Star Wars is 30 Years Old 223
javipas writes "On May 25th, 1977 the first film of the Star Wars Saga was released to theaters. Thirty years later, and celebrations are being held all around the globe. Wired has a series of articles entitled The Empire at 30, and many fans are posting about this particular birthday. For example, you can see the best 30 clips made by fans to celebrate this anniversary. The BBC is chronicling the journey of one man who had never seen Star Wars before. IGN has a rundown on some of the highlights of the Celebration convention, running this weekend."
30 years old (Score:5, Funny)
Ha (Score:5, Interesting)
The second movie I took my fiancee too, and by the third movie we were married.
So much for your theory.
Re:Ha (Score:5, Funny)
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Episode 1: she just wants to be friends
Episode 2: She will now only hang out with you in a group setting
Episode 3: Mace + Restraining order
Re:Ha (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Ha (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Ha (Score:5, Funny)
(Mazel tov on the 30th anniversary of your first date with her.)
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On this day 30 years ago, I took a girl to go see it as my first date. We were all riding back from our high school senior picnic, and she asked about the book I was reading (the novelization), so I took her to the movie.
I think I still have my copy. I remember it was a gold-colored paperback.
I believe Star Wars was the second movie I ever saw (or possibly the third, with Rocky and Tora, Tora, Tora being the other contenders). I was not quite 11 years old at the time, and it made a huge impression. Though I was already reading stuff like LotR, Heinlein, Einstein, Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, I think Star Wars did
more than anything else to cement my love of science fiction/fantasy.
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Oh, and yes, the opening credits in the first movie said nothing about Episode 4 in the original theather edition.
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The second movie I took my fiancee too, and by the third movie we were married.
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By the time of the second movie, I was engaged - no where did I say they were the same girl.
However, the one I took to the second movie is the one I married. We just celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary last week.
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Rich
Re:30 years old (Score:5, Funny)
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star wars virgin (Score:3, Insightful)
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Except it's Dr. Zaius.
You may hand in your geek card at the door.
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Apes: [in unison] Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius
Oh... Dr. Zaius
Ape: Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius.
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Re:star wars virgin (Score:4, Interesting)
2 and a half minutes into the movie he says he gets his first glimpse of the droids he ALREADY KNOWS are called C-3PO and R2-D2, but he doesn't know which is which. So obviously he's had at least some exposure to Star Wars before, even if just through pop culture references. However, I have a really hard time believing that he was able to glean the (rather cryptic) names of two droids from pop culture, but didn't know that Vader was Luke's father (he ends the article apparently still under the impression that Vader killed Luke's father). After all, what reference is more prevalent in pop culture, the droids or "Luke, I am your father"?
I think this guy knows more about the franchise, but is concealing that knowledge to make for a better story.
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But Vader DID kill Anakin Skywalker (Score:2)
The evil force which Vader was totally suppressed the existence of Skywalker. Pretty much like trauma-induced multiple-personality disorder.
Like, we all know that video didn't ACTUALLY kill the radio star, but it certainly suppressed it to the point where it might as well be dead.
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First of all, Hand was presented the obvious love interest for Leia, even in the first film (though there is a bit of a "love triangle" game between her Han and Luke). He's obviously just having a bit of fun with it, and already knows about Luke and Leia.
Secondly, he calls it a "cliffhanger," when it was no such thing. The first Star Wars film was a self-contained film, and didn't set up for a sequel (that was Empire Strikes Back). Even the "Vader recovers control o
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No offence, dude, but Carrie Fischer was hot enough in the late '70s that NOBODY would have thought that the hand-solo was her primary sexual outlet.
I'll bet she could've even gotten a rise out of that pansy droid, '3PO.
Funny slashdotters (Score:4, Funny)
Star wars (Score:5, Insightful)
Star Wars has been such a great story and adventure since I was a child and I hope to continue that legacy. I still remember seeing the movies for the first time and the magic I felt.
Lets forget all the weird flames and just think about what a great adventure Star Wars has been.
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[pause]
Now back to bashing the last three -- no, four -- movies....
Re:Star wars (Score:4, Funny)
C3PO is Luke's mother, and the stormtroopers are all Boba Fett's natural children. (He's an inspiration to us all.) Obi-Wan Kenobi thinks all astromech droids look alike (thus demonstrating a soft bigotry against mechanical beings). Darth Vader was incredibly angsty and annoying as a teenager. ("KHOOOOH... HSSSS... I don't wanna clean my room! KHOOOOH... HSSSS... You can't make me!") Killing a hundred sand people doesn't make you a bad person, because they look like mummies, even their children. The emperor's complexion has actually improved with age, IMO. Either that, or in his old age, he wanted a more natural look and stopped getting Botox.
I could tell you more, but I don't want to completely ruin it for you.
I'll tell you why... (Score:5, Insightful)
Who knew a slave-girl costume could cause such a stir?
It wasn't the slave girl costume. It was the girl! The girl was built like a girl: not some emaciated waif. Carry Fisher had this cute tummy and hips and real boobs - not a body by Joe Schmoe, MD, Hollyweird, CA!
Geeze! And the irony is that, IIRC from one the Star Wars behind the scenes DVD extras, the producers wanted to or did send her to a fat farm.
Leia's Metal Bikini (Score:5, Informative)
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Specialized knowledge (Score:2, Funny)
Yeah, but this is Slashdot. Few slashdotters are familiar with such esoteric concepts as girls. Fewer still are familiar with how girls are shaped.
This is not the specialized knowledge you are looking for...
...laura
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Actually, I suspect more slashdotters are familiar with how girls are shaped (or at least a subset thereof) than they are with the concept of actual girls.
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Yeah! They're like short elves with round ears.
Let's give her mind credit instead (Score:4, Insightful)
It wasn't the slave girl costume. It was the girl! The girl was built like a girl: not some emaciated waif. Carry Fisher had this cute tummy and hips and real boobs - not a body by Joe Schmoe, MD, Hollyweird, CA!
My personal opinion is that this was so iconic because of how dignified Leia remained even in such a degrading and revolting situation. This is a princess and leader of the rebel alliance. A gangster has essentially stripped her naked, put her in chains, and routinely licks his lips with his revolving, rotten tongue. And through all of this, she remains cool headed, keeping her mind of the mission and playing her part. When Luke shows up at Jabba's lair, Leia gives him a look that doesn't convey embarrassment or anger but almost a sense of amusement as though only she and Luke are in on the joke that Jabba's about to fall for.
That was an unusual amount of strength for a woman to show in the 80s. Hell, even nowdays the movies show tough women as having a huge chip on their shoulder. Leia simply got the job done without worrying how she looks and she was willing to sit through anything. It's a bit interesting to compare how she faces adversity in this situation versus the trip to trash compactor in the original movie where she's nowhere near as calm and confident. Everyone focuses on how much Luke changes during the original trilogy, but Leia changes just as much.
Sure, there's a sexual aspect to the entire situation as well, but I don't think that has much to do with Leia's body. Quite frankly, it's fairly unremarkable. It's the fact that Leia remains calm and collected even in such an awful situation that makes her sexy, not her body. You can see better looking women every day just walking down the street. But how many everyday women would be able to act as heroic as Leia did?
GMD
Despite Still Being Overhyped, To This Day... (Score:4, Interesting)
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I'd like to say a couple things on this... (Score:4, Funny)
Carrie!
Star Wars is like a fine wine... (Score:4, Interesting)
Next, you have a bottle of the same vintage and let it age 20 years. It is suddenly a whole new wine, with greater complexity, and a much sharper taste.
Finally you decide to finish off that old bottle that has aged another ten years... too bad it has turned to vinegar...
Now Star Trek: TNG -- that is like Guiness. Great at any time! Always aged to perfection!
Firefly is kinda like Jack Daniels... Really good, but hard to follow up with anything else
Thanks George,
Sincerely someone who saw Episode I 5 times in the first week trying to find some of the greatness that I saw in the originals.
Re:Star Wars is like a fine wine... (Score:5, Funny)
yes, exactly the same thing...every.single.week. Cold and bitter.
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Well, right there's your problem. ST:TNG is best enjoyed tepid, just like Guiness. That way, you actually get to appreciate the flavor, which the slight bitterness accentuates. When you drink it cold, all you can taste is the bitterness.
This is why American-style lager is best served ice-cold -- so you can't taste it.
So, to bring this back around to Star Wars, I'd say that it's less like a fine wine and more like bourbon. A young bourbon
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So I recommend drinking it cold. specifically to try and hide the 'taste'
For the record, I only drink the classic American beer when I am on the river and it is 125 degrees out. Mostly because soda is too h
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Agreed. Though any super-hot activity would qualify for this, such as mowing the lawn on a blisteringly hot day.
Out of curiosity, what whiskeys do you enjoy? Style/brand etc? I'm always looking to try new s
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Then they take you to the hospital to get your stomach pumped out.
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Now I don't know where you get your guiness but it's shouldn't taste like cheese and ham with an unhealthy dose of fantasy. I'd liken TNG to Budlight. Those who haven't had anything else like it in a unhealthy manner. Those who have had better liken it to horse piss.
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Toodles,
George
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TNG came out not too long after Coca-Cola experimented with the disaster that was "New Coke." The original series and Next Gen were often compared to Coca-Cola Classic and New Coke. Around the time DS9 came out, I recall someone talking about "Classic Trek, New Trek, and Diet Cherry Trek."
A while back I was involved in a discussion on what soft drinks Voyager and Enterprise [hyperborea.org] were. We came up with Voyager being sto
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Careful calculation... (Score:4, Insightful)
It was a movie, and a good one, but move on!
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The plus side is having had the early start I should pull out of this shame spiral in time for cake!
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Age is relative. To put it better, age is different between men and women. Men look as old as they feel. Women look as old as they are....
Action figures (Score:3, Interesting)
Ah, nostalgia. When I was a kid, my little sister used to break the heads off of my Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker action figures. I chewed on their retractable lightsabers too, I think, but I grew out of that phase.
My friends and I got even by playing badminton with the severed heads of her Barbie dolls (which aerodynamically resemble shuttlecocks).
Now I feel OLD.
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Happy Birthday Star Wars! (Score:2)
30 years (Score:4, Funny)
Ahh... (Score:5, Insightful)
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In other Star Wars news... (Score:3, Funny)
Caught the Lego story on Digg today. Nice timing. I remember the first time Star Wars was re-released to theaters. My brother got caught running a red light on the way to the Uptown. I told him that the force was not with him. He didn't think it was very funny, especially when the cop found out he didn't have his license with him...
Good LORD that was a GREAT year in film. (Score:2)
A Bridge Too Far
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Goodbye Girl
High Anxiety
Saturday Night Fever
Smokey and the Bandit
The Spy Who Loved Me
Star Wars
How come we just don't get years like that anymore?
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As usual, the past is looked at with rose-colored glasses. Also on the list, which you overlooked:
Some more that aren't on that page:
Don't worry, in 30 years people will look back fondly at the 00's. They always look back fondly 30 years later.
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1882 was as good if not better. (Score:2)
Bladerunner
Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn
Conan the Barbarian
Tron
Poltergeist
ET
The Dark Crystal
48 Hours
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
John Carpenter's The Thing
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Pink Floyd The Wall
Rocky III
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_movies [wikipedia.org]
And 1982 was even better than 1882 (Score:2)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1882_in_film [wikipedia.org]
Would be the one for 1882.
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? (... and yes, putting Gladiator in both lists was intentional)
Who cares. (Score:2)
Celebrations. Seriously? (Score:2)
Seriously? I mean, other than PR operatives for LucasFilms and some paid Stormtroopers, does anyone really care enough to attend a "celebration"?
what the hell (Score:2)
I'm 23 years old and have always loved the original 3...saw them for the first time when I was 6 and have been hooked ever since. No trilogy in the history of movies has ever spawned so many books, video games, etc. as Star Wars has...from those three movies came about a MASSIVE universe full of interesting creatures, ships, and languages.
Not to mention the 1977 release of A New Hope created an entirely new race of geeks/nerds
Stars Wars Tech on History Channel May 28th 8pm (Score:5, Informative)
Here's a link: Star Wars - The Legacy Revealed [history.com]
Michael is a professor of Physics and Astro-Physics at UCI and an all-around great guy.
Cheers Michael, if you read
Oh Yeah, that show kicks off the whole Star Wars History Channel event which starts at 9PM.
XM (Score:3, Funny)
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Hidden Fortress (Score:2)
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What, do you think "Hidden Fortress" was the first time that story had been told.
Next, will you dazzles us with your geek knowledge by knowing Kirks middle name?
I am laughing at you, as are my co-workers. We laugh. At you. Ha Ha HA
Reason for the obscurity (Score:2)
Star Wars marathon (Score:2)
Flash Gordon (Score:2)
I guess we would have been deprived of this masterpiece:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uQVLFn2PTzY&mode=relat
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"This unprecedented solar eclipse is no cause for alarm."
hehe, sorry everyone has there bad movies they love.
Star Wars Memories (Score:2)
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07133/785788-254.st m [post-gazette.com]
Nostalgia I must share (Score:2)
I was in the backseat of his truck, standing on the seat so I could see. But I wasn't watching the Muppet movie. I was turned around, looking out the back window, across the lot, even though I couldn't hear any sound, I was watching a completely different movie on another screen just visible thru the trees, completely engrosse
congradulations on another anniversary... (Score:2)
30 years ago today... (Score:2)
250 star wars clips to mash up at starwars.com (Score:2)
May 24, 2007
Star Wars Episode VII: The Empire Wises Up
George Lucas has always had an ambivalent attitude about all the creative fan activity that orbits around his "Star Wars" universe, embracing some that stays within the limits of homage, sending the legal storm troopers after any he feels damage the image or profit from his art, and generally guarding his properties like they were the plans for the Death Star. But starti
it's finally 30? (Score:2)
I was eight when Star Wars was released (Score:2)
And saw it in the theaters eleven times: this was before VCRs and DVDs, and if you wanted to see something more than once, you paid more than one.
And I loved it, immediately. I had all the toys I could, fell in love with Carrie Fisher and dressed as Luke Skywalker for Halloween. I waited impatiently for the release of Empire and Jedi, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole time.
But, I gotta say, as an adult the movies haven't held up that well for me. My favorite is Empire, because it's the darkest and best plo
R2D2 Mailbox? (Score:2)
A few months ago I noticed an R2D2 mailbox standing on the corner. I immediately assumed that it was just a leftover from when the last prequel was released way back in 2005. Then on the news I heard something about these being _new_ mailboxes promoting Star Wars. I was baffled, why spend money on this sort of thing now?
Depends (Score:2)
Re:Seriously.. (Score:4, Funny)
As a gay man who is excitedly anticipating his time eating dicks in hell I would like to file an official complaint that I would have to share the dicks to be eaten with that sloth fat ass Lucas. That Porker? would undoubtedly take more than his fair share of cock.
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Get your head out of your arse. The films (IV..VI that is) were fun adventure films, and the special effects were just good enough to look realistic, without being too ambitious. (i.e., big scary space station? Show it from very far away so we don't have to model much, then show it from really cl
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I don't think he invented that term at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_opera [wikipedia.org]
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I would have been about 8-9 months old, depending on when after release they took me.
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I have to wonder who is in more need of a life: the fans, or people who feel the n