The Harrison Ford-Carrie Fisher affair: Does it tell us anything new about Star Wars?

Carrie Fisher at around the time of
the affair with Harrison Ford
on the set of Star Wars

After Carrie Fisher revealed details of the affair she had with Harrison Ford during the shooting of Star Wars, Episode Nothing considers whether there are some things about Star Wars that we’d be just as happy not to know.

One of our dragons is missing: How Disney’s missing dinosaur appeared in Star Wars

The skeleton in Star Wars that was re-used
from One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing

In the spring of 1976, my birthday treat was to be taken to the cinema with some friends. The film, like almost all of those I had seen at the cinema up to then, was from Disney. It was called One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing. Not only was it the kind of movie that pretty much disappeared after Star Wars, but you can actually see the symbolic death of the Disney family comedy in a memorable moment from Star Wars itself. 

A 1977 interview with Mark Hamill from Blue Peter - and what it reveals about Star Wars

 

Mark Hamill interviewed on the BBC's Blue Peter in December 1977

Millions of children will have seen it in December 1977, but a fascinating clip of Mark Hamill on the British children's show Blue Peter has only recently reappeared. 

Episode Nothing considers what it tells us about the 1970s and the early days of Star Wars fandom.

Elstree Studios: the home of Star Wars turns 100

The Star Wars crew shooting Darth Vader at Elstree Studios

One hundred years have gone by since a film company with the appropriately space-themed name Neptune founded what would become the home of Star Wars.

Peter Cushing: a birthday tribute

Peter Cushing reunited with Dave Prowse in Star Wars

The presence of Alec Guinness ensured the critics would pay some attention to Star Wars – but the name that would have attracted the interest of genre fans was that of Peter Cushing.

Cushing would have been 101 today. (Thanks to the fundraisers of @UKGarrison for reminding me of that on Twitter this morning and inspiring this blog post.) So it's a fitting time to consider his contribution to the most successful film of his long career.

Gilbert Taylor, director of photography on Star Wars, dies aged 99

Gil Taylor with George Lucas on the set of Star Wars. Picture: Fansided.com

Gilbert Taylor, the British director of photography on Star Wars and on dozens of other great movies, died on Friday August 23 at his home on the Isle of Wight. He was 99, which surely makes him the longest-lived member of the Star Wars crew.

Wars-weary: The production of Star Wars and how George Lucas's stress made for a great movie

How not to dress for a heatwave:
Chewbacca's fur is combed on
the set of Star Wars

Here in the UK, we've been experiencing a heatwave. Or at least, what passes for one in Britain. So what better time to reflect on the summer of 1976, when Britain was sweltering in the most famous heatwave of modern times – and a young film director was struggling to make a science fiction movie.