Gary Kurtz was the producer of the first two Star Wars films, as well a contributing director. He has a lot to say about George Lucas' motivations, and it's not positive:

“I could see where things were headed,” Kurtz said. “The toy business began to drive the [Lucasfilm] empire. It’s a shame. They make three times as much on toys as they do on films. It’s natural to make decisions that protect the toy business, but that’s not the best thing for making quality films.”

He added: “The first film and ‘Empire’ were about story and character, but I could see that George’s priorities were changing.”[...]

“The emphasis on the toys, it’s like the cart driving the horse,” Kurtz said. “If it wasn’t for that the films would be done for their own merits. The creative team wouldn’t be looking over their shoulder all the time.”[...]

“We had an outline and George changed everything in it," Kurtz said. “Instead of bittersweet and poignant he wanted a euphoric ending with everybody happy. The original idea was that they would recover [the kidnapped] Han Solo in the early part of the story and that he would then die in the middle part of the film in a raid on an Imperial base. George then decided he didn’t want any of the principals killed. By that time there were really big toy sales and that was a reason.”

Link via Geekosystem | Photo by Flickr user simononly used under Creative Commons license

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There have been rumors percolating through the geekosphere in the past two about an alternate ending to the 1990 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. According some folks, the original planned ending for the movie was selectively released in Germany. This video is allegedly that missing section of the movie, followed by an extensive commentary about the film by a fan.

via Comics Alliance

U is a project to make a complete Klingon-language opera. There are some scheduled performances coming up soon in The Hague. Here's a description from the official website:

The libretto of ‘u’ is based on the epos of Kahless the unforgettable. Betrayed by his brother and witness to his father’s brutal slaying, Kahless is pitted against his bitter enemy the mighty tyrant Molor. To regain his honor he must travel into the underworld, create the first Bat’leth, be united with his true love the lady Lukara and fight many epic battles. Through this awe inspiring adventure Kahless redefines what it is to be truly Klingon. With the help of Marc Okrand, the worlds leading Klingon language expert, we have managed to piece together the stories in their original epic-poetic form for the first time.

A sample video that I found on YouTube suggests that the opera is still in its early development. Or, at least, I hope that this isn't the finished product. Nonetheless, it's a praiseworthy effort. Qapla'!

Link via reddit | Image: Paramount | Previously: Klingon-Language Rapper

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Aaron Webber, a Sega employee, went on vacation for three weeks. This gave his co-workers plenty of time to create an amazingly detailed Sonic the Hedgehog landscape in his cubicle. The end of the video shows Aaron's reaction upon his return.

via Urlesque

Pictured above is the Church of St. George in Lalibela, Ethiopia. From the sky, it looks like a classic NES controller. Do you see it? Scroll down for a comparison shot.

The church dates back to at least the 13th Century and is a work of monolithic architecture -- meaning that its buildings are carved out of single blocks of rock. (Link via Geekologie | Photos: Buzzfeed)

Gizmodo holds regular photoshop contests. Their most recent called for crazy patents. My favorite is the above facehugger remover from Alien. Click on the link and then the picture to view a larger size.

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Cake artist Dawn Leckie crafted this birthday cake for parents who wanted to make their son laugh. You can view a photograph taken from another angle at the link.

The unrolled toilet paper is a nice touch.

Link via Great White Snark

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Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is an upcoming documentary by Warner Bros. covering 75 years of DC history. It features interviews with artists and writers describing the meaning of the superhero genre, as well as specific characters. The DVD will be released on November 9th.

Link via Nerdcore

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Freddie Wong makes great action films, such as one using light graffiti, another in which guns fire flowers, and one that depicts socially deviant Jedi.

His creation embedded above is called Time Crisis, in honor of the video game series of the same name. It's a pitch-perfect interpretation of the genre, including enemies that pop into view only when approached, hapless hostages, and guns that never, ever run out of ammunition.

via Kotaku

Greg Smith made a mailbox that looks like a X-Wing fighter:

I made this so long ago, it is actually in need of weathering repairs and repainting. I never expected it to survive vandalism or theft for half a decade. But at five feet long and a five foot wingspan, theft would be quite difficult. Everybody from letter carriers to pizza delivery go out of their way to say how much they like it.

You can view another photo at the link.

Link | Photo: Make/Greg Smith

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"Each plate is made of 100% unbreakable polycarbonate. Perfect for hurling at your loved ones again and again." -- a clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live. Content warning: Gibson's normal discourse, albeit bleeped out.

via Look at this Frakking Geekster

I've previously featured deviantART user lily-fox's depiction of Woody from Toy Story in Red Dead Redemption. Another piece of hers is this presentation of Woody as DC comic book hero Jonah Hex. At the link, you can read her character analysis of Hex.

I haven't seen the Jonah Hex movie yet, but it's on my to-do list. Have you? What did you think of it?

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This awesome image is dated from 2007 and signed by Erin Fife. That's all I know. Other than that this represents all that is good in the world.

via Great White Snark

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It was so much easier when he was just a baby. But now that you're Predator son is growing up, you want to teach him the things that he'll need when he's trying to make it on his own. How do you get through to him? How do you make him understand that you really do love him, or you wouldn't be dragging him out to this alien planet to hunt humans?

Flickr user Chris McVeigh created a LEGO Star Wars minifig display that, when viewed from directly above (see link), looks like a scene from Space Invaders. It's a clever use of perspective that I've never before seen using LEGO.

Link via Gizmodo