The Empire Strikes Back celebrates its 30th Anniversary

[Dream]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy2oqtFE0XE[/yt]
They did a special ESB screening, the movie was shown in a theater, for charity which I thought was pretty cool. A few of the stars like Harrison Ford and Billy Dee showed up.

You might know that today marks the 30 anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK’s release. Gee… what more is there to be said about one of the highest-grossing blockbusters of all-time (even when adjusted for inflation)? I could write about it how it took the series in a darker direction, how it’s often regarded as one of the few sequels that surpasses the original, how rad Boba Fett was… but that’s all been covered. At length.

What fascinates me the most about ESB is what it represents in regard to the individual artist’s vision. A lot of people forget that George Lucas is an independent filmmaker (the most successful in the world, to be sure) and ESB was his first foray into independent production. He financed it through loans and his own earnings from A NEW HOPE - - which anybody in entertainment will tell you is an absurd risk to take. It paid off, of course, solidifying possibly the only blockbuster, multi-media empire that’s directed by an individual artist - - the original creator, no less.

http://www.comicvine.com/news/the-empire-strikes-back-celebrates-its-30th-anniversary/141208/

ESB has gotten better with age. Unfortunately, none of the later Star Wars movie could match it's quality, but at least we will always have this movie. I'm going to put in the dvd to celebrate.

 

[DBR]

Happy 30th!

My favourite movie of all time. I should watch it again this weekend.

 

[Aeon]

No arguments from here. It's a great film.

 

[EnsignRicky]

It was Ok, but after the four previous episodes, this one just didn't seem like it offered anything new.

And seriously, Anakin is Luke's father? Really? Didn't see that one coming.

 

[TheBrew]

You notice that Ford is listed as Billy Dee Williams?

 

[Broccoli]

It was Ok, but after the four previous episodes, this one just didn't seem like it offered anything new.

And seriously, Anakin is Luke's father? Really? Didn't see that one coming.

I know, right? And why the mystery of why Yoda is. We know who Yoda is. True, Luke doesn't, but it slows the movie down so unnecessary.

Also, how come Yoda didn't teach Luke some nifty lightsaber tricks? I mean, we saw him be all bad ass with the lightsaber in parts 2 and 3. You would think that would he useful to teach since he went off to fight Vader. Pfft...lazy writing.

 

[T'Baio]

Wow...it's finally happened. Harrison Ford looked genuinely old in that clip.

Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull aged him 20 years.

 

[Greg Cox]

Wow, thirty years ago I was camped out in front of the UA 150 in Seattle, along with a dozen or more members of our campus sf club, who had driven all the way down from Bellingham just to see EMPIRE. Afterwards, we all went out to Denny's to recuperate. A friend of mine stole a fork as a souvenir, which she returned three years later when we all reunited to see JEDI . . . .

Good times.

 

[Aeon]

Wow...it's finally happened. Harrison Ford looked genuinely old in that clip.

Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull aged him 20 years.

Hell, that movie can age anyone 20 years!

 

[Hermiod]

The Empire Strikes Back is my favourite movie of all time. I can't see 30 seconds of it without getting hooked and watching the whole movie over again. I have completely lost count of how many times I've seen it.

It doesn't fall in to the usual sequel trap, either. The Rebels made the Empire look like chumps in A New Hope. Empire reestablishes just how strong they are perfectly. That shot of the Rebel ground troops fleeing on foot while being chased by Imperial Walkers, swatting Snowspeeders away like flies, is worth a million words.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Happy Birthday Empire!

I wish people would friggin' realize that "light speed" in Star Wars does not have to be literal, as in 186,000 mps or whatever it is, because even at light speed, it would take a long time to travel across a galaxy. To the people in that universe, light speed simply means "hey the hyperdrive is working, and, man, look at the friggin' stars streak by." Star Wars is not about science. The ships, even those without a working hyperdrive, can travel between systems, as surely as a car can travel between towns. That's what they do. It's that simple. Having a working hyperdrive simply is the equivilent of flying from NYC to Orlando as opposed to driving there, so those people that constantly complain about the Millenium Falcon'strip from Hoth to Anoad to Bespin can go suck it!

 

[starwarsfan]

Happy 30 Anniversary Empire Strikes Back I love the character interaction between Harrison and Carrie, wish the prequels were like this brilliant film.

 

[JarodRussell]

It was Ok, but after the four previous episodes, this one just didn't seem like it offered anything new.

And seriously, Anakin is Luke's father? Really? Didn't see that one coming.

A youngling having watched Episode I - III first? You should have watched them in the proper order. Original Trilogy first.

Nobody should watch Enterprise before TOS either.

 

[Worf2DS9]

I celebrated the anniversary on the 21st by watching the movie. It's still pretty great, and that score by Williams is arguably his best of the Saga.

"Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is!"

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

It was Ok, but after the four previous episodes, this one just didn't seem like it offered anything new.

And seriously, Anakin is Luke's father? Really? Didn't see that one coming.

A youngling having watched Episode I - III first? You should have watched them in the proper order. Original Trilogy first.

Nobody should watch Enterprise before TOS either.

Proof that a sarcasm font is necessary.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Happy Birthday Empire!

I wish people would friggin' realize that "light speed" in Star Wars does not have to be literal, as in 186,000 mps or whatever it is, because even at light speed, it would take a long time to travel across a galaxy. To the people in that universe, light speed simply means "hey the hyperdrive is working, and, man, look at the friggin' stars streak by." Star Wars is not about science. The ships, even those without a working hyperdrive, can travel between systems, as surely as a car can travel between towns. That's what they do. It's that simple. Having a working hyperdrive simply is the equivilent of flying from NYC to Orlando as opposed to driving there, so those people that constantly complain about the Millenium Falcon'strip from Hoth to Anoad to Bespin can go suck it!

It's also the 30th anniversary of nerd nitpicks about ESB.

 

[Harvey]

You mean nerds waited until the movie came out to nitpick it?

What did you old people do without the internet back then?

 

[ProtoAvatar]

The Empire Strikes Back is my favourite movie of all time. I can't see 30 seconds of it without getting hooked and watching the whole movie over again. I have completely lost count of how many times I've seen it.

It doesn't fall in to the usual sequel trap, either. The Rebels made the Empire look like chumps in A New Hope. Empire reestablishes just how strong they are perfectly. That shot of the Rebel ground troops fleeing on foot while being chased by Imperial Walkers, swatting Snowspeeders away like flies, is worth a million words.

Dom't worry. In the next movie, the empire will be beaten by teddy bears.

Happy Birthday Empire!

I wish people would friggin' realize that "light speed" in Star Wars does not have to be literal, as in 186,000 mps or whatever it is, because even at light speed, it would take a long time to travel across a galaxy. To the people in that universe, light speed simply means "hey the hyperdrive is working, and, man, look at the friggin' stars streak by." Star Wars is not about science. The ships, even those without a working hyperdrive, can travel between systems, as surely as a car can travel between towns. That's what they do. It's that simple. Having a working hyperdrive simply is the equivilent of flying from NYC to Orlando as opposed to driving there, so those people that constantly complain about the Millenium Falcon'strip from Hoth to Anoad to Bespin can go suck it!

You're quite passionate about this, aren't you?
Despite the fact that your argument is, essentially: 'it's non-sense, but I don't care and you don't have the right to point out just how silly it is (because I say so)'.

 

[Hermiod]

Dom't worry. In the next movie, the empire will be beaten by teddy bears.

Well, if you assume that the hundreds of Imperial Star Destroyers surrounding the Death Star were destroyed when it blew up, sure.

And that the keys for the Empire's tens of thousands of other Star Destroyers were in the Emperor's pocket and they didn't have any spares.

 

[ProtoAvatar]

Dom't worry. In the next movie, the empire will be beaten by teddy bears.

Well, if you assume that the hundreds of Imperial Star Destroyers surrounding the Death Star were destroyed when it blew up, sure.

And that the keys for the Empire's tens of thousands of other Star Destroyers were in the Emperor's pocket and they didn't have any spares.

Lucas assumed this exact thing - remember the celebratory fireworks taking place on many worlds after the teddy bears defeated the 'elite' imperial troops, enabling the rebels to blow up the death star?