Star Wars 30th Anniversary

Well I have been told that I have to write about the upcoming Star Wars 30 year anniversary. Succumbing to peer pressure isn’t my usual style, but in this case I’ll make an exception. Its Star Wars after all, If you can’t make an exception for star wars, what can you make an exception for.

I was 4 years old when the original Star Wars came out. A little too young to remember much about the phenomenon. What I do remember was the toys. Those cool action figures that I got in my xmas stocking rocked. I am pretty sure I didn’t know what they were for, but I do remember that I battled my Princess Leia against my evil brothers Darth Vader. Years later, still playing with those same figures, they met a tragic end when the forces of good and evil got trapped in the microwave of doom ,and the were radiated to a large stinking pile of burning plastic. The Horror…. The Grounding….The Stench of burning plastic.

I am old enough to remember the next movie “the empire strikes back “ (my person favorite of the hexology…hexolgy? Is that even a word”) when it came out in theatres. The fight sequence with the x-wing and the Imperial walkers on the snow world of Hoth was just about the coolest thing I had seen in a movie. I had a big old crush on Han Solo by this time and remember being very upset that Leia and Han Kissed.(back off sister he’s mine….which is kinda creepy cause I was only 7 years old) That and Bobba Fett just rocked.

Which brings me to the next of the series “return of the Jedi”. Hated it! Why? One word. EWOKS. I was by this time a cynical 13 year old, that saw through the adorable cuddly characters and saw the vile attempt at marketing cute plush toys to children. Gone was the cool space operetta, and in place was a bunch of non treatening teddy bears that danced and sang. Sure there was cool moments to the film, like the hover bike chase through the forests of Endore, but as soon as those stupid midget furballs appeared, the franchise was tarnished in my eyes.

Which leads me to the new movies.

I was prepared to give them a chance, but as soon as Jar Jar Binks made his first appearance, I was done with the whole works.

For me there are only Two Star Wars Films. A New Hope, and Empire Strikes Back will always be fond memories from my childhood.

On Friday May 25th 2007 BIFF will be hosting an evening of Star Wars celebration. If your interested and don’t mind heading over to North Vancouver, stop in and meet the mass of sci-fi geeks.