Darth Vader

Don’t Blame Me. I Voted for the Duck.

An Hour in Sunny 99.1's Holiday Hell

Band Aid: Do they know it's Christmastime at all? Most people I know hate Sunny 99.1, but not me. And I should really hate it. Any radio station supported by the American Dental Association has to suck. But every time I listen to it, I either hear something so corny and half-baked that I can't tur ... More >>

Life and Darth

Band Aid: Do they know it's Christmastime at all? Most people I know hate Sunny 99.1, but not me. And I should really hate it. Any radio station supported by the American Dental Association has to suck. But every time I listen to it, I either hear something so corny and half-baked that I can't tur ... More >>

Lightsabers and Tits Don't Quite Hide Soul Calibur IV's Lack of Ideas

A Bit Force-ed

The Force Is Strong With This One

A Bit Force-ed

Sydney White

Someone stop Amanda Bynes from updating another classic

Fire Flies

The fourth Harry Potter rushes through its paces

The Force Runs Its Course

The fourth Harry Potter rushes through its paces

Dang, You've Got Skills!

Show 'em off at a midnight screening of Napoleon Dynamite

Excess Hollywood

In the season of sequels and Happy Meal toys, '05 may be a pleasant surprise.

On the Dark Side

Why Episode III isn't the movie it should have been

Sith Is It

George Lucas at last delivers the Star Wars prequel we've been waiting for

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

George Lucas at last delivers the Star Wars prequel we've been waiting for

War on War Songs

Iraq and roll don't go together well when rockers protest

All I Want for Christmas Is...

A shopping list for your favorite political types

Ouch!

E.T. returns to heal our cynical hearts

Letters

Rockin' On, A Stark Affair, Wrong War?

Unmasked!

MFA exhibit uncovers the secrets behind our facial disguises

Museum with 1,000 Faces

Masks: Faces of Culture

Press Picks

Masks: Faces of Culture

He Said She Said: Ten Artists We Would Go Gay For

​It always happens: you and your friends toss back a few beers and the talk turns to what celebrities and models you find attractive. At first it starts out innocent enough, arguing the merits of Angelina Jolie, Megan Fox, Marissa Miller or Paula Deen. Well that last name is actually just our ... More >>

Five Decent Bands Named After Star Wars Terminology

www.myspace.com/aerosith"If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador?": Aerosith​ Since the release of the first Star Wars in 1977, through the subsequent sequels and disappointing prequels, pop culture has been awash in Force-related mania. People name their children Luke and Leia, family ... More >>

Theme Songs for the Most Annoying Characters In the Star Wars Universe, Including Whiny Emo Bitch Anakin Skywalker

www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/And you thought your office was annoying.​ Jar Jar Binks, Pratfalling Mongoloid Looking like some kind of unholy cross-breed between a frog and a duck, Jar Jar was the earliest indication that The Phantom Menace was not going to be up to snuff. The Gungan's antics wer ... More >>

Oh, Lord: Bands Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Cover Music From Star Wars

If naming your band after a Star Wars character isn't enough nerd cachet, just try writing music referencing the film series or covering music from the canon of work surrounding it. Anyone SW fan worth his or her (mainly his, because dudes are more apt to be nerds) should be able to bang out an ode ... More >>

Talking With C-3PO Himself, Anthony Daniels, About Star Wars: In Concert

A few weeks back, Rocks Off had the pleasure of speaking with actor Anthony Daniels, the man in the golden suit and the physical embodiment of one of the most iconic characters in popular science fiction. Since production began in 1976 on A New Hope, better known of course as Star Wars, Daniels has ... More >>

Aftermath: John Williams' Score, Crafty Editing Redeem the Prequels - Somewhat - at Star Wars: In Concert

Photos by Craig Hlavaty/ Click here for a slideshow​ Shortly after the release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 1999 - indeed, about 15 minutes or so into the movie - many (if not most) fans' hearts sank as they realized the 15-something years they had waited for George Lucas to fil ... More >>

Halloween Countdown: Fool-Proof Last-Second Inspirations

This is the final post in our series of articles offering Halloween costume advice. Check out the other four entries here, here, here and here. You've been too busy to run by Frankel's, Party Boy or even Wal-Mart to start formulating your Halloween costume this year. No ideas have jumped out at yo ... More >>

The Final Fantasy: An Inside Look at Anime and Cosplay Conventions

Photos by Jeff BalkeWe don't know who this character is supposed to be, but she was killing some Japanese opera.​The costumes are expected. The fanciful, the extraordinary, the bizarre, the obscurely referenced, the painstakingly planned and the larger than life weren't surprising -- after all ... More >>

Game Time: Larusso Vs. Skywalker, The Death Match

​I'm not afraid to admit it, I'm a huge fan of The Karate Kid. And I'm not just talking "guilty pleasure" fan.No sir, not only do I actually own all three DVD's in the Karate Kid trilogy, but my Karate Kid III DVD actually has some scenes that skip because of wear and tear. Yeah, you heard me, t ... More >>

Game Time: Review Of ESPN's 30 For 30: The U

Whenever people ask me what the best sporting event is that I've ever been to, the answer is always an easy one: October 15, 1988...Notre Dame 31, Miami 30. It had all the critical elements of a personal "best sporting event ever" --- Heated rivalry? Check. Brawl before the game in the tunnel? ... More >>

Game Time: Shaq And Dwight Howard Battle Over Who Is The Real Fruit Of Jor-El's Loins

​Back when I was a little kid on the mean streets of Austin (Yep, I lived there for two years during my youth) in the mid-`70's, me and a few of my fellow second-graders would play Star Wars during recess. We would pretend the jungle gym was the Millenium Falcon, the area behind the rocks was Tato ... More >>

Waiting Room: The Brand-New Health-Care Package Needs Its Own Soundtrack

​This past week, the health-care reform debate reached an end, as the bill was passed by Congress Sunday night and signed into law by President Barack Obama on Tuesday. At stake was the health and well-being of millions of uninsured Americans who now stand to be covered by socialized governmen ... More >>

Annise Parker's Star Wars Choice: She's With The Bad Guys

City of Houston photosSo that's what Stormtroopers look like when they take off their helmets​ We'll admit freely that we're not the biggest Star Wars fans in the world. Given the fanaticism of some Jedi followers, it's an easy claim to make.But we thought -- and correct us if we're wrong -- that ... More >>

The French Soccer Team: Five Movies That Would Have Ended Differently With Les Bleus In Them

When the going gets tough....​France is in an uproar over their soccer team, which has not only sucked to an incredible degree in the World Cup but which has also gone on strike -- IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD CUP -- because their feelings were hurt.Why did they strike? One of the players criticized ... More >>

Four Loko: We Investigate Just How Bad It Is (UPDATED With Morning-After Reflections)

Science!!!!​The latest bit of juvenile delinquency that has the authorities up in arms is Four Loko, a powerful caffeinated beer that's sending kids to hospitals.The "powerful" part -- 12 percent alcohol in a 24-ounce can -- gets you wasted, and the "caffeinated" part keeps you up instead of passi ... More >>

The 14 Best Halloween Costumes from This Weekend

If there was an event this weekend, you better believe people went to it in costume. Darth Vader was in the crowd at the Rockets Game while a Roman Gladiator watched Agora burn. (How appropriate, that.) Houston Press's own Halloween Bash at House of Blues had some of the most creative costumes we've ... More >>

Loko Oh No

Testing the new fad drink

The 5 Browns

Testing the new fad drink

Big 12 Title Game -- Loser Leaves Town

The Big 12 says goodbye to corn hats​It's probably appropriate that the most recognizable non-player/non-coach on the sidelines at the Big 12 Championship Game Saturday night was WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross because the final Oklahoma-Nebraska matchup (at least for the foreseeable futur ... More >>

Island Of Misfit Albums: A Star Wars Christmas

​One thing that always bothered Rocks Off growing up as a born-again Christian child who was into the apparently godless world of Star Wars was whether or not they celebrated Christmas. The birth of Jesus Christ and stuff. Santa Claus, crap that matters. We can only assume under Empire rule th ... More >>

Future Elvis: What If The King Had Lived?

​Do you realize that Woody Allen, Julie Andrews, the dude who was in the Darth Vader suit, and Ron Paul are all the same age as Elvis Presley would be on Saturday? Look at Woody Allen next time you see him on TMZ and just think, he's as old as Elvis. In order to get in the frame of mind to t ... More >>

NFL Playoff Best Bets (and a Tiger Woods Wagering Lesson)

Angry Birds: As good a playoff-picking method as any​Every Friday (Thursday some weeks) when I go to fish the lines for that weekend's football games off the Internet, I go to the same site. (Point of non-disclosure: I will not reveal the name of the site which I use to wager go to. Easily t ... More >>

Super Bowl XLV Commercials: The 5 Best And 5 Worst

Baby Darth Vader is soooooo cutesy-wootsey​From Audi to Groupon, yesterday's Super Bowl Commercials ran the gamut. There was less blatant sexism than previous years, and a lot more CGI, and a few commercials sure to have people talking either due to their shock value or outright offensiveness. ... More >>

Tales of the Deplorable -- ESPN's Instant Analysis of Depth Chart Ramifications of Alabama Offensiv LIneman's Death

In The Empire Strikes Back, you may remember a scene where Darth Vader, tired of the incompetence of the bumbling Admiral Veers, decides to go ahead and terminate him, permanently, via force choke, and immediately promote Veers' subordinate Captain Piett before they could even move Veers' body out o ... More >>

Former Texan QB Rex Grossman Declares Himself The Starter For A Team He's Not Signed With

He's not called the Sex Cannon for nothing​Let me preface what I'm about to say by saying that I like Rex Grossman. Kind of like pizza or midgets, he's always struck me as a clear "any time you add him to the current scenario, the atmosphere improves" kind of guy -- as long as the "current sc ... More >>

Shuttle Atlantis: Its 10 Weirdest Mission Patches

In May, as it prepared to take off, we offered a list of the five coolest mission patches of the shuttle Endeavour. We wish we could do the same for the Atlantis, scheduled tentatively to go up on the last shuttle mission Friday, but it appears the ship did not provide as much inspiration as the En ... More >>

How Much of a Pendejo is Gustavo?

And why are cholos always wearing such white shirts, shoes and socks?

Lindsey Buckingham

And why are cholos always wearing such white shirts, shoes and socks?

Snoopcounters: Snoop Dogg Knows A Lot Of People

​This week, rapper Snoop Dogg turned 40 years old. Tha Doggfather actually seems ageless to us, and we don't mean his 1996 album. Like, we fully expect him to become the hip-hop Willie Nelson: Rapping into his late 70s, relentlessly touring, smoking people a fraction of his age out in tour bus ... More >>

10 Rappers As Movie Villains

​Cunning criminals, violent geniuses, charismatic characters. Villains give us chills and keep us on the edge of our seats. With more rappers now dabbling in acting, we decided to cast some of your favorite hip-hoppers as movie villains. Here are ten rappers and their evil alter-egos.