Star Wars 15 | ***Dave Does the Blog

Potpourri for 1200, Alex!

A variety of web tabs I kept open this week, waiting to blog about them.How Alice in Wonderland was published in the Soviet Union. The Queen of Hearts would approve….

A variety of web tabs I kept open this week, waiting to blog about them.

How Alice in Wonderland was published in the Soviet Union. The Queen of Hearts would approve. An official responsible for non-Soviet socialist literature was leafing through the list of books recently published in the countries of the “people’s democracy,” as the Eastern European satellite states were called back then, when he stumbled upon the Bulgarian publication of a book about a girl called Alice. Thinkingit was a Bulgarian book, he ordered a Russian translation to be done and published in Sofia for future importing into the Soviet Union (this was a standard procedure for such publications, which were sponsored by Soviet money). The Bulgarians were surprised, and it took some effort and persuading to find someone to translate the book from English and not from Bulgarian.
A collection of Replacement Cliches. I don’t know if I like “Everyone gets ice cream!” or “You poop it, you scoop it” better.
The Anglican Primates have given the Episcopal Church an ultimatum. Or else what? I am aware that one can respond to the questions I am asking by saying that the Episcopal Church should do the moral thing and let the chips fall where they may. I recognize that that response is appealing to those on both sides (myself included) who think they know what the moral thing is. But just for the sake of argument, let’sconsider what would be best for the health of the Episcopal Church, and the viability of its future, because that, in some measure, must inform our response.
Web Typography Sucks. I need to read these links in more detail.
MTLookup. One-stop searching for articles and help on Movable Type.
If Star Wars were made today. Oh, the humanity! I think it would be more damatic if Luke arrives just as his family is getting killed. So we get to see them die. More dramatic. Also, I think the family needs a pet. Some cute animal, like a space-dog or whatever. Maybe he leaves thinking the dog is dead and finds out it’s still alive at the end. Symbol of hope and all. Put the fuzzy little guy in the trailerand bring in some kids to see the movie. Anyway, he shows up and the troopers see him, and we could have a great chase scene where they go after him in his hovercar. Some shooting. Kind of show that even though he’s a farmboy he can handle himself.

Steampunk Star Wars

Okay, if someone wanted to do a game of this, I’d be there in a second. Of course, I kinda enjoyed the old “straight” SW game, too. 🙂 It’s worth…

Okay, if someone wanted to do a game of this, I’d be there in a second.

Of course, I kinda enjoyed the old “straight” SW game, too. 🙂

It’s worth reading the site just to see the reference to the “Phlogisticated Aether Torch.”

(via Doyce)

The real “New Hope”

Oh, this is delicious. If we accept all the Star Wars films as the same canon, then a lot that happens in the original films has to be reinterpreted in…

Oh, this is delicious.

If we accept all the Star Wars films as the same canon, then a lot that happens in the original films has to be reinterpreted in the light of the prequels. As we now know, the rebel Alliance was founded by Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa. What can readily be deduced is that their first recruit, who soon became their top field agent, was R2-D2.

And from there the author, Keith Martin, is off and running, spinning the entire “A New Hope” (and elements of the following movies) into a vast conspiracy that … actually makes sense.

And in a related bonus, the trailers for Star Wars III, V (alt), V.

(via kottke and kottke)

Indiana Jones and “Lucas Likes the Script so We’re DOOOOOOMED!”

George Lucas has announced that filming on the next Indiana Jones film will commence next year, to be in theaters May 2008. Lucas said he and director Steven Spielberg recently…

George Lucas has announced that filming on the next Indiana Jones film will commence next year, to be in theaters May 2008.

Lucas said he and director Steven Spielberg recently finalized the script for the film.
Lucas kept mum about the plot, but said that the latest installment will be a “character piece” that will include “very interesting mysteries. … I think it’s going to be really cool,” Lucas said.
“It’s going to be fantastic. It’s going to be the best one yet,” the 62-year-old filmmaker said during a break from preparing for his duties as grand marshal of Monday’s Rose Parade, the AP reported.

Given that he thought Star Wars I-III were cool and fantastic …

Still, one can but hope. And the SW-related stuff for the Rose Parade is sounding very cool.

Silent Star Wars

The original trilogy works pretty well as a silent film. (via Mary)…

The original trilogy works pretty well as a silent film.

(via Mary)

City of Browncoats?

Firefly to be reborn as an MMORPG? Multiverse, maker of a free MMO-creation platform, plans to announce Friday morning that it’s struck a deal with Fox Licensing to turn…

Firefly to be reborn as an MMORPG?

Multiverse, maker of a free MMO-creation platform, plans to announce Friday morning that it’s struck a deal with Fox Licensing to turn the show into an MMORPG in the fashion of Star Wars Galaxies or Eve Online.
[…] “We see virtual worlds as an extraordinarily promising new entertainment medium,” said Adam Kline, Fox Licensing’s vice president of media enterprises in an e-mail. “We believe Multiverse can deliver an experience that will remain true to the original series, while enabling a whole new level of personal involvement for fans.”

Hmmmm. Feeling the skepticism here …

No comments from Joss or the other creative elements of the show. This looks like a Fox Licensing schtick.
Multiverse is a platform developer; they need to still gather a creative team.
Firefly is less about the ‘verse, and more about people and decisions and moral quandaries and the like. In a way, this is the problem with a Firefly RPG, but at least there you’re just trying to be one ship’s crew. In an MMORPG — well, how many different types of characters can you have (and how can you set up common goals to balance the setting)? It’s not like City of Heroes, where you can say, “We’re all out to beat the villains.” Creatively, I don’t see how it works as an MMORPG. (On the other hand,
it seems to work in games like Star Wars Galaxies, so what the hell do I know?)
Let me repeat: Fox Licensing.

I will believe it, though, when I see it.

(via Ginny)

Redshirts and Vader

Your geeky YouTube fixes for today. Another One Bites the Dust (via Randy) Darth Vader Being a Jerk (via Shamus)…

Your geeky YouTube fixes for today.

Another One Bites the Dust (via Randy)

Darth Vader Being a Jerk (via Shamus)

What’s up, Doc?

It’s Halloween Party time at school. UPDATE: Margie and I both made it, and Kitten seemed to be having a blast. Evidently in this day and age (or state), a…

It’s Halloween Party time at school.

UPDATE: Margie and I both made it, and Kitten seemed to be having a blast.

Evidently in this day and age (or state), a “Halloween Parade” consists of all the kids packed into the gym in costume, and then going up on stage by classes and giving a bow. Back in my day (and state) it was a literal parade around the school grounds. Of course, the weather was more clement back in California, it being in the 30s-40s right now outside.

Also back in my day, when we were done with our cuneiform homework, a “costume” was usually cheaply home made, and sheets figured largely into it. The one I remember was a big plastic fright mask and a draped sheet that had been colorfully decorated with scars and drops of blood with a Magic Marker. These days, the costumes are generally a lot more professional looking — Kitten’s (Bugs Bunny gloves and ears, plus a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants) was fairly low tech.

Fair number of store-bought costumes (though, again, those are a quantum leap in quality from the cheap-plastic-mask and garishly-colored-tunic of yesteryear). Popular this year were pirates and princesses, with honorable mention to soldiers, Jedi, ninjas, generic death figures, and girls dressed up as little red devils.

After the “parade,” the classes went back to their rooms to have parties. Margie and I watched a couple of games, then ducked away home.

this post enabled by airblogging.com.

Star Wars vs. Battlestar Galactica

No, this isn’t some in-depth, culturally relevant, or even witty comparison between the two — just a pointer to some passel of folks who put together a short kick-ass “I…

No, this isn’t some in-depth, culturally relevant, or even witty comparison between the two — just a pointer to some passel of folks who put together a short kick-ass “I would have sold my soul to see this twenty years ago” video. Fun.

More importantly, consider how infinitely better the fx are on that video than in the originals of either — and for doubtless an infinitesimal fraction of the cost and time. What a world we live in.

George Lucas news

Yeah, I know, that title probably made everyone cringe a bit The Clone Wars animated series will be continued for another run — but this time … in 3-D! Um,…

Yeah, I know, that title probably made everyone cringe a bit

The Clone Wars animated series will be continued for another run — but this time … in 3-D! Um, yeah.
Indiana Jones 4 is still coming … but slowly. Lucas isn’t sounding enthusiastic about it.
A new set of Star Wars IV-VI DVDs will be issued in 2009, with the main characters’ voices rerecorded by the (surviving artists) in the new THX-X format, allowing a 7.1 surround that Lucas promises will improve the films even more than the previous twelve re-issues.

Well, I was actually only kidding on that last one. Though it’s hard to tell, isn’t it?

Star Trek gets a Star Wars make-over

Is nothing sacred? The original 1960s Star Trek series will receive a high-tech makeover and return to broadcast syndication for the first time in 16 years, with digitally remastered episodes,…

Is nothing sacred?

The original 1960s Star Trek series will receive a high-tech makeover and return to broadcast syndication for the first time in 16 years, with digitally remastered episodes, Paramount announced. In honor of the show’s 40th anniversary, CBS Domestic Television is releasing all 79 episodes with new special effects and music on 200 stations, beginning Sept. 16. The first batch of episodes will be chosen from a list of fan favorites.
The original special effects will be replaced with computer-generated images, including the exterior of the Starship Enterprise, based on the exact measurements of the original model, now resting in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The main title sequence will also be redone with new effects and a new digital stereo soundtrack re-recorded by an orchestra and a female singer. William Shatner’s classic original recording of the 38-word “Space, the final frontier …” monologue has been remastered
and continues to open each episode.
All of the space scenes, alien landscapes and ships—including the Romulan Bird of Prey and Klingon Battle Cruisers—will be updated as well. The remastered episodes have been converted from the original film into a high-definition format, which gives viewers a clearer, crisper, more vibrant picture, even when viewed in standard definition.

Um … guys, what’s the point? Really? I confess to a fascination to see what they end up doing — but, jeez, the cutting-edge-1966 SFX are part of the charm of the show. What next — digitally remastering away Shatner’s end-of-season guts?

Okay, I’ve vaguely comforted that Michael Okuda is involved in the project.

Longtime Trek crew member Michael Okuda, who is also a visual-effects producer of the remastered episodes, added: “Basically, the approach is that Star Trek is a period piece, albeit a period in the far future. So all the decisions are being made to honor the production style, the style of cinematography, the style of editing. And with that as our guidance, using the original decisions made by the directors and the editors, it follows very logically trying to recreate the look and feel of the original
series.

Of course, having said that, they are cherry-picking episodes and broadcasting them “out of order.”

CBS Paramount Domestic Television will release the digitally remastered episodes for air on more than 200 broadcast stations, starting Sept. 16. The first episodes to be remastered include “Balance of Terror,” “Journey to Babel,” “Mirror Mirror” and the two-part episode “The Menagerie,” said John Nogawski, president of CBS Paramount Domestic TV. All told, about half of the original series’ 80 remastered episodes will be released this year and half next year.

Next up — colorized original Outer Limits, with a CGI version of the late Joseph Stefano introducing each episode. Feh.

Indy IV news

I can’t tell in this release about the next Indiana Jones flick — tentatively scheduled for shooting in 2007, for release in 2008 — if George Lucas is being too…

I can’t tell in this release about the next Indiana Jones flick — tentatively scheduled for shooting in 2007, for release in 2008 — if George Lucas is being too coy for coherence, or has finally slipped a cog.

As for the story? “We’re basically going to do The Phantom Menace,” Lucas said cryptically, referring to Star Wars: Episode I.

Okay, those are possibly the most disheartening words anyone could hear …

“People’s expectations are way higher than you can deliver. You could just get killed for the whole thing. … We would do it for fun and just take the hit with the critics and the fans. … But nobody wants to get into it unless they are really happy with it.”
Lucas added: “The ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation has freed up an idea for a plot that was originally deemed too incendiary. I discovered a McGuffin. … I told the guys about it, and they were a little dubious about it, but it’s the best one we’ve ever found. … Unfortunately, it was a little too ‘connected’ for the others. They were afraid of what the critics would think. They said, ‘Can’t we do it with a different McGuffin? Can’t we do this?’ and I said no. So we pottered around with that
for a couple of years. And then Harrison really wanted to do it, and Steve said ‘OK.’ I said, ‘We’ll have to go back to that original McGuffin and take out the offending parts of it, and we’ll still use that area of the supernatural to deal with it.'”

Well, whatever the hell that means.

At least Spielberg is still scheduled to direct.

BT06 – And Now for Something Completely Different …

… a serious topic. I am blogging for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). I am not a comfortable political blogger — I tend to be too sympathetic to too many…

… a serious topic.

I am blogging for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). I am not a comfortable political blogger — I tend to be too sympathetic to too many positions, and too willing to see things as grays rather than the stark blacks and whites of the ideologues who preach from their virtual soapboxes around me.

But I’ve been finding myself more and more interested in more things that the EFF is doing and fighting for. Hence my membership, my blog posts, and my Blogathon work.

The EFF site is pretty approachable in terms of finding information on it, so I won’t go into a lot of detail. I think this “about statement” says it pretty well:

From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming our society and empowering us as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers. When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990 — well before the Internet was on most people’s radar — and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today.
From the beginning, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights.

Most of this work is done in the courts, against corporations and governmental bodies. Whether it’s suing Sony over their rootkit invasion of consumer PCs, suing AT&T over their illegal turning over of phone records to the NSA, participating in the Grokster case to defend the “Betamax” doctrine that lets you record TV shows on VCRs and DVRs … the list is long, and even where
the EFF hasn’t succeeded, it’s tended to fight the good fight.

As with any advocacy group, I don’t guarantee that I (let alone you) will agree with their position in every case they participate in, but I agree with them enough to make it worth both giving them money and blogging on their behalf for 24 hours.

I hope you’ll agree. And if you don’t, I’m glad you can, and that we can discuss it. And I hope you enjoy the rest of my Blogathon effort.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled comics reviews.

(listening to: “The F.B.I.” from Television’s Greatest Hits)

(listening to: Clannad, “Closer To Your Heart” from Macalla)

(listening to: Lehrer, Tom, “My Home Town” from Tom Lehrer Revisited)

(listening to: Edmonson, Greg, “Reavers Chase Serenity” from Firefly – Original Television Soundtrack)

(listening to: Kinks, “Lola (live)” from Frat Rock: The 70’s) [It is amusing to me that I am much more familiar with the Weird Al version of this, “Yoda.”]

The Vader Sessions

Darth Vader (from Ep. 4), remixed with other James Earl Jones voice tracks. Fun….

Darth Vader (from Ep. 4), remixed with other James Earl Jones voice tracks. Fun.

The Name’s the Thing

The latest goofy meme, this time from Amanda: YOUR SPY NAME: (middle name and current street): Christopher Monaco. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your mom’s side, your favorite candy):…

The latest goofy meme, this time from Amanda:

YOUR SPY NAME: (middle name and current street): Christopher Monaco.
YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your mom’s side, your favorite candy): Mario Roca
YOUR RAP NAME (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your last name ): D-Hi
YOUR GAMER TAG: (a favorite colour, a favorite animal): Blue Serval
YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born*): Christopher Paloalto
YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your last name, last 3 letters of mother’s maiden name*, first 3 letters of your pet’s name): Hil Rie Mis
JEDI NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom’s maiden name spelled backwards*): Sirhc Eiram
PORN STAR NAME: (first pet’s name, the street you grew up on): Ginger Silver Spray
HERO NAME: (“The”, your favorite color, the automobile your dad drives): The Cobalt Forerunner

It’s actually uncanny how many of these work. Though #8 is just disturbing. And I now feel compelled to create a CoH character, The Blue Serval.

*Some of this is info that some (not very smart) companies use as identifiers for password access and identify verification. Thus, I have actually used alternatives that are fitting but not security risks.

4 Years Ago

I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together … Squawk Holy Land 102 Minutes There’s a reason they were classics Follow-up Skywalker…

I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together …

Squawk

Holy Land

102 Minutes

There’s a reason they were classics

Follow-up

Skywalker Ranch = Kane’s Xanadu?

A gentle reminder

So, what’s Darth Vader up to?

We get searches …

Call it my pet peeve

Today’s Words of Wisdom

Wow. Descriptive titles, eh?

And, boy, a lot of posts.

Posted by RetroDaveOMatic

WDW 06 – Day 2 – Saturday

Dribs and drabs: It was our first full day at WDW. Hot. Humid. And, being Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, it was crowded. We decided to go for a “less”…

Dribs and drabs:

It was our first full day at WDW. Hot. Humid. And, being Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, it was crowded.
We decided to go for a “less” popular park, Disney-MGM Studios. The overall crowds would be less there — but, conversely, because it’s a smaller park, it turned out to still feel more crowded.
Katherine had been talking about one thing as what she was most looking forward to — the Tower of Terror. So we made a beeline there and … well, the ‘rents weren’t thrilled about being hurled up and down, so they gave it a pass, so Margie and Kitten and I did it.
And, yes, it’s still a fun ride, and smooth enough that it would probably have been okay, but there you go. Great environmental setup for the hotel as you queue up, which is a Disney specialty. I understand the Anaheim version is not nearly as well done.
We FPed the Aerosmith Rock-n-Roller Coaster, too, but never quite made it on there.
We wandered over to the other side of the park from there. Margie peeled off to grab a stroller — we’d passed on entering because of the long line, but it was clearly worth it either to carry Kitten, baggage, or both. When she rejoined us, we got in line for the Indiana Jones Stunt Show.
Now, we went to this on our previous visit, and it was basically a walk-in to a decent seat. Well, on this day, the stand-by queue was full, the FastPass queue was full, and we had seats way over to the side. Still good views, and it’s still a very nice show. They asked for a number of volunteers from the audience — all of which were picked from the stage left side, not the stage right or even center side — which, alas, ruled me out.
Went to the Hollywood and Vine restaurant for lunch. After that, we went over to Star Tours (passing by a big “Star Wars Weekends – Jedi Training Academy” thang going on outside — it was hot, the crowd was huge, and I wasn’t in a great temper). From there we went over to the Backstage Tour, which, Universal Studios-like, takes you through various production buildings, through some back lots, past lots of prop vehicles rotting in the sun, and is a moderately pleasant way to burn an hour or so.
We didn’t do the new Lights, Motors, Action car stunt show, as the timing just didn’t work for us.
And, with that, we headed back to Port Orleans. Once there, we changed into swimming duds and headed over to the Old Man Island pool. Katherine continued to become more comfortable swimming under the waterfalls, but, for some odd reason, continued to balk at the water slide. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel rooms for cocktails and …
… well, okay, the timing was going to be a bit tight, but not overly so. We had reservations for the ‘rents and Katherine on a nice horse-drawn carriage ride around Port Orleans (Riverside and French Quarter) at 9:30 p.m. We had reservations at the Boatwright Restaurant at 8:30. We got there a scosh early, at 8:25. “We’ll seat you shortly, here’s a pager.”
Looked around, and the place was half-empty, with tables unoccupied or unoccupied and uncleared. We went outside and chatted (as the waiting area is in mid-hallway and always crowded).
At 8:45, I ducked back in to find out the status, feeling kind of worried. At least one table that could seat 7 was empty to my quick glance, but they had another in mind, and I was told it would be just a few minutes as they got the table cleared.
At 9:00 we went in again. Still clearing, I guess. We made noises about how long we’d been waiting, how we had other things scheduled … and got a big fat nothing from the waitress. The place was a bit busier, but the waitstaff — and the front desk especially — were not showing miuch hustle.
At 9:05, we bailed and dashed over to the food court. Of course, there was a massive crowd there, and it took another 15-20 minutes to get meals pulled together (not helped by a Laurel & Hardy routine behind the steam tables as some folks tried to figure out how to open up the bag of Alfredo sauce).
Margie went and talked to the carriage lady, who was quite understanding. As long as nobody came and grabbed an ad hoc ride, we’d get on. And, in face, by quarter of, Margie and I were able to send off the ‘rents and Katherine on a nice ride, while we got one of our brief interludes together alone, to just walk and be together.
We got back to the hotel shortly before the others did, and then the whole crew went to sleep.

Posted 6 June, but backdated to the end of the day it covers.

Fan pressure? Or cunning plan?

Lucasfilm has announced it will (despite earlier insistance it wouldn’t) issue the original, unenhanced, untweaked, un-Greedo-shoots-first versions of the original Star Wars trilogy, coming this September. Which begs the question…

Lucasfilm has announced it will (despite earlier insistance it wouldn’t) issue the original, unenhanced, untweaked, un-Greedo-shoots-first versions of the original Star Wars trilogy, coming this September.

Which begs the question of whether this is a response to fan demands for such a release, or another clever ploy by Lucasfilm to get big sales of yet another release of the SW flicks. Or, perhaps, both …

Yet another list of must-see movies

Film critic Jim Emerson’s list of … … the movies you just kind of figure everybody ought to have seen in order to have any sort of informed discussion about…

Film critic Jim Emerson’s list of …

… the movies you just kind of figure everybody ought to have seen in order to have any sort of informed discussion about movies. They’re the common cultural currency of our time, the basic cinematic texts that everyone should know, at minimum, to be somewhat “movie-literate.”

I’ve marked the ones I’ve seen with asterisks.

* 2001: A Space Odyssey
The 400 Blows
8 1/2
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
* Alien
* All About Eve
Annie Hall
* Apocalypse Now
* Bambi
The Battleship Potemkin
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Big Red One
The Bicycle Thief
* The Big Sleep
* Blade Runner
Blowup
Blue Velvet
* Bonnie and Clyde
Breathless
Bringing Up Baby
Carrie
* Casablanca
Un Chien Andalou
Children of Paradise / Les Enfants du Paradis
* Chinatown
* Citizen Kane
* A Clockwork Orange
* The Crying Game
* The Day the Earth Stood Still
Days of Heaven
* Dirty Harry
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Do the Right Thing
La Dolce Vita
Double Indemnity
* Dr. Strangelove
* Duck Soup
* E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial
Easy Rider
* The Empire Strikes Back
* The Exorcist
Fargo
* Fight Club
* Frankenstein
The General
The Godfather, The Godfather, Part II
* Gone With the Wind
GoodFellas
* The Graduate
* Halloween
* A Hard Day’s Night
Intolerance
It’s a Gift
* It’s a Wonderful Life
* Jaws
The Lady Eve
* Lawrence of Arabia
M
* Mad Max 2 / The Road Warrior
* The Maltese Falcon
* The Manchurian Candidate
* Metropolis
Modern Times
* Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Nashville
The Night of the Hunter
* Night of the Living Dead
* North by Northwest
Nosferatu
On the Waterfront
Once Upon a Time in the West
Out of the Past
Persona
Pink Flamingos
* Psycho
* Pulp Fiction
Rashomon
* Rear Window
Rebel Without a Cause
Red River
Repulsion
The Rules of the Game
Scarface
The Scarlet Empress
Schindler’s List
The Searchers
* The Seven Samurai
* Singin’ in the Rain
Some Like It Hot
* A Star Is Born
A Streetcar Named Desire
* Sunset Boulevard
Taxi Driver
The Third Man
Tokyo Story
Touch of Evil
* The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Trouble in Paradise
* Vertigo
West Side Story
The Wild Bunch
* The Wizard of Oz

Which I think is 47 of 102. So I’m … half-literate.

(via kottke)

A knife right out of science fiction

It’s the Shocknife: a blunt-edged training knife that administers a non-lethal electric shock when it hits. ADVANTAGE #1 – Biofeedback Tool Set the adjustable SK-1 shock level to LOW and…

It’s the Shocknife: a blunt-edged training knife that administers a non-lethal electric shock when it hits.

ADVANTAGE #1 – Biofeedback Tool
Set the adjustable SK-1 shock level to LOW and the blade of the knife becomes your instructor. It uses a mild painless shock to provide feedback when your technique needs correction. Save time, energy, and money by training more efficiently.
ADVANTAGE #2 – Stress Exposure Training
A real knife attack creates a feeling of panic causing your body to respond with the “fight or flight” syndrome. That same acute stress can now be replicated during training by setting the SK-1 shock level to EXTREME. At this level the knife sparks and growls, ready to bite with each attack.
ADVANTAGE #3 – Cut Location Indicator
The SK-1 delivers a powerful shock upon contact allowing the trainee to recognize both WHERE and WHEN they were exposed during the attack. The shock will even arc through clothing! Unlike marking knives there is no messy marking compound to clean up after training.

It runs on a 9v battery — but doubtless one could find a way to bump up the power and end up with some keen sci-fi electro-blade kinda thing. I’m pretty sure my Star Wars RPG character had one of those …

(via J-Walk)