CLASSIC ART: McQUARRIE'S DAGOBAH

Here's some intriguing ideas from the master STAR WARS visualist for a far more unusual and alien environment for Yoda (originally known as Minch Yoda in late 1978) on his sanctuary world of Dagobah. The little Jedi's hut/home would basically stay the same for its eventual on-screen appearance (if a little smaller), though I think its time THE CLONE WARS adapted the rest of the environment for one of its alien planet fall episodes-it would look great.

For even more definitive behind the scenes info on the making of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, find out how to get hold of our two popular volumes on the film here: STAR WARS AFICIONADO "EMPIRE" BEHIND THE SCENES COMPANION and here: STAR WARS AFICIONADO DOUBLE ISSUE 11/12-THE MAKING OF "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK"

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: "ASTEROIDS!"

One of my favourite ILM effects composite images for the 1980 promotion of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, as a squad of TIE fighters gamely pursues their prey- the Millennium Falcon- through a densely packed asteroid field. These TIE pilots might be experienced and amongst the best in the Empire, but they haven't reckoned on the skills of the smuggling vessel's captain... a certain ex-Imperial pilot himself: Han Solo!

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: IMPERIAL LINE-UP!

A posse of Imperial Snowtroopers assemble inside the abandoned Echo Base in this atmospheric behind the scenes image from April 1979, on the ELSTREE STUDIOS set of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

CLASSIC RAIDERS: SPIELBERG'S ACTING CLASS!

At ELSTREE STUDIOS, Steven Spielberg has a fun time with Harrison Ford emoting the look he wants from Indiana Jones's discovery of the speared cadaver of rival archeologist Forrestal, in one of the classic early scenes of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: UNSTOPPABLE WALKER

An All-Terrain Armoured Transport vehicle certainly makes its tremendous presence felt as it begins its attack on the ground level forces of the Rebel Alliance, in a classic stop motion effects scene from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

CLASSIC IMAGE: PIETT'S PROGRESS!

Playing one of the few senior officers luckily not strangled by Darth Vader, and despite being on the side of the baddies as an Imperial, popular British actor Kenneth Colley would have a memorable supporting role, enjoyed by STAR WARS fans worldwide, as Admiral Piett in both THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (posing for the above publicity and costume reference image) and RETURN OF THE JEDI-coming back for the latter film because Lucas realised just how popular he'd become as Piett with the fans three years earlier...

CLASSIC RAIDERS: MARION IN TROUBLE!

Nazi henchman Toht (Ronald Lacey) makes a dangerous nuisance of himself when he captures Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) in a tense scene from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

LANDO'S RETURN?

A classic image of Billy Dee Williams as he films a deleted Cloud City scene against blue screen for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

So, is something coming up on the STAR WARS front for Billy Dee Williams, who played our favourite Cloud City administrator, Baron Lando Calrissian?

Regular AFICIONADO contributor Chris Baker sent me this intriguing info regarding his recent Phoenix Comic Con Q & A appearance:

A younger fan asked a Q of Billy -

"if he had ever made any or been offered any cameo's in the PT"

- Billy says "ahh, no"

They confer for a moment then his handler/assistant/manager further states that he has to look something up on the Internet but he would like to expand on (or add to) the answer for that fan's Q

A couple of Q's later (in his follow-up) the assistant states that "Sadly, we can't actually say anything because it's a confidentiality thing and it hasn't been announced yet .. But!, if you all keep your eyes on star wars .com you will get what I'm saying in about 30 days I'd imagine.”

Lando would only be in his teens with the onset of the Clone Wars, so might Billy be voicing the characters father in the animated series? Or even a new character? Interesting possibilities to think about. With the new Live Action TV series (when it happens) pretty much removed from the core characters of the six films, it's either THE CLONE WARS or perhaps Seth Green's new animated SW comedy series for LUCASFILM. Time will tell.

Regardless of who he plays, it's just nice to have another Classic Trilogy actor back in action within our favourite saga...

 

CLASSIC IMAGE: A SHOULDER TO MOAN ON!

The battle damaged golden shell of See-Threepio rests uncomfortably on Chewbacca's furry back-an unlikely duo unique to STAR WARS- as they race to the Bespin landing pad sheltering Boba Fett's about to depart Slave One craft, in this classic race against time moment of comedy and suspense from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A SPIRITED TEACHER

On the jungle world of Dagobah, the in-exile Jedi Master Yoda begins his training of the boy with no patience, Luke Skywalker.

A triumph of effects, puppetry and acting by the talented Frank Oz, check out this link to a great behind the scenes feature, full of rare images, on the little green Jedi's practical on-set realisation, from the British puppeteer who assisted Oz on EMPIRE (as well as being an important part of Jabba the Hutt in JEDI), Dave Barclay: Dave Barclay

CLASSIC IMAGE: HELP FROM AN OLD FRIEND...

Here's some great EMPIRE 1978/79 storyboards from artist unknown (possibly the UK's Ivor Beddoes?) showing Luke's capture by the Wampa and his first attempt to retrieve his fallen lightsaber. Click the pic to see a larger version. Note that, in the original sequence as stated on the board, Luke was to have heard Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice telling him to concentrate and use the Force.

With thanks to Ian Trussler for the image.

CLASSIC IMAGE: REBEL ESCAPE- STAGE ONE

As the Imperial Death Fleet begins to blockade their Rebel hideaway on the planet Hoth, Princess Leia Organa and General Rieekan, working quickly within their command centre: Echo Base, initiate a daring escape plan for their forces.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A SMUGGLER'S SEARCH

From his vantage point astride a Tauntaun, things don't look too good for Han Solo in the search for his missing friend Luke Skywalker, somewhere trapped in the deadly snowy wastelands of the ice planet of Hoth, in this classic scene from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

CLASSIC IMAGE: CARBON CONFLICT!

Within the smoke filled, heat fuelled scenario of the Bespin Carbon Freezing Chamber set at London's ELSTREE Studios, here's a terrific shot from EMPIRE of Mark Hamill showing his exhaustive sword fighting/training skills in action (Note the un-rotoscoped carbon rods attached to the lightsabers) against Darth Vader (presumably played by Bob Anderson, though Dave Prowse did do a small part of the epic action sequence), in what many fans still regard as the ultimate STAR WARS lightsaber duel of choreography and dramatic impetus.

CLASSIC IMAGE: SUPER-COOL LANDO!

New Star Warrior, Billy Dee Williams, poses for a James Bond-like image as the suave Lando Calrissian, Baron/Administrator for the Bespin mining colony, in a 1979 promotional shot for his upcoming characters premiere appearance in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE THREE FACES OF PRINCESS LEIA

Here's a nice composite image that is on and off available from OFFICIALPIX, showing Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa in her acting and character journey across all three films, from captured but resolutely fiesty Princess in A NEW HOPE to lethal Hutt killer, maturing Rebel hero and Jedi-to-be in RETURN OF THE JEDI. Thirty four years on, both Fisher and Leia remain great screen icons for our time...

CLASSIC ART: DARTH VADER STRIKES BACK!

Here's a revised commercial art version of Lawrence Noble's great work for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, of which a prior version had been originally considered as a theatrical release poster for the 1980 cinema engagements, and then finally put out as an official poster for EMPIRE's Tenth Anniversary in 1990. This new art version has substantially changed imagery at the bottom of it, including Rebel Snowspeeders and Imperial Walkers.

If you're in the UK, celebrate Darth Vader's epic return to fight the Rebels by catching the HD screening of the much beloved film this Saturday afternoon on ITV1.

WAMPA: SAVAGE BEASTS OF HOTH!

Our penultimate feature celebrating the Thirtieth Anniversary of EMPIRE can now be found on the main site, this time linked to the filming of the Wampa ice creature sequences.

Check out the rare photo feature here:

http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/the_wampa_beasts_of_hoth.html

And don't forget, for all other things behind the scenes related to the film, our two EMPIRE special issues (from 2005 and our current BEHIND THE SCENES COMPANION) are still available as PDFs from the main site's BACK ISSUES area.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the above image.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: WALK LIKE AN AT-AT!

Two Imperial Walkers prepare to penetrate the Rebel ground defenses and destroy the enemy shield generator in this great stop motion image from 1979/1980-the Walker battle is still one of the greatest scenes in any film, let alone a STAR WARS one.

Check out this early EMPIRE trailer, too, to see the Walkers when, in early footage, they fired blue lasers instead of red: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9z8se3Aho

REVIEW: THE MAKING OF "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK"



Mark Hamill poses for the camera at ELSTREE STUDIOS in 1979 - one of the many wonderful rare images in THE MAKING OF THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK book by J.W. Rinzler, from AURUM PRESS


What did we think of J. W. Rinzler's new book? Hit the link to find out.

http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/making_of_esb_book.html