The Star Wars Holiday Special

[Trekker4747]

It's that time of year for us to all sit back and remember the one thing in all the shit-fuck of stuff George Lucas has done that he'd like to forget. The Star Wars Holiday Special.

If you've not seen this there's a great place to look for it out there on Voogle Gideo or something like that. (I'd also recommend the Rifftrax for it.)

Anyway, good time of year to dust it off, watch it or just wail and bash on it like always.

Cracked

Nostalgia Critic

Print Review

Anoher Print Recap

And there's many others out there.

So enjoy and discuss.

 

[PsychoPere]

It's that time of year for us to all sit back and remember the one thing in all the shit-fuck of stuff George Lucas has done that he'd like to forget. The Star Wars Holiday Special.

Lucas wasn't involved.

 

[Trekker4747]

It's that time of year for us to all sit back and remember the one thing in all the shit-fuck of stuff George Lucas has done that he'd like to forget. The Star Wars Holiday Special.

Lucas wasn't involved.

He's uncredited as one of the story writers, further more Star Wars is his property and he gave permission for it to be made and to be aired. He's involved enough.

 

[PsychoPere]

Licensing out the property without direct involvement is not nearly the same as you presented in your opening post with "[...] stuff George Lucas has done [...]." It was, of course, my mistake in assuming that you would care about facts.

 

[theenglish]

I haven't seen this once since it first aired; it still gives me nightmares.

 

[Christopher]

It was, of course, my mistake in assuming that you would care about facts.

Now, now. Let's all unite in the spirit of collectively making fun of The Star Wars Holiday Special. That is, after all, the true meaning of Life Day.

 

[coolghoul]

I don't know if anybody reads the daily comic strip - Sally Forth but Sally's husband has an annual Christmas tradition of watching the Star Wars special.

(Please scroll down at this page to see one of the strips. And another couple of strips can be found at this page )

I find it quite endearing and cute.

The SWHS tho - not so much. Yeah...

 

[Skywalker]

My holiday avatar pays tribute to this American classic (). Even cartoon Han could tell he was starring in a piece of crap.

 

[Trekker4747]

My holiday avatar pays tribute to this American classic (). Even cartoon Han could tell he was starring in a piece of crap.

While also looking like a piece of crap. I wonder if the animators were high on acid or other hallucinogenics (actually it's possible everyone involved with this special were on drugs) considering the rather.... odd character designs in the cartoon.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

If only this had been the target of revisions and special editions. I've watched it a couple of times because it sounds so funny when you read about it that I forget it's mostly unwatchable.

 

[Trekker4747]

Mostly unwatchable? The movie is completely unwatchable and, yes, I'm including the cartoon that features Boba Fett because the cartoon looks like shit and because Boba Fett is the most over-rated character in the history of fiction.

 

[Christopher]

I think the cartoon is by far the best part of the special. By the standards of the day, considering the technology and budget available, it doesn't look all that bad. Yes, it has a certain crudeness, but there's an interesting design sensibility to it and some good use of movement. Keep in mind that this is from an era when most TV animation was in the limited style used by Hanna-Barbera and Filmation, where characters were mostly static and stock poses were often recycled, and where the character design styles tended to be rather standardized. Nelvana's work on the SWHS cartoon broke all those conventions, putting it ahead of its time. Maybe the execution was fairly primitive as a result, but that's often the case with innovative things.

And disliking the cartoon because of Boba Fett's popularity is kind of getting it backward. Remember, this was the first time Boba Fett ever appeared, so it's not like they were just following a fad. If anything, Fett's later popularity probably had a lot to do with people's recollection of him from this cartoon.

 

[Set Harth]

If anything, Fett's later popularity probably had a lot to do with people's recollection of him from this cartoon.

Or the hype surrounding the pre-TESB release of his action figure, the original version of which could actually shoot your eye out.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I've never watched or had any desire to see "The Star Wars Holiday Special". Maybe I should one of these days...

 

[RandyS]

I've never watched or had any desire to see "The Star Wars Holiday Special". Maybe I should one of these days...

You should. Everybody should watch it at least once.

If nothing else, it'll give you a new appreciation for the Prequel Trilogy.

 

[Christopher]

Everybody should watch it at least once.

I watched it when it first aired, so I guess I'm covered. And I was 10 years old at the time and had no taste, so I was insulated against the awfulness.

And for what it's worth, the cartoon was the only part of it I retained any lasting memory of. Everything else I know about it, I've been reminded of in recent years reading online recaps and discussions of it.

 

[ToddKent]

Star Wars Holiday Special: Special Edition

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMmaO6MzK4E[/yt]

 

[RandyS]

Everybody should watch it at least once.

I watched it when it first aired, so I guess I'm covered. And I was 10 years old at the time and had no taste, so I was insulated against the awfulness.

And for what it's worth, the cartoon was the only part of it I retained any lasting memory of. Everything else I know about it, I've been reminded of in recent years reading online recaps and discussions of it.

I watched it when it first aired too and did not retain any memory of it whatsoever (beyond the fact of it's existence) until a friend shared his VHS copy with me in 1995. I was 25 then and had no taste either. Still don't, apparently. I think Ron Moore's BSG remake is the worst thing that ever happened to science fiction, and yet, the general consensus is that I'm crazy. The truth is, I'd rather watch the Holiday Special, than see that show again.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Star Wars Holiday Special: Special Edition

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMmaO6MzK4E[/yt]

That's quite entertaining.

My favorite was the hot chocolate scene, nice subversion, I kept waiting for something to happen.