Luke and Leia become supporting characters, and Yoda remains, well, Yoda.

Second, a book. My latest acquisition is the just released first novel by Elizabeth Kostova, The Historian. At 625 pages, its certainly not a casual night's reading...

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