Things we DIDN'T see in Star Wars: How George Lucas hinted at a bigger universe

Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke about the
Old Republic and the Jedi Knights

The Kessel run. Spice freighters. The Clone Wars. The Old Republic. There’s a lot in Star Wars that’s mentioned but never explained. In the first half of a two-part post, Episode Nothing considers how George Lucas cleverly hinted at a much bigger galaxy than he showed on screen.

What came before Star Wars in 1970s science fiction?

George Lucas directing Star Wars

It's true to say no one, in 1977, had ever seen a film quite like Star Wars. But that doesn’t mean no one had been trying to get big budget, old fashioned entertainment off the ground.

Today, Episode Nothing looks at film makers who were trying to make science fiction and fantasy, or to revive old movie genres, in the 1970s.

The arrival of Star Wars: Between*Wars by John White

A panel from the brilliant web
comic Between*Wars by John White

Some readers will be familiar with the work of John White, the man behind one of my favourite websites, Star Wars Age 9.

Darth Vader, intergalactic man of mystery

Darth Vader demonstrates his sad devotion to that ancient religion in Star Wars

Episode Nothing's occasional look at the characters of Star Wars continues with a look at the series' then-mysterious villain.

From The Wizard of Oz to Hidden Fortress: the moments from other films spotted in Star Wars

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)

Star Wars

Read some of the original reviews and you’d think that making Star Wars was a lot like creating Frankenstein’s Monster: You just stitched together bits of other people’s films and then let it loose upon the box office. Critics of the time loved to show how clever they were by cataloguing the images and plot ideas they had caught Lucas lifting from other films.

The characters of Star Wars: Han Solo

It's not often discussed, but this scene between Han Solo and Luke Skywalker is one of the big moments in Star Wars

In the second of my occasional series of posts about the characters of Star Wars, I look at the space pirate we boys all wanted to be – Han Solo.

The characters of Star Wars: Luke Skywalker

Our hero: Luke Skywalker watches the binary sunset in Star Wars

To create a great story, you have to have a great mix of characters.

George Lucas got that right with American Graffiti. He got it spectacularly right with Star Wars. And he would struggle to get it right again.

Writing Star Wars: "The story of Mace Windy"

The opening of George Lucas's handwritten
"idea fragment" that became Star Wars

"This is the story of Mace Windy [sic], a reviered [sic] Jedi-bendu of Ophuchi,as related to us by CJ Thorpe, padawaan learner to the famed Jedi."

George Lucas actually wrote that sentence. 

Perfect finish – the final scenes of Star Wars

The Rebellion lines up all the troops – including 
a few strangely lifeless ones to make up 
the numbers – as it salutes the heroes

One of the blogs I most enjoy is John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV. John recently ran a list of his Top 10 Science Fiction Movie Endings and invited readers to submit their own lists.