A Wasted Journey

A Wasted Journey, or Episode XIII: A Wasted Journey, is a 2002 Star Wars parody brickfilm by Chris Salt. It is about a group of Rebel pilots packing up to return to their base and a conversation between two of them on Han Solo.

The film came to be when Chris Salt was lent Rebel pilot minifigures for use in a BrickFest 2003 Animation Competition entry that ultimately did not get past the planning stage. Instead of sending the figures back with no film to show for it, he decided to create a different, quicker film starring them, and A Wasted Journey was the result. It was not originally intended for public release, but after Salt spent more time on it than expected, he decided to put it online anyway.

Plot
Five rebel pilots have embarked on a secret journey across the galaxy to appear in a film, only to find out that it has been postponed. As three of them pack up their things to return to their base, the other two have a conversation about Han Solo. They discuss Han's untrustworthy stories such as claiming to be able to do the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs despite a parsec being a measure of distance rather than time, and his ever-changing story over who shot first in a bar fight in Mos Eisley. The left pilot still likes Han for always having anyone's back in a fight and thinks the right pilot is jealous of Princess Leia's affection for Han. The right pilot denies this and goes on to say he hears Han has been shooting blanks since being thawed out of carbonite, but the left pilot rebukes that the right pilot started this rumour himself in a misguided attempt at having a chance to win the princess' affection.

The sarge approaches the pair, angrily telling them the group is due to leave in 5 minutes and shouting at them for doing nothing. The right pilot is taken aback and remarks that he didn't expect the Imperial inquisition, when Darth Vader and two Stormtroopers burst into the room. Vader exclaims, "Nobody expects the Imperial inquisition!" and tries to list their chief weaponry but becomes mixed up, before deciding to leave and come in again, à la the Monty Python's Flying Circus "Spanish Inquisition" sketch.

Cast

 * Chris Salt as Rebels, Darth Vader
 * Joshua Leasure as Sarge

Crew

 * Chris Salt - Creator
 * Jason Walton - Providing of Rebel minifigures

In the Media
In November 2003, Wired Magazine ran an article on brickfilming that focused on Chris Salt and A Wasted Journey, including interview quotes from Salt and a string of frames from A Wasted Journey used to demonstrate the animation process. Also mentioned were Salt's films Out of Time, Where'd the Cheese Go? and Words of Wisdom. This article served as the introduction to brickfilming for such brickfilmers as Rachel Dew and Stephen Nolen.