CLASSIC IMAGE: TATOOINE TOURISTS!

Awaiting news from their scout team entering the wild confines of Mos Espa, Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi and Naboo Captain Panaka patrol the desert environs of Tatooine around their damaged, secretly landed Royal Cruiser in this scene from EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE.

BEHIND THE SCENES: IN THE SHADE!

The towering figure of Liam Neeson stands near STAR WARS film visionary George Lucas: the pair taking a break from the sun whilst on location in Tunisia for the exterior Tatooine filming of EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE.

CLASSIC RAIDERS: COMES A HORSEMAN!

Telling Marion and Sallah, "I'm making it up as I go!", nothing, not even overwhelming Nazi forces and firepower, can stop Indiana Jones from commandeering a horse and going in pursuit of the truck carrying the Ark of the Covenant.

Ballsy, and then some!

CLASSIC IMAGE: HOMESTEAD ARRIVAL

Their gleaming Naboo craft parked in the not too distant Tatooine landscape (filmed once more on location in Tunisia), Anakin Skywalker, accompanied by Padme Amidala and the trusty Artoo Detoo, arrives at the wilderness boundaries of the Lars Homestead, desperate to find out news of his mother, Shmi.

A picturesque moment, leading to fateful tragedy, from EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

BEHIND THE SCENES: TUNISIAN BUDDIES!

Mark Hamill and Sir Alec Guinness have some behind the scenes fun with Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio and Artoo Detoo in this great shot from the near completion of Tunisian filming on the original STAR WARS in April 1976.

CLASSIC RAIDERS: TROUBLE IN CAIRO!

Indy (Harrison Ford) and Marion (Karen Allen) get into trouble once again-this time on the market streets of Cairo (actually shot in Tunisia)- when they are unexpectedly attacked by Nazi sympathisers in this classic scene of memorable comedy and action from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A JAWA TROPHY

With several additional/re-shoot scenes filmed in Death Valley, USA in early 1977, as well as a small amount of original footage the year before in Tunisia (the above shot filmed there in STAR WARS CANYON (the large rock, behind the Jawas, was, I'm sure, in the finale of RAIDERS, too!)), here's the classic scene audiences loved upon the films original release, where Artoo is sneakily captured by those little scavengers of the Tatooine desert: the Jawas!

BEHIND THE SCENES: A PERFECT MATCH

On location in Tunisia circa March/April 1976, George Lucas confers with Sir Alec Guinness as he arrives at one of the areas being used to represent the desert planet of Tatooine. Guinness considered Tunisia an inspired choice as a locale for the film, which he thought gave the project some believability, and was equally impressed with the young director, once telling an interviewer his view that Lucas was so immersed in the medium he probably went to sleep covered in film!

STORMTROOPER WARS: THE CASE CONTINUES...

The seemingly neverending and complex legal/copyright battle between the UK's SHEPPERTON DESIGN STUDIO and LUCASFILM over the Stormtrooper masks rages on...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3451228/Attack-of-the-clone-helmet-war.html

With thanks to Veronica Weller for the heads up on the article...


UPDATE: 27/7/2011. In the High Court today, SHEPPERTON DESIGN STUDIOS won their ruling against LUCASFILM so as to commercially produce Imperial Stormtrooper costumes in the UK merchandise market. Here is the YAHOO!/SKY NEWS story with video link: Empire Strikes Back In Stormtrooper Row - Yahoo!

CLASSIC IMAGE: SUN, SAND AND 'SABERS!

Here's a shot I had never seen before, so I thought I'd put it up on the blog. A head shaved Ray Park (you just have to look at his fighting stance to see that its him!) and Obi-Wan double Andreas Petrides (who did the leap shots of the character for the duel) make the most of the good weather on an empty part of the outdoor Mos Espa set in Tunisia to practice their lightsaber skills and rehearse the next stage of the epic finale duel for EPISODE ONE action scenes, choreographed by Nick Gillard, filmed at LEAVESDEN STUDIOS in the UK.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DEATH OF INNOCENCE!

Watched in sadness by his extended family and lover-to-be, Anakin Skywalker returns to the Lars Homestead with the body of his dead mother, Shmi, in this fateful scene from EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, filmed at the restored Nefta salt flats location previously used in 1976 for STAR WARS.

CLASSIC IMAGE: TUSKEN TRIUMPH!

The dangerous and distinctive desert nomads of Tatooine, the Tusken Raiders, celebrate their enjoyment of the regular Boonta Eve Pod Race, having shot at its many contestant racers as they twist and turn through the various sand swept canyons of Mos Espa.

CLASSIC IMAGE: HIGH ABOVE MOS EISLEY!

March/April 1976: On a Tunisian mountain within whats now known as STAR WARS Canyon, Mark Hamill, Sir Alec Guinness, and Anthony Daniels get ready to film a scene where our heroes look down towards the wretched hive of "scum and villainy" that is Mos Eisley space port. The camera angle looking forwards from Luke's Landspeeder never made the final cut, instead replaced with a matte composite plate shot put over a wide image of California's Death Valley, filmed by Lucas and a small Second Unit later in STAR WARS 1977 Post-Production.

SAVE OUR HOMESTEAD! ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER!

The Lars Homestead - the legendary adopted homeplace of Luke Skywalker- was originally built for location filming in Tunisia in early 1976 for the first STAR WARS film and then brilliantly, and lovingly, recreated from late Production Designer John Barry's original constructions blueprints in 2000 for EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. It has since become a superb tourist spot since then, as fans of all ages worldwide have had the chance to recreate the classic scene where Luke looks upto the Tatooine twin suns and dreams of romance and adventure amongst the stars.

Now, that legenday location-the stuff of which dreams and legends are truly made-is under threat of extinction. A group of dedicated STAR WARS location site visiters and preservers have banded together to launch a FACEBOOK petition to try and keep the site alive for STAR WARS fans and future generations for the forseeable future. Add your voice to their cause at: 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=136826779662292

Thanks to Linda Pellerito for the heads up.

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: "SANDPEOPLE...OR WORSE!"

Tunisia-March 1976- and a maskless Peter Diamond stands ready as a fierce Tusken Raider, about to bear down on Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker. Note the maskless Anthony Daniels behind them as Threepio, not wearing his golden face as the scenes direction only requires a portion of his droid costume to be seen in visual frame.