GOOD LORD...I Just watched the Star Wars Holiday Special for the first time

[joshvanrad]

This thread is ruining ROTJ for me...

It hurts me.

 

[Mola Rob]

No, really, it isn't. It's a terrible film. When I was fifteen it was great, but now all I can see is the jaded, fed-up Lucas rushing Marquand to get it done, no matter how badly. The Ewoks remain just as "astoundingly unconvincing" as a production source called them during filming. A huge sellout. There are dodgy shots, like that godawful one of Artoo and Threepio being pulled out of the sand. There's Fett's UNBELIEVABLY underwhelming death. There's a recycled Death Star plot from the first movie. The Emperor is a cartoon caricature of villainy. As if the confirmation that Vader is his dad wasn't bad enough, Leia is suddenly Luke's sister. What the actual ****? And before you even get to the Ewoks you've got creature work like Nien Nunb, Salacious Crumb, Sy Snootles and Max Rebo. Okay, these are fairly shallow observations; others have more substantive criticisms but whatever way you cut it, it's a painting by numbers hack job all the way through. It's a Prequel-level effort lifted from that mostly by the presence of many of the original art department and effects people.

I wouldn't call it prequel bad...well some of it's close. ROTJ is 1/3 good, 1/3 passable, and 1/3 utter crap. I was actually depressed after I walked out of the movie theater on opening day. I thought there was still enough good to not make me shudder when I thought about Star Wars, that started with the Special Editions and became overwhelming with the prequels.

 

[Raphael Argus]

See, the redemption of Vader is one of my biggest beefs. The guy sees the horror he has become and realises his only worthwhile legacy is about to die, and sacrifices himself to save...HIS OWN SON. Okay, it's not one of his ****tier acts, but c'mon...it's not exactly entirely selfless either. Joss Whedon could give George Lucas some lessons on writing good, solid, satisfying redemptions. Vader's is *far too easy*.

I think part of the plot is lost with bad storytelling. At some point in his life, Vader figures out the Emperor has been manipulating him since he was young and now realizes he has been betrayed. Vader intends to kill the Emperor and has for a while, but he needs Luke to join forces with him to do it. Vader defends Luke ('He is just a boy'), doesn't kill Luke when he could have during the first saber fight, and tries to draw Luke in and 'complete his training' all in an effort to get Luke and the Emperor in the same room for the two pronged attack. When Luke wont willingly cooperate, Vader has him captured and taken to the Emperor as a distraction to hatch his back up plan of killing the Emperor himself knowing he will likely die without Luke's help. The Emperor never sees this coming. Vader's redemption was in killing the Emperor. The saving of Luke was secondary.

 

[Bryancd]

I think the only way to really give a critical analysis regarding the story choices and production of ROTJ is to read Rinzlers Making Of book. Having read it there were certainly challenges but the story was done in a very collaborative, organic way .

 

[mistymills]

Okay so I just watched the whole thing finally, thank you Smirnoff for making this possible.

 

[joberg]

As I said before, Lucas did 2 classics: American Grafitti and StarWars. As for returning to the original topic: the StarWars Holiday Special original negatives and any material (pics, script, etc) should've been burned into the hot molten lava of Mount Doom a looooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg time ago:sick
Saw it at the time and man, I wish those MIB would've erased any memories associated with the feelings of suicide right after the viewing of it.
To anybody thinking of doing it now (if you're a 4 year old it doesn't count) don't do it!! I beg you for the Love of God:wacko

 

[Laspector]

You're right! It's THAT bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People always talk about the Boba Fett cartoon. While it may be the best thing about the Holiday Special, it itself is still HORRIBLE!!!

 

[The Terminator]

Offer me a million $$$ and will still refuse to watch the holiday special.

Perhaps it's time for a new holiday special. Featuring *drum roll* Jar Jar Binks!
Mesa called Jar Jar, and tis is da big grand holiday special
:lol

With some very notable exceptions, this is pretty much what it was like watching TV in the 70s. It was a decade without taste.

As opposed to the last decade? Jersey Shore anyone?

I will say this if any of you have never seen it. There are things in this world you can't unsee. So if you are thinking of watching it...my advice is DON'T. Not even as a joke...not even to see how bad it is...not even to make fun of it...because there is no fun here.

I haven't seen it. Have heard about ever since I first started surfing the net in the late 90's. Always heard how bad it was.

The Holiday Special lasted about 6 minutes before I ripped it out of the VCR. Even I, who can watch ANY bad movie, couldn't do it.

Whoa, I wouldn't last a minute then :wacko :lol

There's Fett's UNBELIEVABLY underwhelming death.
There's a recycled Death Star plot from the first movie.

He survived
If it ain't broken....

 

[Falk]

I really do not want to derail this thread any further, but...

It's like you guys never saw Return of the Jedi, Howard the Duck, or the Special Editions. (My faith went away a lot earlier.)

Really? ROTJ in that list? Yes, Ewoks were silly but the rest of the movie was great.

I wouldn't call it prequel bad...well some of it's close. ROTJ is 1/3 good, 1/3 passable, and 1/3 utter crap. I was actually depressed after I walked out of the movie theater on opening day. I thought there was still enough good to not make me shudder when I thought about Star Wars, that started with the Special Editions and became overwhelming with the prequels.

PS okay, the space battle IS good. Whittled down a lot from the original concept, but still good.

I think the only way to really give a critical analysis regarding the story choices and production of ROTJ is to read Rinzlers Making Of book. Having read it there were certainly challenges but the story was done in a very collaborative, organic way .

... you should read these two articles (originally published in the mid-nineties in "Sci-Fi Universe" magazine):

50 REASONS WHY RETURN OF THE JEDI SUCKS

10 REASONS RETURN OF THE JEDI DOESN’T COMPLETELY SUCK




Now back to the Holiday Special!

 

[Onkelpsycho]

Love the Wookie story... :lol

When you watched it for a few minutes and you think "they can't be serious" and "well, it will end in a few seconds, because no one can't watch this crap longer than a few minutes", then you realize it: It goes on and on and on and on... And you think: "Oh my god, they ARE dead serious with this...

 

[mistymills]

You wanna make it through it? Get in the chat room on here with at least one other person who is watching it and arm yourself with Smirnoff.

 

[joshvanrad]

You wanna make it through it? Get in the chat room on here with at least one other person who is watching it and arm yourself with Smirnoff.

It worked.

It was similar to a support group... with alcohol.