Light The Cauldron

Back at the start of the year, I decided to make a resolution. I don't usually make
New Year's resolutions, because I know that usually, I can't follow through. I give
up after a matter of just a few short weeks. This year was different. I was going to
do my best to write something every single day in 2017.


In my first article for the year, I wrote: "Plus, by informing my viewing audience
about my resolution, I have forced myself to follow through on my resolution.
I'm going to feel like an idiot if I don't follow through - that's just how I am."

Some days it was easy, and other days it was almost impossible. I would be on
my way to bed, exhausted from the long day of work, and my brain would remind
me Have you written today?And I would groan and stumble over to my computer
to add a few paragraphs to my next article.

The pinnacle of the year of writing had to be the WELS Worship Conference posts
in June and my European vacation back in June and July. Wri…

Last week I gave you some initial thoughts about The Last Jedi after viewing it twice. That second time, I took a little notebook and wrote down some things that came to mind. It was pretty difficult to write stuff down in a darkened movie theater, but I think I did pretty well - and I only wrote over my notes a couple of times.

Without further ado, here's some in-depth musings over the current Star Wars movie: I ended up sitting next to a dad with his kids. The boy next to me was probably in kindergarten or first grade, and he didn't make too much noise during the movie aside from Finn's first appearance, when he whispered excitedly, "Finn!" The cutest moment, though, was when his dad read him the opening crawl. That's something my parents always did, and I was reminded of that when this dad did it.Speaking of the opening crawl, it's said that they hope Luke will restore a "spark of hope to the fight." #NailedItI enjoyed the extreme zoom shot t…

So I had a whole other article planned, but then I got home on Thursday after viewing The Last Jedi and completely erased it. Here is the new article:

Never talk to a passionate Star Wars fan immediately after viewing a new Star Wars movie.

It isn't like they're angry or anything. It's that they just don't know how to process it.

I thought that my initial disappointment after my first viewing of The Force Awakens was because I had been up for almost 24 hours straight watching Star Wars movies. But here I was, coming out of The Last Jedi, a bit sad and confused.

Casual fans of Star Wars will go in, enjoy a star war, and leave. But crazy fans have spent literally years crafting their own hypotheses and ideas. They have said that this plot point MUST happen or else the movie is ruined, or that this character MUST have this backstory or else the movie won't be the same.

The problem with that? We usually don't get what we want, and we suffer through that first showi…

Get this, you guys: this is the final Star Wars Saturday post before The Last Jedi is released on Thursday! I can hardly believe it's almost here, and I'm so excited to post my review for you next Saturday. It probably will just be a quick reaction review, with a more in-depth review the week after, so that I can sit and process what I've just witnessed on the big screen.

I started my daily movie countdown to The Last Jedi on Thursday, when I watched The Phantom Menace. That's right; I chose to go in episodic order instead of release order or machete order. That's just how I am.

For now, I am going to borrow an idea I received from the YouTuber HelloGreedo, who gives reviews, commentary, and snark about Star Wars with his signature stormtrooper helmet on his head. Others are probably doing this, too; it's just that I subscribe to his channel and this is where I first heard it!
With 30 days to go, he started a daily Star Wars Challenge, and he posts about his f…

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the Star Wars stories aren't limited to movies. Lately, children (and adults) have been able to watch fun, galaxy-filled stories on their own television and computer screens.

Today I am going to highlight two of those shows that were shown on Disney XD over the past few years.

Star Wars Rebels

This show premiered in 2014 and takes place between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Much of the story centers around the planet of Lothal and an orphan who lives there named Ezra Bridger. He runs across the path of a ship crew who is doing their best to upend the Empire. Members of the Ghost include Hera Syndulla (a Twi'lek who is the owner and pilot of the ship), Kanan Jarrus (a former Jedi who is still discovering the Force on his own), Sabine Wren (a Mandalorian artist who used to attend the Imperial Academy), Zeb Orrelios (a Lasat who believes he is the last of his kind, and Chopper (a droid owned by Hera who is super sassy).

Through …