Archive for the 'Events' Category
September 16th, 2009, 3:04 pm by Jayson Peters
There’s a scene in Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi where the chatty droid C-3PO, having saved his friends from ending up as dinner for the primitive Ewok tribe by impersonating a god, tells his furry followers an epic tale of galactic war, romance and the Force to win their help in fighting the evil Empire. This alien bedtime story may be gibberish, but the honest voice of Anthony Daniels shines through the funny words and golden façade to reach people in a galaxy far, far away.
 That was a long time ago. Now Daniels, the actor who has played “Threepio” since the character debuted in 1977’s Star Wars, is telling the story all over again, but in a different way: He’s the narrator of “Star Wars in Concert,” a live show stopping in Glendale for two performances Oct. 4 at Jobing.com Arena. He stopped in the Valley on Monday to promote the tour and get a feel for the venue.
As an 86-piece orchestra performs the film score of John Williams, Daniels will lead the audience through film montages that tell story of all six Star Wars films in the space of 90 minutes.
PHOTO CREDIT: JAYSON PETERS, EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE
“What I’m doing is just telling the story, and I hope we tell it in a very clear way that allows people to understand the story of Star Wars,” Daniels said. “Some people, I hope, will come who have never seen Star Wars and will go away knowing the story. I reckon there are people out there who are embarrassed to say they have never seen Star Wars or would like to actually know, without going through the whole six films, what it’s about.”
But even people who are familiar with the movies will come away with something new, he said.
“You know the movie but now you’re seeing it through a different pair of binoculars and getting a very different feeling about it. Rather like the original films, there are so many things within that screen - so many cuts - that you are hard-pressed to see everything, frankly.”
Look for more about “Star Wars in Concert” from my interview with Mr. Daniels as the event approaches.
“Star Wars in Concert”
When: 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 4
Where: Jobing.com Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale
Cost: $29.75 to $69.74
Information: StarWarsinConcert.com |
See also: Anthony Daniels on board for ‘Star Tours II’
Posted in: Events • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Anthony Daniels • Star Wars | Post a Comment »
September 15th, 2009, 9:35 am by Jayson Peters
Members of the Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy will sign copies of their new comic book series Saturday at Atomic Comics’ Chandler Fashion Center location, 3155 w. Chandler Blvd. Pete Wentz and Andy Hurley are both comic book geeks, and they will meet with fans and sign copies of the premiere issue from 3 to 4 p.m.
Hit the jump for details and a teaser video. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Events • Music • Atomic Comics • Collecting • Fall Out Boy | 2 Comments »
September 15th, 2009, 12:04 am by Jayson Peters
 Anthony Daniels (Photo: Jayson Peters/TRIBUNE) Anthony Daniels, the man behind the voice and sometimes the metal of Star Wars droid C-3PO, confirmed Monday that he has been working with Disney to record new material for its theme parks’ “Star Tours” attraction.
“I’ve been working on it for a while,” said the British actor, who was visiting the Valley to promote “Star Wars in Concert” Oct. 4 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.
Daniels was reluctant to discuss Star Tours, due to both the secrecy surrounding the project and his excitement about the concert — but he did allow the briefest of detours into Disney territory. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Anthony Daniels • Disney • Star Tours • Star Wars | 1 Comment »
September 14th, 2009, 7:51 am by Jayson Peters
 It’s good to be bad, particularly when you’re the Dungeon Master. At least, that’s the case at Wizards of the Coast’s latest Worldwide D&D Game Day event, scheduled for this Saturday at hobby shops across the globe.
The last WWDDGD, in May, celebrated the release of Monster Manual 2, and another in March marked the launch of Player’s Handbook 2. This one will coincide with the release of Dungeon Master’s Guide 2, and will give participants a chance to build their own adventure scenario using the new guide’s concepts.
Two is better than one, apparently. Now that the new Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition has been out for more than a year, many players are comfortable with the basics of dungeon-delving and this second round of core rulebooks, and the events celebrating them, can focus on more advanced strategies for killing imaginary things and taking their stuff.
UPDATED below with Valley locations. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Gaming • RPGs • Conventions • D&D • Dungeons & Dragons • Worldwide D&D Game Day | Post a Comment »
September 11th, 2009, 3:11 pm by Jayson Peters
 Disney announced that Capt. Jack Sparrow will return in 2011 in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The news comes out of the inaugural D23 Expo in Anaheim, where Johnny Depp was there in person on a giant pirate ship — and our guest correspondent CactusCarl is dealing with strict mobile device restrictions. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Movies • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Business • Conventions • D23 Expo • Disney • Horror • Nicolas Cage • Pirates • Pirates of the Caribbean | 1 Comment »
September 9th, 2009, 12:35 am by ebehrendt
MADCAP Theaters at 730 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe will be hosting this year’s International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival Oct. 15-18, 2009.
 This year’s inductees into the IHSFF Hall of Fame include Judith O’Dea, known for her role as Barbara in the George A. Romero 1968 classic zombie film Night of the Living Dead; Marilyn Burns who played Sally in the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Casper Van Dien, who is best known for his role as Johnny Rico in the 1997 science fiction classic Starship Troopers. The IHSFF Hall of Fame honors those individuals that have made a difference in Horror and Science Fiction film.
The three-day festival will include screenings of more than 50 films, including Donkey Punch, Friday the 13th, The Wizard of Gore, Rapturious, Tokyo Gore Police, Vampire Hookers, Ray Bradbury’s Chrysalis, Alien Raiders, The Blob, Hell’s Ground, Jerome Bixby’s The Man From Earth, Deadly Event, Farmhouse, Re-Animator, Farmhouse, Jerome Bixby’s The Man From Earth, Frazetta: Painting with Fire, Hell’s Ground, and of course The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The festival will also include parties, a gore girl competition, and discussions with filmmakers and directors.
For more information please call the Phoenix Film Festival at (602) 955-6444 or visit www.horrorscifi.com.
Posted in: Events • Horror • Movies • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Conventions • Horror • MADCAP Theaters • Tempe • Zombies | Post a Comment »
September 6th, 2009, 10:08 pm by Jayson Peters
The Yellow Brick Road never looked so yellow and bricky.
The film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz is turning 70, and to celebrate the occasion a remastered, high-def version has been prepared for a national theater tour. Turner Classic Movies host and film historian Robert Osborne recorded an introduction for the movie, which will be screened Sept. 23 at several Valley theaters. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Mesa • Movies • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Blu-ray • DVDs • L. Frank Baum • Mesa • Phoenix • Scottsdale • The Wizard of Oz | Post a Comment »
September 3rd, 2009, 11:15 pm by Jayson Peters
 Jonathan Frakes (Wikimedia Commons) UPDATED with Jim Steranko and Jamal Igle.
Phoenix Comicon organizers announced the first round of celebrity guests for Phoenix Comicon 2010 on Thursday at an event that also showed off the con’s new digs at the Phoenix Convention Center.
I didn’t make it down there, but here are the highlights from Twitter. More official announcements should come Friday on the official convention Web site.
Star Trek: The Next Generation star Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Will Riker) and his wife, Genie Francis (Laura of “Luke and Laura” fame from General Hospital), will attend. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Comics • Events • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Conventions • Phoenix • Phoenix Comicon | Post a Comment »
August 30th, 2009, 2:35 pm by Jayson Peters
UPDATED here Sept. 3-4.
The Phoenix Comicon crew will host a meet-and-greet 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Hyatt Regency’s Sundance Room, where organizers will make their first guest announcements for the 2010 event and attempt to fill open volunteer staff positions. This will be followed at 7 p.m. by a walkthrough of the Phoenix Convention Center, the con’s new venue.
Attendees have to pre-register to be eligible for fabulous door prizes.
Through 2009 the con was at the Mesa Convention Center, but organizers and guests wanted bigger digs.
Phoenix Comicon 2010 will be May 27-30 at the Phoenix Convention Center.
See also: Nerdvana’s local convention calendar
Posted in: Comics • Events • Conventions • Phoenix • Phoenix Comicon | Post a Comment »
August 27th, 2009, 10:28 am by Jayson Peters
The Arizona Ghostbusters will drop by the Mesa Bookmans 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
No, the store isn’t haunted (that I know of). The local costuming fan club and volunteer organization is on a mission to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Ghostbusters movie while raising awareness of a Step Out to Fight Diabetes walk.
 Arizona Ghostbusters
Posted in: Events • Mesa • Arizona Ghostbusters • Bookmans • Health | Post a Comment »
August 18th, 2009, 12:59 pm by Jayson Peters
Yeah, right. I said that last year, too.
But until that day comes, thanks to magic of the Internet, I can bring you RPG news via the many bloggers who did go to the largest tabletop gaming convention in the world last week in Indianapolis. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Gaming • Business • Collecting • Conventions • D&D • Dungeons & Dragons • Gen Con • Heroscape • miniatures • minis | Post a Comment »
August 16th, 2009, 10:26 pm by Jayson Peters
You may have noticed a new item on the right-hand side of the page: the local convention calendar. Here are the current contents for those reading via RSS feed:
- North American Discworld Convention: Sept. 4-7, 2009, Tempe Mission Palms
- LepreCon 35: Oct. 2-4, 2009, Phoenix Mesa Marriott
- International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival: Oct. 15-18, 2009, Madcap Theaters
- Saboten-Con: Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, 2009, Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa
- Dark Con: Jan. 14-17, 2010, Grace Inn Ahwatukee
- LepreCon 36: May 14-16, 2010, Phoenix Mesa Marriott
- Phoenix Comicon: May 27-30, 2010, Phoenix Convention Center
- RandomCon: July 9-11, 2010 (tentative), Grace Inn Ahwatukee
Expect this feature to grow or shrink (hopefully, just grow) to reflect the activity level of the local con scene. The blockbuster San Diego Comic-Con or Gen Con Indy they are not, but the Valley has quite a busy community of people dedicated to bringing fans together with talent — all year long. Check ‘em out, you won’t be disappointed.
As always, if you see something I’ve neglected or messed up, send an e-mail to the address in the sidebar or tweet @nerdvana. Or, just leave a comment below!
Posted in: Books • Comics • Events • Gaming • Movies • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Television • Collecting • Conventions • fandom | Post a Comment »
August 4th, 2009, 11:34 pm by Jayson Peters
Think of it as a little shakedown cruise.
 Star Trek Online will enter the perilous wormhole that is closed beta testing in late 2009, but the only way to guarantee yourself a seat on the bridge is to buy into Cryptic Studios’ other game, Champions Online.
A six-month “discounted” subscription will suffice, but those opting for a “lifetime” subscription will get a bonus — a Mirror Universe costume set for Trek Online.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Gaming • RPGs • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Atari • Conventions • Cryptic • PC • Star Trek • Star Trek Online | Post a Comment »
July 30th, 2009, 6:22 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams
 Fresh off their highest profile convention ever, Comic-Con’s future in San Diego may be in doubt. There’s no secret that the convention is too large for the current facilities. Four-day tickets for the event sold out four months in advance. The con expanded into nearby hotels for some programming, but clearly it is straining at the seams. Because of this, other convention-friendly cities, like Los Angeles and Las Vegas have been sniffing around seeking to lure the yearly comic book extravaganza away.
Until now these have been mere rumblings, now there are reports that the con has demanded that the convention center expand by 2011 or the SDCC will relocate. The con has a contract to stick around through 2012, but without some more elbow room, that may be the final year in San Diego.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Comic-Con • convention • Conventions • San Diego | Post a Comment »
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That was a long time ago. Now Daniels, the actor who has played “Threepio” since the character debuted in 1977’s Star Wars, is telling the story all over again, but in a different way: He’s the narrator of “Star Wars in Concert,” a live show stopping in Glendale for two performances Oct. 4 at Jobing.com Arena. He stopped in the Valley on Monday to promote the tour and get a feel for the venue.
