Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.
Today, we review The Star Wars Holiday Special!
Genre: Torture
Directed by: Steve Binder
Staring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Bea Arthur, Art Carney, Diahann Carroll, Harvey Korman, Jefferson Starship
Released: November 17, 1978
THE GENERAL IDEA
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American television special set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was the first official Star Wars spin-off. The show was broadcast in its entirety only once, in the United States, on November 17, 1978 on CBS from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST).[1] In the storyline that ties the special together, Chewbacca and Han Solo visit Kashyyyk, Chewbacca’s home world, to celebrate Life Day. Along the way they are pursued by agents of the Galactic Empire, who are searching for members of the Rebel Alliance on the planet. The special introduces three members of Chewbacca’s family: his father Attichitcuk, his wife Mallatobuck, and his son Lumpawarrump.
THE GOOD
This is actually the first appearance of Boba Fett. That’s all I have.
THE BAD
First off, the complete span of time wasted on the “day in the life of” Chewbacca’s family is done completely without the benefit of dialogue and is completely boring. You actually welcome the interuptions that pass as “plot” of various guest stars, Luke makes a video call and his makeup has him looking like a girl, holodramas, dance scenes, the animated short (in which Boba Fett makes his first appearance) and a psychodellic Jefferson Starship performance.
After all these pointless distractions that prove more embarasing than the boring Wookiee daily grind, the gang is reuinted and takes part in the Life Day ceremony that ends with Carrie Fisher proving she can’t sing.
OVERALL
Lucas all but denies that this ever happened. He will admit Jarjar, but not this. I can honestly tell you it is utterly terrible. But for the same reason that people will watch Troll 2 or The Room, the very experience of watching this is a testament to Star Wars devotion.
I own a bootleg VHS copy of this purely because there is no other way to get your hands on it. I inflict it on as many people as possible, but since my VHS player died, souls have been spared.
Since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I had a Tv, Rent or Buy scale going on, but it would seem that an overwhelming majority of my picks get a BUY rating.
So with every Forgotten Friday you see from now on, you get to rate your anticipation for yourself!
TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.
