Star Wars Episode VIII title and other stuff

Well today in the Star Wars world some big news hit as the title for Episode VIII was finally announced. Yes folks, we have a name, the next movie in the franchise will be called The Last Jedi. Personally I like it and it fits in with some of the hints at the story that will unfold in this episode.

Don't forget, of course, that Jedi is both a singular and a plural! *grin*

We also got the first poster for the newly reveiled title:

Here's what Mark Hammil had to say about the title:

Daisy Ridley posted this on her Facebook page:

Watch out readers, the hype is real and will start building from now!

In other news Rogue One has now passed the one billion dollar mark at the box office making it an amazing success. Talking of Rogue One, The Star Wars Show has just done a wonderful episode on some of the easter egg secrets in the film. Don't watch this if you still haven't seen Rogue One. If you haven't then why not? LOL


Zen Studios have just announced that they have a new game coming out, Star Wars Pinball: Rogue One. I've quite enjoyed their previous Star Wars themed pinball games so am hopeful that this one will meet the same high standards. Here's a few screen shots:

We've also just seen the release of the synopsis of the new Thrawn novel, another reason to get VERY excited. You might remember my squeals of delight when Thrawn was brought out from Legends status to appear in Star Wars Rebels and so to have a new 'canon' book is amazing.

In this definitive novel, readers will follow Thrawn’s rise to power—uncovering the events that created one of the most iconic villains in Star Wars history.  

One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating characters in the Star Wars universe, from his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire, through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond. But Thrawn’s origins and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Timothy Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power—and infamy.  

After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated. On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy. 

All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral—and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy.

So that's the end of my latest Star Wars update. I'll leave you all with this wonderful fan made trailer for the Star Wars Saga:

Homemade veggie breakfast and Holy Hell

It was one of those days today where we had a hankering for things that were not in the house. Toni really fancied hash browns so I suggested we just go and make our own variant, which we did. Potatoes were peeled, parboiled and put through the ricer and then we mixed with some onion to create some patties:

Some mushrooms were thrown in the oven to cook and then we moved back onto our Glitz potato cakes.

Chuck them all in to get nicely browned on both sides:

Throw in some eggs and a wonderful veggie breakfast looks something like this

I spent about an hour doing some tech support for mum who was having some issues with internet connection which turned out to be most likely a problem with her service provider.

Our afternoon was spent in the company of Ed Byrne and his Different Class show. We'd not watched any of his stand up before and were delighted to find that he is very funny.

Later in the evening Toni went and had a bath and I watched Holy Hell a documentary made by a former member of the Buddhafield cult. My interest in cults began with Jonestown and has expanded since through Branch Davidians, Heaven's Gate and Children Of God etc. It's fascinating to see how these leaders manage to captivate people enough to brainwash them and take them away from their normal lives to live in their shadows.

If, like me, you have any sort of interest in cults then this documentary is definitely worth checking out.

Star Wars Destiny and Backstrom

Toni was off doing some stuff today so Sam and I extended our playing of Star Wars Destiny and did some deck building prior to having a game. We even dragged out our game mat for this one.

I'm not really a fan of deck building stuff but it is actually fun for Star Wars Destiny so I can see me sticking with this one. The game was really close and came down to the finally turn with Sam just managing to squeeze out the victory. I really enjoyed it though.

We also discovered a new TV series called Backstrom that popped up on the banners on Netflix. We watched episode one and thought that it showed great promise with some good characters and humour.

It's definitely one that we will be watching more of.


Toni made the most amazing veggie dinner and we chilled out and caught up with some TV stuff and then the New York Rangers 5 - 2 over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Having a giraffe

No this isn't the return of the large giraffe on the train. This refers to the old cockney rhyming slang.

Following on from listing lots of items on eBay I had someone contact me about some of the items that I am selling and they enquired what else I might have that they could be interested in that wasn't listed yet. I spent a fair bit of time taking pictures and logging it all in a spreadsheet for them to take a look at. I then received a list of what they wanted with an enquiry in to how much I would be asking.

I did a quick scan on eBay for current prices and then did some good discounting to make my asking price seem attractive. The cheeky person then had the cheek to offer me less than half of what I was asking on the basis that they had seen some items that I was selling go for bugger all on eBay. Whilst this might have been the case the current situation was that those same items were currently listed on eBay NOT for bugger all but for reasonable prices (that I had generously discounted).

Needless to say I was not impressed with their attempt at having a giraffe and have decided that I'll be listing everything on eBay and will take my chances on there rather than accepting what was frankly quite an insulting offer. Bloody sharks everywhere I tell you!

Listing stuff on eBay

I've been listing a load of stuff on eBay to start some serious decluttering. There's a load of Star Wars comics and games up for grabs as my starter for ten as well as some lovely Judge Dredd items.

Please pop along and see if there is anything you fancy on there, lots more to come!
Check them out here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ktglitz/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Fantastic news!!

Well I've been sitting on this for a while. I am now officially allowed to announce that we are going to be grandparents again. It's so nice to be able to share this news. Congratulations to Sophie.

Star Wars updates and playing Destiny

I thought it was about time I did a few Star Wars updates as lots of little things have been floating around over the last week. The big news over the weekend is that Lucasfilm have made a formal statement to say that there will NOT be any CGI version of Carrie Fisher in Episode IX or any other Star Wars films.

The full statement said,

"We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa. 

"Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars."

I thought they did a good job of creating Tarkin and the young Princess Leia in Rogue One I personally had no issue with them moving to CGI to keep Leia in Episode IX especially as Carrie was apparently delighted with what they did in Rogue One.

My worry is that they had completed filming Episode VIII and Leia apparently has a big role so how will they explain her absence in Episode IX? Have her die between films and then just have a ceremony to cover it in Episode IX? That would be lame and unacceptable to me and I certainly don't want some wishy-washy 'she went away' ruse. Time will tell how they handle this but I hope it is done well and in a respectful manner if they are avoiding the CGI route.

Talking of Episode VIII, director Rian Johnson has revealed a few things for us (not spoilers as such...). The film does already have a title but this hasn't been revealed to the world yet. We will learn more about the new characters that first appeared in The Force Awakens. Luke Skywalker is the 'emotional entry point' into Episode VIII. Rey will develop a strong connection to Luke. The film isn't planning on taking a darker route a la The Empire Strikes Back and will emphasise fun and be an enjoyable experience.

Time to pop back to The Force Awakens now with an awesome deleted scene. Given what we see in A New Hope I don't know why this would have hit the cutting room floor other than the question of how and why Unkar Plutt was at Maz Kanata's castle. I love this scene and it certainly provides verifies the famous Han Solo quote from A New Hope. Enjoy!


In Han Solo movies news it has now been confirmed that Woody Harrelson and although these things are always shrouded in secrecy he has been allowed to reveal that he will be playing a mentor to the young Han Solo (and a bit of a criminal).

Felicity Jones recently hosted Saturday Night Live. Although there were no sketches related to Star Wars she did manage to drop some Star Wars references into her opening monologue.


Next up we have an incredible video from an upcoming episode of Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest where he is reunited with his lightsaber from Return Of The Jedi:




If you like your mobile Star Wars games then you will be pleased to know that Star Wars: Force Arena was released today and is available on Android and iOS.

It's not a bad little game, I've had a quick play through and it seems like fun in the short term. Here's a first impressions video (not mine)


Sam and I indulged in a couple of games of Star Wars Destiny tonight. It's a combination of card and dice game that plays really well. Simple to learn and execute, just how I like games.

It was good fun and we'll be trying out the deck building element at the weekend to see what difference that makes to play (and the enjoyment).

...and don't forget everyone, piracy is a crime ;)

Nuts and seeds, visits and WWE UK Championship Tournament final

Yesterday we bought a selection of nuts and seeds so that I could make my own little snack pile. There's a funny story attached to this. I mixed them altogether and had a few nibbles last night. I was talking to Toni about them first thing this morning and said that I wasn't 100% sure about the sunflower seeds because they tasted a bit woody. She asked if I had shelled them. "They don't need to be shelled," was my response. Well, it turns out they did! I'd never had them before and so just assumed that they were good to eat straight out of the packet, DOH! I then had to separate the sunflower seeds from the rest so that I could start shelling them.

Toni and I made a trip to Eltham to get some things from Holland & Barrett. We did laugh when we found packets of sunflower seeds that really were good to go. Obviously we didn't need to buy any as I have lots at home that can be eaten (eventually). We did get some pumpkin seeds to go in the pot though.

When we got back I said about completing my nuts and seeds mix. This is the finished result.

I did spend a lot of time shelling some sunflower seeds. I've decided that they are more effort than they are worth though so here is the ones that will not be making into phase one:

We had a visit from Nick (who was collecting stuff for Zoe) who stayed for a cuppa and long chat about technical IT stuff much to the disgust of Zoe and Toni. This was then followed by Bob popping by to sort out some admin stuff and make use of our printer. It's been a busy old day.

Toni popped out to see Jade so I settled down to watch the WWE UK Championship Tournament. Once again the talent showed that they were deserving of their places in the Quarter Finals. It was a lovely touch (well blatant product placement) with announcers Michael Cole and Nigel McGuinness both sporting Blue Peter badges (not pins Mr Cole) after the cameras had highlighted Blue Peter presenter Radzi in the audience.

The semi finals were good with Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate making it through to the final. Dunne then blindsided Bate and gave him a working over which will put him at a disadvantage for the final. It was later announced that Bate had sustained an injury but would continue (thus creating the classic underdog scenario). The penultimate match was Wingnut (sorry, Neville) against Tommy End with both guys getting a massive pop from the crowd.

The final was absolutely incredible. It's probably a contender for match of the year and it's only January! It felt like things were going Dunne's way but I was delighted that after numerous near misses 19 year old Tyler Bate pulled off the victory and was crowned the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion.

Walking, Imperial Assault, WWE UK Championship Tournament

Toni and I had a nice walk today up to the Turkish shop for vegetable provisions. We keep finding really nice things in there and it was difficult not to go crazy. We did pick up a few treats though like pickled garlic and some olives and stuffed peppers.

Lunch was made up of some dips and various vegetable things. Even though the idea of a bacon sandwich was very appealing I have to confess that I feel much better taking the healthy option. Who'd have thunk it eh? LOL

Toni was out to one of her groups in the evening so Sam, Tristan and I had a round of Imperial Assault. It was good to blow the dust off of the box and play it again. Sadly Tristan's Imperials beat the Rebels that Sam and I were playing.

Tristan headed off bome and Sam disappeared upstairs to game so I watched the first night of the WWE UK Championship Tournament. Have to say that it was quite an impressive show with some great talent on display from around the United Kingdom. One of my favourites didn't make it through due to a controversial finish but sadly there is no video review in these things. Can't wait to see the remaining matches tomorrow night.

Goodbye snow

Sadly I woke up to find that we hadn't been blessed with lots more snow. Instead most of it had melted away and everything was now very icy. I was most unimpressed. We did have some snow come down while I was at work but sadly everything was too wet and so none of it settled at all.

Goodbye snow, missing you already.

A little snow

It was very wet all day at work today and was chucking it down when I left to come home. I was pleased to see though that through the downpour was also a large amount of large snow flakes. It was too wet in central London for things to settle but it was a different story back at home.

I love snow. Sadly it was nowhere near as heavy as the evening progressed but at least we had some. I really hope that we'll have another massive falling overnight but I won't hold my breath. Fingers crossed I wake up to a fresh and crispy snowscape.

A night of Star Wars Battlefront

Toni was out tonight and Sam was busy gaming with friends so I decided to crank up the PS4 and indulge in some multiplayer fun with Star Wars Battlefront.

I started off with a couple of games on the Bespin DLC before seeing out the night with Rogue One: Scarif missions. I'll be the first to admit that I'm still not brilliant at these fast paced online multiplayer shooters but I have improved. I didn't come last at all which was a real novelty for me.  

Despite my own limitations playing the game I love it. It is visually stunning and obviously there is the draw of it being Star Wars which is probably what makes me stick with it. 

The Devil's Chair

A while ago my friend Keith had supplied me with a pile of what we consider budget horror films, most of which we had never heard of before. Tonight Sam and I made a start on them with the suspiciously named The Devil's Chair.

With a pocketful of drugs, Nick West takes out his girlfriend Sammy, for a good time. When they explore an abandoned asylum, the discovery of a bizarre device, a cross between an electric chair and sadistic fetish machine, transforms drugged-out bliss into agony and despair. After Sammy is brutally assaulted and murdered by unseen forces, Nick becomes the number-one suspect. Years pass and Nick, who had been locked up in a mental hospital, is released into the care of eminent psychiatrist Dr. Willard, who is hell-bent on exposing the truth behind the killing. Accompanied by Dr. Willard and several of his students, Nick returns to the scene of the crime. However, the decrepit asylum hides a blood-drenched secret.

The Devil's Chair was way better than it should have been. scoring 4.9/10 on IMDB put it in good stead to be awful but it stood up pretty well. We had a good level of gore early on to get things moving and plenty more later and the plot was acceptable with a nice little twist upon twist upon twist. The ending is clever in a very strange way.

With a little caution I do say that this is probably worth a recommendation (maybe)

Scream Queens and The Exorcist season finales

Sam and I finally got round to catching up on a couple of season finales that we had been waiting to watch since before Christmas.

First up was the amusing Scream Queens. Season two rounded off with an excellent episode building well on the plot so far and ended on a nice little twist.

If you want to know more then here's a quick trailer and a link to the website: www.fox.com/scream-queens


Next up was the end of season one of The Exorcist. Based on the classic film this dark and gritty series stayed true to the source material and came to a wonderful climax at the end (if you'll pardon the expression).

If you like things dark and you like horror the The Exorcist is definitely worth a watch. If you need convincing then here's a trailer and website: www.fox.com/the-exorcist

Sadly neither show has been confirmed for renewal at the this moment in time. I would certainly be happy to see them both continue and Scream Queens ended in a way that could easily continue into season three and The Exorcist can also logically progress into a second season. Fingers crossed and all that jazz that the execs at Fox give the green light to both shows.

Walking, Empire v Rebellion and fun with the Lowes

Today started off with exercise. Wait, what? Yes you heard that correctly, exercise. Toni and I went to the local Turkish shop to get our body weight in vegetables and rather than drive or get the bus we decided to walk there and back again. It felt good to do it and we'll certainly be repeating it.

In the afternoon Sam and I had a run through of my Star Wars Empire vs Rebellion game. It's a quick to play card game that isn't hampered by the need to collect lots of expansion sets or spend hours building decks to play with. It just plays straight out of the box and is great fun.

After a delicious veggie meal we then hopped into the car and headed out to Essex to see Helen and Keith. Had to chuckle at this van en route, childish I know.....

After a catch up and sending the kids off to entertain themselves we had a really good drumming session to get us in the zone. We did some experimentation with different incense and oils and then a wonderful meditation working with crystals.

Their cat even dressed up for the occasion:

We had a brilliant evening and didn't end up heading home until the wee small hours. What a wonderful Saturday it was spent with family and friends.

Death Race 2000 reboots (2050 is coming)

Remakes and reboots seem to be the done things these days. We've had a reboot of the Death Race 2000 franchise with Death Race being an OK take on things which was followed by the less good Death Race 2 and Death Race 3: Inferno sequels.

I felt quite sad when I saw that we were going to get another reboot. There are those that hail the original Death Race 2000 as a classic. I'm not sure I'd go that far but it was enjoyable but doesn't really stand the test of time. It was interesting to see that the proposed Death Race 2050 carries the title Roger Corman's Death Race 2050 so with his involvement presumably there will be more than a passing nod to the original concept and style with him as producer.

The trailer actually looks like the film could be OK with it carrying a very camp style in keeping with the original rather than the updated dark and gritty take.

It's a straight to Blu-ray, DVD and streaming job but that doesn't mean it won't be worth watching.

Star Wars Rebels mid-season trailer

Star Wars Rebels starts up again this Saturday. We've already had some hints that Saw Gerrera will be putting in an appearance

The mid-season trailer they've just released though just has so much excitement in it and is going to make Rebels must watch TV if you are a Star Wars fan.

Gerera, Tarkin, Thrawn, Maul, Kenobi.......

Star Wars Rebels will bridge the gap nicely between Rogue One comedown and the soon to start hype for Episode VIII.

Forks Over Knives

Toni has been predominantly vegetarian for the lat year and has lost loads of weight as a result. My diet has improved somewhat in that time but still leaves quite a lot to be desired. Tonight we watched the Forks Over Knives documentary.

We've watched quite few documentaries about going vegetarian and why we shouldn't eat meat etc but this was the first one that contained all of the scientific reasons with real case studies as well. It wasn't just about how a plant based diet is good for you but also covered how moving to one can actually reverse the effects of years of abuse on the body from eating garbage. 

It was definitely food for thought if you'll pardon the expression. Toni is now looking at moving slowly to an almost vegan diet and I am going to work on cutting out more and more meat to move to a predominantly plant based diet. A slow transition should make this work rather than immediate abstention. Interesting times ahead, regular updates will follow....

Back to work time

Well it was back to work today. It was a struggle to get up. No matter how long I take off over the Christmas break the return in the New Year always feels a bit of a rush. I think in future I am going to look at taking at least one day off on the other side just to give the break an extension as there isn't enough time between New Year's Eve and going back to work to recover properly.

Thankfully it was all quite slow today so it was like being eased back in gently rather than everything running at a high pace straight away.

Let's Fly Free Spirits

As 2017 starts to take hold, shake off your worldly trappings, join us in spirit and let the magick flow free.

Hot trailers for 2017

2017 is shaping up to be a good one on the movie front. In no particular order here's a bunch of trailers for films that I am looking forward to.

Spider-Man Homecoming

Wonder Woman


Guardians Of The Galaxy 2


Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales


Logan (Wolverine 3)


Beauty And The Beast


Justice League


Kong Skull Island


Ghost In The Shell


Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets


Power Rangers


Full Metal Alchemist


Despicable Me 3

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my family friends. May 2017 bring you, love, kindness and peace