The space fantasy genre was turned on its ear and cleverly recharged by Lucas with his 1977 film Star Wars (by the way, the "A New Hope" addition to the title was tagged on a little later). I was already a big sci-fi and fantasy fan at the time, so I'd been following the pre-production news of Star Wars in Starlog Magazine prior to its world theatrical premiere. I was definitely in the loop and eager to see this epic.
Obi-Wan and Serpico... er, a young George Lucas
Today, with the brand new Star Wars movie The Force Awakens sending fans old and new into delirious ecstasy, it's hard to believe that Lucas's little "low-budget" flick from '77 had started this whole thing. Three sequels (including The Force Awakens) and three prequels later, we've gotten more mileage out of the franchise than we ever imagined. Oh, and let's not forget the TV specials and cartoons. And the multitude of spin-off books that die-hard fans know inside and out, basking daily in the extended Star Wars universe.
The Phantom Menace - a limited edition that nobody wants?
I don't think I qualify as a Star Wars fanatic any longer. Back in the 70's, yes, I owned a SW bedsheet set and blanket, a t-shirt, posters hot off the press, the board game, the original soundtrack on LP record (plus a few goofy spin-offs on vinyl), wall calendars, movie stills, and books and magazines both fiction and non-fiction... all based on that little "Episode IV" (which we read with curiosity in the opening crawl of the movie). I was a bit too old for the toys, so I never bought any.
Once Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi became part of the phenomenon, I settled down and simply enjoyed the movies on video rental. I did not collect anything more besides the music soundtracks and the odd poster. Into the 90's, I began buying the various versions of the films on home video, first on VHS and later on DVD. Other than that, just a few little trinkets are scattered around my home... like the R2-D2 and BB-8 miniatures on my computer desk, my Millennium Falcon bottle opener, my set of drinking glasses (the stormtrooper is my fave), an R2 Pez dispenser, a Rebel Alliance t-shirt, and so on.
My vintage 70's wall calendars... for scheduling my days
right down to the nearest "parsec" (as Han would say)
And I have old George to thank for all these decades of space fantasy entertainment. Most of us fans can admit that Lucas flubbed on those prequels, but there were still things to like about those movies. Jar Jar Binks did his Gungan best to ruin The Phantom Menace, as did the dull and flacid acting of young Anakin, but Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul sort of evened things out for me... as did a delightful young Queen Amidala and the always lovable droids.
At least after Disney bought the rights to Star Wars from Lucas, we felt a new hope. J.J. Abrams applied his directorial gifts to the new project, and knocked our collective socks off with The Force Awakens. This entry is a nice celebration of the old while introducing the new cast who would carry the torch (or in this case - lightsaber) into the future franchise films.
My cute BB-8 miniature scans for dust bunnies
I trust the Disney-controlled Star Wars movies will all measure up reasonably well. The Force Awakens set the bar a bit high, I think. Mind you, more creative ideas and stories can now appear in the series and standalones. The observation that TFA storyline follows very closely that of A New Hope is understandable, though not a major criticism from my point of view. The SW franchise needed to sort of win back old fans who felt let down by the prequels. The Force Awakens assured us that a strong, likable cast of actors was taking the reins and that the films ahead would carry on with the same vision and tone of the original trilogy. Well, we'll see, won't we?
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