15 Jun 2007 :: Winter Festival 2007 - The Empire Strikes Back

At the 2006 Winter Festival, in a Queenstown first, Reel Collectibles brought to town 9 Star Wars Stormtroopers and costumed characters, including the notorious Boba Fett. As well as trooping in the Winter Festival Float Parade, Star Wars fans and general public crowded the Reel Collectibles store for about 2 hours afterwards to meet and get pictures taken with the Stormtroopers.

This year, the Empire Strikes Back.

The event was so popular that it has become legend throughout the galaxy. So much so, that even more Stormtroopers and characters will be coming this year, including Princess Leia and the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader. Darth Vader has decided to make a personal appearance at this year�s event to inspect his troops and see why Reel Collectibles is so popular with Star Wars fans.

The event has been timed by Reel Collectibles to coincide with the Queenstown Winter Festival as an extra exclusive feature for the community, children and Star Wars fans in general. It is likely to be one of the largest ever concentrations of Star Wars Costumed Characters in New Zealand.

The troopers are all members of either Outpost 42, the New Zealand Garrison of the worldwide 501st Legion, or the Rebel Legion � both Lucasfilm's preferred organisations for people who own and proudly wear professional quality costumes from the Star Wars movies.

The troopers will be available for group and individual photos with public at Reel Collectibles, First Floor, Stratton House, Beach St, Queenstown from 2pm to 4pm, Saturday June 23rd. Public are advised to bring their cameras for this great opportunity to meet a Stormtrooper or Star Wars character.

For more information contact: Hugh Clark
Reel Collectibles
Ph 03 442 9429 or 027 223 2997
Email: [email protected]
Website: ReelCollectibles.co.nz

Related article: 06 Jul 2006 Queenstown Winter Festival 2006 Report.

Reel Collectibles

06 Jun 2007 :: Celebration 4, Day 4

Sunday 27th May was the fourth day of the C-IV convention. A couple of scheduled events defined the day for me in particular - the International Collecting Panel in the morning, at which I presented on New Zealand collectibles, and a second costume pageant in the afternoon (2 costume pageants/competitions were run this time around, due to popular demand).

The collecting panels are an array of presentations covering all imaginable aspects of Star Wars collecting, from the common, to the very obscure, including next-to-impossible-to-get collectibles like unproduced or pre-production concept pieces. Speakers tend to make very good use of photos in their slideshows, giving the audience an opportunity to see items from many private collections. As an apt bonus, collectible medallions, limited to runs of 350 per piece, were handed out to audience members during randomly selected presentations. The twelve designs were inspired by the twelve very first Star Wars action figures released by Kenner. These are not mere coins, but are large, weighty pieces of cast metal that fully deserve to be referred to as medallions. The limited available numbers meant they have already become very sought after, with full sets in particular fetching high bids on eBay.

I was again involved in a joint panel on International Collecting, covering those items and promotions exclusive to New Zealand... ...MORE

Matt G

03 Jun 2007 :: Celebration 4 Coverage

It's all over now, but there are still plenty of photos to be shared, and stories to be told. Travel and limited internet access have introduced minor delays into the SWNZ C-IV coverage, but stay tuned for the concluding installments coming along very soon.

Matt G

27 May 2007 :: Celebration 4, Day 3

The start of the weekend today bought in a few more children and casual attendees, but the abundance of tailored activities like the Jedi Training stage in the Fan Club section, and the Family rooms, meant that they all found appropriate entertainment. The usual schedule continued on; ramped up a little even. So many things happened today that when I was sorting through my photographs this evening, I was looking at the earlier ones and finding it hard to convince myself that they weren't taken a day or two ago. Let me see what I can recall, in my current sleep-deprived state.

The R2 Builders' room (top row of images) is a drawcard that has grown in size since Celebration II. The displays and variety in the room proper somehow managed to surpass the C-III presentation, perhaps aided by a few ancillary and related characters like Jawas, an IG-88 torso, and a Mustafarian lava transporter droid. The number of complete and radio-controlled droids in the group has grown, and this meant many astromechs were spotted roaming the convention to the delight of many.

In addition to the props and costumes... ...MORE

Matt G

26 May 2007 :: Celebration 4, Day 2

Today was the day that Celebration IV officially opened to the public, and, although this resulted in slightly increased crowd volumes, things still went very smoothly. The opening ceremony actually took place in the evening - it'll mean running through things backwards, but that actually seems to be a good place to start. The mayor of Los Angeles (Antonio Villaraigosa) had the honour of formally opening C-IV, and in doing so pronounced the 25th of May as 'Star Wars' day in Los Angeles. It was also the day that the United States Postal Service launched its Star Wars stamps (a rare privilege for the SW franchise), and announced the winner of the voting for the stamp that would be sold individually (as well as the joint sheets of the whole Star Wars set)...and the winner was...Master Yoda (ESB Style!) A surprise bonus came in the form of first day envelopes of the stamps in question, handed out to all attendees of the evening session.

The USC brass band marched down the aisles to hype the crowd once everyone was seated, and, in an impressive feat of logistics, everyone in the I-don't-know-how-many-thousand audience was served with birthday cake to celebrate the Star Wars 30th anniversary!

Following on from the USPS stamp launch formalities... ...MORE

Matt G

25 May 2007 :: Celebration 4, Day 1

Day 1, and the doors are open! For some components of the convention, they'll remain open 24 hours a day. So far, in all regards, the organisation and outcome has been superior to the immediately preceding Celebration. We got in the doors without any queue time, and have been able to move around and get to see oh-so-much-stuff without too much in the way of crowding. The event centre is a better layout and size than Indianapolis, despite the disappointment of many about the less-than-central location, but, for those that are here, the change is for the better.

We started the day with a bit of exclusive shopping. There were queues for some of these, but even those had an upside - those standing in the line for the very popular Gentle Giant merchandise got to admire the incredible lifesize Jabba and great displays of current and upcoming merchandise as the circumferential parade of shoppers slowly wound its way around the stand. We ended up with so much product, a quick trip to dump it in the hotel was required.

Most of the rest of the day was spent quickly sampling... ...MORE

Matt G

24 May 2007 :: Celebration 4, Day Zero

The day before it all. Not much to report today, apart from to show off a few teaser pics of the convention center, taken when we went down to pick up our tickets at the registration... ...MORE

Matt G

22 May 2007 :: New Zealand Womans' Weekly Comic Strips Updated

The New Zealand Woman's Weekly Comic Strips article has just been updated with a colour image of the cover of the August 1979 issue that heralded in years of weekly Star Wars fun. Big thanks to Chris N for sourcing this, and much gratitude to him for getting it to me in time to show when presenting on New Zealand collectibles at Celebration IV in a few days... ...MORE

Matt G

07 May 2007 :: Fan-film trailer - 'Predator vs TK'

A contingent of Imperial troopers, patrolling a forest planet. A recently recruited Sith apprentice, alone on a training mission. A ferocious and alien hunter, moving from world to world in search of prey. Who is stalking whom? And what will the outcome of the inevitable confrontation?

Members and supporters of the New Zealand 501st (Outpost42.co.nz) ran around in native bush over a couple of film shoots, working under the directorship of one of their own to put together this fun project - a self-contained trailer for an imaginary face-off between the Sith, the Imperials and the Predator... ...MORE

Matt G

05 May 2007 :: Concert to Transport Audience to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Press release: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Symphonic Pops: 'A Night At the Movies', 8pm, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE.

Some of the world's most memorable movie themes will be presented in their full symphonic glory at the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Symphonic Pops concert, A Night At the Movies, on Saturday 2 June at the Aotea Centre, THE EDGE.

The concert, conducted by Tecwyn Evans, will conjure up images of Hitchcock blondes, Imperial stormtroopers, gladiators, Spider-Man, flying boy wizards and sultry Bond divas, featuring works by both contemporary composers and renowned originators of the genre.

Movies and classical music have long been successful partners. Silent film stars would frequently engage string quartets to play while they were filming scenes to help them get in the right mood, and music in the theatres was key to expressing what was happening on screen.

Film scores did not lose their impact with the advent of talking pictures and excerpts from some of the most memorable scores are presented at the APO concert, including three works by legendary composer, Bernard Herrmann, whose celebrated partnership with director Alfred Hitchcock is a prime example of effective music and movie matchmaking.

For example, Herrmann's orchestration for Psycho used strings only, complementing the stripped back black and white photography and providing audiences with one of the most intense scenes in movie history.

Herrmann's Hitchcock compositions feature alongside modern classics from Gladiator, Spider-Man, Harry Potter, Star Wars and a selection of James Bond music performed by popular mezzo-soprano, Helen Medlyn.

A Night At the Movies marks Helen's fifteenth year of appearances with the APO. She first worked with the orchestra in 1992 when she was asked to replace an indisposed singer in a concert called West End Magic. Since then, she has sung numerous roles, including a cowgirl, a cake, a biker chick and now a James Bond chanteuse.

APO Chief Executive, Barbara Glaser, says it is a pleasure to have Helen performing with the orchestra again in a concert that offers fantastic family entertainment. "Movies are one of the most common places that people hear classical music and the A Night at the Movies concert will amplify the soundtrack experience, providing the thrill of hearing these familiar pieces of music performed live by a full orchestra," says Ms Glaser. "This is one Saturday night at the movies you won't want to miss!"

Tickets $20-$80 (booking fee will apply) available from Ticketek Ph 09 307 5139, www.ticketek.co.nz.

Programme:
Hermann - North by Northwest Overture.
Hermann - Vertigo Prelude.
Hermann - Psycho Suite.
Rota - La Strada Suite.
Various - Music from James Bond films.
Schifrin - Mission: Impossible.
Interval.
Williams - Harry Potter Theme.
Zimmer - Gladiator Suite.
Elfman - Spiderman Suite.
Williams - Star Wars Suite.

Related trivia: Movie Composer Trivia

Matt G

24 Apr 2007 :: Armageddon Wellington 2007 Report

The Wellington Armageddon convention really seems to have found its groove. Maybe it was because I was there with family and lots of good friends, but I found this year's event to be one of the best that our capital has hosted. "WellyGeddon" has quite a different feel to the Auckland Armageddon expos, but I like them both, and often attend both, for that very reason.

The weekend was memorable, in particular, for a great selection of guests, a decent amount of merchandise, all laid out in a fairly accesible floorplan, and cool costumed characters making their way around the centre.

The New Zealand 501st contingent, Outpost-42, had a stand/backdrop at the entrance of the Queens Wharf Event Centre, and worked with other Star Wars and big-screen costuming groups and individuals to provide all sort of interesting photo opportunities. In addition to the 501st's official presence and the cosplay entrants, there also seemed to be a growing number of fans turning up in costume just for the fun of it. On a number of occasions, there were as many as 8 or 9 Star Wars characters in one place, with a greater total number in attendance, posing for photos - plenty of cross-genre gatherings were also spotted!... ...MORE

Matt G

21 Apr 2007 :: Armageddon Wellington

The Wellington Armageddon convention kicks off in about...30 minutes. We'll be taking photos of the Star Wars and related stuff for SWNZ, but, if you want to check out some early pics and details, you can do so in the Outpost 42 Galleries (click here) and the Outpost 42 Forums (click here for the relevant thread).

Matt G

15 Apr 2007 :: New Remote Droids from TOMY

Here are a couple of cool new figure pics, courtesy of Mousedroid.com, of some upcoming miniature (3.75" scale) remote-controlled astromechs from TOMY. Up until now, they've only done R2 droids in this line, but the R5s look great!

Matt G

12 Apr 2007 :: Figure of the Month - Scorch, Republic Commando

The 'Figure of the Month' is a semi-regular SWNZ feature, wherein we take an up close look at a selected character collectible, focusing on interesting features of both the toy and its on-screen persona. We don't aim to compile an extensive database about all available Star Wars figures, but make a choice based on elements of interest to hopefully expose readers to different collectibles, or new directions of collecting. Today, we take a look at an Expanded Universe figure - Republic Commando Scorch, from Delta Squadron.

Although Hasbro is starting to cater a little more to the fans of Expanded Universe characters, they have, in the past, delved only superficially into this realm. This is even more true for game-based characters. Last year, however, they caught the wave of popularity of the Republic Commando PC and console game, and released Scorch, RC-1262, as part of the Saga Collection. Scorch came out first as a basic carded figure, and later in the year in a boxed set with the rest of Delta Squad (all basicaly repaints of the same sculpt, but with different accessories) and a small swarm of Geonosians. The figure also ties-in to the second of Karen Traviss's Republic Commando novels, "Triple Zero" which features both Delta and Omega RC squads.

"Republic Commando Delta Squad. From the very beginning, it was understood that the tactical superiority of the Grand Army of the Republic would reside in its flexibility of response. Hopelessly outnumbered by the armies of the Separatists, every clone trooper is expected to be the equal of ten of his enemy. Sometimes, though, ten-to-one odds is too much to hope for, and that's when you call in the Deltas."... ...MORE

Matt G

10 Mar 2007 :: 'Wicket' shops at Reel Collectibles

Warwick Davis, the actor who played Ewok Wicket in Return of the Jedi, Anakin's young Rodian friend Wald in The Phantom Menace as well as main star of Willow and Harry Potter roles, shopped in Reel Collectibles on Wednesday to buy a present for his daughter back in England. Warwick was in Queenstown filming for his current project of the role of Nikabrik in the upcoming Prince Caspian Narnia film. After a long chat and a couple of photos, Warwick returned to Reel Collectibles on Thursday to kindly sign some photos and DVD's for us and get a bit of local info on what to do in Queenstown. We then met up with him again on Friday to play a round of Frisbee Golf in the Queenstown Gardens, followed by the obligatory pint and dinner at a local watering hole. Warwick was a really lovely guy and a pleasure to meet and he has suggested to keep in touch so we can meet up again in the future.

Check out photos of Warwick, Hugh & Sarah on the Hall of Fame page on the Reel Collectibles website.

Hugh Clark

28 Feb 2007 :: Figure of the Month - Vintage C-3PO

The 'Figure of the Month' is a new semi-regular SWNZ feature, wherein we take an up close look at a selected character collectible, focusing on interesting features of both the toy and its on-screen persona. We don't aim to compile an extensive database about all available Star Wars figures, but make a choice based on elements of interest to hopefully expose readers to different collectibles, or new directions of collecting. Today, we take a look at one of the oldest of Star Wars toys - the See Threepio mini-action figure from Kenner's "first twelve".

In early 1978, shortly after Star Wars changed the face of big-screen sci-fi, George Lucas began his second marketing coup with the reinvention of boys' toys - the Star Wars mini-action figure line from Kenner was the first character replica to easily fit in your pocket. The first wave of 12 figures hit the market a little later than might have been ideal, but it wasn't long before the number of Star Wars mini-action figures outnumbered the head-count of children in America.

The sculpting of the early figures was basic at best...but that's where childhood imagination is supposed to come into play!... ...MORE

Matt G

18 Feb 2007 :: Store Report - T-shirts at Jay-Jays

I came across some unexpected Star Wars merchandise while at the local Westfield shopping mall yesterday - the Jay-Jays chain of clothing stores have a line of exclusive, licensed "Old Skool" t-shirts, which include a couple of Star Wars designs (one with an ANH graphic, featuring R2 and 3PO, and one with an ESB logo). They come in men's sizes XS to XL, for the reasonable and convenient price of $25 each!

Matt G

17 Feb 2007 :: Reel Collectibles Review - Gentle Giant Cantina Bookends

This review just in from SWNZ affiliate ReelCollectibles.co.nz: Gentle Giant's Mos Eisley Cantina Han Solo & Greedo bookends.

These bookends arrived in our last shipment of stock and are one of the first collectibles to arrive in NZ with the Star Wars 30th Anniversary logo. I've always liked bookends as collectibles. Not only do you have a cool Polystone hand painted collectible that weighs a bunch, it's functional! Collectible bookends like these (plus the LOTR, Narnia & Kong sets) look awesome on a shelf holding up your DVD's, books or whatever.

Ever since I read about the release of these they were a must-have for my personal collection. SW, Bookends, Original Trilogy... you get the drift. Gentle Giants have done a very nice job of these and I am not disappointed with my wait. Like the Gentle Giants Balrog Statue, these have a the new 2 tone colour boxing and the 30th anniversary logo... ...MORE

Hugh Clark