SkyWire Digital Magazine

by Daniel Andrade Courtesy of Lucasfilm It’s hard to believe that 42 years ago, a man named George Lucas would create an epic space-opera that would evolve into one of the longest-running and most expansive franchises in cinematic history. Since that iconic episode, we’ve explored the farthest reaches of the galaxy, met some incredible and memorable characters, experienced some colossal battles among the stars, and witnessed the rise and fall of empires and resistance movements. It hasn’t always been a smooth journey, there have certainly been some bumps along the way, but throughout it all, every movie has been a momentous occasion, with throngs of fans flocking to the theaters eagerly awaiting to see how this saga would continue. And now, after nine movies, the story of the Skywalkers has come to an end. After the lukewarm reception of the 8th film, there was a lot of pressure on this film to end this latest trilogy (and the overall legacy) properly. I’m happy to say J.J. Ab

by Daniel Andrade Courtesy of Big Beach Films For those of us who grew up in the 90s, many fun and educational programs come to mind that were emblematic of our childhood and that displayed the true potential of public television. Sesame Street , Barney , Reading Rainbow , Bill Nye the Science Guy , Wishbone , and many more served as our unofficial babysitters at times, exposing us to the world in a way that we could understand as children and empowering our natural curiosity. But one show ushered them in and made them all possible, and that was Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood . Hosted by the soft-spoken and sensitive Fred Rogers, this show was not afraid to treat children like adults-in-the-making, delving into complex and often heavy topics like death, divorce, and war. Whatever the topic, Mr. Rogers looked straight through the camera and into all of us and reminded us that it’s ok to be mad, sad, and confused, and that we would find a way to get through this. He reminded each a

by Daniel Andrade Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when families and friends get together and celebrate the holidays. The cold weather brings cozy blankets, tasty hot chocolate, and a comfortable fire to gather around. And what better way to enjoy the warmth inside than with a good movie? You can always count on holiday movies coming out every year, either rebooting or remixing a classic tale or trying to tell a brand new story. Because of that, there is an overwhelming number of films out there that celebrate this festive season. So how do you pick which ones to watch? Well, we here at SkySoft have decided to help you out with this dilemma by presenting to you our Top 10 Favorite Holiday Movies! How did we come up with such a list? We ranked movies based on three criteria: timelessness (can you rewatch this movie years after it’s initial release?), holiday spirit (does it truly embody what the holidays are all about?), and feel-

Courtesy of Lionsgate by Daniel Andrade One of my favorite games when I was a kid was Clue. It was fun trying to piece together all the evidence and figure out exactly what happened. That fascination remained with me when I got older, and I discovered the wonderful world of Murder Mystery dinners, which was like a real-life version of Clue. You had to really be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to everything people said and did, lest you miss out on a valuable hint. And when you finally figured out who did what, how they did it and why, it was such a sense of relief, and an even greater sense of accomplishment if you were able to figure it out completely! What I discovered in those Murder Mystery Dinners is that it is incredibly difficult to craft a compelling, engaging mystery. You have to know your characters and setting thoroughly, and have to be able to make it seem like there are multiple suspects to keep everyone on their toes. There are a lot of moving