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Merry Christmas EVERYONE! 1. Is Windows 10 worth the download and OS Change? AND 2. Should I Take my Bride to see the new Star Wars Movie tomorrow?

When I finally see the new "Star Wars" film, I will be keeping my ears open. Although the initial trilogy was justly celebrated for its use of groundbreaking visual effects, for me, the sound of the films has always been more significant. Even in the woeful prequel trilogy (1999-2005), Ben Burtt's distinctive sound design -- which encompasses the hum of lightsabers, the screech of laser blasts, and the electronic language of R2-D2 -- helped offset the deluge of CGI and dodgy dialogue. It rooted the drama firmly in the soundworld of the first trilogy (1977-1983).

At the time, the other cast members of the new Star Wars flick were taping an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show," Hamill told The Independent newspaper. "Star Wars movies are meant to be a couple of hours of diversion from reality, and we need that," the newspaper quoted him as saying. "They are optimistic and hopeful stories." But, he said, such things are "very trivial," compared with bringing comfort to ailing kids. The hospital's staff thanked Hamill in a tweet: "Thanks so much for coming to visit our patients Mark - everyone absolutely loved it :)" As could be...

The newspaper owned by the Holy See also wrote that the latest installment in the franchise is not a proper sequel but more of a reboot. "Not a classy reboot however, like Nolan's Batman, but a twisted update which fits today's tastes and a public more accustomed to sitting in front of a computer than in a cinema," the anonymous reviewer said, adding the film seems to draw from the "sloppiest current action films derived from the world of videogames." The L'Osservatore Romano review also laments too many close-ups, and even faults the "much-publicized" return to in-camera effects, saying they...

Bedford’s Editor Note: This is pretty on-point, and will spoil “The Force Awakens” a lot if you haven’t seen it, and even a bit if you have. So thanks for that, Blake. After years of staggering hype, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opened to nearly-unanimous positive reviews and the biggest opening of any film ever. Dozens of laudatory reviews are praising it as a worthy successor to the Original Trilogy.

As we gather around our holiday tables this year, it's hard not to notice that something feels different. While the news is always an uninvited guest at family functions, this year the uninvited guest is suffocating us and will not leave. You can feel it as you catch up with old friends and visit with family. There's fear and anxiety over terrorism here and overseas. There's sadness that so many will celebrate Christmas without a loved one, victims of an endless stream of violence in some of our nation's big cities. There's disbelief that someone could mow down more than...

This review deals largely in spoilers concerning The Force Awakens. Normally, I don't think spoilers actually spoil much, but for this case the viewing experience is greatly enhanced by coming to the movie cold. So I'd suggest you really not read this until after you've seen it. Unless you're not going to see it and are just curious. In which case, go ahead and read. You filthy commie.

Star Wars veteran Harrison Ford pulled in an astronomical paycheck for his reprisal role in The Force Awakens, which opened globally Friday. Fortune reported that Ford stands to make more than $34 million for his return as Han Solo. Disney reportedly wanted him back so badly that they offered him a base salary of nearly $25 million, plus 0.5% of the film's gross profit, according to the Guardian. "Harrison is the key to making this movie work," an unnamed source from Disney said, according to the Guardian. "He's the link between the old generation and the new. Mark Hamill and...

<p>HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- A Montana man is charged with threatening to shoot a boy for sharing information about a subplot of the new "Star Wars" movie during an online conversation.</p> <p>Arthur Charles Roy, of Helena, was charged with felony assault with a weapon Monday during an appearance in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court. He remains jailed with his bail set at $10,000.</p>

Is Star Wars pro-abortion? Planned Parenthood would like you to think so. Capitalizing on the Star Wars: The Force Awakens opening weekend, abortion giant Planned Parenthood promoted its cause with a series of light-hearted tweets using phrases and images from the beloved series to push for something serious: its agenda. Taking to Twitter, Planned Parenthood used Star Wars Pez characters holding up a #StandwithPP sign to prove that “the force” was with it: Planned Parenthood also combined Rosie the Riveter with Princess Leia to push for a pro-abortion provider “alliance”: But that wasn’t explicit enough so the organization then reimagined...

s a big one in movieland, but according to one shuttered theater operator in Houston, it could have been even bigger. "Today, the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in wide release in the United States," reported Viva Cinema to a federal judge on Friday. "The opening is widely expected to break every attendance record in history. But if you are one of over 200,000 Houstonians who understand Spanish but not English, you will be out of luck. You won’t be able to see Star Wars in Houston in Spanish — either dubbed or with subtitles — and there...

GEORGE Lucas may have been the brains behind Star Wars, but it was his ex-wife Marcia Lucas who gave the film its heart. Today, she has largely been erased from the history books. Marcia, who won the 1977 Academy Award for Film Editing along with Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch for her work on Star Wars, was instrumental in shaping the film's iconic moments that would propel it to the status of cultural phenomenon. In his 2008 book,The Secret History of Star Wars, journalist Michael Kaminski dedicates an entire chapter to Marcia Lucas, nee Griffin, who was once described by...

From piano medleys to a capella songs, there have been a number of musical Star Wars tributes released over the last few weeks in honor of the highly anticipated arrival of The Force Awakens. Many of these have impressed us not just with their musical stylings, but with the props and costumes, and the newest music release just might be the best one yet. In violinist Taylor Davis' latest video, she plays a fun medley of Star Wars music while dressed for the light side and the dark side. She goes all out not just with her clothes, but with...

Theory du jour: the new Star Wars movie is sucking in whatever meager disposable lucre remains among the economically-flayed mid-to-lower orders of America. In fact, I propose a new index showing an inverse relationship between Star Wars box office receipts and soundness of the financial commonweal. In other words, Star Wars is all that remains of the US economy outside of the obscure workings of Wall Street — and that heretofore magical realm is not looking too rosy either in this season of the Great Rate Hike after puking up 623 points of the DJIA last Thursday and Friday. Here...

If you’re a human American over the age of 2, I’m betting I know what you’re doing this weekend: You’re going to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”The seventh film in the Star Wars series, it had a banner opening night, raking in as much as $60 million. Rentrak projects it will end up earning more than $3 billion.Which is all to say, the empire surely will not miss my $20. That’s right — I’m not seeing “Star Wars.” So, fans, you don’t have to worry — there won’t be any spoilers in this column. I’ve gone 36 years without...

The force is strong in Berlin. A church in the German capital invited “Star Wars” fans to attend a special service Sunday themed on the sci-fi blockbuster in an attempt to attract more young people into the pews. About 500 people heeded the call and attended the service, some carrying light saber props or wearing Darth Vader masks. It was more than twice as many as usually come to Zion Church on a Sunday. “We were very happy to see so many people in the church today,” said Protestant pastor Lucas Ludewig said after the service. “It’s great that there...

Star Wars offers five priceless political lessons that the newest movie, The Force Awakens, reminds us to exercise. Grab your lightsaber and fear not: I'll steer clear of spoilers as I explain how we can take back our American Dreams. In Star Wars, as in politics, there is a "Force"—or power—that can be wielded for good or for evil. Jedis trained to use the Force for noble purposes, whereas the Sith exploited the Force for evil. Here's how we can train ourselves—and our politicians—to use political power for good. 1.) True Jedis Never Train Under The Emperor Jedi Master Yoda...

Tonight is coming in better than anticipated with industry analysts putting Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Saturday between $65.5M-$68.7M. That’s a -43% to -46% decline from Friday’s opening day record of $120.5M, which includes $57M in Thursday previews. While Force Awakens’ Saturday doesn’t beat Jurassic World‘s record, it jumps the opening weekend estimates for Episode VII back up to $238M-$244M.

TRUSSVILLE, Ala. - Before a rally here, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) made a confession. He could not really answer a question about Hillary Clinton's performance in the ABC News-sponsored Democratic debate on Saturday night - because he did not watch it."I actually went and watched the opening of 'Star Wars,'" Cruz said, "which, frankly, was a reality far more realistic than whatever was said at the Democratic debate."..."'Star Wars' was awesome," Cruz said, "although I have to say, there's an image - and I'm not going to be a spoiler - but as someone who grew up, as someone who...