Book Review

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

I always try to show the picture of the copy I have. I guess they did something with this on Netflix, but I really wouldn't know. I had this book on my wish list for a long time because it's old enough to be considered a classic and I'm always ready to entertain a classic. I was let down with this one.

I'm not scared by paranormal themed works because it plays to fears I no longer have, and with this being an older novel, I didn't expect it to be full of graphic descriptions of anything hideous anyway. In fact, it had the charm of an older ghost story leaving much to the imagination. The plot was promising - a group of random people come together to stay in and study a reputed haunted house. I liked the main character of Elenor. I think many women could identify with her personality; her suspicions, her fears, her desires. And there was some intense build up throughout about half the book.

But then it kind of nose dived. Nothing came of the tension being built and after the introduction of Dr. Montague's silly wife, it seemed to lose direction altogether. The story is basically about a woman who goes to stay in a haunted house, the house takes possession of her, and she kills herself without any conscious intent. The problem is that all of the characters noted that she was particularly vulnerable to the house's power, but none of them were smart enough to see what was happening to her until it was too late and then they did nothing to protect her. It made it all seem rather stupid and pointless. And it reinforces why I don't get scared or freaked out easily by this sort of thing. I guess it's supposed to produce "feels" in the reader more than a logical breakdown of the material, but this genre isn't where my "feels" lie I guess.

Book Review

In The Night Wood, by Dale Bailey
Not a bad little book. A "scary" story. I put scary in parentheses because haunted/supernatural stories play to fears I just don't have anymore. And also it's about a creepy wooded area, which is hard for someone who lives nearly surrounded by woods to be frightened of.
But it was enjoyable since the dark overtones are of a fairy tale nature. Like the old fairy tales that were gruesome and disturbing. A tale like that is the basis of the plot but it unfolds as more of a psychological thriller. A man moves himself and his strained marriage to England to research the origins of the author who had written the horrific fairy tale that had enchanted him as a child and intersected with different events throughout his life. He discovers that it's based more in real life events than he could've possibly imagined. And yet it's written in a way that leaves the reader wondering if it was real or just the haunted imagination of a man carrying a lot of guilt. Three sets of lives in the past and present are woven together against the backdrop of the morbid storybook and tied together nicely at the end.

It's a well constructed book and those who are into the genre will enjoy it a lot. I like it but I'd have to leave it at just "like" for me. Not because it's bad but because it's not my thing, so to speak. It didn't entrance me and the real-life crises that were unrelated to the spooky book were kind of a downer, although the end indicates that happiness will be found again.
Worth the time to read once.

My Top Ten Favorite Harry Potter Chapters, Ranked.

Not a common topic for top 10 lists. I've only ever seen it once on YouTube from a nice kid (probably in his 20's; I'm old) who decided to tackle it. I liked his choices, but of course I have my own. In order, then:

 10. The Deathday Party, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (book2)
From the second book, this is the sequence in which the Gryffindor house ghost, Nearly-Headlesss Nick, holds a party to celebrate his Deathday and coerces Harry, Ron, and Hemione into attending it. It's completely irrelevant to the plot except at the end when Harry is lead up the stairs by the disembodied voice. But it's just a great piece of comedy that didn't make it into the movies.

9. The Quidditch World Cup/ The Dark Mark, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book4)
It may seem like I'm sneaking in an extra chapter here, but I'm not. I'd own up to it if I was. It's just that these chapters kind of go together and you can't really separate them when selecting certain moments because the thread sometimes begins in one chapter and finishes in another as in this case. This chapter couplet is a wonderful high-low moment in the series. A fantastic creative writing exercise in inventing a grand finale for the sport of Quidditch with the popping of the balloon as the characters are plunged into the chaos when Voldemort's captains begin the build up to his horrifying second coming at the end of the book. It's also the start of a dark whodunit mystery unique to this book and the balance between exhilaration and fear is surgically precise. Very well written.

8. Diagon Alley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book 1)
This is where the magic really begins in the series when Harry is first introduced to a magical enclave with people like him. He interacts with the bank and businesses as he begins his life as a wizard. It's always like opening a present you've been anticipating from slowly untying the bow to peeling off the paper, to finally opening the box. This chapter would likely be in the top ten chapters of nearly any HP fan.

7. Career Advice, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book 5)
This chapter is about push back and defiance, mostly on the part of the Weasley twins. By this point in the book the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. This is one of the best incidents of blowing off steam. The way they choose to quit school to start their own business is epic and fun and it makes me want to stand up and cheer every time.

6. The Wandmaker, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7)
This may seem like a strange choice of chapter because there's no action and not much real movement, but I think it's an important chapter because it's the chapter where Harry grows up. Touched off by Dobby's death, he finally gains control of the link he and Voldemort share which sobers up his erratic and obsessive behavior of the last two and a half books. It also thrusts him to the kind of maturity he needed to really become the leader and make measured decisions not just for he and his friends' personal course, but for the course of the resistance at large after he returns for the final battle at the school. A wonderful moment of growth for the main character that doesn't go unnoticed by me.

5. The House of Gaunt, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book 6)
The sad, tragic tale of Merope Gaunt. I suppose the more important chapter would be The Secret Riddle which was a glimpse of Voldemort's creepy childhood, but I confess I like the poetic sadness of this digression much better. Once again, it's not necessary to the overall plot, but it's the kind of depth that only comes from a book versus a movie... maybe it's just the girl in me.

4. The Prince's Tale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7)
Another tragic back story and shocking revelation that changes the readers' perspective of the character of Severus Snape. A horrible person from the beginning to his death, this chapter explains a lot of the unseen help that Harry received throughout the years and enables the audience to forgive Snape as Harry does years later (in the Epilogue) when he names one of his children after him. Powerful stuff.

3. Hermione's Secret, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (book3)
From the book that hooked me on the series, this is one of my top two favorite emotional moments. The whole chapter is great as it gives Hermione the reigns to take charge of saving the day, but the climax in which Harry casts his first real Patronus and realizes that it takes the form of the animal that his father could transfigure into is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. This is the best scene from my favorite book.

2. Out of the Fire/ Fight and Flight, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book 5)
Another chapter couplet since you can't have one without the other, this is one of Hermione's many great moments and my favorite. They're kids so they make the kid-mistake of thinking they can pull the same stunt twice and end up getting caught. That's when Hermione steps in and gets them out of it. Not by using magic, but simple psychology. She plays to Umbride's ego, cruelty, and lust for power to lure her away and dispose of her for good. An immensely satisfying end to probably the most hated character of the series.

1. After the Burial, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book6)
This is one of the most perfect chapters in my opinion. It is smart and funny, yet serious and emotional all at the same time. Harry uses his luck potion to obtain a memory from Professor Slughorn that he'd been hiding. But that one-sentence synopsis doesn't do justice to the way the luck potion works which seems less like magic and more of a heightening of Harry's instincts and intuition to put him in the right place to say and do all the right things, benefiting others as well as himself. And the Slughorn's motives have no malice which makes his surrendering of the memory a tender and gentle moment that is also the springboard for the climactic story line of the the final book. It's just so brilliant. It's definitely the best chapter of the series.


Of course, there are tons of runners-up because 7 books makes a lot of chapters, but these are the 10 that made the most impact on me. HP fans out there are welcome to share their favorites. It doesn't have to be ten... it takes a while to think it out.. lol.

Book Review

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, Rush Limbaugh.
The story of a substitute history teacher that time travels with a couple of students to witness events in American history as they happen. The target age demographic for these books is around 10-years-old so these are more children's books than YA. However, it's not as childish as I thought it would be and it was very well constructed, not giving away too much all at once of either the fictional story or the historical points.
The event covered is the journey of the Pilgrims to the New World and their first year culminating in the first Thanksgiving. It's familiar to everyone and Rush actually makes it a point to tell the story on his show every year reciting the bullet points that are left out such as the fact that the first system of governance experimented with by the Pilgrims was a type of socialism. He quotes William Bradford's journal frequently when recounting the story on air, so I can tell you that he wasn't putting words in his mouth with much of the dialog written for Bradford in the book except when talking to Rush Revere and the present day kids. Rush, Tommy, and Freedom jump between past and present to develop the childrens' characters and skip to the pivotal moments of the Mayflower voyage, the harsh conditions of the settlement, and their pact with Massasoit's tribe. A lot is packed into ten short chapters and along with a few illustrations pertinent to the book which are pictures of classic artwork depicting scenes from this historical event.
Of course, the star of the book is Liberty, Rush's talking horse and instrument of time travel. He is equal parts silly and clever, the comic relief, and foil for Revere's more serious personality. The time travel doesn't have to make sense simply because it is time travel. If you can accept micro shrinking, a flux capacitor, slingshotting around the sun, and wobbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, then you can accept Liberty and cell phone technology. Apart from this, the story is kept simple and relies more on the adventurous nature of the outward dangers than conflict between characters to build excitement. Simple but not shallow. It's playful urban fantasy that's nicely executed.
I guess if I have any complaints it would be the scenes in which a life lesson is learned. But most children's literature and programming is like this so the problem is with me... I always found it infuriatingly obvious (in a condescending way) even when I was a child because I was born old, or born cynical or something. My husband will tell you - I was the girl that ripped off Santa Claus. But that's a story for another day.
It's a good book and adults can enjoy it too. I'll certainly be checking out the other four in the series.

Book Review

Fate of the Dwarves, Markus Heitz
The 4th book of the Dwarves series left me both frustrated and genuinely impressed. In the afterword, Heitz responds to questions he'd gotten concerning a possible 5th book and his answer was basically that he didn't know because he didn't have a plan; that he didn't work with a plan. And I think that's what caused some frustration this time. Taking the 3rd and 4th book together as a couplet, this story wasn't quite as good as the story told in the first two. It was a little rushed and not well thought out in places. There were conflicts set up in War of the Dwarves that weren't followed up on in this one even with ample opportunities. I understand that he's more into the tragic endings and I don't mind that the tone was much darker but I couldn't help but be disappointed in the fates, changes in, or outright dismissals of a few of the characters that I'd become invested in.
But the draw of the characters is one of the reasons I'm so impressed. Heitz is a talented writer. This installment takes place over 200 years after War which means all of the human characters from the first three books are dead. But he manages to create a new crop of humans that are actually better and more interesting than the previous ones. Almost all of his elves are dead or in hiding (due to the change in power structure) and he doesn't even need them even though they'd been prominent in the first couplet. Even the familiar characters that I found changed for the worst were still terribly compelling. I wish he'd spent a little more time on them in this story the way he did before. He also skated over some world development that I have no doubt would have been very imaginative. However, this story was more action driven and the modern male perspective of love and relationships in a fantasy setting. Different, but interesting from a psychological view point.
There is a fifth book and I'm on the fence about it. The series has taken a slightly juvenile turn that I don't care for, but then there's the characters that I've come to know and care a lot for. We'll see next Christmas.

Book Review

 C.S.Lewis Images of His World, Douglas Gilbert & Clyde S. Kilby
This is an awesome coffee table book for fans of C.S. Lewis, like me. After a brief prologue going over his conversion from atheism to Christianity, which is what he is best known for, the book displays various pictures from his life and of the different places he'd been to school and worked over the years. Family photos, pictures of friends, teachers, colleagues with brief captions and stories of their relationships. Pictures of houses, streets, colleges, and personal walking paths in Ireland, England and Scotland where he'd lived and traveled to in his lifetime. Not all of the pictures are old. Some are just he scenic views he would've witnessed in his day. Also included are pictures of some of his notes and drawings that he'd made for different stories. At the end a timeline is laid out of his life highlighting pivotal personal moments and publications of some of his works from his birth to his death. Refreshing light reading and excellent pictures. Probably nobody but Lewis fans would be interested, but I recommend it anyway.

Book Review

Walking Through The Wardrobe: A devotional quest into The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe; Sarah Arthur
Another Christmas book. A devotional canvassing LWW by C.S. Lewis. This one isn't meant to last for the year with a daily reading. Arthur is a Lewis fan and you can see that this is more of a study into the first Narnia book itself rather than an outright Bible study.The chapters are longer and they break LWW down by characters giving a profile of each and how they're related to the Christian message that Lewis was conveying. Each chapter cross references other works of Lewis, adds trivia tidbits about his life or origins of story elements, and also poses questions for self reflection and Bible verses to read and ponder related to each subject. It's a very thorough exercise. I would suggest the same caveat that I did regarding A Hobbit Devotional - that of being firm in your faith before reading so as not to worship the fictional material, but other than that, I really liked this one. It's hard to misinterpret Lewis when it comes to his expounding on Christian principles anyway. New Christians or those flirting with Christianity could get something out of this. And even if the Christian connection isn't what you're after, it still is good for laying out how all the main characters fit together. Secularly speaking, I always thought that four main characters was too many, but I have a new perspective after this. So I recommend it to everyone, Christian or not.

Book Review

Revenge of the Dwarves, Markus Heitz
The drama continues in the third book of the series. But even though it picks up with the resolution to the events from the last installment, it behaves as the first of another couplet like the first two books were. The world must now extend to the mysterious Outer Lands from which all of Girdleguard's troubles originate. Attacks from without the borders slowly introduce a group of foreign Dwarves, a race of good Orcs, and a peek at the race that the late Djerůn belonged to from the Outer Lands as well as reacquaint the readers with the previous characters. But it doesn't give too much away at once and focuses mostly on the action giving the momentum to the antagonists for most of the book. It makes for a stressful read along with the breakdown of Tungdil's marriage and the tainted return of his foster father, but there's still plenty of comic intervention although it's a bit uneven at times. It comes together in the last third of the story to build to the cliffhanger climax that leaves much unfinished business for the next book to clear up.
I have to say I'm not happy with the translation this time. There was a different translator for this book and the narrative isn't as smooth in general. Also the editing leaves a lot to be desired this time. Lots of typos and the wrong names in the wrong places.
All in all I liked it but so far it's not as good as the first two. But I'm confident that once the story is resolved in the next book it'll be another winning couplet.

Book Review

A Hobbit Devotional; Bilbo Baggins and the Bible; Ed Strauss

The title is the explanation of the content. The author walks through each chapter of The Hobbit blending scenes from the book with relevant Bible verses and stories to aid in self reflection and inspiration for the Christian. Devotionals are always very short so each "chapter" is only about one (full sized) page of reading and if you read only one chapter a day it would almost last the entire year, minus weekends and major holidays. Light reading; a good bedside table book. 
I liked it wholeheartedly and I don't want to give the impression that I didn't. I'm just skittish about all commentaries, teachers, or even study guides that employ secular content such as a popular book or movies series that have basic good vs. bad themes as an aid for teaching the Bible. So the only caveat I would impose on recommending this is that you be secure in your beliefs and faith first, having a firm grasp of the lessons of the Bible on more than just casual level. No one knows better than me that sometimes it takes something outside of the Bible to reach the heart or mind first. Lewis' "Out of the Silent Planet" was crucial to my spiritual awakening. But I worry that many people tend to worship the outside influences as having more significance or authority than Biblical teachings because they're easier to ingest. So along with devotionals like these, make sure you're reading the entirety of your Bibles as well and studying it with someone who is learned in the complexities of it.
That being said it's a cool little book and I do recommend it for reflection, pondering, and light meditation.

My favorite Star Trek series themes

I thought I'd rank my favorite Star Trek themes today. Star Trek has a lot of different opening credits to choose from unlike other series and movie franchises. Neither a good or a bad thing. But a great conversation piece. Ranked from least favorite to favorite.

6. Star Trek: Discovery.
I haven't watched this one and I probably won't since it lives in the land of streaming. And I'm irritated by the changing of the Klingon makeup. It didn't seem necessary, but I have no opinion of the show either way. I know don't care for the theme and opening credits. A little too plain. They gave the nod to TOS with the trademark introduction that started it all, but after that it sounded a little like a tech commercial and then slipped into a rather sad melody. I've never heard sad Star Trek before. They could've done better.

5. Star Trek: Enterprise
This should technically be in last place. If I hadn't listened to Discovery's music I would've placed it last because it has words. Shows like this should never have words in their themes... it's breaking an unspoken rule of some kind. That being said, this is a nice Rod Stewart song that I like a lot and it's certainly uplifting especially with the use of all the historical footage to pay homage to the first explorers and space pioneers. And the fact that it gives off that good vibe that puts it above Discovery.
 

4. Star Trek: Voyager
It's my least favorite series and I know I rip on it a lot, but the theme missing the top 3 spots doesn't have anything to do with that. I've watched a lot of it in effort to give it a chance to grow on me so I've heard the opening credits many times. What I noticed about them is how long it took for the song to burn into my memory. It's a little complicated in a way; almost too many notes; a certain lack of simplicity.  You could tell it was trying to keep up the tradition of a dynamite opening theme for the next Star Trek incarnation, but I think it was just a little on the "overdone" side.

3. Star Trek: The Original Series
Well it doesn't get much more simple than this. And I wouldn't exactly call it dynamic. But it's the first of the franchise and has the most recognition cred. It's a short, catchy tune... opening credits didn't last for almost two minutes back then. I don't actually care for the vocals and the font colors changed in different seasons. But since most of us (my age and older) were probably exposed to this first show first, whether in real time or reruns, it takes you back to your childhood and makes you feel like a kid again, wide-eyed and enchanted with the show's concept. Space; the final frontier.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation
Originally the theme music for the first Star Trek movie. At first it's a little insulting when I think of the "rip-off" nature of the inaugural season of this show. The theme was as much a lifeless copy as everything else about it. But, you can't deny that it's good music composition that hits hard and stays with you. And as the series grew up and turned into one of the two best series, the theme also grows on you and becomes more meaningful as you can associated it exclusively with this cast and these stories that helped to cement the Star Trek legacy for the next 30 years. This is a wonderful Star Trek theme that represents the Star Trek franchise as equally as the TOS theme.

1. Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
But this is the best Star Trek them and not just because it, along with TNG, is my favorite series. This theme is the perfect mix of simplicity, emotional swells, and catchiness. I'm sure it's what they were trying to duplicate with Voyager, but I can't be too hard on them. It's hard to strike gold twice. The DS9 theme is just beautiful in a way the other themes aren't. Especially in the early seasons with the more solitary trumpet at the beginning leaving chills down your back.
No, I'm not biased... I don't know where you get that idea...

Fake news... *smirk*.
But seriously, DS9 wins for me.

Charismatic bad guys

Inspired to show the love for the most charismatic antagonists today. Bad guys that you either love to hate or love in spite of their hate. They cover the gambit of movies, tv, and books but I made my choices from movies for simplicity sake . You're welcome to choose from other media. I thought of 10 and I did rank them but I also have to divide them into two categories. It's a fine line, but their charisma tends to list either towards "cool" or towards "charming".

These 5 have cool charisma. Cool defined as equal to or surpassing the coolness of the protagonist, though not necessarily likeable.

5. Dolores Umbridge, Harry Potter (books 5 and 7)
Stephen King called Umbridge the most greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter. High praise from someone who writes about demons and monsters for a living. But people like her really exist as opposed to the handful of people who actually aspire to world domination or other female antagonists that are most typically just crazy b****es who just hurt for fun and are likely beholden to another male bad guy. Umbridge is a cruel mind and can get into a person's head. She's not "cool" per say, but she's believable and believably frightening because her ambitions within the Wizarding world are realistically attainable. She's certainly the most intriguing bad guy of the series and even more interesting than the protagonists.

4. Agent Smith, The Matrix trilogy.
In this case the underlying personality of the actor who also plays Elrond and Red Skull simply draws you to him. He's got henchmen of sorts, but like Umbridge he's a single bad guy facing at least a trio of good guys and remains a viable threat capable of snuffing out their uprising. You can feel his power as being equal to the zionist group of characters and superior to Neo until he finds his hidden power at the end. You want to see him fall but you also don't want to stop seeing him. Good thing it was the sort of movie he could keep returning to.

3. Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock movies starring Robert Downey Jr. and played by Jared Harris, son of Sir Richard Harris.
His part wasn't big in the first movie but his presence was. It takes some impressive charisma to pull that off. And then when he got to fill out the character in the second movie, he came close to making it to my charming list. A gentleman who threatens a protagonist who is written as a noticeable jerk. That also makes him just a touch cooler than Sherlock as well. Smart is sexy. But he also has a psychotic streak that makes him a little scary and Sherlock's smart just a little more charming. But you can't help but love Moriarty and fear him simultaneously. He leaves a lasting impression.

2. Saruman, LOTR trilogy.
With the strong performance of Christopher Lee, this character could have easily overwhelmed the whole story if not for an equally strong Ian McKellen steering Gandalf as his foil. His voice is certainly helpful in asserting a commanding presence in all of his movies. Much like the hypnotic power of Saruman's voice. He holds the audience's attention and dominates all his scenes. Saruman may be a traitor and a trouble maker but he's cool and therefore equally as enjoyable as the other good guys and bad guys alike.

1. Khan Noonien Singh, Ricardo Montalban
Okay, he's number 1 because he's a personal favorite of mine but nobody can deny his coolness and charisma. Improved from his first showing in the episode Space Seed in TOS, his obsession with Kirk has piqued into a revenge rampage. Of course Kirk doesn't deserve it, but one can't help but admire Khan's determination and commitment as well as his ability to land on his feet after being isolated for a number of years. The charm factor waned as his obsession reached Captain Nemo levels, but he made a chump of Kirk repeatedly and had it not been for Spock, he would've won and he would've won with awesomeness.


These five antagonists have charming charisma. They are not only likeable, but they are often equally as loved as the protagonist and even preferred at times. They come very close to losing all credibility as a "bad" guy because of this and it's a fine line to walk.

5. Jareth, the Goblin King, Labyrinth
I understand that Labyrinth is niche and isn't everyone's cup of tea and I'll admit the acting was sketchy at times. But those who do like it, the ladies in particular, like and just love the Goblin King. So, he kidnaps babies and makes passes at a "teenager"... You're forgetting one thing mate... he's David Bowie! (Said with the same attitude as Captain Jack Sparrow.) Of course he must be defeated. But we (the ladies at least) would all like to have danced with him a little longer. Who needs a little brother anyway?

4. Lex Luthor as portrayed by Gene Hackman.
Bad guy? Sure. Cunning and devious. You bet. Also impossible to hate. Impossible. No matter how badly he treated Miss Teschmacher and Otis. No matter how two-faced and deceitfully he played both ends to the middle. No matter how greedy and selfish. You never got an evil vibe off of him...more of a loveable rascal or a rogue. He doesn't do anything loveable! And he's actually quite dangerous. But his ego was more enchanting than off-putting. You never want him completely defeated. The fact that you can't dislike this character is actually what inspired my thoughts on this topic.

3. Loki
Okay I can see how this is looking like a "ladies men" type of list but I don't think I'm off base in thinking that guys can't help but like these bad guys as well. And now we're entering that gray area in which the line between good and bad is skewed. Loki is loved by most if not all; men and women. He allies himself with good when it serves his purpose adding a chameleon effect to his already appealing personality and that makes all his mischief almost forgivable. Still, he is a bad guy not a neutral character. But it's so easy to lose sight of that at times and that's what makes him a charming, charismatic antagonist that we love in spite of his hate.

2. Darth Vader
Before there was an EU or prequels there was Vader and everyone loves Vader. Sometimes I still suspect that he was originally turned good at the very end because he was entirely too popular to be defeated. He's both cool and charming whether he's force-choking a subordinate or revealing his identity to Luke. Somehow it doesn't matter that he killed Obi-Wan, used Han like a lab rat and left him to a fate worse than death, or used Luke's emotions against him to lure him into his trap. He's still the face of the franchise and has the most appeal across the Star Wars fandom because he went from bad guy to tragic hero in a matter of moments. You didn't need his back story or even a real face to look at behind the mask to see the pain behind his dark side. Now that's charisma!

1. Hector Barbosa
This whole franchise suffered from antagonists thats were too likeable. Barbosa, Davey Jones, Blackbeard, and even Salazar were all far too charming to really hate. It was necessary to have antagonists with strong personalities to match the Jack Sparrow character but in a way they all backfired at their purpose. Barbosa stands out especially though. It's hard to know where to begin when listing his attributes. It's always based in the actor's ability to draw you into the character with the little things like his laugh. His eye rolls. All the little nuances that make you believe that his goal makes sense. But his sad longing for the taste of an apple captures the heart every time. I guess it's that shade of sadness and the blurring of good and bad that makes many of these villains irresistible. They had to bring him back to fight for the good (?) side...at least always for his own side

Top Twenty Favorite Star Wars Characters

Top Twenty Favorite Star Wars Characters.

Not ranked from 20 to 1. Instead I'll just be going in chronological order, picking one or two from each film. For my personal preference I'm sticking to the 6 Lucas movies. Sequels not included because I don't like them and Animation not included because I've not seen any of them.
There are too many characters to like and love in Star Wars to narrow it down to 10. I could probably even do more than twenty, but I'll just do a pair of favorites to match one in my least favorite list. When it's a main character, I'll put them in at the point that I think they were at their best.
First picks: Qui Gon Jin and Padme Amidala. Specifically Padme from Phandom Menace and Attack of the Clones. I loved her in Revenge of the Sith as well, but her character didn't have as much impact in that one. I loved young Padme in PM because she was a secret. The Queen in disguise. That's great stuff. And in AOTC she was just plain badass like Leia after her. And Qui Gon... Does it get much cooler than Qui Gon? He didn't need more than one movie to make you totally believe him and become invested in him. He was the best mentor character in the series next to older Obi Wann in the original trilogy.

 

Next up, it's Watto and R2D2. I can't help but love the smarmy, unscrupulous junk dealer, Watto. Such a used car salesman who can't even be put off his game by Jedi mind tricks. I also love the creativity of his design, his beard in particular. You don't see a lot of aliens that are created with face hair and Watto has a beard that varies in length throughout the first two prequels. It just a nice touch of a fine detail that stands out to me. And then R2.. dear R2, the real hero of the entire franchise. I've written about that before. The glue that held all six movies together was right out in front in the first movie taking care of everyone and adorable as ever. If you don't love R2D2 I just don't understand how. He belongs on every favorite character list, I believe.

Next we have Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Windu didn't have a huge part, but he made and impression. Mace Windu and his bling-saber. Which was cooler? We may never know. But it was a different kind of part for Samuel L. Jackson. Even more different than his part in the MCU. It's the last place anyone would've expected him to turn up back in the Pulp Fiction days. A wise, sagely Jedi master is a refreshing break from his pigeonholed personality as a loud, gritty, and brash kind of hero/anti-hero without taking away from his formidablility. Much respect.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. Whether Ewan McGregor or Alec Guinness, he has the heart of a lot of fans. Alec Guinness portrayed the subtle pain and regret of a story that hadn't been told yet at the time. Ewan McGregor played out that story to perfection. He really held the prequels together as the best actor in the group, hands down with the character perspective that made the most sense. With the six movies combined, he's probably the best character of the franchise. 

Next up,  Yoda and Princess Leia. Bridging the gap between the two trilogies, I chose Yoda from the prequels because he got to demonstrate why he was the very best for all the lifting of space ships in his swamp. Teacher, fighter, strategist. I don't know anyone who doesn't love Yoda. Princess Leia, also a teacher, fighter and strategist. She picked up in giving some guidance to the boys after Obi-Wan was killed in A New Hope and continued to guide a rebellion, showing limitless versatility while not overshadowing and suffocatingthe other characters. Two of the very best characters ever created.

 Next...
The heart of the series... Luke and Han. Mostly A New Hope Luke because he was so wide-eyed and fresh. He didn't have the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders yet and his energy was unstoppable. I liked his hair longer and blonder too. Let's face it, there's nothing like the first movie or the first book or the first part of any series. A New Hope will always be the first in my mind and young, eager Luke, along with Han and Leia are the coolest team in the trilogy.
Han... Han at any point in the trilogy. Han was equally as cool as the Jedi without having any mystic or magic qualities. Sometimes cooler. Without even trying it would seem. Always an adorable smile and a cheeky one-liner. He's one of the best characters ever made.

Okay, Darth Maul is out of order... this is why I'm not actually ranking them, lol. This is also why the idea of favorite and least favorite characters doesn't really apply in Star Wars. Neither Maul or Vader should be a favorite since they were antagonists. But I was and still am intrigued by Darth Maul. His make up was so unique and different. And his brief time in The Phantom Menace had a stunning impact. I liked Count Dooku, but I'm kind of disappointed that Maul wasn't in at least 2 of the prequels. He's a frightening, silent predator that could really give everyone a bad day. I like the creativity put into this character.
And of course, Darth Vader is the king. The reason why I say Anakin is the most important character in all of Star Wars is because of Vader. They've resurrected him in almost every incarnation, book, and video game connected to the franchise. The tragic character seeking redemption while making force-choking everyone totally cool. There hasn't been many screen personas made that can match Darth Vader.

 

So, Han, are there any more like you at home? Why yes... yes there are.. Sigh... *heartthrob* Thing great thing about the original trilogy is that the writers and actors took what was assumed to be years of background and condense them into a few scenes. Lando has a dubious character, but Lando is no more of a bad guy than Han. Even though he's willing to cover his own skin... he can only be pushed so far. Loved Lando.
Chewbacca.. Proof that you don't even need real dialogue (along with R2) to fashion a strong, believable character. A sidekick, but no less important than any of the actual speaking characters. Chewbacca is just a tall guy in a costume but he's as real as any regular person in the movies. I don't think it's as easy as people think it is... I don't know if it could be done without the help of CGI today.

Also out of order is Kitt Fisto. I know nothing about this character. I think he had more experiences and a more thorough biography in other Star Wars shows, but that didn't stop that smile from capturing my heart in the second movie. Great alien character. Great makeup. And of course I can't leave C3PO out of this list. Poor 3PO is the fool who was swept along for the wild ride. Not entirely useless, he unwittingly played a big role in Han's rescue from Jabba. But for the most part he's just there for comic relief and he does a superb job

Next...

Bobba Fett. He was clever and deadly. And he wasn't really bad he was neutral. Just another day at the office. He was the best choice for the job. I think Vader knew that too, having had dealings with his progenitor. I wasn't sorry to see Jango go, but I was almost a little sorry to see Bobba go. Respect, my friend. The last three of my "favorites" are mostly insignificant characters (in the 6 Lucas movies anyway). They simply stand out and have left a lasting impression over the years like Admiral Ackbar. More than just pointing out the trap, he seemed to be a genuinely expressive character under that giant prosthetic alien head gear. I like it when a person can emote without being able to use their own face. We don't need animation to remember the honorable Admiral Ackbar and that makes him cool. 

Lastly, I picked these two for their looks mainly. Bib Fortuna is another great makeup job that made a lasting impression on me. And he's my favorite dupe of a Jedi mind trick. It's not my favorite mind trick per say, but I did enjoy Bib getting all the way to Jabba confident in his introduction of Luke. Funny stuff. And finally, the Imperial Guard. They were about as useless as Stormtroopers but they had a great look. One of my very favorite costumes of the franchise.

Top Ten Least Favorite Star Wars Characters

Top ten least favorite Star Wars characters.

Not ranked from 10 to 1. Instead I'll just be going in chronological order, picking one or two from each film. For my personal preference I'm sticking to the 6 Lucas movies. Sequels not included because I don't like them and Animation not included because I've not seen any of them.
This was actually harder to do than I thought. There's very few Star Wars characters that I genuinely don't like. I actually like close to half the characters on this list but I have to put them here because of their actions as bad guys (when it's a bad guy.)
First pick: Shmi Skywalker
In this case, I just thought she was kind of boring to watch and she represented the one real disappointment in the prequels for me - the midichlorians. It's not her fault, but she's on my list of least favorites nonetheless.

 

Next up.. these two freaks. I count them as one because you never saw one without the other. Nute Gunray and Rune Haako. These guys were such tools and it was comical because they didn't even understand that they had no real power or control until the end while the most casual viewer could spot it right away. I don't hate them because they're too funny to actually dislike. But they definitely belong on a least favorite list because they were the useful idiots of the Empire.

 Omgoodness... It's hard to put anyone in this list especially Ian McDiarmid! My most beloved least favorite character. But Senator/Chancellor Palpatine is a bad person. More so than when he is the fully the Emperor undisguised. His disguise is what makes this character even more evil. A two-faced snake who whispers discord while wielding enough charisma to make people throw their freedom gleefully at his feet. He was such a nice guy in the Phantom Menace. Genuinely likeable; Padme's mentor, nearly. But he was the Menace by the time Revenge of the Sith arrived. Palpatine's bio is a movie I'd like to see. 

For number seven, I pick the Jengo clones. Not the kids. Not the masked and marching soldier.. but these guys... I actually love most of these "least favorite" characters. The clones in this eating scene seem to epitomize the Stormtrooper clichés... big dumb animals. Even though they were top notch when the Jedi were in charge, they quickly developed a reputation for not being able to hit the broad side of a building. Their adorable, vacant stares in this scene seemed to match up with that. I don't know why I'm bothering with a least favorites list.. this isn't working out well.. lol

Six:  Commander Cody. The face of betrayal. He turned on Obi-Wan and that adorable Boga critter. 'Nuff said. Funk Commander Cody.

Anakin. It's not that I don't like Anakin. The six movies combined was the story of Anakin Skywalker. He's the most important character in all of Star Wars, probably. I just didn't care for Hayden Christensen's acting. His face was expressive in the right way, but when he spoke it was a little stiff in most scenes. Child Anakin wasn't much better, but forgivable since he was a little kid.

Next...  No I don't actually hate Greedo... but looking back on the unaltered version of ANH, I'm pretty sure he did shoot first.. he just missed.

Next up, Jabba. I don't really dislike Jabba too much.. he's very charming in a mob boss sort of way. But his tongue was really creepy to me when I was a kid. Especially when Leia strangled him.

Next...  Who taunts and provokes a giant Sith with a scary robot voice? Who does that? This guy.. Conan Antonio Motti. I think it's safe to say he was asking for it...

Finally, my last choice is Mon Mothma. I'm sure she in a position of leadership for a reason but she gives off a definite air of "politician" and she's kind of boring as well. She wasn't an active leader like Leia.. In fact she seemed more like a princess than Leia... distant and cold. Iconic though. It's amazing how these characters with only a few lines stay with you for years and years.