By The Way...

Friday, May 25, 2007
11:40:00 AM EDT
Hearing Lake Ponchartrain -- Andi Hoffman and B-Goes
Today is the 30th anniversary of the release of Star Wars -- you know, that movie, with the lightsabers, and the X-Wings, and the Death Star and all that -- and many geeks are celebrating the occasion. Reporter Omar Gallaga of the Austin American-Statesman newspaper is thinking about Star Wars -- and indeed the whole series of films -- and how they've impacted his generation, when he asks: 30 years later, why is The Force is still with me?

As an ego-filled head's up, I'll note that a couple of quotes in the article are from me; Gallaga found an essay I wrote about Star Wars last October, in which I pretty much unloaded on George Lucas with both barrels. However, Gallaga is more tender with Lucas overall than I was. Most people are. Anyway, as much as Lucas annoys me, I still like the original trilogy too. What can I say.

Tell me: Are you a big Star Wars geek?


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This entry has 4 comments: (Add your own)

• #4 Comment from mavarin 
  5/26/07 6:27 PM | Permalink

  I still respect the oiginal trilogy for its iconic qualities, all those memorable characters and themes and objects and lines of dialogue. But I can't actually sit through it any more.  Well, I suppose I could if I tried, but it doesn't seem worth doing more often than once a decade or so, and I'm not yet due for a topoff. And frankly, Anakin's backstory ruins the whole thing for me. - Karen
• #3 Comment from monponsett 
  5/25/07 5:00 PM | Permalink

  Mr Spock has a summer place near me.
• #2 Comment from dpoem 
  5/25/07 12:35 PM | Permalink

  I liked Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.  After that, though, the series just seems to have gone to hell in a handbasket.  I mean, Ewoks?!?  WTF?  Yes.  The Muppet Show was cute, but give me a break.  
  
  Nonetheless, if the force is still with anyone after 30 years of Lucas' steady theatrical decline and disappointments, I feel sorry for the poor sods.  If they need some sort of recovery or rehabilitation, perhaps someone should force them to watch 30 hours of Jar-Jar Binks' nonsesical, gibbering pap.  I mean, ten seconds after Jar-Jar came on screen, I was ready to start eating my own face.  
  
  Then again, in the time it took me to write this, I figure George Lucas just had another turd plated in gold.  
  
  -Dan
  http://journals.aol.com/dpoem/TheWisdomofaDistractedMind/  
• #1 Comment from anaedream 
  5/25/07 11:54 AM | Permalink

  Was I the only one who dressed up as Queen Amidala opening night of the Phantom Menace only to rip off my costume at home and note the only good thing about the movie was the dual bladed lightsaber with which Darth Maul was fighting?
  
  For all you Star Wars fans out there though, I am pretty sure the History Channel is doing a big special on it.
  
  http://www.history.com/minisites/starwarslegacy/
  
  There you go.