Happy 30th Birthday, Empire Strikes Back Movie!
The source of almost every political cliche since Jimmy Carter was president, the original Star Wars movies are still, somehow, "pop culture" more than three decades later. Have you seen any children lately? They still play with Star Wars toys, and have Darth Vader Mexican Pinatas at their birthday parties. Anyway, 30 years ago today a pre-Internet America went to the movie theater to seeThe Empire Strikes Back, which was supposed to be a cheap-o sequel toStar Warsbut instead ended up being awesome, and giving America its first Buddha: a muppet operated and voiced by the guy who also did Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear.
Your editors had a conference call on CompuServe to discuss this important political event:
Jim N.
oh damn i had not saved my post, now it is up
Ken L.
that's a firing offense, at gawker
Ken L.
oh man it is three decades since empire strikes back came out. i went and saw that movie, it was about space monsters
Jim N.
did you know before seeing it that darth vader was luke's father?
Ken L.
no!
Ken L.
there was no internet
Ken L.
plus i saw it the day it opened
Jim N.
ha! that's amazing. i literally can't imagine being alive and not knowing that that was the case
Jim N.
it would be so crazy to hear "luke i am your father" and react, HOLY FUCKING SHIT, REALLY?
Jim N.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Ken L.
hahah i know!
Ken L.
people gasped, in the theatre
Jim N.
"FATHER? BUT THE MAN'S HALF-MACHINE!"
Jim N.
WHO DOES THIS TO HIS OWN CHILD?
Ken L.
yeah he was supposed to be a robot or something
Ken L.
the whole thing was crazy. snow horse-lizards?? walky robot monster things? YODA?
Ken L.
to this day, tell somebody that frank oz, the puppeteer/voice of miss piggy, is yoda and they'll go "wha?" it was a full-immersion movie, people *believed* it
Jim N.
haha. critics writing, "The whole 'Yoda' storyline seems forced, if not entirely inconsequential."
Jim N.
hahahaha
Ken L.
in a hundred years when 2/3 of the world is buddhist, some historian is gonna put it together
Jim N.
there is an actual yoda, lives in nashville
Ken L.
hahahah, retired.
Ken L.
on dialysis.
[ Wired News ]