Teacher says every time someone votes for the Paley Center for Media to screen the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special in New York and Los Angeles between December 10 and 24, 2008, the cinetrix gets her wings.
Read the post ganked wholesale from Seven Deadly Seans, then vote early and often. Sí, podemos!
the paley center (neé the museum of tv and radio) is holding a vote for which of their many tv holiday specials they should screen next month.
there are some great classics on the list -- all the rankin & bass specials, crosby & sinatra, john denver & the muppets -- but there’s one that absolutely needs your support: the star wars holiday special.*
if you’re not familiar with this televised tragedy, it’s probably because george lucas has done everything in his power to keep this black sheep of the star wars family out of sight. it’s never rerun or never released on video, and george himself will bitch-slap you if you dare bring it up (i’m assuming).
imagine watching everything you cherished as a child crapped on by c-grade comedy shtick, bargain-basement production values and mild prescription drug abuse. then smother the original cast with scenery-chewing bea arthur, art carney and harvey korman in drag, plus musical numbers by diahann carroll and jefferson airplane and circus-y dance numbers that would make even donny and marie quit the business in shame.
and it’s two hours long. although, to be fair, it feels more like six.
the story, what there is of it, surrounds an effort by han and chewie to get back to the wookie home planet in time for ‘life day,’ which is kind of like wookie rosh hashanah.
three of the main character are chewie’s wife malla, son lumpy (yes, lumpy) and father itchy (i swear i’m not making this up). they’re wookies, of course, so they can’t speak. that’s right, three leads on a network television special are walking bearskin rugs reduced to pantomime and gargling.
the one bright spot is that the special gets credit for introducing boba fett to the world in a cartoon segment, years before his big screen debut in return of the jedi.
i’m guessing the paley center has a better quality print in its archives than the 3rd generation vhs copies uploaded to youtube.
the special is way behind in votes right now. but if it makes the top five, it’ll screen next month in both new york and los angeles. we all need to go see this -- possibly while drunk. so please, please, please vote now.
*Which I might own on VHS and DVD, were such a thing possible.
