The Nostalgia Critic vs. The Star Wars Holiday Special

[Trekker4747]

That Guy With the Glasses' Nostalgia Critic will take on THE movie. THE movie of the season.

The Star Wars Holiday Special in his episode next week. It was previewed at the end of this week's "episode" -featuring the "next" top 11 Christmas specials/movies.

Video Link

 

[23skidoo]

Egads!

I'm still amazed this hasn't turned up on a DVD (officially) yet. Lucas proved he has a sense of humor about things by allowing both Robot Chicken and Family Guy to grill his movies, so why not show us the time he (or at least the studio) did it to himself?

(Actually I can probably guess the answer -- I'd be surprised if Harrison Ford would allow it to be released. Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher probably wouldn't care (and Hamill being a fanboy on par with Kevin Smith probably comes across bootlegs of it all the time at the conventions, so he probably wouldn't mind making a little coin).

Then again, Lucas will need some value-added bonus material when he eventually upgrades the OT for Blu-Ray so maybe he's just waiting so the world can bask in Bea Arthur in all her high-definition glory!

Alex

 

[Kibbin]

He's been hinting at this since the end of Jack Frost and I hope his review lives up to the hype.
Personally I've never seen the thing all I know is it's bad and there's some singing involved.

 

[Trekker4747]

He's been hinting at this since the end of Jack Frost and I hope his review lives up to the hype.
Personally I've never seen the thing all I know is it's bad and there's some singing involved.

You should really do yourself a... "favor", I guess. And watch it.

Infact, HERE. Enjoy.

(In case it's not obvious the opening crawl isn't part of it -it was added by the guy who uploaded it. The quality is bad because no high-quality copy exsists and this was from a taping of the only time it aired sometime in the late 70s/early 80s.)

I mean, tell me if mom cooking in the kitchen while grandpa sits in the livingroom watching porn isn't "Christmas" to you!

 

[AdmiralGarak]

That debacle should only be watched with the accompanying Rifftrax commentary.

The SW Holiday Special is not so bad it's good. It's just plain horrible. Endless scenes of Wookies grunting, occasionally broken up by lifeless musical numbers and half-hearted unfunny comedy routines.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

That debacle should only be watched with the accompanying Rifftrax commentary.

I've never seen it that way but I agree completely. The Special is much funnier in talking about the various elements after the fact than actually witnessing it firsthand. It's really plodding and tedious to watch.

 

[Trekker4747]

I just find it amazing that anyone would think that that special would be interesting for anyone to watch.

I mean that horrible circus/gymnast act?

The countless unfunny "sketches" featuring Harvey Korman?

A coked-out of her mind Carrie Fisher?

A post-accident overly makeuped Mark Hamil?

The first fricking twenty minutes being in nothing but Wookie? (Aside from the stupid cooking show video.)

I mean, seriously, were the drugs in 70s that poor of quality that a)the people who made this thought it would be good and that b)the people who made this thought the people who will watch it would enjoy it?!

Man! The only redeeming thing about this movie is, maybe, the Boba Fett cartoon.

 

[Gojirob]

No, No! It's a lost classic!

This is how it became lost :

Lucas : Hey, Holiday Special?

HS : Yes, George?

L : How would you like to go for a ride in the woods for a picnic?

HS : Oh, Yes I would, George! Surely I would!

(They Drive)

L : Here's a good spot--you get out and check it while I find a place to park...

HS : George? Where are you George?

( In Lucas car)

Bea Arthur : (hiding in back seat) What am I supposed to do know?

L : I talked to Mel Brooks and got you a cameo in his next film. I'll talk to NBC about some kind of sitcom vehicle...I'll make this right again, I promise.

( in the distance, a howl is heard )

HS : Geooooooooooooorrrrrggge!!!!

( At a mountain cabin in the distant hills, Shatner hears the howl)

Shatner : Wow---I like that. I mean, I could use that in something.

 

[Trekker4747]

I will say though that the toon makes no sense in the context of the SW universe.

Art Carney's character is likeable enough though.

 

[Gojirob]

It's almost a yin-yang thing; Carney was part of this horror, yet he also was the biggest part of 'Night Of The Meek'.

 

[Christopher]

I will say though that the toon makes no sense in the context of the SW universe.

In the context of what's been established in later decades, maybe (though I'm not sure what specifically you object to about it). But at the time, when the SW universe consisted of only one film, it was valid. And it is indeed the one redeeming feature of the Holiday Special.

 

[Trekker4747]

I will say though that the toon makes no sense in the context of the SW universe.

In the context of what's been established in later decades, maybe (though I'm not sure what specifically you object to about it). But at the time, when the SW universe consisted of only one film, it was valid. And it is indeed the one redeeming feature of the Holiday Special.

Well, what I object to about it is that in the program the cartoon is supposedly being watched by Lumpy, meaning that the cartoon "exsists" in the SW universe.

Meaning that in SW universe there not only exsists really mediocre animation but a cartoon series that features some random smuggler, a nobody from an obscure planet and a bounty hunter whose business likely depends on people not knowing he exsists. It seems unlikley that The Empire would allow such a thing to be produced or that the makers of such a thing would know so much about the rebelion.

And also, apparently, there exsists a planet with oceans of pizza sauce.

 

[Christopher]

^Okayyyy, that's putting way too much thought into the "reality" of the Holiday Special. I thought you were referring to the content of the cartoon as a standalone tale, independent of its presentation.

And I found the planet to be a rather imaginative environment, certainly more novel than the usual desert-planet and ice-planet and jungle-planet tropes. And although the character designs were poor, Nelvana's animation was actually relatively good for TV animation at the time, nicely fluid and dynamic in a time when stiff, limited animation was the norm.

 

[Trekker4747]

^Okayyyy, that's putting way too much thought into the "reality" of the Holiday Special.

Yeah, I know. Still, it something that doesn't make sense and sort-of stands out in any sense of "canon" this special has with the universe. It just seemed, I dunno, "odd" to me. I'm sure I've seen TV shows fromt he 70s with far better animation. As for the planet, Sci-Fi, Star Wars in paticular, has a habbit of making planets one-eco system. As you say "ice planet", "desert planet", "forest planet" we also have "volcano planet" and "ciity planet" in the mix as well. The planet just seemed odd, but I'll grant that it was unique.

The cartoon, though -aside from the oddity of it exsisting in the SW universe- is the highlight of the special and, overall, a pretty decent toon all things considered and accepting the odd character designs.

I might give you that the animation was under-par for the 70s, though the character designs were severly lacking, but it

Anyway, I've beewn wating for this TNC "episode" since I first read about a few weeks ago. This episode is going to be great and epic. I love watching this piece of shit get trashed.

 

[Awesome Possum]

"You might even say she made it by Hand... Solo."

[Awesome Possum punches wall.]


Can't wait to see NC do this review.

 

[Nardpuncher]

I just find it amazing that anyone would think that that special would be interesting for anyone to watch.

I mean that horrible circus/gymnast act?

The countless unfunny "sketches" featuring Harvey Korman?

A coked-out of her mind Carrie Fisher?

A post-accident overly makeuped Mark Hamil?

The first fricking twenty minutes being in nothing but Wookie? (Aside from the stupid cooking show video.)

I mean, seriously, were the drugs in 70s that poor of quality that a)the people who made this thought it would be good and that b)the people who made this thought the people who will watch it would enjoy it?!

Man! The only redeeming thing about this movie is, maybe, the Boba Fett cartoon.

I know what you mean, but I can understand that someone who's never seen it would like to....BUT they should also know that there's no way this thing will be any good.
I belive I had a friend a few years ago who'd never seen it and thought it would be awesome. I told him what I said above, that OK, we'll watch it (on an old VHS) but only if he admitted BEFORE watching it that it would suck!

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, I know. Still, it something that doesn't make sense and sort-of stands out in any sense of "canon" this special has with the universe. It just seemed, I dunno, "odd" to me.

I just disregard the special and treat the cartoon as its own independent story. In those terms, as far as I know, there's no reason it can't fit into the SW universe.

I'm sure I've seen TV shows fromt he 70s with far better animation.

Depends on what you mean by "better animation." Were they better drawn, more cleanly produced? Certainly. But animation means movement. TV animation from the '70s tended to be limited animation -- not much movement, a lot of reused motions, a fairly simple and uniform drawing style. Nelvana's work on the Boba Fett cartoon had none of that. It wasn't clean, but it was fluid and dynamic and expressive and unique. There was more life to it than was typical of the day, more energy and spirit. (And that's an even more on-the-nose definition of "animation." The word "animate" literally means "to imbue with a soul.") It was a rough beginning, to be sure -- Nelvana went on to do a lot more sophisticated work in later years -- but it was a step in the right direction.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

I, too, cannot wait to see the NC traumatized by this. I bet it'll be as good as the Batman & Robin review. I'm hoping for another "Bat credit card" moment myself.

 

[Yoda]

I'd rather watch the Star Wars Holiday Special in its entirety than listen to the "Nostalgia Critic" for 5 minutes. Seriously, if you like that dude then your sense of humor sucks.

 

[CaptainCanada]

I, too, cannot wait to see the NC traumatized by this. I bet it'll be as good as the Batman & Robin review. I'm hoping for another "Bat credit card" moment myself.

Linkara using that against him in his Superman IV review was awesome.

I've enjoyed the buildup to this all through the month.