| The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
Hamster Rating: 2 pellets |
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STARRING: Harrison Ford [Han Solo], Mark Hamill [Luke Skywalker], Carrie Fisher [Princess Leia], Peter Mayhew[Chewbacca], Anthony Daniels [C-3PO], Mickey Morton [Malla], Paul Gale [Itchy], Patty Maloney [Lumpy]
Let me start by saying that although it's possible that I simply have very bad taste, I think that this disowned member of the Star Wars family is undeserving its infamous reputation.
For those who may not know about this particular television oddity, the Star Wars Holiday Special aired just once, on CBS in November of 1978. The plot basically concerned Chewbacca's attempt to get home to his family for the Wookie holiday, Life Day. Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Harrison Ford all reprised their film roles for the special, and were joined in this unlikely venture by such bygone screen stars as Art Carney, Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman. With this kind of starpower in it, one wonders how come the holiday special is not more well-known.
Well, those who have seen it can answer that question very simply: the Star Wars Holiday Special is considered one of the most atrocious spin-offs ever. George Lucas was apparently so appalled by the thing that not only does his name appear nowhere in the credits, but he has refused to release it officially in any form, and has in fact vowed to hunt down and destroy every bootleg copy of it he can get his hands on. Naturally, that cinched it for me and I knew I had to have it.
Forty bucks (another story) and a couple viewings later, I can personally attest that as a Star Wars movie, the holiday special does indeed suck pretty hard. I think it was meant to appeal to Star War's young following, and nowadays would only rate highly with the slightly-too-old-for-the-Tellytubbies crowd. It's full of padding and the central plot is incredibly weak. It's also so sappy it might make your teeth hurt. Still, I don't think it's nearly as bad as most viewers think. The best way to appreciate the holiday special, in my opinion, is to look at it like a musical comedy sketch show, or a Star Wars variety show. This doesn't change the fact it's corny and pointless, but it does make it vastly more entertaining and easier to sit through. Several of the sketches are actually pretty decent, most notably the animated Boba Fett short and the Tatooine cantina segments. The cast does their best with what they're given and they all look like they're having a good time (especially Carrie Fisher, who is blissfully stoned the whole time), so one is tempted to be lenient just for their sake. I mean, shouldn't they get an A for effort?
The Star Wars Holiday Special is only available as a completely illegal bootleg, so I can't really recommend buying it, although if you want it, you can get it online or at most science fiction conventions. Since nothing you get is an "official" release, the quality and the DVD features will vary considerably. My copy, for instance, not only had customized menus and scene selection, but it also contained the fan films Troopers and Hardware Wars. I have a friend whose copy has neither fan film, but does have over 20 minutes of original Kenner Star Wars toy commercials from the early 80's.
Definitely an anomaly, and a must-see for every die-hard (but not weak-minded) Star Wars fan. Most likely once will be more than enough, but I encourage more people to try to get past the bad press and make a home in their hearts for the Star Wars that Lucas has rejected.
More on the Star Wars Holiday Special from everybody's friend, Wikipedia!
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