Your Evening Linc: McDiarmid on Palpatine Movie, Doctor Who Clips, Duck Tales Reboot, and More!

Hello everyone! It's a fine evening for geekery don't you think? Let's take a look at what the internet gods have bestowed upon us:

1. Ian McDiarmid Would Like To See A Palpatine Spinoff Movie....As Would We All

Me and my bestie, the master of all evil.

Because when the Emperor speaks you listen. SciFi Now has posted a great interview with my favorite actor from the Star Wars galaxy, the incomparable Ian McDiarmid. In it he discusses his upcoming appearance at Celebration Europe II, George Lucas, and what he thinks has kept Star Wars so appealing to so many for so long. He also talks about the future of the saga under Disney. And While Ian admits that there's no place for a dead Palpatine in the new trilogy, there might be hope for a standalone feature.:

“On the other hand they’ve got lots of exciting ideas for spin-offs about separate characters and so on, and then there is the television series which George has talked about and decided to make into being for a number of years, and that takes place between Episodes III and IV when the Emperor is very much alive. So I think he probably does have a future."

The mind swirls with ideas! The movie could be based on the immensely popular Darth Plagueis novel by James Luceno, or perhaps delve into the Emperor concentrating his power during the Dark Times. However you imagine it, a Sidious-based movie is definitely not something to chuck down a reactor shaft! Hopefully everything proceeds as he has foreseen.

2. New Bells of St. John Clip and An Interview From the 20th Anniversary of Doctor Who

I really can sympathize with the Doctor when he bemoans waiting out time like a normal person in the Series 7 episode "The Power of Three". The excruciating wait for the season to resume this Saturday is made just bearable (or perhaps more unbearable) by another cool clip from the people over at the BBC. We've seen the Doctor's wardrobe room before (most recently in  David Tennant's first outing in "The Christmas Invasion", but the Eleventh Doctor is keeping his costumes a little more within reach in this new incarnation of the TARDIS. Check out the clip below and see the Doctor don his new duds </alliteration>.

 

Because bowties are cool!

Now, while I was fumbling about YouTube, I happened to come across this great clip of a British news show from 1983 that features Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and then-current Doctor Peter Davison reflecting on what makes Doctor Who so special. The three Who's are affable and having a ball as the host tries in vain to reign them in. It's funny to watch this and see them all marvel at the show's 20th anniversary knowing that the 50th is just around the corner. Pay special attention to the end when the moderator theorizes that, since the Doctor can only has 13 lives (according to the idea established in the Tom Baker era episode "The Deadly Assassin"), that the show would be on at least another 45 years, which brings us pretty close to the current era.

 

3. A-Woo-OO! Duck Tales NES Game To Get a High-Def Reboot!

In what I hope is a long line of rebooted classics to come, this summer will see the release of the original NES Duck Tales game. The brilliant minds at CAPCOM bring Scrooge McDuck back with stunning new graphics but with the same classic game play that brings you back to those days in Duckburg. Sing along to one of the best cartoon themes ever and feast your eyes on "Duck Tales - Remastered", out for all platforms Summer 2013.

 


4. Greyhound Sings the Halo Theme...and I Almost Choke on The Pretzel I'm Eating

Nothing more to say about this video. Just try not to laugh as this dog performs his rendition of the classic Halo theme:

 


I'm just waiting for this to be released on a remastered OST.



That's all for tonight, folks! Until next time,

-Joe

Your Evening Linc: Episode VII rumors, Clone Wars Team Disbanded, Clara on Craig and More!

So there's been a lot of really interesting Star Wars news and I couldn't wait until tomorrow to share it. Punch it, Chewie!

This is my Chewie, and today is his birthday.

1. Han Solo Might Return To Face a Disciple of Palpatine With His Kids

In an interview with WGN, Harrison Ford sounded confident that everyone's favorite smuggler turned Rebel will return for Episode VII. This jives pretty well with what George Lucas said in a Bloomberg a few weeks ago. And, according to a source for Cosmic Booknews (yes, the Cosmic Booknews....) Han will be joining his kids in an adventure 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The Jedi Order has been rebuilt with Luke at its head, and a "disciple of Emperor Palpatine aims to rebuild the Sith Armies of the Old Republic and destroy the Jedi." Moreover, the Skywalker/Solo children must confront their dark lineage and exactly what it means to be the grandchildren of Anakin Skywalker.

"I am so, so sorry." - Shmi Skywalker

This actually sounds like a pretty cool storyline. First, we won't have a resurrected Emperor, and so it is completely conceivable (especially when considering the EU) that Darth Sidious would have a few acolytes in the wings just in case Darth Vader proved unworthy. I also like the idea of the next generation having the shadow of Anakin cast over them. How do you deal not only with having famous parents, but an infamous grandfather?

By the way, I encourage you to take this great big heaping grain of salt with any rumor until Lucasfilm/Disney confirms anything.

2. Clone Wars Team Disbanded?

Another rumor that makes the Truth-O-Meter go all wonky is the one coming from Rebelscum.com that the entire team of the Clone Wars (cast, crew, janitors) has been completely disbanded and dismissed.  This dramatic downsizing will result in further projects being handed over to existing Disney television operations.

Ahsoka has been seen begging on the streets of Coruscant.

What this means for the Season 6 material we were promised, I have no idea. What's for sure is that this is one crazy, turbulent time for Star Wars. More on this as it develops.

3. Jenna-Louise Coleman Chats with Craig Ferguson

Now turning once again to the world of Doctor Who, new companion Jenna-Louise Coleman stopped by Craig Ferguson where he labeled her the "sauciest ever companion". Check out the whole interview here, including Jenna-Louise schooling Craig on having to update his TARDIS:

 

4. Been Testing Out The New Facebook Design....And It's Pretty Cool

Before the wailing and gnashing of teeth commence when Facebook fully switches over to its new design, allow me to say this: It's actually really cool.



From a user standpoint, I think it eliminates the clutter of the current home page. Most of the real estate is taken up by the Newsfeed, with statuses and especially pictures coming in much bigger and more clearly. Everything else you need is in a convenient sidebar. I switched over this morning and it only took a few minutes to really get used to the layout. There is a much more natural flow to the page and it actually feels more intuitive.

Now, I can't stop everyone from bemoaning the death of Facebook as they know it (which is not how they first knew it), but hopefully this will ease the transition a little.

Until next time, friends!

-Joe

The Morning Linc: New Star Wars Cartoon and Game On the Horizon. Plus, the Emperor Speaks and We Will See the Resurrection of Agent Coulson

Well good morning everyone! I'm sure we've all been trying to rebound from the doldrums after news of the Clone Wars cancellation. But we are offered some tantalizing news of things to come!

1. New Star Wars Animated Series Takes Us To A Never-Before-Explored Period

Lost in the dismal report about the end of The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm and Disney announced a new animated series that would be set "in a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films and television programming."

Well I'm calling it now...we're finally going to find out "Where's Kitser?"

Still waiting on that high five from Wald, no doubt.

2. First Assault May Be the Precursor to Battlefront III

Gaming blog Kotaku has announced that the mysterious downloadable game First Assault might actually be a forerunner of the eagerly anticipated Battlefront III. As with most things over at the Ranch these days, it is still unclear when and if First Assault will be released. What is known is that it will be a 16-person FPS where teams of Rebels and Stormtroopers duke it out on a variety of planets. 

Head on over to Kotaku for more information and check out the screenshots below:

3. The Emperor Speaks: Ian McDiarmid on the Films and Celebration Europe II

It should be a known fact that Palpatine/Sidious is my favorite character in all of Star Wars. And Ian McDiarmid, who I had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions at Celebration VI last year, is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Luckily, fans across the Pond will be able to have an audience with the Emperor and Ian sits down with SciFi now to talk about his experience in the movies as well as his love for the fans.

You just know he actually can use Force lightning....

Regarding the perpetual love fans of all ages have for Star Wars, Ian says:

"And I'm usually approached by mums and dads of 4-year olds now who've been watching the movies, who are completely fascinated by them. And they won't leave their television screens until they've seen the whole lot. So it continues to grip, and it continues to grip kids. And even though we all know with the prequels some of the adults who'd seen the early films were a bit disappointed, that's not true of succeeding generation, which sort of means that these films are going to go on forever, and that's extraordinary, I think, and great." 

I couldn't agree more, Your Highness.

For more information about Celebration Europe II head on over to StarWarsCelebration.eu

4. The Son of Coul Returns for the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series!

While The Clone Wars may be dead, someone who is enjoying a resurrection is none other than everyone's favorite smarmy S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg. In a move that can only be described as "anti-Whedonian", the Avengers director is actually bringing a favorite character back to life!

Nope...sorry Wash.

Whedon explains his reasoning to Deadline:

"The idea of the Little Guy is something that I am very fierce about, and there has never been a better Little Guy than Clark Gregg. That intrigued me, this world around the superhero community. It's the people whose shop windows get blown up when the Destroyer shows up. It's the more intimate stories that belong on television that we can really tap into the visual style and ethos, and even some of the mythology, of the Marvel movies. I think we've put together another really great ensemble headed by Clark."

Now that's one hell of a Heimlich maneuver!

Well, that does it for this morning. Keep an eye on The Missing Linc for more geekery and such!

-Joe