To love Star Wars is to hate Star Wars. You probably think the prequels are silly, or the sequels took the wrong direction, or that Disney+’s offerings are pointless. No fan likes everything, yet they sit and watch it all, willing to waste their time only if the latest release makes Star Wars special for them.
This is the fate of all franchises. Star Wars was a small sci-fi series driven by the need to sell merchandise and pad Disney’s bottom line. But Star Wars becoming a soulless commercial enterprise is not a modern phenomenon. It sold years ago The Empire Strikes Back cemented his legacy.
We always try to find the good in things, so let’s be clear: Star Wars Holiday Special is bad. Very bad. This is not a classic or rough diamond by any stretch of the imagination. C-3P0 actor Anthony Daniels called it A turd, and he was generous. It’s a misconception so mythologized that it’s been talked about in whispers and half-truths for decades. And yet the fans the need To see it, if only to see how far we’ve come.
gave Holiday Special Opening with Han and Chewbacca trying to outrun Imperial forces and get Chewie home for Life Day, it’s a Wookiee Christmas knockoff. From there, we cut to Chewie’s family on “Kazuk,” the special name for the Wookie homeland (and just one of many elements Star Wars would later bury). Then there’s a 10-minute segment of Chewie’s father, Khajli, his wife, Mala, and his son, Lumpy, grunting and pointing as they perform therapeutic sitcom hijinks.
It’s a bold choice to have viewers root for Empire to cheer Chewbacca’s race, but after about five seconds of hearing Lumpy’s high-pitched voice you’ll be sick of the little shag rug. It’s a blessing when a human actor appears with the gift of the English language. Who do you think gets the most screen time? Harrison Ford? Mark Hamill? That’s right, Art Carney. gave wedding night The actor plays a merchant, family friend, and facilitator of the Wookiee craze.
The Wookiees go about their day in the life as they wait for Chewie, and when they’re eventually interrogated by Imperial forces looking for Rebel sympathizers, the story takes on the form of a variety show special. It has a thin wrapper. Lumpy enjoys a holographic circus performance, while Mala prepares bantha stew with the help of a four-armed TV chef played by Harvey Corman in drag and blackface. A grumpy Imperial soldier to a Jefferson Starship Music VideoWhile the horn enjoyed the old itch a Sexual Diahann Carol performance. And yes, don’t worry, B. Arthur gets a segment.
Between skits and songs, our beloved heroes fulfill their contractual obligations by making video phone calls to family. Mark Hamill has cake in makeup that makes him look like a woman introduced in a very special episode of the 70s sitcom. Harrison Ford acts like he’s about to get a colonoscopy. Only Carrie Fisher seemed to be enjoying herself, and she was. In the midst of a severe addiction to coke. It’s interesting to see the quotidian realities of another galaxy, but none come across well here. Even the Empire’s goons are reduced from blowing up planets to ripping the head off Lumpy’s stuffed animal.
The supposed highlight of the special, an animated sequence that introduces Boba Fett, feels like the definition of Stockholm Syndrome. Fett is more Snidely Whiplash than stoic brooder, and Luke is a gullible hayseed. The animation is memorable, but mostly because Han looks like he belongs inside. Ren and Stimpy. Even the one he enjoys as an in-universe cartoon Lumpy is confusing. Later, when Carrie Fisher is dressed as a Wookiee among a starry sky, you’ll be begging Darth Vader to show up and strangle someone, even if it’s you.
gave Holiday Special Cheap, quick, scary, and absolutely adorable. It aired in the United States 18 months later on November 17, 1978. Star Wars A theatrical hit. No one knew Vader was Luke’s father, let alone that a movie would span 12 theatrical titles and a titanic commercial empire. A sequel was in the works but a three-year wait was considered. Long and dangerous. It may all be just a flash in the pan. gave Holiday Special There was an effort to roll out the good times…or at least it was good to get while getting cash.
While George Lucas suggested focusing on Chewbacca’s family, he and the other Lucasfilm creators had little actual input. With the popularity of variety shows, the job was cut short for genre veterans like Bruce Valanche. Given the time constraints of production, it’s a minor miracle that they were able to do anything at all. But Khas’s intentions were always clear. This was not art. Placing Star Wars toys under the Christmas tree was a reminder. It was a painful lesson for young fans who waited over a year for a precious glimpse of more Star Wars.
Today, the Boba Fett segment is on Disney+, while the entire special Lives on YouTube.. But it died out decades after it first aired. It was a pop culture thing that everyone made fun of. Weird To Family man. It was so infamous that it became mandatory viewing for die-hard Star Wars fans, a rite of passage made possible by bootleg VHS tapes. It takes dedication, even if you’re looking ironically.
Lucas has tinkered with movies since the 90s, but Holiday Special is frozen in carbonite. The props and costumes are pure 70s. Its writers barely understood Star Wars and the brand was not guarded by its corporate owner like Smaug guarding his gold, which is impossible to imagine today. Even the variety show format, now extinct, makes it a time capsule. It’s a glimpse of what Star Wars was before everything was, and watching it today is a strange act of love. Star Wars may be a soulless machine, but it has given countless people memories they cherish. He can be admired for this even at his lowest and loosest.
Credit : www.inverse.com
