Pretty good shape for VHS.
The Star Wars Holiday Special
- Thread starter indycar
- Start date
Pretty good shape for VHS.
Agreed. It was cool to see all of those toys in such good shape! I have ones that were in storage for 40 years that don't look that good.
There were two Ewok TV movies -- the second was Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. I think they were sort of in continuity with the Ewoks cartoon series, at least sharing some characters and worldbuilding in common. But they've been decanonized now.
The Ewok films are watchable and have some elements from them later used or retroactively used depending on how the authors or Storygroup goes about things in other Star Wars stories.
The Holiday Special? Is almost unwatchable, and still leaves a few things for later Star Wars to follow.
The Holiday Special? Is almost unwatchable, and still leaves a few things for later Star Wars to follow.
And the DVD of the Ewoks movies is out of print, and going for outrageous prices. If you have one, here's your chance to make $50.
Kor
Right, wasn't that the one that established that Wookiees have telepathic powers that can operate over interstellar distances?
I've repeatedly tried to watch the first Ewoks movie over the years and never gotten past the first few minutes, more out of boredom than actual badness.
I didn't see it when it originally aired, I didn't get a look at it until I was in college (late 90's or '01 at the latest) when I picked up a copy off eBay. There was a guy I used to buy stuff from on there all the time, he had the Holiday Special, all 4 seasons of Mr. Show recorded from an HBO marathon and a lot of bootleg concerts (Pearl Jam, Stones, Nirvana). He was the go-to guy for all kinds of bootleg tapes Needless to say the Holiday Special was the worst thing I bought from him and not just because it was a really poor quality copy. I didn't know that much about it at the time as I don't think it was quite as notorious yet, I knew it was going to pretty pretty bad and weird though but I figured it would be entertaining in altered states. I was never able to kill enough brain cells to turn that mess into an enjoyable experience though.
I did see one of the Ewok movies when it aired on TV. I want to say it was Caravan of Courage, the main thing I remember was the broadcast being hosted by R2 and 3PO. Like they were doing bumpers going into or coming out of out of commercial breaks. I think, I was only 4 or 5 at the time and it's possible I just dreamed that up as I can't find anything to support that with a Google search. I do remember hating the movie though. I remember the '84 network premiere of A New Hope quite clearly however, my family bought our first VCR the day of specifically for the occasion and I wore that tape out. I wish I still had it as there were some great 80's commercials and a little documentary hosted by Hamill that aired before and after the movie. At least the documentary can be found on YouTube these days.
I did see one of the Ewok movies when it aired on TV. I want to say it was Caravan of Courage, the main thing I remember was the broadcast being hosted by R2 and 3PO. Like they were doing bumpers going into or coming out of out of commercial breaks. I think, I was only 4 or 5 at the time and it's possible I just dreamed that up as I can't find anything to support that with a Google search. I do remember hating the movie though. I remember the '84 network premiere of A New Hope quite clearly however, my family bought our first VCR the day of specifically for the occasion and I wore that tape out. I wish I still had it as there were some great 80's commercials and a little documentary hosted by Hamill that aired before and after the movie. At least the documentary can be found on YouTube these days.
Maybe in some circles but its reputation wasn't really widespread like it is today. This was before YouTube and everything, where the only way I know of seeing it was to obtain a bootlegged VHS copy.
Or, you know, actually having seen it when it originally aired, like I did.
I realize that, I'm talking about later on the only way to obtain a copy was to get a bootlegged VHS.
I recall first learning about it in the 90s. It was sort of a weird fantastical holy grail item in my mind for many years. Finally, a friend of mine managed to acquire a poor bootlegged VHS of it and we watched it. It was just as bizarre and horrible as most here have stated. And yet, I couldn't get enough of it. Eventually I managed to get a DVD copy of it. It also has the Mark Hamill episode of The Muppet Show. The back of the DVD case has a quote from George Lucas: "If I had the time and a hammer, I'd track down every bootleg copy of it and smash it." Which suggests to me that George Lucas somehow doesn't own a hammer. Poor guy.
As much as I kind of weirdly love this turd, I still can't actually watch it all the way through. If I ever put it in, I have to skip around alot to make it be even a little watchable. The thing of it is that while these are all the the same actors, the dialogue and direction, and, I dunno, just the feel of it all is so very very wrong. You can tell most of the principles are just there filling their contract stipulations. And Carrie Fisher is as high as a kite.
It's worth trying to see once if you're a hardcore Star Wars fan. But it's true that you'll never be able to unsee it.
Regarding the Ewok movies, my uncle had them for his daughter on VHS way back in the late 80s/early 90's and I have fond childhood memories of them. And even as an adult, they are fun, if rather mediocre fantasy movies. I bought them on DVD when I saw them at the store several years ago.
I still like to think they have a place in the overall Star Wars canon, though I (being of the opinion that the destruction of Death Star II would have completely destroyed the surface of the Forest Moon) like to place the Ewok movies as very distant prequel films, where the Wicket that Cindal meets is perhaps a distant ancestor to the Wicket from ROTJ, given that in Jedi Wicket doesn't know how to speak English (er... Galactic Basic) and also in the Ewok movies, he doesn't seem to have ever seen Humans before. Two different guys is an easy solution.
Fun fact: the Ewok movies were made as a low-budget dry-run for Lucasfilm setting up to make Willow. They're interesting to watch even just from that film making history perspective.
--Alex
As much as I kind of weirdly love this turd, I still can't actually watch it all the way through. If I ever put it in, I have to skip around alot to make it be even a little watchable. The thing of it is that while these are all the the same actors, the dialogue and direction, and, I dunno, just the feel of it all is so very very wrong. You can tell most of the principles are just there filling their contract stipulations. And Carrie Fisher is as high as a kite.
It's worth trying to see once if you're a hardcore Star Wars fan. But it's true that you'll never be able to unsee it.
Regarding the Ewok movies, my uncle had them for his daughter on VHS way back in the late 80s/early 90's and I have fond childhood memories of them. And even as an adult, they are fun, if rather mediocre fantasy movies. I bought them on DVD when I saw them at the store several years ago.
I still like to think they have a place in the overall Star Wars canon, though I (being of the opinion that the destruction of Death Star II would have completely destroyed the surface of the Forest Moon) like to place the Ewok movies as very distant prequel films, where the Wicket that Cindal meets is perhaps a distant ancestor to the Wicket from ROTJ, given that in Jedi Wicket doesn't know how to speak English (er... Galactic Basic) and also in the Ewok movies, he doesn't seem to have ever seen Humans before. Two different guys is an easy solution.
Fun fact: the Ewok movies were made as a low-budget dry-run for Lucasfilm setting up to make Willow. They're interesting to watch even just from that film making history perspective.
--Alex
Yes, but the point is: it was notoriously bad from the very first viewing. It didn't gain this reputation in hind sight.
I never said it gained its reputation in hindsight.
Thanks for the answer.
I don't know why folks hate the holiday special so much. Yes some wonder about taste.
Then too-- a person who does crime scene clean up might watch the most innocent of cartoons and such. Everything has its place--even if others find it saccharine...
I can imagine a short story where the special was the only moving pictures left on the planet. Some might hate it less then.
That was not a universal opinion. I watched the special the night it originally aired, and thought it was just another in a long line of TV variety specials with a mixed bag of elements--so common at the time on American television. I thought it was interesting to see the actors with certain physical changes, appearing more like the second round of publicity / character shots used in licensing between ANH & ESB.
I did not have a fit over the comedy and musical acts, as it was--again--common of the era. Other SW fans I knew at the time LOVED it, as they could not get enough of anything SW--especially with THS actually shooting a new story with the "big three" of the film. Yes, some hated it, but the tale some tell of it being rejected for the start--in part--comes from later years SW fans (post ESB) who were ashamed that their "epic" film series had a variety show as part of its history.
