The Indiana Jones Handbook

In "The Indiana Jones Handbook," Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese poke their tongues-in-their-cheeks to provide a guide to the film franchise just in time for the release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." | 05/02/08 12:41:55 By - Tish Wells

Anything For A Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots and October Surprises in U.S. Presidential Campaigns

For students of political history, up-and-coming politicians or anyone watching the current election manipulations, "Anything For a Vote" will strike a chord.

Joseph Cummins tells in an easy-to-read style the history of presidential races with all the slander, mud-slinging, character assassination and vote-stealing from 1789 up to the present. | 12/26/07 18:29:42 By - Tish Wells

"Star Wars Vault" - a treasure trove of marketing

Now 30 years old, the movie "Star Wars" is so integrated into popular culture that Vice President Dick Cheney jokes that being called iconic arch-villain Darth Vader was "one of the nicer things I've been called recently." | 10/31/07 12:45:49 By - Tish Wells

New exhibit serves up the dish on presidents' china

Even presidents have to eat, and a new exhibit in the nation's capital shows what they ate on. "The Presidential Dish: Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and the White House China Room" opens Sunday at the Woodrow Wilson House museum in Washington. | 09/13/07 14:02:00 By - Tish Wells

`The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story behind the Original Film' by Jonathan W. Rinzler

In "The Making of Star Wars: the Definitive Story," Jonathan W. Rinzler has gone back into the archival materials at Skywalker Ranch and produced a hefty, and pricey, art book crammed with newly unearthed interviews; early, crudely drawn sketches of now-classic spaceships; and unpublished photographs. | 06/13/07 12:54:50 By - Tish Wells

Revolutionary `Star Wars': Fan recalls opening day

On May 25, 1977, "Star Wars" opened at a theater in Washington, D.C., and my life changed. I had just finished my freshman year at New York's Pratt Institute and had heard of the film. A veteran reader of science fiction, I'd picked up the book, read it and become an enthusiast. | 06/13/07 14:53:00 By - Tish Wells

`How to Tell If Your Boyfriend Is the Antichrist' by Patricia Carlin

"How to Tell If Your Boyfriend Is the Antichrist" is a flippant ladies' guide to boyfriends. It's one of those small books on display beside the checkout that catch your attention, are perused and prompt comments like "I know this guy!" | 04/17/07 12:00:21 By - Tish Wells

Documentaries demonstrate the clout of die-hard film fans

When more than 200 self-recruited Star Wars Stormtroopers march in the Rose Bowl parade on New Years Day behind creator George Lucas, theyll be demonstrating once again that a loyal fan base can complement the power and staying power of the entertainment that they celebrate. | 12/04/06 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells

Small exhibit to keep museum in public eye during renovation

The Smithsonians National Museum of American History announced Tuesday that it has winnowed its vast collection of objects down to 150 greatest hits for display at the nearby Air and Space Museum while the history museum shuts down until 2008 for an extensive renovation. Among items making the cut are composer and musician Duke Ellingtons score for Mood Indigo, Muhammad Alis bright red Everlast boxing gloves, an 1851 Singer sewing machine and the original Kodak camera. | 08/22/06 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells

Iconic modern American illustrator Tim Hildebrandt dies

Tim Hildebrandt, half of the famed Hildebrandt Brothers illustration studio, whose images fired popular imagination in the late 20th century, is dead from complications of diabetes. He was 67. He and his twin, Greg Hildebrandt, are probably best known for their illustrations and posters for The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. | 06/16/06 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells

Iraqi educators praise new virtual science library

A new U.S.-designed virtual science library for Iraqi universities is a big hit with Iraqi researchers and students, who for decades went without up-to-date journals or studied abroad where they could find them. The Internet-based library already has 800 registered users. It allows free or virtually free access to thousands of scientific journals as well as databases at the U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture and the Web site Science.gov. | 05/03/06 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells and Zaineb Obeid

Exhibition, book reveal storytelling power of `Star Wars' costumes

George Lucas created the Star Wars universe in black and white, essentially. Princess Leia, in the virginal white dress, was good. Darth Vader, in the black plastic variant of a Nazi helmet, was evil. When Lucas returned to making Star Wars movies in 1995, however, he brought with him a richer and more literate imagination not to mention far deeper pockets for costume budgets. Many costumes from both periods will be on display in a new book and in an upcoming Star Wars costume exhibition opening in Los Angeles in September, and in a runway presentation at New Yorks Fashion Week in September. All provide rich insight into the storytelling that costumes did for Lucas. | 08/24/05 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells

`Star Wars Revelations' a sophisticated fan film

In the original Star Wars, the Imperial military leader Grand Moff Tarkin tells head baddie Darth Vader, The Jedi are extinct; their fire has gone out of the universe. Not for the makers of Star Wars Revelations, an amateur fan film to be released Monday over the Internet. Its part of a growing video genre produced by devoted viewers and made possible by affordable cameras, computer graphics and editing technologies. All are labors of love, and viewable free since theyre based on intellectual property that belongs to the copyright owners, in this case Star Wars creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm. | 04/12/05 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells

No films draw fan filmmakers like `Star Wars'

Star Wars has lured fan filmmakers since 1977. It started even before the fan-film genre had its name with Hardware Wars, a parody that opened with steam irons flying through space and facing off against intergalactic toasters. The 1978 film sort of set the mark for how funny and how clever people could be making a parody out of Star Wars, said Steve Sansweet, the director of content and fan relations for Lucasfilm. | 03/14/05 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells

A `Star Wars' fan film is born

Why would anyone max out credit cards, take a second mortgage and spend three years making a movie that can never earn a cent? For the creators of Star Wars Revelations, it was the love of Star Wars and the chance to make an independent film. After Shane Felux borrowed his wifes lightsaber, shot himself wielding it in his back yard using his computers webcam and made the blade glow using a fancy computer-graphics program, he and his wife knew they couldn't stop.. | 03/14/05 03:00:00 By - Tish Wells