Celebration Europe - Random Whimpering

So, Ian (Palpatine) and Mark (Luke) are both going to be at Celebration Europe. Ok, so we got Carrie Fisher. No offense to Carrie, we love her, but whoop-de-doop. She's a semi-regular on the con circuit. THOSE TWO AREN'T!!!! DAMN!

*cries*

- Kai, wishing she were independently wealthy

*HUGS* Yeah, but you got "Ewan" AND even got to stay in the same room as him!

I'm with you there, Kai. I'd love to see Mark again (and see if by any stretch of the imagination he remembers the "bird girl" from the Make a Wish film).

Plus, it's England for goodness sakes! LA is...well....LA.

Ian McDiarmid's going to be there?!?!?!

*raids savings account and buys two tickets to Celebration Europe*

Given it's this Friday, I think you better knock over a bank if you want to get two people there in time.

Er, you are going to take me with you aren't you? This another "bail on hubby and take a mini vacation with Master K to Dinnyland"????

Hurmph.

I too noticed the massive absence of most of the top name cast like Liam, Ewan, Mark, Harrison, Natalie, Hayden, Frank Oz, Ian, Sam Jackson, James Earl Jones, Terrance Stamp, etc. etc. The "BIG" event and pretty much Carrie is it. Bless her for showing, although I never saw her as after paying the painful entry fees and hotel fees and etc. fees, I really didn't feel like paying extra to see her way afar away on the stage again.

I guess if anyone has a rather busy career we don't get to see them. Like the special effects guys that show are just lounging about, pppfft. Well then, I guess a lot of those folks are mostly 1) In Europe so it's not a big distraction from their current project and 2) frankly too hard to keep people from mobbing, bothering them in the restrooms, etc. 3) Cheaper not to fly them to LA for the weekend (?!?).

Well at least they don't get Ray Park. So there, take that Europe. PPPFFFTTTTHHHHHTTTT!!!

Well, Ewan gets some slack cut as he is currently on the Long Way Down tour and he and Charlie are in Africa during all of this.


But the rest of em... common guys...where were you?

I want..nay..NEED someone to bring me back the stormtrooper CE shirt. (See TF.N news for the link and pic)
Maybe I can find one after the con or con one of my 501st UK Garrison brethren to send me one.

Yeah, I gotta admit I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of "big names" at CIV. Now, I'll get flamed for that, since we DID have Carrie Fisher, and there were a lot of folk that we all hold near and dear to our hearts (David Prowse, anyone? And Matthew Wood is a sweetheart). But...yeah...we got the same lineup, basically, of "minor" characters that we pretty much could expect at other, smaller venues over the years.

I mean, sheesh, it's the 30 year anniversary. Even if you never wanted to think about Star Wars again in regards to your career, couldn't this be the one exception?

Uh oh, I opened the floodgates, but now that they're open, just to continue the complaining:

And no George...not even a freaking pre-recorded MESSAGE? Heck, Peter Jackson at least did that for our first One Ring Celebration while he was immersed in working on Kong. It made ALL the difference for us at the con and probably took him 15 minutes, tops, to have a video camera set up, to record his little blurb, and let the rest of his team get it mailed to Pasadena. And it truly meant the world to us, made us feel included and valued and...wow, it was great. Granted, George doesn't seem to be a people person in that way, but it would have taken him so little time and effort for such a huge payoff.

*sigh*

And yes, it was awfully cool he arranged the Rose Bowl Parade stuff (which certainly boosted his franchise visibility, in the bargain)...but when it came to just a few minute statement on the 30th anniversary...nothing. Pth.

Don't get me wrong...I had a BLAST at CIV (and I'd go to a CV)...but almost entirely due to the insane wonderfulness of my friends and extended friends and extended fan family there. Not because of guests or TPTB.

If George shows up in Europe, in addition to some of these other bigger-wigs, I will kick something. LOL!

- Kai, feeling tempermental

Heh. Is this where I get to say, in a sing-song voice, "I saw Ewan's underwear! I saw Ewan's..."

This wasn't where I got to say that?

Oh.

Um.

Nevermind, then.

*shifty eyes*

- Kai, the Brat

Wrong, Kai..on SO many levels.

-Padawan to Master K needing mucho therapy now

Like your icon at right with Padme holding onto her throat while Anakin applies pressure is Okeyday?

*snicker*

She saw the "Holy Underwear", it's so Star Warsy and Iconic.

SO spill it, BVD or boxers? Not that I need to know, but I'm just curious.

Hey it was Ewan...Kai's bloody lucky that he was wearing anything!

Maybe it was also because the con was staged against a major US holiday too, expensive to fly, hotels, etc.

Sam Jackson: Hey honey, how about this convention thing...
His Wife: ON THAT WEEKEND?
Sam: Well yeah...
His Wife: I don't think so, we're going to (fill in the blank with a fun and exotic place here) that weekend with (fill in the blank with various family members names he doesn't get to see but once a year maybe) and going to (fill in the blank with various fun things to do that don't involve hot lights, sweating fanboys, long waits in poorly cooled and stocked green rooms and security provided by pre puberscent computer geeks, unless wild amounts of liquor are supplied FREE and no photos or autographs please).
Sam: Well when you put it that way, DUUUUUH-UUUUHHHH-HHHHHUUUH! Never mind. *throws out con invitation* Now where did you put my super swimming suit, the one with the big S on it?


Ask me, we got off lucky with the weather too, it could a been a lot hotter. But of course, they will pick a snow bound venue for the next one, no doubt, probably Denver in February. Or maybe they will hold in it Orlando in JUNE/JULY just in time for the hurricane season. Brilliant.

WHO PLANS THESE????

/snit off

Oh, no. I'm already in enough trouble.

- Kai-Discretion-Is-The-Better-Part-of-Valor-Vandekar

*puts a dollar into Tionne's Therapy Jar*

WOOHOO!! I got a dollar!

I'm thinking maybe I should have saved and gone to CE instead of CIV and avoided some things that happened here.

-Tionne hindsight-is-20/20- Hawk

On the other hand, it was probably a lot healthier going to the con in predominantly non smoking California...

http://www.theforce.net/image_popup/image_popup_global.asp?image=http://www.collectinghq.com/im/0010126.jpg

No wonder Vader has problems breathing.

I was just perusing some of the pictures from Celebration Europe (they had way better sets than we did!) and Celebration IV. And I have to say that the hands-down scariest costume had to be that Burger King trooper. *shudder*

Yeah, they got the dang Dagoba swamp (fog effects and all) AND the Falcon lounge...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/starwarsblog/822797739/in/set-72157600822963083/

All we got was Jabba, and he was stuffed into the worst spot, right by the door. Should'a put him in the sparsely occupied fan hall, but nooooooo.

Okay, and the X Wing, but they had that at FIDM, Comic Con, etc. etc. Besides, nothing goes with ORANGE anyway, it's so yesterday.

/snivel off

Oh snap!!! That set is awesome!!!
Soooo many photo opportunities!!
*mutters and kicks desk* ow!

They also had a full sized Tantive IV hallway. With an opening door at the end!

Tantive Hallway

I don't know where these guys got their helmets, (those who are wearing helmets) but they look odd in the front. And some of them are way too high on their heads.

I must admit that after all the stuff from Celebration Europe, I am feeling we North Americans more or less got dissed by TPTB.

STILL had a great time, STILL would go to another one. But...yeah. Drat.

Oh oh! This is an opportunity to randomly spam you all with a piccie from CIV of me and my fellow Knights of the Old Republic Sith! W00t! Because I can, that's why... (Original photo by thecloneemperor.)

- Kai

[image=http://pics.livejournal.com/scendan/pic/001wspb6/s640x480.jpg]

NIIIICE pic Kai! You all look quite evil indeed. Brava!

Thought I'd chime in here. Man, I wish I had gone! It seemed to be more fan-friendly, rather than vendor-friendly. Having been to all four Celebrations, I feel like my streak has been broken in a way. If I had gone, I would've gone for at least a week, just to go around England again. I love London, and I would've brought my Beatle boots for the train ride to Liverpool! Maybe even dress in costume and reenact the "Abbey Road" album cover. Speaking of which, I love Randy Martinez's artwork for CE - being it's 40th anniversary, he made a Star Wars "Sgt. Pepper" cover tribute, and the program measures 12" x 12", just like an LP!

It's funny how the London Symphony Orchestra performed at CE, while John Williams was in LA that same weekend. As far as guests, I would've liked to have seen Mark, Garrick, and Denis for a "Red flight" reunion, a panel with Ian and Frank Oz, and Hayden, Natalie, Mark and Carrie, even for just a photo op!

At least Hayden and Sam will be at Comic-Con at the same panel. I know some of the artists at CE will be at Comic-Con. I wonder if they'll be selling some unsold art. I really want that TIE Fighter pilot one by Cat Staggs!

Have fun at CC, Matt. I'm thinking now I should have skipped CIV and gone to CE. That might have been more fun and definitely an adventure! That TIE pilot poster was amazing!! I want one!!