Princess Leia

The force is with Carrie Fisher. The actress and author who first came to stardom as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" trilogy has nabbed a rare TV interview with her former boss, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, for the latest installment of Oxygen's "Conversations From the Edge With Carrie Fisher," premiering Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.

As part of a multiattraction expansion this spring, Legoland California plans to update the Star Wars Miniland area that debuted last summer, add a pirate-themed shoot-the-chutes water ride and install a crab exhibit at the adjacent SeaLife Aquarium. Set to open March 29, the Star Wars Gallery will include 3-foot-tall Lego models of a dozen characters from the epic film saga, including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2D2, Yoda and Darth Vader.  At the same time, model builders will install new characters, weapons and spacecraft to existing Star Wars Miniland scenes rendered in 1:20 scale using Lego bricks.

Carrie Fisher lives high on a hill with a life-size plastic cow parked beside her swimming pool, a two-seat swing in her bedroom, enough gee-gaws in the house to open a small boutique--and a lot of pages of her book "Money Dearest" piled beside her typewriter. So if you don't see her around town--and you don't--that's what she's doing. Writing. "I belong to a very unstable profession and I don't want what's happened to others to happen to me," she said earlier this week. "So, I started writing.

The new Star Wars' models take shape at Star Wars Miniland renders epic battles, iconic cityscapes and massive machines in an intimate 1:20 scale at Legoland California . The new Star Wars attraction, which opened Thursday at the Carlsbad kiddie park, utilized 1.5 million Lego bricks to build a visual timeline stretching from the first film in the series to the latest television cartoons based on the space fantasy, bridging...

"It has already lived long and prospered," Kenneth Turan's closing "Star Trek" reference in his "Star Wars" piece, angered and insulted Jedis everywhere ("It Still Packs a Force," Jan. 26). A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack. However, I can't control myself: Go kiss my Wookie! SHANNON ANNE SIMON Irvine Female characters who are self-assured and who step into their place in the world without apologies to anyone are so few and far between as to be an endangered species.

As part of a multiattraction expansion this spring, Legoland California plans to update the Star Wars Miniland area that debuted last summer, add a pirate-themed shoot-the-chutes water ride and install a crab exhibit at the adjacent SeaLife Aquarium. Set to open March 29, the Star Wars Gallery will include 3-foot-tall Lego models of a dozen characters from the epic film saga, including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2D2, Yoda and Darth Vader.  At the same time, model builders will install new characters, weapons and spacecraft to existing Star Wars Miniland scenes rendered in 1:20 scale using Lego bricks.

E ven George Lucas showed up. That had been the biggest question for more than 9,000 fans who gathered over the three-day weekend for an exuberant 10th anniversary salute to "Star Wars." They crowded the halls of the Stouffer Concourse Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport, batting aside blue, black and white balloons trailing multicolored ribbons.

The new Star Wars' models take shape at Star Wars Miniland renders epic battles, iconic cityscapes and massive machines in an intimate 1:20 scale at Legoland California . The new Star Wars attraction, which opened Thursday at the Carlsbad kiddie park, utilized 1.5 million Lego bricks to build a visual timeline stretching from the first film in the series to the latest television cartoons based on the space fantasy, bridging...

Frank Hernandez and his dad, Robert, helped make the reissue of "The Empire Strikes Back" the biggest box-office opener in February. They'd seen "Star Wars" a few weeks before and had been waiting, waiting, waiting for the second part of the series to reach theaters. Frank, a 12-year-old from Brea, loved "Star Wars," easily director George Lucas' most famous movie, and thought "The Empire Strikes Back" was just as good, maybe better.

Not every member of the Star Wars generation has seen all three movies in the trilogy. In explaining what to expect, some young parents sound less like they are talking about a movie and more like they are inculcating a beloved and exalted fairy tale. "You'll see Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia and Han Solo. This is the first one that has them all in it," one mother was overheard telling her young son before the curtain went up. "Will it have the big sluggy one?" he asked.

The force is with Carrie Fisher. The actress and author who first came to stardom as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" trilogy has nabbed a rare TV interview with her former boss, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, for the latest installment of Oxygen's "Conversations From the Edge With Carrie Fisher," premiering Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.

Frank Hernandez and his dad, Robert, helped make the reissue of "The Empire Strikes Back" the biggest box-office opener in February. They'd seen "Star Wars" a few weeks before and had been waiting, waiting, waiting for the second part of the series to reach theaters. Frank, a 12-year-old from Brea, loved "Star Wars," easily director George Lucas' most famous movie, and thought "The Empire Strikes Back" was just as good, maybe better.

Not every member of the Star Wars generation has seen all three movies in the trilogy. In explaining what to expect, some young parents sound less like they are talking about a movie and more like they are inculcating a beloved and exalted fairy tale. "You'll see Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia and Han Solo. This is the first one that has them all in it," one mother was overheard telling her young son before the curtain went up. "Will it have the big sluggy one?" he asked.

"It has already lived long and prospered," Kenneth Turan's closing "Star Trek" reference in his "Star Wars" piece, angered and insulted Jedis everywhere ("It Still Packs a Force," Jan. 26). A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack. However, I can't control myself: Go kiss my Wookie! SHANNON ANNE SIMON Irvine Female characters who are self-assured and who step into their place in the world without apologies to anyone are so few and far between as to be an endangered species.

E ven George Lucas showed up. That had been the biggest question for more than 9,000 fans who gathered over the three-day weekend for an exuberant 10th anniversary salute to "Star Wars." They crowded the halls of the Stouffer Concourse Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport, batting aside blue, black and white balloons trailing multicolored ribbons.

Carrie Fisher lives high on a hill with a life-size plastic cow parked beside her swimming pool, a two-seat swing in her bedroom, enough gee-gaws in the house to open a small boutique--and a lot of pages of her book "Money Dearest" piled beside her typewriter. So if you don't see her around town--and you don't--that's what she's doing. Writing. "I belong to a very unstable profession and I don't want what's happened to others to happen to me," she said earlier this week. "So, I started writing.

The new Star Tours attraction that will soon debut at Disneyland adds several layers of 3-D realism to the 1980s-era simulator ride, making the experience less like watching a movie and more like being in the middle of the action. I took a few preview rides Friday at Disneyland on the updated attraction, which offers 54 possible storylines, and I found myself wanting to jump back in line after each galactic journey. Photos : Concept art of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and Disney'sHollywood Studios Dubbed Star Tours: The Adventures Continue , the " Star Wars " -inspired ride officially debuts June 3 at Disneyland in California and opened Friday at Disney'sHollywood Studios in Florida.

Ready, Aim, Fire: NATO airstrikes reportedly hit a hospital in Belgrade. "A NATO spokesman explained the error by saying the hospital looked exactly like the Chinese Embassy." (Dennis Miller) Tough Break: Former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has accused President Clinton of betraying him. "I didn't even know they were dating." (Jay Leno) Changing Channels: Susan Lucci finally won a Daytime Emmy.