The Star Wars Holiday Special: Difference between revisions
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The animated segment, which officially introduces bounty hunter Boba Fett — and thus served as a mini-preview for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' — was at least decent, and is likewise considered canon (it was animated by world-respected [[Nelvana]] Studios, who went on to handle the kiddie series ''Droids'' and ''Ewoks''). This fact alone has stayed the hand of many a would-be tape burner. The music is likewise OK, thanks to [[John Williams]]. The special is also notable for being one of the first efforts by young makeup artist [[Stan Winston]], who later skyrocketed to fame by creating ''[[The Terminator]]'' and the dinosaurs of ''[[Jurassic Park]]''.
For the most part, though, it's legendary for its badness. The entire vast, complicated ''Star Wars'' mythos is reduced to a typical 1970s variety hour — rock-bottom production values, groan-worthy "humor," and [[Society Marches On|then-hot celebrities]]. Besides everything else, it's pretty disturbing seeing Itchy going gaga over Carroll in what's clearly supposed to be a kiddie funfest.
And although not exactly related, the [http://www.platypuscomix.net/videos/lifedayads.html commercials] that aired during the special (and preserved on some bootlegs) are also [[Narm|absolutely hilarious in an unintentional way]].
If you care to, the best way to watch ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' is with several [[Hitchhikers Guide|Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters]] or your local planetary equivalent. If you would first like to have an idea of what you're getting into in relative comfort, I-Mockery.com has published a three-page synopsis with accompanying animated GIFs of scenes [http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/starwars-holiday/ here]. Watching it with the ''[[Riff Trax]]'' [http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/star-wars-holiday-special commentary] helps ease the pain as well, although it requires a certain video version found on the Internet... but for your own good, [[Schmuck Bait|stay away from]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20120507203715/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=323909610753051544&ei=t8hbS8rmIomelAfEnZiBBQ&q=star+wars+holiday
Finding copies of the special on a legal basis is downright impossible, as [[George Lucas]] will ensure it won't be released on DVD as long as he lives... however apparently looks the other way when it shows up on certain video sites. The special is regularly brought up during the month of December on [[Wrestlecrap]], reviewed by a fellow Troper [https://web.archive.org/web/20120224012238/http://madnessmonster.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/star-wars-holiday-review/ here.]
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** None other than Boba Fett himself, appearing in animated form two years before showing up in 'Empire'.
* [[Saloon Owner|Cantina Owner]]: Bea Arthur, in what is generally considered the only remotely redeeming live-action scene of the entire two-hour monstrosity.
* [[Christmas Special]]: Technically a Christmas special, though the word "Christmas" is not used in the title and the show focuses around a fictional holiday instead. For that record, it aired before American Thanksgiving.
* [[Laser-Guided Amnesia|Coke-Guided Amnesia]]: Carrie Fisher has gone on record several times saying that she has absolutely ''no'' memory of ever taking part in this special. Harrison Ford claims the same thing, although he [[Discontinuity|doesn't have a known substance-abuse problem as an excuse]].
* [[Colbert Bump]]: Various online personalities and reviewers have taken a look into it over the years (usually as part of a [[Christmas Episode]]), such as [[
* [[Creator Backlash]]: Even though [[George Lucas]] had no direct involvement with this special, he still hates it. Understandably.
* [[
* [[Cute but Cacophonic|Ugly And Cacophonic]]: Lumpy.
* [[Dastardly Whiplash]]: Luke is the only character who trusts Boba despite this. [[What an Idiot!]].
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* [[For the Evulz]]: While searching the house for Chewie, the Stormtroopers make sure to go out of their way to completely trash Lumpy's room for no reason other than to be dicks. Keep in mind that this was long before they were clones with no free will.
** Also, the only possible reason they close Bea Arthur's cantina.
** The executives when they mandated the script rewrite.
* [[Informed Ability]]: Darth Vader tells Boba Fett he's "the best bounty hunter in the galaxy," but he does nothing in the short, and if Luke hadn't been [[Too Dumb to Live]] he'd have noticed Boba's [[Dastardly Whiplash]] behavior.
* [[Its Pronounced Tropay]]: For some reason, the Imperial Guard calls Kashyyyk "Kazook". [[Riff Trax]] doesn't fail to notice this.
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* [[Overly Long Gag]]:
** "Stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir, whip, stir, whip..."
*** "BEAT!"
** Lumpy assembling a transmitter with the aid of an instructional video, which we see ''in its entirety''. The "joke" is that Korman, as a robot showing how to assemble the thing, gradually runs out of power and collapses at its conclusion. Doesn't help.
* [[Police State]]: Kashyyyk is ruled by The Empire as one, which is why every home has [[Nineteen Eighty-Four|a two way view screen]]. The Wookiees have learned to subvert the tech to their own needs, and have their own hidden screens.
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* [[Unintentional Period Piece]]: Let's just say this part of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' saga hasn't aged nearly as well as the films. Basically, if you ever doubted that ''[[Star Wars]]'' came out in [[The Seventies]]...this should prove it. Conclusively. It also helps that the recorded copies of the Special that have popped up online include the commercial breaks and even a news report [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ21QVLBsAo&nohtml5=False in all their 70s glory].
* [[Unusual Euphemism]]: The VR machine described by Art Carney as "Wow!" turns out to be a ''porn video''.
* [[Verbal Tic]]: In the animated segment, Boba Fett has the odd habit of ending most of his sentences with "friend."
* [[Video Phone]]: Chewbacca's family uses one of these hidden in some kind of dresser to contact the other characters associated with the Rebel Alliance--Luke and R2-D2, Leia and C-3PO, etc.--to ask about Chewie and Han Solo's whereabouts. In a separate instance, Chewie's wife, Mala, contacts Art Carney with a device that doubles as a television which Carney's character refers to as a "wall screen."
* [[What Could Have Been]]: The special was supposed to segue into ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', but unfortunately the only part of the special that got it right was the animated segment.
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[[Category:Christmas Special]]
[[Category:Nelvana]]
[[Category:The Star Wars Holiday Special]]▼
[[Category:Film]]
[[Category:Star Wars Expanded Universe]]
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[[Category:Films of the 1970s]]
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