Pictorial review of the Holiday Special

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-12-31 10:38pm

Friend sent me this link, thought I'd share.

Wow, it's bad

Y'know, I actually saw the damn thing when I was a kid, but fortunately I was very young and the trauma blanked my memory.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2004-12-31 11:34pm

it...it can't be real...

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-01-01 12:12am

"I thank god that today I wore my corset, for I fear my sides have split"

Shark Bait · Post by **Shark Bait** » 2005-01-01 12:35am

What you people have never heard of the starwars holiday special? I've been looking for a copy for the past seven years.

why? because i'm a masochist damn it

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-01-01 12:39am

Shark Bait wrote:What you people have never heard of the starwars holiday special? I've been looking for a copy for the past seven years.

why? because i'm a masochist damn it

Heard of it hell, I saw it and had vague memories. (Carrie Fisher singing, most painfully.)

But I had mercifully forgotten most of it. Nevertheless, I thought this particular review might amuse the inmates of this particular asylum.

Edit- Speling corekted.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-01-01 01:39am

*sings to the tune of the Main Theme*
"Star Wars,
nothing but Star Wars,
those crazy little Star Wars,
are coming your way...

I, too, remember the Holiday Special, how embarrassed I was by it, and the abuse my family heaped upon me for making them watch it.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-01-01 01:41am

unbeataBULL wrote:it...it can't be real...

IT IS.

"You pay the price for your lack of vision..."

Hmm... maybe Palpatine saw it and hated it too?

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2005-01-01 01:46am

I`m surprised no one has tried making a DVD of it yet or even a VHS tape

Sharpshooter · Post by **Sharpshooter** » 2005-01-01 02:03am

Good God...

:lol:

I thought it was bad when I read the script - and I couldn't even get past the cooking bit. But throw in the summery and those images - I'm afraid to touch the extras - it has to be the most hidious thing I've ever read and seen. There's probably some demented, die-hard SW group out there that uses this as an initiation test of some kind for potential members - make it through without a grimace or a laugh, and you're in.

I have to woonder, though - does the laughter the film's sheer cheesiness and bad quality might induce outweigh the scarring it's likely to cause, or should one stay clear at the risk of permenant degredation of some kind?

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-01-01 02:06am

Sharpshooter wrote:Good God... :lol:

I thought it was bad when I read the script - and I couldn't even get past the cooking bit. But throw in the summery and those images - I'm afraid to touch the extras - it has to be the most hidious thing I've ever read and seen. There's probably some demented, die-hard SW group out there that uses this as an initiation test of some kind for potential members - make it through without a grimace or a laugh, and you're in.

I have to woonder, though - does the laughter the film's sheer cheesiness and bad quality might induce outweigh the scarring it's likely to cause, or should one stay clear at the risk of permenant degredation of some kind?

You'll have to ask Frank. The poor man obviously has a stronger mind than I do and has been forced to live with these memories for all these years.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-01-01 02:16am

Oh, and if I hadn't recently tweaked my sig to contentment, I would so sig this exchange...

Boba Fett: "Follow me, friend."

C3PO: "Don't you think it might be imprudent to trust him so quickly, sir?"

Luke: "He's our only chance...and besides, he seems like a friend."

President Sharky · Post by **President Sharky** » 2005-01-01 02:21am

NO! HE LIES!!!!!!!!

Such an atrocity must be part of some sort of conspiracy. There is no possible way for such a monstrous and deranged thing could have ever been aired.

THERE IS NO HOLIDAY SPECIAL!!!!

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-01-01 02:22am

Star Wars....what hast become of thee?

no seriously, how can it be THAT frickin bad? i could've come up with something better in 3rd grade! a senile old wookie fantasizing about some singing sensation? its wrong! WRONG!

Sharpshooter · Post by **Sharpshooter** » 2005-01-01 02:38am

unbeataBULL wrote:Star Wars....what hast become of thee?

no seriously, how can it be THAT frickin bad? i could've come up with something better in 3rd grade! a senile old wookie fantasizing about some singing sensation? its wrong! WRONG!

My guess is either a lot of drugs or a deeply-disgruntled set of employees under Lucas, or a combination of both.

Think about it: wookie porn, god-awful special effects and writing, the worst-possible example of American animation in regards to physical characters - it's something I'd expect of a liquor-induced, LSD-driven, coke-assissted drug trip by a crew who wish woe and misery upon their employer - who's also partaken in the abuse.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-01-01 02:44am

Sharpshooter wrote:I have to woonder, though - does the laughter the film's sheer cheesiness and bad quality might induce outweigh the scarring it's likely to cause, or should one stay clear at the risk of permenant degredation of some kind?

No. Run screaming from it as fast as you can.
In today's atmosphere of easily viewed-at-home films on VHS and DVD(yes kids, grandpa Hipper remembers the time before the VCR), it's impossible to understand how my 11 year old self longed desperately for more Star Wars, and what a scant few minutes more of footage meant to me. There was a quasi-weekly show called "That's Entertainment" on sunday nights, and they included a few seconds of the Trench Run with Vader's TIE Fighter and the Death Star blowing up during the end credits, I even watched THAT every chance I got to see more Star Wars...
However, I knew that the Holiday Special was a horrible mistake the first few minutes into it, my face literally burned in embarrassment.

And, as bad as it's made out to seem, it's actually worse.

Seriously.

It is honestly and truly ...god, how can I put this?
Ever see the Simpsons spin-off episode? The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour? Remember how you thought that surely, that's just Simpsons style satire?
Well, The Holiday Special is like that, except that it's real.

And on a trivial note, that Simpsons episode spoofed the REAL Brady Bunch Hour, another abominable act of terror from the 70's.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-01-01 11:23am

I would watch it again, but only because of the theory that it's better to face the demons from one's past.

Frank's right. In the pre-VCR days, we groveled for any scrap that we could get. I watched the toy commercials every chance I got. It was so incredibly awesome when HBO showed Star Wars in '82 or '83. I spent the night at my aunt's house just so I could watch it.

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2005-01-01 01:32pm

Shark Bait wrote:What you people have never heard of the starwars holiday special? I've been looking for a copy for the past seven years.

why? because i'm a masochist damn it

In fact, during an Australian convetion, he remarked, "If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every bootlegged copy of that program and smash it."

I'll be right there with you, George.

Me too. I actually watched this... well, only the cartoon bit. And even as a little kid, that was too stupid for me.

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2005-01-01 02:00pm

I'm not sure, I kind of glazed over it, but I think I did see it as DVD at Best Buy

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-01-01 02:42pm

Trytostaydead wrote:I'm not sure, I kind of glazed over it, but I think I did see it as DVD at Best Buy

....helll no.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2005-01-01 03:03pm

Holiday Special has been circulating in various P2P networks for quite some time now and that's how I obtained it, but I've never gathered enough courage to watch it. After reading that page, it seems like perfect hangover day material...

If I remember correctly, according to guys at starwars.com it's considered part of Star Wars EU.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2005-01-01 04:14pm

I think drugs were a large part of it. Carrie Fisher was seriously addicted at the time and the Jefferson Starship were all on dope, too. This was about the time Grace Slick made her infamous drunk/ stoned/ utterly fucking insane appearance in a German concert. Lucas apparently thought he and CBS could slap together some cut footage, cartoons and variety show bullshit and it couldn't possibly be any worse than when Imperial Stormtroopers tapdanced on the Donny & Marie Osmond Show.

No wonder Harrison Ford balked at doing a third movie.

Tribun · Post by **Tribun** » 2005-01-01 04:32pm

The Holiday Special is the worst ever done in the name of Star Wars.

The show also seemed to be made on short notice. Obviously Mark Hamill thought he wouldn't appear in the role of Luke until the start of shooting for TESB, therefore his haircut looks horrible (Thank God they fixed it for TESB). Btw, was that show short shortly before the motorcycle accident that smashed his face?
Carrie Fisher had drug problems at that time (but was clean when shooting of TESB started), and always seems to have distant look as if always a bit high.
The re-used footage of a deleted scene from ANH (Vader and Bast) is simply cheap and laughable.
The scenes with Chewie's family were the worst.....no comment.

Dispite the poor animation quality, the animated sequence was still the best in that sea of C-class footage.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-01-01 04:38pm

I am officially very disturbed now.

Gustav32Vasa · Post by **Gustav32Vasa** » 2005-01-01 04:41pm

Is it Canon

Freeman's Trigger-Finger · Post by **Freeman's Trigger-Finger** » 2005-01-01 06:46pm

Gustav32Vasa wrote:Is it Canon

Fuck no! Lucasfilm decide's what is and what isn't, and Lucas is embarrased beyond words at the heaping pile of crap that is the Holiday Special.

In fact, during an Australian convetion, he remarked, "If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every bootlegged copy of that program and smash it."

Trekkies love the Christmas Special though, they can bring it up as a last resort and piss all over us with it.