Apparently having not read any reviews, heard any criticism, or watched the actual film, George Lucas is, according to Harrison Ford in a recent Los Angeles Times interview, in “think mode” for a fifth Indiana Jones movie, based on the financial success of the last one.

And the destruction of all my childhood film nostalgia marches forward another step…

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Don LaFontaine died today at the age of 68. If you’re wondering who in the hell Don LaFontaine is, just imagine yourself in a darkened movie theater, watching a trailer where Bruce Willis will soon be blowing up lots of stuff, and the gravel-voiced announcer intones “In a world…”

That was him.

I know, it’s probably a little odd to post about the passing of a guy I’ve never met, couldn’t pick out of a lineup, and had to check the Internet to be sure of his name. He wasn’t a celebrity. He was familiar but not famous. So why the post? Because I’ve seen a lot of movies, probably even more trailers, and I always enjoyed—in a sort of background way—LaFontaine’s work. There were times I saw trailers for movies that I just knew were going to be utter crap, but hearing him sell it, I kind of thought, “Well, maybe…” And while there are plenty of other great announcers out there, it’s sad to think that I’ll never again see a trailer with his deep rumble behind it.

Rest in peace, Don.

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Sounds like David “I’m Not Mulder, Dammit!” Duchovny has checked himself into rehab to combat sex addiction. Wow, a guy who’s addicted to sex. I think I personally know at least eighty-five guys who would fit that definition.

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The Digital Bits is reporting there’s a new batch of Star Wars DVDs—prequels and originals—on the horizon, slated for release just in time for holiday shopping. I kind of perked up when I read that. Could this at long last be the original non-SE trilogy, fully remastered on DVD the way it should be? Have they found some new behind-the-scenes footage or deleted scenes? Or could it be… The entire saga on Blu-ray? Star Wars in high definition?!

Nope. What it is is a shameless cash grab by Lucas to try and milk a few more bucks out of his rapidly tiring franchise from unwary shoppers. These discs, according to the Bits, are the EXACT SAME discs that were released previously, just in different packaging. That’s it. No new content. No new transfers. No new extras. But if they make them look different, people might just buy them, thinking there’s something new.

So, George, if you’re reading, do me a favor. Step away from the computer, go to the nearest mirror, look yourself deep in the eyes, and repeat this phrase: “I have enough money.” Keep doing that until you believe it and you stop asking fans to keep re-buying the same stuff over and over.

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Hollywood lost a legend Sunday with the death of effects wizard Stan Winston at the age of 62 after a seven-year battle with multiple myeloma, a cancer of blood plasma cells. Winston was responsible for some of the most memorable creature effects in modern cinema, including Aliens, Predator, the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, Terminator, Edward Scissorhands, and most recently Iron Man.

I’ve always loved movies and still have a penchant for sci-fi and horror. If I saw Winston’s name on the credits on the latest film I’d just plunked down my cash to see, I knew, if nothing else, I’d be getting some quality effects work. I even dragged a few friends to a midnight showing of his creature-feature directorial debut, Pumpkinhead, just based on the fact that Winston was directing. Not a great film, but we still had a lot of fun, and isn’t that why you go to a movie in the middle of the night?

So from that dorky teen who once sat in a darkened theater and watched a metallic killing machine, an intergalactic hunter, an army of xenomorphs, and a park full of dinosaurs–who watched, was amazed, entertained, inspired, and believed every second of it all–thank you, Stan, and rest in peace.

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