Long ago, in a galaxy far away...
Tuesday, May 17th, 2005 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caddymanThere’s something of a cultural imperative about the Star Wars movies. It’s almost a law that people have to go and watch them when they are released.
Back in 1977 when the first one came out, it was definitely something of an event. I was at college and I was blown away by it. Didn’t see the other two at the movies, mind, until the mid or late ‘80s when the Prince Charles in Leicester Square screened the (then) trilogy in a single sitting. Of course, by then I wasn’t 18 any more, and the sophisticated brane of a man in his mid 20s was already picking holes in them. Nonetheless, they were enjoyable. Hell, even Mum, approaching her 77th birthday loves the original trilogy. She’ll watch them at the drop of a hat; not even her beloved 007 can make her do that.
Sadly, the high water mark with Star Wars was reached twenty years ago. Since then it has receded like the Dead Sea, and despite the odd downpour* of interest, is now almost Gobi-dry, and becoming more arid as I type.** We are now in one of those momentary downpours, where the very act of releasing a movie gives fandom temporary amnesia, as they forget the overwhelming evidence of the past few years that George Lucas cannot write dialogue, cannot plot a movie, and can only coax plank impressions from otherwise talented actors.
Back to the start we are. Wasted our time we did.
*This section has been put forward for this year’s Violet Awards which recognise and tag (though not necessarily approve of,) pointlessly purple prose.
**Unlike this prose which is developing a life of its own. HELP ME!
Back in 1977 when the first one came out, it was definitely something of an event. I was at college and I was blown away by it. Didn’t see the other two at the movies, mind, until the mid or late ‘80s when the Prince Charles in Leicester Square screened the (then) trilogy in a single sitting. Of course, by then I wasn’t 18 any more, and the sophisticated brane of a man in his mid 20s was already picking holes in them. Nonetheless, they were enjoyable. Hell, even Mum, approaching her 77th birthday loves the original trilogy. She’ll watch them at the drop of a hat; not even her beloved 007 can make her do that.
Sadly, the high water mark with Star Wars was reached twenty years ago. Since then it has receded like the Dead Sea, and despite the odd downpour* of interest, is now almost Gobi-dry, and becoming more arid as I type.** We are now in one of those momentary downpours, where the very act of releasing a movie gives fandom temporary amnesia, as they forget the overwhelming evidence of the past few years that George Lucas cannot write dialogue, cannot plot a movie, and can only coax plank impressions from otherwise talented actors.
Back to the start we are. Wasted our time we did.
*This section has been put forward for this year’s Violet Awards which recognise and tag (though not necessarily approve of,) pointlessly purple prose.
**Unlike this prose which is developing a life of its own. HELP ME!
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-17 10:12 am (UTC)Meesa laff so much.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-17 10:50 am (UTC)I watched A New Hope last night, just to get some enthusiasm up. I don't know why I torture myself like this. I'm so sick of films with stinky dialogue. Oh well, it can't be as all round stinky as LXG.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-17 11:33 am (UTC)I'll wait for it to come round on terrestrial some time (which I'm still doing for Blancmange of the Phones)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-17 11:44 am (UTC)What's especially odd about this is that many individuals who go on about how terrible the recent SW films are ironically fans of some far greater crimes against celluloid (a large proportion of people I know fit into this category)
I will watch it, it will be fun, I will get wooshy noises, I will get light sabers and I will get to hiss in a pantomime style at the Emperor, I require nothing more.