It is apparently accepted as Star Wars canon that the Rebel Alliance was in its beginning stages in Episode IV. Lucas reportedly decided against creating the Alliance in Episode III for that reason; my guess is that he wanted to highlight the fact that the Emperor did in fact create the peace he said he was after, even though it was a very despotic sort of peace, and that the rebellion didn't start for a good two decades. The prequel trilogy is, as Lucas has said, about how a democracy turns into a dictatorship, like happened in Rome under Augustus. He abolished the Senate and actually created a pretty peaceful state, though he did some evil, evil crap in the making of it.

I am pro-Miyazaki and looking forward to Howl's Moving Castle, too.

I finished an interesting book the other day that would be a really incredible (albeit more adult-oriented) subject for Miyazaki: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. It has that same "spirit world hovering right beneath the surface of the mundane" idea that Miyazaki pursued in Spirited Away and Totoro, although it's somewhat darker and more complex than his usual subject matter. Maybe it's just that my conception of modern Japanese life is completely drawn from Miyazaki's movies.

Herbie: Fully Loaded looks kinda fun.

I thought so too, Aimee, in a Netflix/Cable kind of way.

It is apparently accepted as Star Wars canon that the Rebel Alliance was in its beginning stages in Episode IV. Lucas reportedly decided against creating the Alliance in Episode III for that reason.

Too bad he didn't actually follow the MOVIE canon, like the fact (as stated in RotJ) that Leia knew her mother.

I have no interest in seeing the new SW flick (watched the first two of the original trilogy and I *think* I must have watched the third one, but have next to nothing memory of the thing. Can't even remember what Ewoks looked like, which may be a blessing from what I hear), but I kind of want to see War of the Worlds, because the trailer looks wicked cool. I don't have the big Cruise hate-on most people have, although I freely admit that he has scary teeth.

Signed, Liked Minority Report and Cried At A.I. despite being pissed at the emotional manipulation

Yay, Vonnie! I don't have a Cruise hate-on either, I loved Minority Report, and I liked most of A.I., though the webgame was way better.

Too bad he didn't actually follow the MOVIE canon, like the fact (as stated in RotJ) that Leia knew her mother.

The line about Leia says regarding what she remembers of her mother is, "Just... images, really. Feelings." She says that her mother died when she was young, but not that she remembered this happening or that she actually remembers her mother. The phrasing of the line suggests that her knowledge of Padme is through her connection to the Force, which makes sense given that that scene with Luke is very much about her coming to terms with her nature especially that she's felt the Force before. If it's a continuity error, it's one that can be retconned in a fairly benign fashion.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Corwood, a friend just recommended that book to me but when I asked what it was about he very cryptically said "I'm not going to tell you, you just have to read it knowing nothing about it". So I'm torn about getting it. Is it interesting in a "wow, that's good" way or in a "wow, I'm depressed" way.

In looking at Allieann's summer movie list, I realize that I've seen ads or trailers for many of them but they haven't stuck in my head. I've seen the Fantastic Four trailer at least twice, you'd think it would have at least registered. I'm sorta dreading Madagascar because Dreamworks is hit-and-miss with animation for me (loved Shrek I, so-so about Shrek II, hated Shark Tails). I had forgotten about Lords of Dogtown, filming of it caused tons of detours between home and work, causing me to be very late to work several days. I've seen the trailer and at least 4 ads for it in the last couple of weeks... my brain she is a marketing sieve!

Corwood, a friend just recommended that book to me but when I asked what it was about he very cryptically said "I'm not going to tell you, you just have to read it knowing nothing about it". So I'm torn about getting it. Is it interesting in a "wow, that's good" way or in a "wow, I'm depressed" way.

I don't think I would have presented it that way, but the plot is definitely confusing and hard to summarize. Here's my short review: [link]

Edit: oh, to answer your question: good, not depressing.