In 1943, Hans Scholl (Fabian Hinrichs) is the head of the student-based anti-war movement the ‘White Rose’ in Munich, Germany. In their quest to open the german populations’ eyes to the delusions of their blood-thirsty Führer with words, Hans decides to lay out a suitcase full of subversive pamphlets at their local Munich University, with the aide of his sister Sophie (Julia Jentsch). While lectures are being held inside, Hans and Sophie secretely distribute the copies at the pillars in the empty marble halls of the University. Waning themselves in success, they are caught by the caretaker who immediately informs the Gestapo. During the interrogations, Sophie tries to bluff her way out of her predicament, but she soon realizes that the evidence against them is condemning. And thus she stands by her principles and conscience, defying the Nazis even when she is sentenced to death for high treason in a mock trial.

Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage (the original title) by Marc Rothemund follows the true events surrounding the final days of Sophie Scholl, based on the newly uncovered interrogation protocolls from that February in 1943. The german film premiered over a year ago at the Berlin Film Festival and has been available on DVD in the german speaking parts of Europe for some time now. There are two reasons, however, why I feel this review is warranted at this particular time: Sophie Scholl - The Final Days is contending in the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ category at this year’s Oscars (March 5) and has recently opened in New York (February 17) and Los Angeles/California (February 24). The film won the jury prize at the ‘Berlinale’ and received the audience vote at the European Film Awards, while lead actress Julia Jentsch won best actress at the German Film Awards for her compelling portrayal of Sophie Scholl.

In essence, Sophie Scholl is the story of the classic martyr, the tale of a person beset with the choice between death and replacing the own ideals with the regime’s ideology. Sophie believes in freedom over war, in moral and conscience over of Nazi law, and once it is obvious that she can no longer talk herself out of the conclusive evidence presented to her by her interrogator Robert Mohr (Gerald Alexander Held), she takes a stand, fully aware of the common punishments employed against ‘traitors to the state’: “(Admitting her guilt to the interrogator) Yes. And I’m proud of it.” When she is allowed to say goodbye to her parents, she assures them not to worry, that she would do exactly the same again. In a heartbreaking scene, her parents tell Sophie how proud they are of their children for taking a stand, and Sophie in turn thanks them for their bravery.

What makes Sophie’s story even more tragic is the fact that she never was that active in the ‘White Rose’; in spite of agreeing with the resistance’s principals and the writings of her brother, she was rarely ever involved in the distribution of the flyers or in the anti-Hitler smearings on the city walls. Sophie was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but when she is asked to name the other active members in the ‘White Rose’ (the only real reason why the Nazi’s even bothered to interrogate her and her bother in the first place), a contribution which could lower her own penalty, she deflects the entire blame onto herself and her brother (who already confessed). Sophie even asks to receive the same degree of punishment as her brother in spite of her gender, again a potential life-saving factor in the trial.

Julia Jentsch delivers a shatteringly authentic acting performance of a Sophie Scholl who is fighting each second against the urge to breakdown and scream in agony (Jentsch and director Rothemund depict this tension in the character’s hands - which she tries to hide from the interrogator’s view - the only part of her that might betray her bravery). The film’s highlights include the four mezmerizing interrogations in which Jentsch and Held rise to dramatic heights. The lengthy dialogue driven scenes follow the real interrogation transcripts and are each shown in single unedited shots. The performances serve as break-throughs for both Julia Jentsch (who previously starred in Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei [english title: The Edukators], also a film about prevailing youth ideas) and the impeccable Gerald Alexander Held (who was also seen in the two other recent german WWII films Der Untergang [Downfall] and Napola).

Credit must also go out to Marc Rothemund and his crew, their film’s thematic resonance is made all the stronger thanks to the perfect technical treatment of the film. The accurately harsh and cold set designs by Patrick Brandt and Jo N. Schäfer are moodily captured by cinematographer Martin Langer, the piano-score by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek is emotionally gripping, and Rothemund’s sense for atmosphere and tension is exhillarating. You’ll feel agitated and strained throughout the film, despite knowing what’s inevitably coming in the end. The detachedness in that final scene (and I admit I had a sickening feelings in my stomach when I realized how the execution was going to take place) perfectly peaks an astounding and shocking film that is well deserved of audience interest outside of Germany.

Posted in Reviews •

Beowulf of the iron troop is a hardy individual, having taken quite a hefty kicking over the years courtesy of his sub-par portrayal across stage and screen. I think it’s fair to say that the King of the Geats is many things, but he is not a typecast French Highlander with the acrobatic skills of a Chinese tumbler (Beowulf 1999), nor is he a Spanish Arab surrounded by Fabio impersonators who has the ability to learn a foreign language merely by observing those around him (The 13th Warrior). His story should not be aggressively deconstructed and re-set in modern day London or the wild west for that matter. Beowulf is a noble, vain and bloodthirsty bastard from the sixth century who likes drinking real ale and gets a kick out of fucking-up monsters with his proto-Vulcan death grip. Fortunately though, for those who prefer an unapologetic Scandinavian Prince clad in rattling war shirt, ale-cup in hand, 2007 promises to be the year when the definitive re-telling of the story hacks its way into your local multiplex.
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Posted in Commentary, Movies •

The story about the genious and lethal perfumier Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was originally released in 1985, and since then Patrick Süskind’s novel Perfume: Story of a Murderer (original german title: Das Parfüm) has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 42 different languages. In 2001, german producer Bernd Eichinger (The Never Ending Story, The Name of the Rose, Downfall, Resident Evil, Fantastic Four) successfully acquired the rights to the film adaptation, which he subsequently laid into the hands of the talented german director Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run, Heaven). Together they managed to attach an array of international actors to the project, including Dustin Hoffman (as Guiseppe Baldini), Alan Rickman (as Antoine), Rachel Hurd-Wood (as Laure Richis; Hurd-Wood played Wendy in 2003’s Peter Pan) and UK born Ben Wishaw (as Grenouille; Wishaw might be known to some for his role as Sidney in Layer Cake).

The story is set in the south of France in mid 18th century. The boy Jean-Baptise Grenouille grows up in an orphanage after his mother is hanged for trying to dispose of her unwanted child. Jean-Baptiste can barely speak, but he is gifted with an extraordinary olfactory sense. At the age of thirteen he is sold to a tannery where he works under the harshest conditions, growing into a young man in the midst of stinking chloride-filled basins. During his first visit to Paris, he is attracted to a perfume sales woman. But because he cannot articulate himself, and because he feels disturbed by the passing people, he covers her mouth with his hands and unwantingly suffocates her. His initial sense of joy over smelling her lovely perfume is thus soon replaced by the realization that he cannot hold on to that scent. This premise leads to Grenouille’s gruesome quest of trying to create the irrisistable scent, by distilling the scent of living things and preserving it into an essence.

One of the major concerns over the film adaptation regards its ability to convey the importance of scents in the book onto the screen. Constantin Film has now released the first teaser trailer for the film which, in an adequately creepy fashion, captures the focus on smells quite impressively. You can judge for yourself by downloading the file via the following link:

Perfume: Story of a Murderer - Teaser Trailer (Quicktime, 5.8MB)

In addition to this, you can also view the first official movie still below (click on the image to load a bigger sized version):

Perfume: Story of a Murderer is scheduled to premiere in Germany in September later this year, from where it will expand to neighbouring European countries within the following two months. The film will likely start its global theatrical run by the end of the year.

Posted in Commentary, Movies •

Timothy Zahn is the Hugo Award winning author of over 20 novels and 70 short stories. He is probably best known for his Star Wars books which include the acclaimed Thrawn trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command) and Hand of Thrawn duology (Specter of the Past and Vision of the Future), two series set several years after the classic Star Wars films (though both written before the Star Wars Prequels were released). Heir to the Empire was the first book that truly continued the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, and it also introduced new characters such as Grand Admiral Thrawn (who took over the reigns of the Empire following the demise of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader) and Joruus C’Baoth, the clone of a Jedi Master who went missing on an expedition to the Galaxy’s outer regions during the Clone Wars.
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Posted in Star Wars •

X-Realms.net can today offer an early peek at Dimension Films’ DOA: Dead or Alive with the first batch of high-quality images from the film. Director Corey Yuen’s (The Transporter 2) adaptation of the successful video game series stars Devon Aoki, Derek Boyer, Sarah Carter, Steve Howey, Kane Kosugi, Natassia Malthe, Matthew Marsden, Kevin Nash, Jaime Pressly, Silvio Simac, Holly Valance, Brian J. White and Eric Roberts, and is based on a script provided by Adam and Seth Gross (Devour).

Click on any of the shots below to load the bigger-sized version of the movie still:

Not much is known about the film’s plot at this point (and let’s be realistic: the plot isn’t what’s going to make or break this film), other than that it focuses on four female fighters in a competition to the death on an exotic island. It’s selling point should be that Corey Yuen brings years of experience as an action director/choreographer onto this project following his work on films such as Rise to Honor, Bulletproof Monk, Cradle 2 The Grave, The One, Kiss Of The Dragon, Romeo Must Die and even X-Men. And it stars a bunch of lovely femmes fatales, including the gorgeous Devon Aoki, who readers of our site are bound to remember as the lethal Miho in Robert Rodriguez’ Sin City.

DOA: Dead or Alive is scheduled for an August 2006 release.

Posted in Commentary, Movies •

In Wyoming in the summer of 1963, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) meet for the first time when they take jobs as sheep herders on Brokeback Mountain. While one of the men is to stay in their camp every night, the other secretely and illegally has to set up his tent by the grazing sheep, to keep a lookout for predatory animals. In the solitude and tranquility of the mountain, Ennis and Jack are suddenly gripped by a forceful and raw longing towards eachother one night after far too much whiskey. Although they go separate ways after the summer and both get married and have children, their relationship reignites four years later when they meet again, something that will be followed by frequent “fishing trips” (as they tell their wives) to Brokeback Mountain.

Director Ang Lee is a master when it comes to showing suppressed feelings on screen (cf. Sense and Sensibility), and it’s no different in this tale of a love that cannot triumph over society’s artificial boundaries. In this respect, Brokeback Mountain represents the classic love story, with the small twist that it stars two men as lovers. The film, as one might believe, is not the story of homosexual emancipation, however. The protagonists are much rather stuck in a perpetual state of speechlessness. In the aftermath of their first shared night, both Ennis and Jack declare that they are “not queer”. Not once do they name the feelings between them “love”, it’s simply “that thing”. And because they have no words to describe what’s happening, they have to use their hands, which is why they frequently beat each other up, and why their love scenes come across so violent. They have no control over it - a circumstance which was rather poignantly summed up in the film’s tagline love is a force of nature.

Ang Lee employs his trademark subtle approach to the material, his film is as silent and rugged as the scenery (which is beautifully and adequately captured by cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto). Which is very important, as the scenery not only serves as a backdrop, but a window into the souls of the main characters. Lee mentioned in an interview how this ties back to his chinese background: the non-impulsive upbringing of chinese children later leads to chinese artists frequently expressing their feelings, particularly romantic ones, via nature - an indirect approach they feel is more appropriate than in-your-face pathos. Lee works within this mentality, which is only fitting for this kind of film, as it corresponds with the general importance of scenery in westerns. The harmony and silence, as well as the storms and snow are always indicative of Ennis and Jack’s inner state, as much as Brokeback stands for the pair’s sole refuge as seen in the glimmering sunlight, but also their doom, hinted at with the mountain shrouded in clouds.

The silence is also manifest in the film’s central character Ennis, who’s very sullen and not at all good with words. And because he has no words for what happened up there, he has no way of placing his feelings for Jack, of putting them into some kind of perspective. He simply does not know what is happening to him, a feeling which violently shakes through his entire body and causes him to breakdown after he and Jack first separate. Heath Ledger is absolutely superb in this role. He very much underplays Ennis, and because his character is so scarce with words Ledger balances it out with facial expression and body language, giving Ennis a rough physical edge. When Ennis speaks it’s more of a mumbling, something that perfectly suits the character’s subdued demeanor.

The supporting cast is no less imposing. Jake Gyllenhaal does a brilliant Jack Twist, a character that stands in contrast to Ennis in many respects. Jack is far more assured about their love, far more open about what’s going on between them. It’s Jack who makes the first step after four years, and it’s Jack who envisions a future together for them, living peacefully on their own ranch. But even though Jack is more acceptant of his homosexuality (he still needs to saturate his craving for men when Ennis is not available), he remains tied to his wife. And in the end, it’s due to both characters’ lack of courage that they cannot find their happiness together, and in turn destroy that of everyone around them, most noticeably their wives. Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway (as Ennis’ and Jack’s wives respectively) give very strong performances, especially Williams. Her character Alma accidentally witnesses Ennis and Jack kissing, and she puts up with it, something she can understand even less than her husband. But it tears her apart inside, and her deterioration is reflected in her physical appearance, as she goes from her plain prettiness to a sour divorcée.

Brokeback Mountain is a sweeping romance, an epic about a love that cannot be put into words and is thereby doomed. Every scene is is showed with tranquil vigour and purposeful silence, more than once what gives the scenes their strength is not what is said or showed, but what is left out (take the scene of Ennis with Jack’s parents for an example of unbelieveably strong directing). A masterpiece, masterfully showed and told by Ang Lee.

Posted in Reviews •

With principal photography on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix having started under the helm of director David Yates this month, it’s time to revisit the realm of Harry Potter and summarize the latest news concerning the bespectacled young wizard and his adventures.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Release scheduled for May 2007 (US & UK)

The Returning Cast
The following cast members are confirmed to reprise their roles in the fifth film:
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry)
Rupert Grint (Ron)
Emma Watson (Hermione)
Julie Walters (Molly Weasley)
Katie Leung (Cho Chang)
Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort)
Jamie Waylett (Vincent Crabbe)
Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas)
James Phelps (Fred Weasley)
Oliver Phelps (George Weasley)
Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan)
Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley)
David Thewlis (Remus Lupin)
Most of the teenage cast has already begun filming, with the older members joining over the next few months.
Source: Veritaserum

The New Cast
The following new faces have signed on for Harry Potter 5:
Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge)
George Harris (Kingsley Shacklebolt)
Helen McCrory (Bellatrix Lestrange)
Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks)
Kathryn Hunter (Mrs. Figg)
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)
Michael Wildman (Magorian)
Robbie Jarvis (Young James Potter)
Charles Hughes (Young Wormtail)
Susie Shinner (Young Lily Evans)
Sian Thomas (Amelia Bones)
Richard Leaf (Dawlish)
Nick Shim (Zacharias Smith)
Jason Boyd (Piers Polkiss)
Richard Macklin (Malcolm)
Pictures of some of the new cast members can be viewed here and here.
Source: Veritaserum, CBBC Newsround

Is Gary Oldman in or out?
There has recently been quite some controversy regarding whether or not actor Gary Oldman will return as Sirius Black in Order of the Phoenix. Even though Sirius’ role in the story is far too important to be cut, Oldman has so far not been approached to reprise his role, according to his manager. Warner later refuted the manager’s comments, stating that they are currently in negotiations with the actor to start shooting his part in summer. Oldman’s manager however still insists that he and his client have had no word from Warner, forcing Oldman to seek other employment this summer.
Source: MuggleNet, CHUD

Dursleys definitely back
Following their omission from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Dursleys, Vernion, Petunia and Dudley, have been confirmed to return in the fifth film.
Source: CBBC Newsround

First Set Pictures
The first pictures from the set of Order of the Phoenix have surfaced online. They show Hagrid’s Hut being constructed and can be viewed here and here.
Source: Expecto-Patronum.com

Interview with Evanna Lynch
An interview with Evanna Lynch, the fifteen year old girl who beat out 15′000 fellow contestants for the role of the slightly loony Ravenclaw student Luna Lovegood, can be read here.
Source: Drogheda Independent

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (the fourth movie)
Theatrical release: 18 November 2005 (US & UK)

DVD Clips
Three clips from the upcoming Goblet of Fire DVD have been made available online by Warner. They can be viewed by using the following links:
Graphics in the Second Task
Preparing for the First Task Tower Stunt
Daniel Radcliffe Scuba Diving
The DVD is scheduled for release March 7.
Source: MuggleNet

Goblet of Fire fifth highest-grossing film
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has accumulated over $600 million outside of North America and is now ranked in fifth place of the highest-grossing films:
1. Titanic ($1200m)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($752m)
3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ($657m)
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ($616m)
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ($600m)
Source: MuggleNet

GOF wins Best Film at NME Awards
The fourth Harry Potter film was voted film of the year at the NME Awards. Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker, who had a cameo as the lead singer of the Weird Sisters during the Yule Ball scene in Goblet of Fire, attended the ceremony and picked up the award in the name of the cast and crew.
Source: MuggleNet

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (the sixth book)
Released in July 2005 (US & UK)

HBP nominated as Book of the Year
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been nominated by WH Smith as the ‘Book of the Year’. It will have to prevail against
Piers Morgan’s “The Insider”, Jamie Oliver’s “Jamie’s Italy”, John Peel and Sheila Ravenscroft’s “Margrave of the Marshes”, Sharon Osbourne’s “Extreme: My Autobiography” and “The World According to Clarkson” by Jeremy Clarkson
Source: BBC News

Other Harry Potter News

What happens when a secret-keeper dies?
Jo Rowling answered this reader question in the F.A.Q. section at her official site. Basically, when a secret keeper dies, the secret is locked. Those who are in on it still know it but can’t divulge it, meaning that, with the secret keeper gone, no one else can be told the secret anymore.
Source: JKRowling.com

Harry Potter can be discussed in the X-Realms’ dedicated Harry Potter forums.

Posted in Harry Potter •

The British night of nights has ended with Brokeback Mountain securing 4 awards including Best Film. Jake Gyllenhaal also won for his Best Supporting actor role. The Constant Gardener which was garnered 10 nominations only secured one award . Philip Seymour Hoffman won Best Actor for his role in Capote while Reese Witherspoon took the highly contested Best Actress from Rachel Weisz for her role in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

Ang Lee, winning the David Lean Award for achievement in direction said “When we started making the movie we thought it was going to be a small precious film, now it’s a big precious film. I’m not saying the British are smarter but I feel very committed to them.”

BAFTA 2006 AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Best film
Brokeback Mountain

Best British film
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit

Best actor in a leading role
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote

Best actress in a leading role
Reese Witherspoon - Walk The Line

Best actor in a supporting role
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain

Best actress in a supporting role
Thandie Newton - Crash

Original screenplay
Crash - Paul Haggis/Bobby Moresco

Adapted screenplay
Brokeback Mountain - Larry McMurtry/Diana Ossana

The David Lean Award for achievement in direction
Ang Lee - Brokeback Mountain

The Carl Foreman Award for special achievement by a British Director/Producer or Writer in their first feature film
Joe Wright (Director) - Pride & Prejudice

Best film not in the English language
De Battre Mon Coeur S’est Arrete

The Anthony Asquith Award for achievement in film music
Memoirs of a Geisha - John Williams

Cinematography
Memoirs of a Geisha

Editing
The Constant Gardener

Production design
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Costume design
Memoirs of a Geisha

Sound
Walk the Line

Achievement in special visual effects
King Kong

Make Up and Hair
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Short animation film
Fallen Art

Short Film
Antonio’s Breakfast

Academy Fellowship
David Puttnam

The Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
Robert (Chuck) Finch and Bill Merrell

Posted in Movies •

OK, I’m a comic book geek. Have been for twenty-six of my thirty years, and I’ve only gotten worse.
So, here’s my list of ten comics you should read before you die.

10. Sin City by Frank Miller. You’ve seen the movie, now read the comic. If you’re new to the Sin City comics and have only experienced the movie, then you will not be disappointed by the comics. Start with volume one (just plain ol’ “Sin City” featuring our pal Marv) and go from there.

9. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The Ultimate story of a team of Super-Heroes and their lives over several decades. Political entanglements, rampant vigilantism, and the smartest man in the world all come together in what is essentially the superhero tale to end all superhero tales.

8. V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. In a very Orwellian London of the near future, a vigilante stalks the Voice of Fate to restore freedom to his people. It’s a lot more complex and beautiful than any description can do justice, so just read it. And keep an eye out for that 22nd letter of the alphabet.

7. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, vols. 1 & 2 also by Alan Moore, illustrated by Kevin O’Neill. Please ignore the movie with Sean Connery. Please. This is one of the most imaginative and ambitious concepts in the entire history of Literature: Author Alan Moore attempts to tie together a multitude of Victorian era icons of fiction such as the Invisible Man, Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Alan Quatermain, etc into a unified realm much like modern comic book superheroes in the Marvel/DC tradition. There are two volumes, both fantastic, and I recommend them highly. And after your first reading, there’s this awesome Unofficial Companion by Jess Nevins, which highlights connections and helps peel away layers you didn’t catch the first time.

6. Y The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra. A mysterious virus kills off every male on Earth except for Yorick Brown and his pet Capuchin monkey. Peril awaits him at every turn as he attempts to reunite with the love of his life. The only problem is, she was in Australia before the plague hit, and getting to her has become the least of his worries.

5. Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa. As a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, Nakazawa tells this story of a young boy and his family in the final days before, and the apocalyptic days after the first atomic bomb was dropped. Much of the material was based on his own personal experiences as a boy in the days after the nuclear detonation, and was a large part of the influence for Art Spiegelman to write his Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel Maus, a parable of his own father’s survival of the Jewish Holocaust during the same war.

4. Voodoo Child by Martin I. Green and Bill Sienkiewicz. The potential of the Comics medium to tell non-fiction stories realized to it’s fullest. Bill Sienkiewicz’s art is a perfect match for the music of revolutionary guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix. Plus, a nice audio CD is included to set the moooooood, maaaaaannnnnn.

3. The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. Well, technically, I could put any old Calvin and Hobbes book in here and it would still meet the requirements. The man was a genius of the cartoon artform, and he proved it day in and day out. Cream of the crop stuff. Every Art Teacher I’ve ever had has touted this stuff as groundbreaking, and I tend to agree. As an added bonus: laughs.

2. In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman. The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author of Maus lived just blocks from the World Trade Center towers, and this is his personal account of the moment. I won’t cheapen it by trying to explain his experiences. An uplifting bonus is the reprinted section in the back of the book of early New York Newspaper comic strips from 100 years before 9/11/2001.

1. The Plot by Will Eisner. An examination of the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, a fabricated text believed to be at they very heart of modern anti-semitism. This book exposes lies that have perpetuated hatred that continues today, proving that even in his final work, Will Eisner was pushing the boundaries of the comics medium to encompass sociopolitical philosophy and the origins of genocide.

Posted in Commentary •

Actor Phil Brown has passed away at the age of 89. His film career spanned almost 60 years and was certainly impacted by his being blacklisted in 1952 during the McCarthy era for his association with “the wrong crowd”. Brown relocated to London where he lived until the 1990s.

Best known as Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen in the original “Star Wars” film, Brown spent his waning years on the autograph circuit, touring Star Wars conventions and the like.

Sympathies to Mr. Brown’s family.

Posted in Movies, Star Wars •