Category: Star Wars
-

From Memory to Flash Fiction
—
by
in A Bridge Too Far (1977 film), Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Star Wars, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two MoviesHow a 4K Disc of A Bridge Too Far Sparked the Fourth Jim Garraty Story Yesterday, I wrote about finally ordering the 4K UHD release of A Bridge Too Far — a movie that has been part of my personal mythology since the summer of 1977. I thought the post would be nothing more than…
-

On Writing and Storytelling: The Movies That Built Jim Garraty (and, Let’s Be Honest, Me Too)
—
by
in A Bridge Too Far (1977 film), Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Casablanca (1942), Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 40th Anniversary Edition, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Films by Steven Spielberg, Garratyverse, Indiana Jones Movies, Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (2012 Blu-ray Set), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Movies, Movies & Television, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Star Wars, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Summer of ’42 (1971), Superman: The Movie, The Longest Day (1962), West Side Story (1961 Film)🎬 The Movies That Built Jim Garraty (and, Let’s Be Honest, Me Too) Somewhere in the middle of revisiting old scenes from Reunion, I stumbled onto a realization that made me laugh out loud: Jim Garraty’s 1983 movie shelf is basically a psychological X‑ray of who he was at seventeen — and who I was,…
-

Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Billy Joel, Blogging, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, John Williams (Composer), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in the United States, Music & Concert Specials, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Star Wars, WordPress, Writing as a CraftGetting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist Every so often, Kymber posts another round of her “Getting to Know You” questions, and I always enjoy jumping in. Round #75 landed this week, so here are my answers — equal parts honest, reflective, and lightly caffeinated. 1. What drives you…
-
Three Masters, One Scene: Hasbro’s Jedi Council 1 Pack
Hasbro Star Wars Saga Scene Pack: Jedi Council 1 One of the most fascinating aspects of the Star Wars prequel trilogy is the glimpse it offers into the Jedi Order during the final years of the Old Republic. Audiences were introduced to the inner workings of the Jedi High Council, the Code that guided their…
-

Music Album Review: ‘Holst: The Planets’
Holst – The Planets: Chicago Symphony Orchestra/James Levine Label: Deutsche Grammophon Released: 1991 Genre: Classical/Symphonic Review: Holst’s The Planets – A Celestial Tapestry in Seven Movements Two years before Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet status (not that Pluto minds, I suspect), I wrote an earlier version of this reflection on Gustav Holst’s The Planets,…
-

Book Review: ‘Star Wars: Cloak of Deception’ (2001)
Star Wars: Cloak of Deception By: James Luceno Publisher: Del Rey/Penguin Random House Year of Publication: 2001 (First Edition), 2002 (Paperback) Genre: Space Fantasy/Politics, Star Wars (Legends) Publisher’s Blurb: From New York Times bestselling author James Luceno comes an all-new Star Wars adventure that reveals the action and intrigue unfolding directly before Episode I: The Phantom Menace.Mired in greed…
-

Book Review: ‘Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – The Illustrated Screenplay’
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – The Illustrated Screenplay By: George Lucas Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine Books Year of Publication: 1999 Genre: Film, Space Fantasy, Star Wars, Screenplay I first fell under the spell of screenplays in the spring of 1980 when I discovered Carol Titleman’s The Art of Star Wars—a treasure trove of…
-

42 Years Ago, in a High School Not So Far Away (A Tempus Fugit Gig)
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Billy Joel, Blogging, Cold War (1945-1991), Computers, John Williams (Composer), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Personal History, Personal Thoughts, Personal Thoughts, South Miami Senior High School, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Tempus fugit, U.S. History42 Years Ago, in a High School Not So Far Away…. Late Morning, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 — Miami, Florida “It was only high school, after all—arguably one of the most bizarre periods in a person’s life. How anyone emerges well-adjusted is nothing short of a miracle.” — E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly A…
-

The Force is with Me on a Sultry South Florida Sunday
—
by
in Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges, 1944, John Williams (Composer), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the Tampa Bay area, Movies, Reunion Duology, Reunion: Coda, Star Wars, Star Wars Day, Star Wars Radio Dramas, The Complete Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Radio Dramas, William Shakespeare's Star WarsLate Morning, Sunday, May 4, 2025, Miami, Florida Hello, everyone! It’s another hot and humid South Florida morning as I begin May the Fourth Be With You Day 2025. The current temperature is 82°F (28°C) under partly sunny conditions. With the wind blowing from the south-southeast at 10 MPH (16 Km/H) and humidity at 69%,…
