Survivor 22

I first off must admit that last season's Survivor was the first season I did not complete. I got a little over half way through and stopped watching. There has been seasons before that I have not watched in their entirety, but last season was the first time I totally bailed. I had to look up online to see how won.

A couple early thoughts on Season 22.
I used to not be a fan of All-Star seasons, but the one last year was great. I wasn't excited for Russell and Boston Rob again, but having the 2 veterans really allows you to jump right into the season. There is no feeling around episodes. Those two are running thangs right away. It makes for good viewing.
This "redemption" format sounds a whole heck of a lot like Real World/Road Rules Challenges, not that I'm complaining. Those things are pretty entertaining. I'm not sure it will add to Survivor, though. We'll see. It is definitely a safeguard to keep Boston Rob and Russell in the game. The previous "redemption" ploy off the Pearl Islands, was kind of lame, bringing back Burton and Lil, not really offering much to the season.
Will there be real water challenges this season?

Alright, let's take an early look at this year's cast.

Boston Rob - I like him, glad he's back, much better without Amber.

Andrea - I like her. She is cute and hot. There's something about her very alluring, must be that Wisconsin up-bringing. I think she could make it far under the right circumstances.

Kristina - Fake boobs, loner, won't be around for long.

Grant - So this guy was an NFL football player. I see him making the jury and then going out as the "threat". On a side note, someone once asked who I would choose to look like if I could look like anyone in the world, ok maybe I poised this question just so I could answer it, but anyways, my answer was James from Survivor, but now Grant is a close second. No homo.

Philip - Yes! This guy is great. Vastly entertaining. I don't think he'll make it far, so take it in while you can.

Natalie - Apparently this chick is 19. I think that is too young. she might go far under someone's wing, but will not be a major player.

Ashley - I like her. She's hot, but not too hot that that's her only asset. I predict she will go far.

Russell - Too cocky, but that was the case last season too, but he still made it to the final. Definitely brings the entertainment value.

Steve - The new Tom - Older, grey, strong. Apparently another ex-nfl player. He should go far, maybe taking over as team leader once Russell is gone.

Julie - she could definitely kick my ass.

Sarita - hasn't really said too much yet.

Stephanie - power hunger young girl on Russel's teet. She's the type of girl that would scan the bar at bar time looking for a drunk guy she couldn't otherwise get, a muskrat or 'skrat, as we called them back in the day.

Krista - Kind of weird, also on the Russel train.

Ralph - Yes, the hairy redneck. I can't wait til this guy pulls one over on Russell

Mike and David - Two younger white guys, don't know much about them. One was in Iraq, one is kinda dorky, but they'll take down Russell and be best buds.

I see the season building to a Russell/Boston Rob Redemption Island showdown in about week 7 or 8 and then falling off after that.

Stay tuned kids!

Where No Survivor Has Gone Before

Another late winter, another season of Survivor. Those post's title does not refer to the stupid elimination battle which we are yet to see or the "Survivor 2nd Chance/Survivor What If...?" promos. That might be the worst thing ever. Before I delve, into this season, I thought I'd take a look at places Survivor has never been, but should go. I once heard a rumor it was going to be in Jordan, but had to back out before they started due to fear of Middle East Violence. Interesting.
Let's take a quick recap of where Survivor has been.

1. Borneo - cool
2. Australia - cool, but not as cool
3. Africa - eh, sounded cool, but pretty much just desert.
4. Marquesas - super cool, Waterfalls
5. Thailand - don't remember much
6. Amazon - Sounded cool again, but kind of boring. Piranhas.
7. Pearl Islands - Panama, pretty cool. Rupert.
8. Pearls again
9.Vanuatu - Maybe the best scenery
10. Palau - Awesome
11. Nicaragua - I think the toughest conditions ever
12. Panama, again, some real good challenges, though
13. Cook Islands, tied with Vanuatu for best scenery, and better challenges
14. Fiji
15. China - better than expected

16. Micronesia - not bad
17. Gabon - a much better Africa
18.Tocantins - Brazil again
19. Samoa
20. Samoa again
21. Nicaragua
22. Nicaragua again

A few notes: First, landlocked places are bad. It is clear all the best seasons took place on the water. I'd say 80% of the best challenges were water based. 2nd, WHAT THE FUCK happened to the water challenges?!!!! Seriously, I understand there being only fabricated water in Nicaragua, but Samoa, it's an island. Why no water challenges? To tell you the truth, I don't remember an true water challenges - with boats, and swimming, and diving since Micronesia.
Bring back the water. My only guess is that someone died or seriously got hurt in a practice challenge. The truth is out there.

Also, I've often heard people pitch ideas of a cold location, but that would not work. No one would do anything. It would be super boring, and there would be no eye candy.
Ok, since the produces have gotten seriously lazy, I will provide them with the answers of where to take Survivor next.

1.Madagascar - Yes, this would be the best season yet. You got the ocean, mountains, animals that exist nowhere else in the world. This is the season I will be on.
2. Maldives or Seychelles - I hear these are among the most beautiful places in the world. Tons of small private islands would make a perfect location for an upcoming Survivor Season.
3. Okinawa - "Japan here. China here. Okinawa here."
4. Tuvalu - We've had Palua and Vanuatu, let's get another South Pacific, ending in "u" island. It could be the atoll season.
5. Pitcairn - Yes. Following in the footsteps of real life survivors, though the descendants of Fletcher Christian have not fared too well as of late.
6. Easter Island - see Survivor commercialize more ancient ruins

7. Suriname - I don't know why, but I just imagine Suriname as having both loads of rainforests, swamps, and Caribbean Sea beaches.

Let's make it happen Jeff Probst.

More Super Bowl Thoughts

I thought I'd look back on some of awesome events and circumstances that make this team and this season so special. This group is full of great stories. Of course we all know the Rodgers/Favre story and the Clay Matthews walk-on story, so I'll take a look at a few other stories about the 2010/2011 Packers and Super Bowl XLV.



-Jarrett Bush-

I've read a lot of Super Bowl coverage, but I can't believe how little people have mentioned Jarrett Bush. This guy has been the whipping boy of the media and fans for years. He would get sh** on nearly every time he was on the screen. How he is still on this team, I do not know. The perennial special teamer I guess. He has been burned more times than I know and just looks awful pretty much every time he has been in there. Career Stats: 78 games played, 1 interception. 1 Superbowl, 1 interception. He came through when it counted (I'll ignore his getting burned just a few minutes later for the Hines Ward TD.) I'm happy for him, and I'll lay off him for at least next season.

Week 15 - The Packers were so close to not even making the playoffs. Everyone remembers the Giants 4th quarter collapse to Mike Vick and the Eagles in week 15 that allowed us to control our own destiny, but it was also the week 15 overtime victory by the Lions over the Buccaneers that also got us into the playoffs. This was just as improbable. The Lion, going in with 26 GAME ROAD LOSING STREAK, got the ball back at their own 32 down by three with no timeouts left, 1:39 left, and Drew Stanton as quarterback. Somehow he marched them down the field for the game tying and game winning field goal. Thus the Packers are in the playoffs and not the Bucs.
Thanks Drew Stanton.

Al Harris - This is one regret. I wish Al Harris could've been on this team. It would have been great to see him come in for the injured Charles Woodson and save the day. Anyway, still a great Packer and owner of one of the best ever Packers plays. I'm sure he was watching the game proudly.

Atari Bigby - Despite doing little to nothing this season, it was great to see Bigby leading the troops out of the tunnel.

Rodgers Celebration - A-Rodg had a nice Jim Valvano moment after the Steelers missed their 4th down play to end the game. Running around like a kid, looking for someone to hug. Each time ESPN showed it they cut away right before he finally met someone. I wonder who the first person he hugged was.

Desmond Bishop - This guy was our 4th middle linebacker at the start of the season. Injuries to Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar make him a starter. He steps up during the season and makes HUGE plays in the playoffs. Kudos too to Frank Zombo for coming out of nowhere to dutifully replace the also injured Brad Jones and Brady Poppinga.



AJ Hawk - Another unsung member of our great linebacking core. He will never have the hair, the speed, the big play ability of Clay Matthews, and I'm sure Clay's girlfriend is much better looking than Brady Quinn's sister, but Hawk was solid all season long, not spectacular, maybe not up to the level of a top 5 pick, but he was a key contributor to the Super Bowl march, especially after all the LB injuries. It was nice to see him on NFL Countdown reflecting on everything.

Howard Green - Huge guy, huge play, forcing Big Ben into the INT. Love his story being castaway by the Jets, then helping beat them the next week. Also, who can forget how little his jersey was in his first game with the Packers?




Shaun Suisham - Cut by the Cowboys, Redskins, Browns, and Rams this guy was then attempting a 52-yard field goal in the Super Bowl. Anyone surprised with the outcome of that kick? Wow.

Johnny Jolly - Lastly,lots of people want to know what Brett Favre was doing during the Super Bowl, but I oh so desperately want to know what Johnny Jolly doing. Did he watch the game? Did he go to Dallas? Did he get arrested? He is from Houston and apparently not yet in jail, so I'm going to speculate it was some sort of liquid codeine binge eventually meeting up with Lil Wayne to celebrate the Packers victory. Lots of purple drank and Styrofoam cups. Yes!

Super Bowl Champs! Even the stories at the periphery are great. Thanks for the contributions guys.

Green Bay Packers 2011 Super Bowl Champions!!!

The Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl Champions! Yes, we did it. And unlike many teams, we is the proper identifier, not they. The Packers are our team. I'm sure you become even a closer member of the Packers the closer you get to Green Bay. Everyone in the week approaching the Super Bowl was loving Green Bay and the Packers and what they represent, from Rick Reilly to Rachel Maddow. The Packers are unique and WE are champions.

I think the word that best described my post game feeling was content. I wasn't elated or running through the streets, I was simply content. I was happy, but content was the best word. I think a lot of it was the way the game went. The biggest celebration plays were early. I just sat back Sunday night and felt like there were no problems in the world, that everything was just a bit easier. Content.
Also, I wanted to take everything in. I remember the 1997 Super Bowl very well, but remember very little about the season itself. This season I was in for the long haul. My feelings Sunday night and still today were about the culmination of the season, of the journey.

For me, the picture that best tells the story about the 2010/2011 was the celebration after the final kneel down. Aaron Rodgers (of course) hugging Brandon Jackson and Andrew Quarles. What? Yes. Those are the guys in the game. Not Ryan Grant. Not Jermichael Finley. Not Donald Driver. It just showed the devastating injuries the Packers had and that it did not matter to Aaron Rodgers. He worked with whatever was available to him.

Let's look at it again. 2nd youngest team in the NFL. 15 players on the IR. The most games missed due to injury. Woodson and Driver go down. Super Bowl champs!

About the game itself, wow, it was eerily similar to the Bears game and especially the Eagles game. Packers dominate, don't put it away at right before halftime, come out with the ball, 3 and out, other team gets a TD right back in the game, another huge Packers TD, other team scores again, goes for 2, later get the ball back, Packers hold on for the win. Man, holding on! Making you sweat, making it tense. Wow, still feeling it.
Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Preview

Wow, the Packers are in the Super Bowl! This isn't a surprise obviously, due to the two weeks of non-stop media coverage, but it still doesn't quite seem real. I'm not used to my teams winning.
But we're not done yet! Sunday is the big game.

I have to say I'm feeling pretty good. I feel everything that could have gone wrong went wrong against the Bears. Penalties reared their head again. Rodgers threw a Red Zone interception (Favre-esque) which never happens. And that other interception, that was beyond a fluke; it was just miraculous. And the whole 3rd string quarterback was pretty wild too.
I don't think I see those things happening again.

So, on to Sunday. What do I see? Well, I think the Packers are the better team. Let's take a look at why we will win or why we won't win.

Why The Packers will win:
- Better team - the Pack has amazing depth. I think 1-22 or 1-53, we are easily the better team. I know that does not translate to winning necessarily, but it plays a big role. Just look at how many different guys have stepped up in the playoffs.
- Aaron Rodgers and his receivers - Yeah, I don't really need to say much about this. Rodgers is sick and so are the receivers. He can pass, run, avoid the rush, make the deep throw, make the finesse throw, get big. We have 4 great receivers and big Brett Swain waiting to get his chance in those five wideout packages.
- Stopping the run - this one isn't for certain, but if they can stop the run, they got the game. The big guys inside do pretty well, and the should get at that less than full strength o-line of Pittsburgh.
- Pressure on Big Ben - You know, I don't really think Roethlisberger has had that great of a season, pretty average in fact. We will put pressure on him from the D-line, from the linebackers, and from Chuck Woodson. If we can keep him from escaping, he will throw picks.


Why the Packers will lose:
- Special Teams - this was a huge positive against the Bears, but I'm still not sold. Crosby cannot seem to kick it deep, and a "good" kickoff spot for the Packers is like the 35. Oh, and let's not forget that offensive lineman return against New England.
- Short Yardage Situations - I know all the fans, myself included, love Kuhn, but in my opinion, the Packers have been pretty poor in short yardage situations, especially near the goal line. The Steelers had that big stand against the Jets. Look for this to be key. Getting 3 instead of 7 or having to punt from the 40 or 50 is huge in the Super Bowl.
- Tight Ends - If one put together a list of the best tight ends over the last 5 years, I don't think Heath Miller would be on many people's lists, but the guy is good. The guy is consistent. He's played in big games. And the Packers are susceptible against the Tight End, especially down the middle which is the bread and butter of Miller. If Miller gets going, those safteys cheat toward him, and Wallace is gone.
And, of course, the tight ends for the Packers are not much. Hopefully they will not be a liability.
- Drops - There is nothing like a dropped pass to kill a drive. It frustrates the fans to no end and kills momentum. I don't have to tell you that despite the greatness of the Packers receivers this season, dropsies have been a problem.
- Fumbles - I'm not sure why I put this one in. Maybe because I feel good about Rodgers not throwing an INT, but I'm leery of fumbles. I guess its from years of watching Ahman Green and now Brandon Jackson and Ryan Grant. Hold on to the ball.
- Inability to close - If the Packers let the Steelers stay in the game, they will take advantage unlike the Eagles and Bears. Dominating the game doesn't matter if you don't dominate the score board too.

What won't matter:
Experience - a non issue. These guys have all played big games before. Once you get on the field you just do your thing.

One more thing:
Go Pack Go!

Ranking the Harry Potter Characters

I was going to write a few more things about the Harry Potter Characters, but I the end, I was going to rank them anyways, so, I thought I'd just skip to that.

I left out Ron, Hermione, Harry, Voldemort, and Dumbledore on purpose. They are the main characters and don't need to be ranked. Hagrid was purposefully omitted because he sucks.

Criteria - Ok, my criteria is always a bit flakey, but usually, we are looking for the best character in the literary sense of the word - Do they add to the story? are the entertaining? do they invoke emotion in the reader? Would something be missing if they were absent? Obviously, if they are likable, they will be higher on the list. You'll see a lot of people from last posts list on this list as well. I think wanting to know more about a character is a key quality.

The Top 35 Harry Potter Characters.

35. Peeves - comic relief, but a bit annoying.
34. Xenophilius Lovegood- An interesting character, told a good story, but sold Harry out.
33. Cho Chang - Cho was very similar to many girls from my teenage years. You were all about her for a short time, but then she really fizzled out quickly.
32.Cornelius Fudge - He was a very present character, but really didn't do all that much.
31. Wormtail - You need a character you hate yet feel some pity for.
30. Narcissa Malfoy - Brought some much needed humanity to Draco
29. Oliver Wood - This mother loves quidditch!
28. Lavender Brown - a bit annoying, but played her role well, and brought Ron and Hermione together.
27. Mad-Eye Moody - I'm conflicted on this one. Moody was real cool in Book 4, but that was actually Barty Crouch Jr. The rest of his contributions were not too substantial.
26. Lucius Malfoy - You need villains. He was a good one, not a great one.
25. Percy Weasley - Another character it was easy to hate, but he had the transformation at the end.
24. The Dursleys - Wow, read #25. Dudley made the biggest chance of the family. That was one of the more interesting parts of Book 7
23. The Gaunts - They added a different element to the series. They were intriguing and showed much about Voldemort's character.
22. Igor Karkaroff
21. Remus Lupin - Lupin is the favorite character of some people, but he was a bit inconsistent for me. He was great in Book 3, but king of tailed off for me. His whole wanting to come with Harry in Deathly Hallows was kind of weird.
20. Barty Crouch - Sr. and Jr.
19. Ludo Bagman - Provided a foil for all the serious, earnest wizards and witches we met.
18. Arthur Weasley - Couldn't you see Arthur as your friend's father? The moral compass for the Weasley family and one of the few that always trusted Harry with the tough truth.
17. Fred and George Weasley - 2 parts comic relief, one part faithful friend and brother.
16. Cormac Mclaggen - As I said in the last post, I wanted to see more of this guy. He reminds me a bit of the Cobra-Kai, but I think he had a good heart. A good supporting character.
15. Draco Malfoy - I'm also conflicted on Draco Malfoy. His portrayal is inconsistent. He at times is just evil for no reason. We get a little better character insight of him in Book 6. There he shows humanity and much more depth, but I feel there was opportunity for more.
14. Sirius Black - Sirius was a cool character, but I feel he could have also been explored more. He was Harry's father figure and wanted to be his friend, but I think the toll years in Azkaban could have been more prominent.
13. Regulus Black - Odd that Regulus makes it here above this brother, but as a minor character, he was the bomb. See yesterday's post for more, but in such an odd role, Regulus was perfectly portrayed.
12. Horace Slughorn - A good mix of teacher and misguided teacher wanting to still make amends. A realistic portrayal I think.
11. Dolores Umbridge - The most unlikable character in the entire series, and that is saying a lot. A very great villain. So misguided, but a great example of what Harry and Dumbledore were up against.

10. Mungundas Fletcher - A great foil to almost every other wizard on the good guy's side. This guy failed in almost every way. You need that presence.

9. Victor Krum - Krum played his role well - foreigner, outsider, friend, ally.

8. Neville Longbottom - Neville showed the most growth in the series. He was originally the screw-up, the one no one wanted to sit next to or work with, but turned into a leader. A great example of how 7 books allow for character growth and of Rowling's message of including all no matter how seemingly unfitting they appear.

7. Bellatrix Lestrange- Another one to hate, but this time you don't really need any further character exploration, bitch is just crazy.

6. Gilderoy Lockhart - A great literary character. His personality and true personality just fit the 2nd book so perfectly. You wanted to hate him and his cowardly ways, but couldn't. One of the first examples of Rowling showing that characters are not always as the appear.

5. Cedric Diggory - The prime example of honor, friendship, fairness. I think even Harry said he couldn't dislike him even when he tried. He may be a bit one-dimensional, but that fits his role. Also, his death was a turning point in the story.

4. Kreacher - I'm a big fan of the journey of the character, of a character changing due to the environment he or she is placed in, of the character learning from past mistakes. This can be seen in Neville, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and in my number one and two choices on this list, and we see glimpses of the downward change in Voldemort. Kreacher is a drastic example, going from one of the most hated and frankly worst characters to one of the best. He really came through for Harry and the good side in book 7, a nice turnaround.

3. Professor McGonagall - McGonagall illustrates the the other type of great character. It doesn't have to be all about change and transforming, consistency works too. McGonagall is the most consistent person in the book. We don't need to know her back story to see what see is all about. She is a caring teacher and role model, but also one you would not want to mess with.

2. Severus Snape - So I think I'm putting Snape number 2 because most people think I will put him 1. He is a great character no doubt. He has the journey. He has the mystery. He most importantly, has elements of good and evil. Even when at his most surly, even when you don't know any of his back story, you still like him, or at least want to see more of him and know more of him. That is the mark of a good character. Snape is again the sign of the complexity that a 7 book (7 year) series allows for. In one book, he never really does anything that great (accept for maybe book 6) and could not show dynamic change either, but as a body of work, is an amazing character.

1. Luna Lovegood - Yes, Luna Lovegood is the best character in the Harry Potter universe. She presents a lot of things that make Harry Potter what it is. She is different and funny, but most importantly sincere. She has this connection with Harry and other characters that makes her super likable, but also super crucial. And like most of my rankings, it is easier to be the favorite when you are a minor character. Luna is just on the fringe of being a major character, but being a minor character makes her free from mistakes. Every time she is present it is important, it adds value, you wait for it, whereas Snape had a few appearances that weren't all that great or even necessary.

There you go Harry Potter fans.

Harry Potter Characters

Well, I thought about ranking my favorite Harry Potter characters, which I might still do, but after looking at them I instead decided to divide them up into characters 1. I want to know more about 2. character I wish were around less and 3. characters that were porttrayed just the right amount, kinda like a Goldilocks version of Harry Potter characters.
First we'll look at the characters I wanted to see more and want to know more about. In the Star Wars Universe there was once a time where you could make a list like this, but after hundreds of books have added to the official lexicon, you know pretty much everything about every single character who had even a half second of screen time. I'm glad HP is not yet to that point. These are by no means the best Harry Potter characters, just the most intriguing ones.

Most Intriguing Harry Potter Characters

1. Regulus Black - Wow, I want to know everything about this guy. How did he and Sirius get along? Why did he become a Death Eater? Why did he turn away from Voldemort? How did he find out about the Horcrux? How did he get the Locket in the Cave? Yes, I want to know more!
He is also an odd character as he is never really in the books if I correctly recall, not even in flashbacks. He is just talked about by others. Interesting. Regulus would be my first choice for a Harry Potter spinoff, "The Dark Adventures of Regulus Black". A great examination of a tortured soul it would be.

2. The Gaunts - The House of Gaunt was one of the best chapters in the series. Here, shown only in flashback. You get access to a piece of the magical world not yet seen. How did the Gaunts come to this? What did they do before this? How did they interact with muggles? Did they go to Hogwarts?
Are there other wizards like this? Lots more to know.

3. Cormac - I might be in the minority here, but I really like this guy. He was pretty funny in both the book and the movie. Where did he come from? What did he do in all his years at Hogwarts in in Gryffindor that we didn't see him? I wish he would have been used more.

4.Cedric Diggory - The All-American boy, if he was American. What was his life like before the Triwizard tournament, just breaking the hearts of girls everywhere?

5. Professor McGonagall - Mcgonagall has to be the most consistent character in the series, and maybe the most realistic. She never wavers. She fights for good, cares about her students, but doesn't always give Harry the benefit of the doubt when he does something stupid. This would be my second pick for a Harry Potter spin-off, "Young Minerva McGonagall" I imagine it would be like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but sluttier. Tell me she wasn't saucy in her younger years.

6. Professor Slughorn - I only wish we had a few more years with Slughorn. We had glimpses of his past, but I want more.

7. Barty Crouch - Going for Sr and Jr here. I like the prim and proper, by the book Crouch. His story is actually rather touching. With Jr., man there are a lot of unanswered questions. What did he do to go to Azkaban? How did he know so much about Moody? Why was he such a damn good teacher? Why did he do that weird tongue licking thing in the movie?

8. Luna Lovegood - Great character, but where was she in years 2-4? Also, seeing her at Hogwarts without Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Deathly Hallows would have been interesting.

9. Ludo Bagman - Got to love a gambling addict.

10. Victor Krum - This could be another great spin-0ff, "Victor at Durmstrang" or "Krum, the Hungarian Heartthrob".

11. Draco Malfoy - We did get a lot about Draco. Most of the time he was just a huge a-hole. I guess it was his upbringing, but I would like a little more depth.

12. Mundungus Flectcher- I like this dirtbag. He adds something to the Order of the Phoenix and the good guys.

13. Percy Weasley - I'm not sure why I like Percy, but I do. He is definitely a douche, but I can just imagine him going home every night and crying himself to sleep.

14. Xenophilius Lovegood - A good addition to the last book.

15. Aberforth Dumbledore - He did what with goat? A good foil to Dumbledore.

16. Borgin - Dude owns a Dark Magic artifact store. That has got to spark your interest.

17. Igor Karkaroff - What did he do to go to Azkaban? How did he reform? How did he die?

18. Lavender Brown - I'm pretty sure all we know about her is she likes to snog and likes unicorns.

19. Blaise Zabini - Just to prove that there is more to Slytherin than Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle

20. Ernie Macmillan - Hufflepuff!

Ranking the Harry Potter Books

I'm sure you know that here at Big Dunc we are very fond of making lists. We are also very fond of popular culture (maybe edging toward the geekier side of it), and though we have given a great amount of attention to Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Lost, and comics, I believe there has been only one Harry Potter post, actually being one of the first ever Big Dunc offerings.
Anyways, let's rank 'em.

Ranking the Harry Potter Books.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
There are numerous reasons why I rank Deathly Hallows as the worst Harry Potter book, the biggest being that it was just a rather poor ending to a great series. It was too long, too inconsistent, too all-action all the time - jumping from one crisis to another without much really happening. You just read it to see what happened instead of enjoying all of it. I think being almost Hogwarts-less really led to an absence of magic that was present in all the other volumes. I'm a big fan of reflection, but really, were chapters like the Shell Cottage really necessary? Overall it just felt forced and lacked the sincerity of many of the other books.

Best Parts:
Battle of Hogwarts
7 Harry Potters
Kreacher and Dobby's sacrifice
Ollivander
seeing characters like Luna and Neville come into their own.
learning a bit more about Snape
destroying the locket.

Bad parts:
Harry and Dumbledore at King's Cross
Dumbledore's past revelations
Bathilda Bagshot
all the moodiness of Harry, Ron, and Hermione
The Epilogue
Dumbledore's Will
the long times at the House of Black and the Ministry of Magic
Snapes quick death


6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I know this is the one that started it all, but when compared this the vastness of the next books, it just can't hold up. All the introductions were cool. It was fun to be like Harry and be new to all this stuff, but the story itself wasn't too complex or too exciting.

Best Bits:
Newness - Quidditch, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts
Mirror of erised

Bad bits:
Quirrell
ending - saved by love?
Norbert
Nicolas Flamel - lots of put into the importance of Flamel who really had nothing to do with the story itself


5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Order of the Phoenix had some of the coolest parts in the entire Harry Potter series, but also some of the worst. It ranks as number 5 mostly due to these inconsistencies. There is a lot of up and down. Action will happen (see the Dementors in the first chapter) but then will be followed by lots of inaction. The normal story arch is not present. At times it is a collection of events and tales rather than a focused, single story.

Best bits:
Dumbledore's Army - the recruitment and training - one of the best sequences of the entire series, making minor characters relevant.
Dolores Umbridge - maybe the best villain of the series
O.W.L.s - I like the academic stuff
Luna Lovegood - possibly my favorite Harry Potter character
House of Black
Cho - both good and bad - you rooted for Harry, but it contributed to the uneven story
Fred and George's exit

Bad Bits:
The Hearing
Dumbledore not talking to Harry
Harry always being Moody
Occlumency - the Snape/Harry scenes were great, but nothing really become of it
The Prophesy
Grawp/Hagrid


4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
This one might come in 7th place on many people's lists, but I actually like the simplicity. It was a neat story without too much excess. You had the mystery and the ending did not disappoint. It had the classic narrative structure - continual rise to climactic ending. New doors were opened in the Harry Potter World. No super high highs or super low lows. Sincere.

Best Bits:
Lockhart - a fun character
Dueling Club
our first taste of Tom Riddle
the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and the Heir of Slytherin
The Burrow

Bad bits:
car in the forest
too much Dobby
Lucius Malfoy's meeting with Arthur Weasley

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This is the favorite of many people, and I can see why, but for me, it is only number 3. This is the first truly great Harry Potter Book and really sets the done for the depth of the series and the darker nature for the latter books. The main story is great. The side stuff like new classes and Quidditch is great too. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get the story started, and after the seeming climax, you have to do it all over again with the Time-Turner thing.

Best Bits:
The mystery - at the root of all the best HP stories for me are questions and mysteries. Books 5 and 7 have little to no mystery and are thus rated rather poorly. Prisoner of Azkaban probably had the best outcome to the mystery in the series.
Harry not being infallible
Quidditch
Marauders Map
Lupin/Snape/Black interchanges

Worst Bits:
beginning
Knight Bus
Time Turner
A bit too much Trelawney

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
To me, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a great combination of what worked in books 3 and 5. You have events going on which may not contribute hugely to the main story, but are still entertaining. You have a cool mystery story. You have Hogwarts as a major player. But with all of these, there is an impending scene of doom, an anticipation that something big is going to happen, and in the end, it does.

Best bits:
Hogwarts and classes at the center again
giving depth to Voldemort, I loved the Gaunt chapter
The potions book
The Cave - maybe the best chapter in the series
Dumbledore's Death - some people don't like that Harry was frozen, but you as the reader really share his sense of helplessness
The scene where Percy came home but only because of work and not to see his family was pretty intense
Also the scene on the train where Malfoy actually defeats Harry was pretty cool too, one of my favorites

Bad Bits:
Aragog and sad Hagrid
Ron and Lavender
lack of big action until the end that it

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Much like Half-Blood Prince, Goblet of Fire has all the elements that make Harry Potter great - the mystery - who put Harry's name in the Goblet and why, great side stories and action, further exploration of the Harry Potter World, a crazy entertaining ending, the feeling of impending disaster, and in this one, the main backdrop story is the awesome Triwizard Tournament! I am a sucker for competition, so Goblet of Fire is obviously number 1. But like I said, it wasn't just the tasks and the tournament. You have the Quidditch World Cup, the new Wizarding Schools, the Yule Ball, Mad-Eye Moody, and the rest of the series is really set into motion from this one. Despite the length, this one is never forced (ok, maybe the house elf thing). Even character like Moaning Myrtle, meant to be annoying, and Trelawney and Hagrid are used to their best ability.

Best Bits:
Quidditch World Cup - This is the best exposition of the entire Wizarding World in the series. We learn there is so much more to it than Hogwarts
The other schools
Tasks - dragons, mermaids, sphinxes, skrewts
The unexpected task - asking a girl to the dance, tough
The Yule Ball - very real, unglamorized
Dropping the Egg- this might be my favorite sequence in the entire series - Harry gets stuck in on of the trap stairs, drops the egg, Peeves and Filch and Snape and Moody come while Harry is helpless under the invisible cloak. The drama and suspense here at its highest. How was Harry going to get out of this one? I remember my heart racing at this one, probably more than even at the end of this book or Half-Blood Prince
The ending - Death Eaters, Priori Incantatem, and the explanation of it all. The ending was great. I could not stop reading, but unlike the ends of Half-Blood Prince, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Order of the Phoenix, which are all awesome scenes, here you are not reading just to see what happens. You truly want to soak in every detail.

Bad Bits:
house elves- drunk Winky
Ron being mad at Harry
Rita Skeeter.

Well there you have it.

Badgers Basketball Report

Hey readers, check out my Badgers Basketball on The Bucky Channel.
Cheers.

Big Dunc's Best of 2010

Last year I did my best movies of the decade. This year I will not be so grandiose, but I'll take a look back the year of 2010. As per usual, I will look at movies, sports, and a few other things and let you know my best of 2010.


Best Movies - as you will see, these are not necessarily movies that came out in 2010, as I don't often actually go to the movie theater, just movies I saw in 2010.

First a few honorable mentions:
Lawrence of Arabia - well this obviously is an old movie, and it wasn't even the first time I saw it, but upon re-viewing it, it is a pretty amazing movie. Check it out again or for the first time.
Couples Retreat - Yeah, I watched this movie as part of the free HBO preview. It wasn't too great, but not too bad either. I like Vince Vaughan and it had a pretty attractive female cast.
Dan in Real Life - This is one I saw randomly on TBS or something. It was one of those movies they play back to back and I saw the second half and then watched it again to see the first half. I couldn't change the channel. A great movie, check it out. Steve Carrell was brilliant.
Legion - I know lots of people hate this movie, and although it didn't really make any sense, I did enjoy watching it.


Now on to our Worst Movies of the Year

Valentines Day - Another HBO free preview film. Pretty weak, though the Ashton Kutcher/ Jennifer Garner storyline did rope me in.
The Other Guys - I think I legitimately laughed out loud once during this movie
Robin Hood - I had high hopes, but was disappointed
Angels and Demons - A great book (for the first 4/5), but a pretty disappointing movie.
The Hangover - Not a bad movie, but highly over-rated.



And the winner for Worst Movie of the Year:

The Other Guys - It looked bad from the previews, but I watched it anyways. Don't make the same mistake I did.



Best Movies of the Year

Up - Great from start to finish

Hurt Locker - Very intense throughout. Characterization was a little generic, but you could not take your eyes off the screen.

Near Dark - Finally saw this "vampire" movie strongly recommended from a friend. It was one of those movies that started pretty slow, but by the end, you are glued to the screen and do not want the movie to end.

Up in the Air - George Clooney at his best. This one was much funnier than expected and the serious side worked too. I actually liked Clooney's interplay with Anna Kendrick much better than Vera Farmiga.

Drag Me to Hell - Another HBO free preview movie, but his one was a quality surprise. Some really sick stuff, some kind of fun stuff, not super scary, but definitely entertaining.



And the Winner is:

Up in the Air - it is the only movie on the list I would recommend to everyone.



Best Books of 2010

Again, this is books I have read during 2010, not new books. I don't know if I've ever read a new book before. Also, I'm not a huge reader. I like to re-read old books. Of the 10 or so books I've read this year, I'd say 70% of them I have read before.

I've reread Timothy Zahn's Star Wars Thrawn Trilogy, a must for Star Wars fans. Harry Potter 7 was better the 2nd time I read it.

I've reread 100 years of Solitude and The Silmarillion, both of which now claim a place in my all-time top 10. I would love to have read 100 Years in Spanish (but I don't know Spanish). Garcia Marquez's work is so poetic (almost too much at times at expense of the actually momentum of the story) I can't imagine it in its original language. The Silmarillion to me, maybe because of my history background is better than the Lord of the Rings. It takes a while to get into, and through, but is worth it, much better after the second read.

Any my best new read of 2010:

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Not in my top 10, and not an easy read at first, but definitely entertaining and thought provoking. It's a post-apocalyptic tale of an abbey that preserves all history. If you like Sci-Fi, check it out.



Best Music of 2010:

Ok, some I'm pretty late on the music scene. My stereo got jacked over a year ago, not that KISSfm plays good music anyways. Well here are my picks for music I got into this year.

Regina Spector and from her to a slighter extend Nellie McKay just for this song

B.O.B. - great stuff with Bruno Mars, Rivers Cuomo, Hayley Williams, and his ESPN bowl song. Yes.

Adam Lambert - Ok, this might be odd, but his music is tight. No homo.



Best Sports Moments

Landon Donovan against Algeria

Michael Bradley and the US against Slovenia

Ghana/Uruguay ending

Badgers wins vs. OSU and Iowa

Favre's Int vs Saints

Everton's 2-goal injury time comeback vs. Man U



And the winner is:

Donovan vs Algeria - no doubt. This one should be the top moment of the decade.



Oh, and the Worst Sports Moment of the Year: Wisconsin vs. Cornell in the 2nd round of the NCAA, total torture watching that thing. Argghh.

Lastly, we'll take a look at the best 2010 post by Big Dunc. It wasn't necessarily a banner year for Big Dunc, but looking back it was pretty substantial - we had great World Cup Coverage, our Comic Book Bracket, Survivor Week, and awesome reviews of Lost seasons 1-4. It looks like going for quality over quantity paid off. So without further ado, here are my posts of 2010.

Star Wars Trilogy
World Cup Wrap Up - Definitely my best picture finds of the year. Check it out for a super hot Australian chick and Bill Clinton drinking a beer
Big Dunc's Survivor All-Stars - The definitive list of the best players and characters in Survivor History. This is a must see for Survivor fans and I think my best of the year, and also my Hottest Women of Survivor wasn't bad either.
Comic Book Bracket - I think this one of the Negative Zone region was the best of the bunch.
Best of Lost - Some great reviews of all the seasons, but I enjoy season 2 the best.



Enjoy, and look forward to more in 2011, or '11 as I will call it.

Who wants to go to Russia? How about Qatar?

Man, Big Dunc is slipping. A cross country trip and a new job and a boring Survivor season has prevented Big Dunc from writing anything new. My news, and this post, is definitely late breaking, as in late breaking, not breaking late. Got it?
Anyways, I figured I'd share my thoughts a few weeks late on the announcement of the World Cup Host for 2018 and 2022.

What? This more of a what??!! than a What: subcategory. This post is very stream of consciousness if you can't already guess. But as I'm sure you know, Russia has been awarded the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 World Cup. to the lay person, this doesn't make much sense. To the soccer insider, this doesn't make much sense. To the media, it is just plain odd.
The favorites a few months ago were UK for 2018 and USA for 2022. Then recently Russia and Qatar entered the fray. The day before the announcement I'm thinking Russia was a slight favorite and the USA was a slight favorite. Either way, the awarding to Qatar and Russia was perplexing.

Analysis: The decisions on their own make sense. There is no way FIFA would put the World Cup in the two most Western nations in the world, two English speaking countries as well. So it makes sense that UK and USA were not a pair. Russia is seen as an untapped market for soccer, a place where lots of people play, but the game hasn't really taken off economically as compared to Western Europe. It puts the Cup in a new place and "opens up" Eastern Europe to FIFA and the rest of the World. Qatar is in the Middle East. It has money. It is the most stable, safe place in the region. With this pick, FIFA is trying to be groundbreaking, trying to be proactive. I'm also thinking Qatar must have promised lots of profits.
But, together, they don't make sense. Why not have one in England or the US. This would be guaranteed to be a money maker and a successful World Cup with little or no money having to be spent before hand. Lots of things could go wrong in either place. Russia has vodka, the mob, cold weather. Qatar has sand, heat, oil. Both places will not be easy to get to or stay in. It will be an expensive trip for all.
So, as most, I can't make total sense of FIFA's World Cup host choices. Both selections have something to offer, something new, something political perhaps, but both also have huge potential flaws. 2018 and 2022 are a long time away, put I am still disappointed in those choices.
But then again, why not travel to Russia or Qatar. It would be quite fun.

Survivor Update: Worst Season Ever?

So, by the third episode of this season's Survivor I knew it would be a contender for "Worst Survivor Season Ever". In many episodes little to nothing happens. There have been no big twists or changes in the game. There are no super likeable people. There really is no one to root for. Watch out Survivor Fiji, Survivor Nicaragua may be coming for your title of "Worst Survivor Season Ever".

To be fair, it is hard to follow up the great All-Star season and the Russell season, but still, something interesting has to happen. I was pulling for "One-leg Kelly". I liked Alina (Ginger, attractive, played the game, cowboy boots, good at challenges) and Marty was defintely entertaining and one of the people that made the show watchable.

A few other supporting factors. How is Dan still there? When will Kelly Purple contribute something of substance to the show or the tribe? She is cute, but man, lifeless. The Challenges have been good for the most part, but never close.

I guess for the rest of the show I'll be rooting for Jud/Fabio, dude is the only entertaining/likeable one left. But after Marty's attempt to make a bold move, I really don't see the game going any other way. The Sash/Brenda/Naonka/Chase alliance with lackies Jane and Holly and Kelly will just be too strong for Fabio and Benry. It will really take something drastic to make this and exciting, likeable season. Maybe this is what they get for doing Young vs. Old and having Jimmy Johnson on the show, but I'll watch anyways.

Goodbye Elena

Some news today on the ESPN ticker caught my eye. It was sad news that many of you may have missed. Elena Dementieva has retired from tennis.

I was pretty shocked by this as she is only 29 and still in the top 10. Elena was always the best player never to win a major. She was never the main draw of the WTA, not because of her game, but because of the way she carried herself. She did not want the spotlight or the hype, even though it could have, and rightfully, been hers. She was everything the game needs - intense, honest, honorable, funny, competitive, cosmopolitan. One thing lacking along with the Grand Slam title, a swimsuit issue appearance.

I got to see her in person at Wimbledon, and she is stunning. Even better when she lets her hair down, which she rarely does. You don't think of Dementieva in terms of looks to be up there with Sharapova and Kournikva, but she is. I got a great picture of her serving at Wimbledon on court #3. I even submitted it for a photo contest. Stunning.


Elena, you will be missed. You will be fondly remembered here at Big Dunc. Thanks for what you brought to the game. Maybe teach Brett a thing or two while you're at it.

Great Football Weekend

I'm doing a little moonlight blogging for another page called The Bucky Channel. I'm sure I've mentioned it on this page before. It's one of my "Friends" on the right.
Here's my first Bucky Channel post - http://www.thebuckychannel.com/2010/10/badgers-vs-packers-great-football.html All about how I enjoyed the Badger victory more than the Packer victory. Not sure why I have to qualify everything, but check it out.
Enjoy.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Time for another movie trilogy post. Hopefully you've checked out the Indiana Jones and Star Wars editions. This one will follow the same format.




Best Films

1. Fellowship of the Ring
2. Two Towers (Ents put this one over #3)
3. Return of the King (I'm a fan of the build-up)



Most Attractive females of Middle Earth

This is a tough one. The quality is higher than Star Wars, but all the women on the list are attractive, but not super hot, or really something to fantasize about, unless you have a thing for elves.


1. Eowyn
2. Galadriel
3. Arwen
4. Rosie Cotton - hairy feet?



Best Supporting Characters


1. Treebeard -
2. Saruman
3. Faramir
4. Galadriel
5.Haldir - Came through with the Elves at Helm's Deep. This did not happen in the book.



Best Action Sequences


1. The Bridge of Khazad Dum - Fellowship - Obvious choice here, amazing sequence from all the orcs surrounding the Fellowship and leaving to Aragorn rousing them to continue after exiting the cave. Powerful stuff all around.


2. Ents at Isengard - Two Towers - Angry Ents, yes.
3. Witch King of Angmar vs Eowyn/Merry - Return of the King - Action in the third film came so fast and furious its tough to truly pinpoint what constitutes as a scene. In the Fellowship, there is usually proper build-up and aftermath of the big actions, and I think with the death of Theoden and the later finding of Eowyn and Merry on the battlefield, this scene best couples action with emotion.
4. Mines of Moria - Fellowship - This was the first big action scene and led to #1 on our list. Again, you have this great build up with some tender scenes between Frodo and Gandalf, then a hot battle
5. Breaking of the Fellowship - Fellowship - Huge build-up here, this was the climax of the first film. The battle was rather quick, but contained the end intense of Boromir "My Brother, my captain, my King!" and led to Sam's "promise" to Mr. Frodo. Cool battle between Aragorn and the Uruk leader too.
6. Battle of Pelennor Fields - Return of the King - This is one of the that is hard to distinguish with other action scenes around it. This one I consider to be the Riders of Rohan battle. Would move up to number 3 on the list if you include Theoden's Speech.
7. Helm's Deep - Two Towers - Awesome, but a bit long in repeated viewings
8. Oliphants and Ghosts - Return of the King - great visually
9. Final Battle - Return of the King
10. She-lob's Liar - Return of the King - Sam's moment to shine



Other Best Scenes


1. Opening Sequences - Fellowship - Sets the tone of grandeur, fantasy, battle. Great narration for Cate Blanchette.
2. Council of Elrond - Fellowship

3. Theoden's Transformation - Two Towers
4. Gandalf vs. Saruman - Fellowship - Starts out innocent enough. We get lots of necessary information and ends in a pretty tight wizard duel.
5. Osgiliath/Sam/Frodo - Two Towers - Definitely not from the books, but a good speech nevertheless, and a good tone setter for the final film
6. Singing/Sacrifice -Return of the King - Pippin singing to Denathor while he is rather grossly eating and his son is getting sacked, great juxtaposition.
7. Funeral Pyre - Return of the King - "He's not dead!"
8. River Anduin - Fellowship - Something real majestic about this trip down the river. You know this is the last peace for a while but you really take it in along with the Characters. Some great visuals.

9. Fellowship sets out - Fellowship - Some cool simple scenes here as the Fellowship begins its journey. Love Saruman's voice in the mountain pass, Gandalf's desire not to go to Moria forshadowing things, and Boromir's observations of of the ring.
10. Oliphants/Meeting Faramir - Two Towers - Lots of mystery here with the Southern Men and Faramir's men.

11. Gates of Mordor - Two Towers - I remember my heart pounding as Sam, Frodo, and Gollum first came to the gates of Mordor.
12. Elves come to Helms Deep - Two Towers
13. Palantir - Return of the King - Some cool stuff
14. Stairs of Cirith Ungol - Two Towers



There you go. Great Stuff

Survivor 21

Well, surprisingly unemployment has caused me to blog much less. I've actually been pretty devoid of ideas lately, as I'm sure you've seen from my lack of post lately.

In need of an idea? Why not blog about Survivor. It's usually hard to tell who you like, who is a good character, who will get far after a few episodes, but I think I've got a few funny things to say about most people. I was even considering putting something on facebook about how wild these people are. Where did they find them? Are they real? Do they know they're on TV? But then I remembered no one really watches Survivor anymore. Well, let's take a look at this season's castaways anyways.

Young Team:

Shannon - Yes, Shannon is a man. The one who got voted off last week. What was wrong with this guy? He seemed incredibly normal until tribal council. He called out his friends, enemies, randoms and called out a dude for being gay. It's no surprise he's gone.

Alina - Pretty much back in the shadows. Hasn't done too much yet.

Kelly B - One leg. I hope she gets far so we can see what happens to that prosthetic leg. I thought she would be afraid of getting it dirty. I guess not. I'm hoping it rusts or gets so full of sand and dirt that it doesn't work properly. I like her, though. Hottest one legged contestant in Survivor history.

Kelly S - She's known on the show as "Kelly Purple". Um, ok. way to make a name for yourself. Hot, but hasn't done much yet.

Chase - Hoes before bros. But the tribal council behavior by Shannon definitely shows he made the right choice.

Brenda - pretty cute and knows how to work it. Men love her, girls don't trust her, the makings of a very good Survivor character. Makes me think of the "I want to hold your hand" girl in

Across the Universe.

Benry - First off, props to this guy for the first name/last name combo. Love it. Second, has this guy said a word yet? I don't think so. When confronted at tribal council by Jeff and Shannon, he just kind of had this dumb look on his face and shook his head. Nice one.

NaOnka - Diva. Is this girl for real? Where did this entitlement come from? This is Survivor. I did like the extreme neck movement when Jeff asked if she was difficult or complicated or something. Good work. I don't see her going to far.

Sash - Jamaican? "If I wasn't from Jamaica then why would I be wearing this hat?" Good thing he is on Survivor so he can live "Right near da beach. Boy-eeee!"

Jud - I like him. You need a surfer on Survivor. I hope he makes it far.

Old Team

Jimmy Johnson - Dude, why are you on Survivor? Go back to the NFL pre-game.

Yve - I think she is pissed she's categorized with the Old People. Thus she has not talked the entire season.

Jimmy T. - I'd like to see more of this guy, but don't see him staying too long. Reminds me of Mickey Rouke

Dan - Gator shoes. I imagine this guy wears track suits most of the time. Too bad he didn't bring them to Survivor.

Holly - Ok, this lady is crazy. Putting sand in Dan's shoes then sinking them in the water, that is just deviant. I guess maybe she's trying to be like Russell or something, but did she think no one will notice. I think she'll be out tonight.

Tyrone - Don't know much about him, but I could see this guy going far.

Marty - Looking good. He seems to know how to play the game. He'll work JJ until he needs to get rid of him. And he has the idol

Jill - Helped Marty get the idol, so that puts her in a good position for a while.

Jane - Started fire, but kina old

There you go. I hoped you enjoyed my observations. Proper responses to this post will be:

Does anyone care about Survivor anyone?

What is this, 2001?

Lame post Big Dunc. Give it up.

Thank You

Original Star Wars Trilogy

So, time for another movie post, this time focusing on the Star Wars Trilogy. Last time I did Indiana Jones, but I consider myself much more of an expert on Star Wars. Again, it will mostly be just random lists that I compile.

My favorites films:
1. Star Wars A New Hope
2. Empire Strikes Back - I feel Empire is a better film, but I like A New Hope better. I watched it countless times and remember each little detail. I like how it is the beginning of so much

4. Return of the Jedi - such a large drop from the first two, it doesn't even deserve spot 3.

Hottest Women in the Galaxy: (not much to choose from)

1. Leia

2. Mon Mothma - Scoring a victory for women's lib movements and feminists everywhere.

3. Aunt Beru - Long years in the Tatooine suns were not good on her.

4. Sy Snootles - very leggy

Most Instrumental Minorities: (Again, not much to choose from)

1. Lando

2. Darth Vader's Voice

3. Return of the Jedi pilot "She's gonna blow!" ( a young Karl Malone) 4:19 of Battle of Endor clip below

It's interesting how deliberately Star Trek embraces multiculturalness, where Star Wars did not. In the books you get the explanation that the Emperor was very xenophobic and sexist and I guess you have the multi-species aspect instead of multi-race. But an interesting observation.

Best Supporting Characters:

1. Wedge - The quintessential soldier, the only minor character to make all 3 movies, a veteran of Yavin, Hoth, and Endor, instrumental to taking down 2 Death Stars. He saved Luke in the first Death Star run, was the first to bring down an AT-AT with a tow cable, and shot down the power regulator allowing Lando to fire the final blow on the second Death Star.

He is one of the those cinema oddities who was onscreen for probably a total of one minute, having only about 10 lines, but having a small, but vital role in the biggest movie series ever, is loved by all. Can anyone think of a similar character in movies or TV?

2. Grand Moff Tarkin - Played exquisitely by Peter Cushing. He really epitomizes the Empire.

3. Admiral Ackbar - Yes! "It's a trap!" Love the Ole Miss ESPN thing

4. Emperor - a minor character in the original trilogy, taking a large role in the prequels and was one of the most interesting characters in Jedi.

5. Lobot - I'm not totally sure of this guy's deal. Human contacted to the main computer of Cloud City. Not sure if he can talk, but either way, I like his style.

6. Nien Nunb - Just watch the Battle of Endor video and tell me this guy ain't the shit.

7. Greedo

8. Boba Fett - a bit over rated, but cool. I actually like IG-88 and Dengar better, but they really were only in the movie for a second.

9. Admiral Piett - Showed the the Imperial Military wasn't just incompetence.

10. Bib Fortuna

11. Wicket - not a huge fan of the Ewoks, but Wicket was ok.

12. Biggs - nice 'stache

Action Sequences:

1. Battle of Yavin - A New Hope - Nothing really compares to the original Death Star run.

2. Asteroid Field - Empire - Great scene escaping from Vader, negotiating through the asteroid field, Han and Leia's first kiss, then the giant Worm creature.

3. Battle of Endor -Jedi- Talking about the space battle only here. It's interesting that the end of Jedi juxtaposed the space battle, the battle on Endor with the Ewoks, and Luke vs. Vader and the Emperor, and I feel it was the one without any of the main characters that was actually the most interesting and exciting. Check out the Battle of Endor here uncut, not interlaced with the other scenes.

4. Hoth - Empire -I love this scene, but it doesn't totally make sense. AT-ATs? Robot dinosaurs? It provides cool visuals, but the scene is not crafted as well as the space scenes.

5. Luke/Vader - Empire - Pretty cool fight scene on Cloud City. Some nice elements, but it was the revelation, not the fighting that makes this scene most memorable.

6. Escaping the Death Star - New Hope - A lot going on here, stormtrooper oufits, Ben dying, shooting a few TIE fighters, nice.

7. Speeder Bikes - Jedi

8. Luke/Vader/Emperor -Jedi - Really disappointing as an action scene. The psychological stuff is the best part.

9. Endor/Ewoks - Some pretty cool stuff, but kind of cartoonish.

10. Jabba's Barge - Jedi - The Return of the Jedi was really all action scenes rather crudely put together. I loved it as a kid. Sarlaac, wild aliens, lightsaber tricks, but not at all instrumental to the plot.

Other Best Scenes:

1. Rescuing Leia/Trash Compactor - A New Hope -Pretty much flawless. So many good lines, so many great moments. Starting with Han on the Comm to finally getting the mashers stopped - amazing.

2. The Message - A New Hope - Finally hearing the message from Leia to Obi-Wan was amazing. It was so intriguing and so dense. You don't totally know what is going on, but you definitely want to hear more. The start of something big.

3. Dagobah - Empire - This might be cheating as it was actually several scenes, but Luke and Yoda were great. From the amusing first meeting to the hurried parting. Plus you have Luke vs. Vader/Luke in the cave.

4. The Force - New Hope - This is pretty much just a knowledge building scene, but works incredibly well. We learn about Obi-Wan, Luke's Father, and the Force. Again, drawing the viewer in for more.

5. Death Star Plan - New Hope - Nothing too crazy here, just the planning session for taking down the Death Star. Totally gives the insurmountable odds of the situation. Womp rats.

6. Cantina - New Hope -Great Music, amazing aliens, Han, Chewy, this really is the first introduction to the amazing complexity of the Star Wars Universe.

7. Emperor/Luke/Blue shit - Jedi - This is the culmination of the Luke vs. Vader/Emperor battle. The Emperor is just bombarding Luke with his blue force laser shit. He is going to kill him, and then...Vader picks up the Emperor and shoots him down the power shaft. Damn.

Best Inconsequential Lines:

"But I was going to the Tosche Station to pick up some power converters."

"Uncle Owen, this R2 unit's got a bad motivator."

"Stay on Target, Stay on Target!"

"He doesn't like you. I don't like you either. We're wanted men. I have a death sentence on twelves systems!

"Who's Scruffy lookin'?"

"And I thought they smelled bad...on the outside"

"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?"

"Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level. (high pitched) Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level!"

"Bounty Hunters. We don't need their scum."

"Look at the size of that thing"

"May, what an amazing smell you've discovered."

"Intensify forward fire power!"

There you go. The greatness of Star Wars in blog form.