You want the DVD? You can’t handle the DVD!
On September 21, 2004, Lucasfilms caved into fan pressure and released Episodes 4, 5 & 6 on DVD. A fourth disc was included that had behind-the-scenes documentaries and other assorted goodies.
Chicago Force was on hand with many of Chicago’s finest Star Wars fans for the midnight release of the DVD boxed set. Check out the madness.
On Saturday, August 7, at 3:00 P.M., Chicago Force ventured out to Lombard to play fun-filled games of Whirlyball. Whirlyball is a combination of lacrosse, bumper cars, and basketball played with whiffleballs. Afterward, we had dinner at a nearby Old Country Buffet.
Whirlyball is located at 800 E. Roosevelt Road in Lombard. Old Country Buffet is at 551 E. Roosevelt Road.
April 17, 2004 saw Chicago Force return once more to Blast Camp for a day of paintball fun. The paintball gods smiled down from on high and we had excellent weather for the third year in a row. Blast Camp is an excellent field, and Chicago Force thanks them for their courteous treatment, professional attitude, and for building a damn fine paintball field.
We didn’t have quite as many turn out this time, only 16, but everyone there had a blast, from the grizzled veterans down to newest of the newbies who had never touched a paintgun before that morning.
We were graced by representatives from the Quad City Jedi Order and the Indy Knights. Thanks for making the trip out, guys!
It was such a good time that plans are being made to turn paintball into a bi-annual event, with the next session possibly in September. Stay tuned to Chicago Forc Web for details.
Pre-Game
The Octagon
Intermission
The next game we played was “Downed Rebel Pilot”. The Rebels had to escort the downed pilot to a safe area, while the Empire tried to kill him. Getting the pilot out or keeping him safe for a set period of time won for the Rebels, eliminating the pilot won for the Empire.
As I played the role of the pilot, there are no pictures of this game. One team successfully kept me hidden in a corner, while the other team made a bold move to get me out. And it would have worked, too, if I wasn’t so fat and lazy.
Anyway, in all the rolling around on the ground, I thought I lost my car keys. So there are no pictures of the next games, as I spent an hour combing the grass for my ride home. Turns out Dave had them in his pocket the whole time.
The Berm
Balls to the Wall
Speedball
The Embassy
The Wound Gallery
On Friday, December 12, at 7:00 P.M., come on out to Edgewater and join Chicago Force’s Roleplaying Game Club. We’ll meet at the home of Hans Aeschbacher (The Executor) who will prepare delectable treats for your enjoyment. Our current storyline takes place about 2 years before the Battle of Yavin and involves a plot against the leaders of the Rebellion. For more information, please send an e-mail to either Hans or Michael Hammer (Master Daylan). For more information on Chicago Force events, visit www.chicagoforce.org or our FanForce forum.
On Tuesday, December 16, Chicago Force will do what comes natural to us and line up for the midnight premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at River East 21. Chicago Line Party will have various events planned that evening, including a charity raffle, costume contest, performances by Frodo-A-Go-Go, and giveways from Decipher and other companies. For more information on what they have planned, check out Chicago Line Party’s website.
River East 21 is located at 322 E. Illinois St. You can purchase your movie tickets at www.movietickets.com. Do a search for ZIP Code 60611 on Tuesday, December 16. The earliest event schedule seems to be a 4 p.m. Decipher giveaway, but come whenever you can. For the latest in Chicago Force events, visit www.chicagoforce.org or our FanForce message boards.
October 18, 2003 – Classical music is not necassarily the first thing that most people think of when they think of science fiction, yet many science fiction movies draw on the sound of the masters. Who can think of 2001: A Space Odyessy without humming “Also Sprach Zarathustra” or “Blue Danube”?
The West Suburban Symphony recognized the connection and organized a concert that showcased the many sci-fi themed pieces that can be found. Of special interest to Chicago Force were several pieces from John Williams’ Star Wars score. To set the tone for the evening, the Symphony contacted Chicago Force and asked us to deorcate the lobby of the high school in which the concert was being held.
Also present were members of the Rebel Legion and the 501st’s Midwest Garrison. While the Symphony played the “Imperial March”, the costumers marched in the aisles of the theater, ending as a group in front of the musicians right as the piece ended. The audience loved it (but we knew they would).
Chicago Force would like to thank the Rebel Legion and the 501st for their ever-impressive visit, and the West Surburban Symphony for inviting us to their party and allowing us to express our geekiness.
On Sunday, September 28, Chicago Force will be hosting a costume workshop at the Mokena home of Phyllis Schulte (Schph_Gochi). We’ll be working on Jedi tunics, tabbards, and sashes. For more information, including what materials you’ll have to bring, check out the posts by Schph_Gochi and Nostradamus on this thread. For directions and any other questions, send Schph an e-mail. For the latest information on Chicago Force events, visit www.chicagoforce.org or our FanForce forum.
On September 20, 2003, Chicago Force had it’s Second Annual Paintball Extravaganza! OK, maybe it wasn’t ‘extravagant’, but it was a great day for paintball. Not too cold, not too hot, nice and sunny.
There was a good turn-out, with 27 people showing up to shoot Hawk…er, to play a rousing game of paintball. And how about those Star Wars scenario games, eh? Boy, we really hyped those didn’t we? That was going to be a lot of fun, we’re a Star Wars group, we’re playing paintball, we should play Star Wars paintball games…
Well, they sucked. I admit it, they didn’t work at all. Not even a little bit. In retrospect, I think I was making the rules too complex, and in the heat of ‘combat’, the fewer rules you have to remember the better. Also, there was a bit of friction with the management (we don’t need to go into that now; it’s a quality field, run by professional people, but everyone has their bad days), and we were only able to try one scenario: the Geonosis Arena. It seemed that the material I chose to make the ‘impenetrable’ Jedi lightsabers out of…well, let’s just say that paintballs went right through it. The armor of the AT-ATs was the same stuff, even if we would have been able to use them. The moral of the story is either keep the rules simple, or stick to tried-and-true paintball games.
That’s not to say that we didn’t have a good time. Everyone that I talked to whole-heartedly gave the day a thumbs up. Blast Camp is a great field, and Nate was an excellent ref. He was able to keep a rowdy group in check and had some great games for us to play.
Most of the post-game talk was along the lines of “Can’t wait until next year!”, and I think it’s safe to say that Chicago Force will be back at Blast Camp on the third weekend of September, 2004. Who knows, we may even drag along some Trekkies to shoot at.
Have I talked enough? You just want to see the pictures already? OK…
On Sunday, July 20, at 4:30 P.M., Chicago Force will hold the second meeting of its Collector’s Club at Graham Crackers Comics in Wheaton. We’ll be able to help each other gain that rare acquisition or just admire the treasures we’ve gained. Graham Crackers is at 1207 Butterfield Road in Wheaton. If you have any questions, send an e-mail to Carrie Favela (Jedi Autobot). For the latest on Chicago Force events, log onto www.chicagoforce.org or come to our FanForce forum.
On Friday, July 18, at 7:00 P.M., come on out to Edgewater for Chicago Force’s Role Playing Game Group. We’ll engage in an adventure taking place a few years before A New Hope. New players are welcome. A fine selection of delectable snacks will be provided by Chef Hans. If you’re interested in attending, send an e-mail to either Hans Aeschbacher (TheExecutor) or Michael Hammer (Master_Daylan). For more information on Chicago Force events, go to www.chicagoforce.org or visit our FanForce forum.