Star Wars Easter Goodies

With all of the excitement surrounding The Force Awakens, it was inevitable that we'd see a range of Star Wars-themed Easter treats in stores this year. Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to be given a bunch of these goodies by my nearest and dearest.

Park Avenue (the company responsible for my Star Wars Christmas stocking and last year's Star Wars Easter goodies) put out two great tins - one featuring Kylo Ren (from my partner) and the other featuring Darth Vader and Stormtroopers (from my parents). Both tins feature fantastic embossed designs and contain a number of hollow milk chocolate Easter eggs. Also included in the Park Avenue range was a First Order Stormtrooper egg and bags of "exploding" Death Star-shaped chocolate popping candy balls (both of which came from my girlfriend's mum and her partner along with a three-pack of the new Star Wars Kinder Surprise eggs).

Did you receive any Star Wars-themed Easter goodies? If you did, be sure to share them with us via Twitter or Facebook, or by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Vintage Collection 3 3/4" VC53 Bom Vimdin and VC56 Kithaba

With it's gorgeous detailing and superb articulation, Hasbro's Vintage Collection represented the pinnacle of 3 3/4" Star Wars action figures. Every now and then a few more of these figures will trickle out of store rooms and on to shelves. This is exactly what happened a few weeks ago when I spotted this VC53 Bom Vimdin and VC56 Kithaba reduced down to $5.00 at the Wellington Farmers and Moore Wilson's stores respectively.

Ordinarily, characters like Bom Vimdin and Kithaba would fall slightly outside of my collecting focus (which tends to aim for main characters and military figures). Nevertheless, it was difficult to turn these down at such a great price. As with most of the figures in the Vintage Collection line, both Bom and Kithaba have a generous fifteen points of articulation and phenomenal paint jobs. Bom comes with a blaster pistol, blaster rifle, working holster, and even a cup of blue milk! Kithaba is instead packed with a blaster pistol, staff, working holster, and a removable ammo satchel around his neck.

While I've come to terms with Hasbro's return to 5POA, it's figures like this that give me a painful reminder of just how good we had it in previous years. Either way, Bom Vimdin and Kithaba will both make great companions to my 3 3/4" Jabba set!

Star Wars Is Everywhere - New World Thorndon Supermarket Baking

It looks like the staff at the New World Thorndon supermarket have been bitten by the Force Awakens bug. Over recent weeks, a number of incredible Star Wars-themed creations have been turning up in their bakery!

Have you seen any Star Wars-inspired baking around your town? If you have, be sure to share it with us via Twitter or Facebook, or by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Darth Vader Claw Machine Plush Toy

A few weeks ago, the claw-machine at the Newtown Countdown supermarket was restocked with a line of Star Wars plush toys. I sunk a few dollars into the machine, but the claw got the better of me. That all changed last weekend, however, when my partner gave it another crack and won this fantastic little Darth Vader.

The same toys have been popping up in other Countdown claw-machines, but I'm yet to see these retail in any other New Zealand stores. That added rarity just makes these cuddly little guys even cooler collectibles though!

The Force Awakens Coming to Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD in April

Yesterday, StarWars.com announced that The Force Awakens will be released on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD this April. You can watch the in-home trailer (containing some spoilers) below.

The film will be available on Digital HD from April 1st, with the Blu-Ray and DVD versions hitting shelves on April 5th in the USA and April 13th here in New Zealand. The 2-disc Blu-Ray will come with a raft of special features, including:

• Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary.
• The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie’s script.
• Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars universe.
• Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life.
• Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren.
• John Williams: The Seventh Symphony – The legendary composer shares personal insights of his work on Star Wars and The Force Awakens.
• ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider’s look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie’s visual effects.
• Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others.
• Deleted Scenes

Mighty Ape currently has the Blu-Ray and DVD listed for $39.99 and $32.99 respectively. JB Hi-Fi will be selling the Blu-Ray and DVD for the slightly cheaper prices of $34.00 and $28.00, while also stocking an exclusive steelbook version of the Blu-Ray for $44.00.

[Update: The prices in the original version of this post were mistakenly taken from the Australian (not New Zealand) JB Hi-Fi website. These have now been amended. Apologies to anyone for the confusion!]

The Force Awakens Captain Phasma Aluminium Drink Bottle

As The Force Awakens enters its final weeks in theatres, a lot of merchandise for the film is making its way into clearance bins. I ventured out to the Porirua K-Mart last weekend and found a number of items heavily reduced - including this great Captain Phasma aluminium drink bottle for only $3.00.

It's a sturdy little bottle, and does a fantastic job of keeping its contents cool (yes, field tests have been carried out). There were several different designs to choose from, but the minimalism of the Phasma bottle was the best of the lot. The bare brushed-steel finish is a particularly nice touch - very appropriately referencing Phasma's chromium armour in the film.

Star Wars Is Everywhere - Synergy Hair's Advertising

It looks like Wellington's Synergy Hair have a Star Wars fan (and talented artist) among their staff. Over the last few weeks, two very awesome chalk designs have appeared on their standee out front: one with Princess Leia, and the other featuring our favourite new astromech droid, BB-8.

Synergy Hair have been in touch with us via Facebook, and confirmed that the talented artist behind these designs is Sophia - one of the stylists from their Willis Street store.

Have you seen any Star Wars-inspired advertising around your town? If you have, be sure to share it with us via Twitter or Facebook, or by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Kinder Surprise Star Wars Character / Vehicle Toys

A few years ago, Kinder Surprise released a line of very cool (but utterly bizarre) Star Wars-themed toys. Now, they're doing it again with a new line of nine character / vehicle combinations including C-3PO with the Tantive IV; Chewbacca with a Wookiee Gunship; Darth Vader with a TIE Advanced; Han Solo with the Millennium Falcon; Luke Skywalker with an X-Wing Fighter; Princess Leia with the Tantive IV; R2-D2 with a Jedi Starfighter; a Stormtrooper with a Star Destroyer, and Yoda with a Republic Gunship.  I picked up a three-pack, and managed to score Chewbacca, Han, and Yoda.

These toys are very similar to the 'bobble-head' line of collectibles that McDonalds restaurants stocked for the release of the Clone Wars movie. There's no moving parts on these ones, but the looped cord on each (presumably for attaching them to phones or keys) will make them perfect as miniature Christmas tree decorations.

This line of Kinder Surprise toys is available at most supermarkets. Depending on where you visit, the single eggs sell for around $1.99-$2.49 each, with the specially-packaged three-packs priced at approximately $5.00.

Kellogg's Star Wars Cereal

Countdown and Woolworths supermarkets are currently stocking a line of "exclusive" Star Wars-themed Kellogg's cereal for $5.00 per box. There are three reversible packets to choose from: Darth Vader and C-3PO; Chewbacca and Yoda; and R2-D2 and a Stormtrooper. I opted for a the latter box - if only so I could grab the photo below.

Other than the packaging, there's not too much more that's "Star Wars" about this cereal. There's no pack-in, and the cereal itself is a generic star- and moon-shaped chocolate wheat variety.  But despite this, the box designs are enough to make these highly desirable for collectors.

The Force Awakens Official Movie Special Magazine

Countdown supermarkets are currently stocking a magazine dedicated to the latest installment in the Star Wars saga. Entitled The Force Awakens Official Movie Special, this issue sells for $6.70 and contains some great exclusive material.

The magazine includes timelines, character breakdowns, concept art, interviews with the cast and crew, and some stunning on-set images. Several of the pages also double as removable mini-posters. This is a great souvenir for any fan of the film, and fantastic value for the price!

[EDIT (18/02/2016): This magazine has now been spotted at a number of different magazine retailers - not just Countdown supermarkets.] 

Lego Star Wars "The Freemaker Adventures" TV Show Announced

It's been rumoured for a while now, but yesterday StarWars.com confirmed that a brand new Lego Star Wars series entitled "The Freemaker Adventures" will be debuting on Disney XD this summer.

Specific details are still thin on the ground, but the official site has posted the following synopsis for the show:

"The fun-filled adventure comedy series, set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, will introduce all-new heroes and villains in exciting adventures with many familiar Star Wars characters. 

Told in the whimsically-charged style that audiences have come to expect from LEGO Star Wars entertainment, the series stars the Freemakers, a family of scavengers who build and sell starships from the scoured debris of space battles strewn throughout the galaxy. When their youngest discovers a natural connection with the Force through an ancient artifact—the Kyber Saber—his world is turned upside down, and he and his family are thrown into an epic struggle against the Empire to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy. Throughout their adventures, the Freemakers explore new worlds, meet new and familiar characters, and learn the true value of what it means to be a family."

Previous Lego Star Wars projects have been a lot fun - playing out some great "what if?" scenarios   while bringing a unique sense of humour to that galaxy far, far away. Given this, there's little doubt that The Freemaker Adventures will be well worth a watch.

What are your thoughts on this new series? Will you be tuning in to watch? Let me know by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com or sending a tweet to @Archon_Revuge!

The Force Awakens Incredible Cross-Sections and Visual Dictionary

I received my very first Star Wars Incredible Cross-Sections and Visual Dictionary books from my grandma all the way back in 1999. They were for The Phantom Menace - and I remember spending hours poring over every detail contained within. At that point, I hadn't had a lot of exposure to the 'Expanded Universe', so those books were my first hint of the much larger universe that existed behind the films. Everything had a story, an explanation - a reason for being there. Fast-forward seventeen years, and I once again find myself savouring every piece of information in the new The Force Awakens editions of each of these books.

As with every other entry in these series, the detail is phenomenal. The beautifully hand-drawn cutaways in Incredible Cross-Sections reveal the painstakingly thought-out engineering behind every vehicle in the new film, as well as a few interesting plot points that add even more depth to the story. The Visual Dictionary builds on this - using Pablo Hidalgo's encyclopedic Star Wars knowledge to flesh-out countless weapons, devices, locations, and character (some of which only appear on-screen for the briefest of moments). There are a couple of characters that are notably omitted - but this is understandable, given the secrets that are being kept for Episodes VIII and IX.

Both volumes are currently available from Whitcoulls or MightyApe for $37.00 each.

Visiting the Matchbox Studios SCI-FI Exhibition (Wellington, New Zealand)

Recently, Matchbox Studios played host to SCI-FI - an exhibition featuring science-fiction and fantasy works from local Wellington artists. There was a heavy Star Wars-focus among the artworks, including some superb pieces with content from The Force Awakens.

My favourite display was definitely the collection of pilots from A New Hope (artfully arranged into the vague outline of an X-Wing). The exhibition finished on January 29th, but all of the artworks are available for purchase - so if you see something you like, be sure to get in touch with the folks at Matchbox!