A Long Time Ago

[filkertom]

Thirty years ago today, a small film called Star Wars changed everything.

Literally. It changed the way movies were created. It changed the kinds of movies that were created. It damn sure changed the way movies were marketed. It allowed the viability of the return of Star Trek, and between that and this it got the language of SF into the mainstream.

I lost a job, lying about being sick so I could go see Star Wars again.

We rag on George Lucas now, I think because he has lost the power of his own vision. He sees ways to make his primal story, his very basic myth, "better". You can't improve a myth. He got it right the first time... and has been fudging with it ever since. Nope nope nope. There's a great scene near the beginning of Reign of Fire, where two of the adults are entertaining a bunch of kids by putting on a somewhat dimly remembered version of the first battle between Luke and Darth ("I AM your father!" "NOOOOO!").

So, even though I'm not happy with the Special Edition and the repackaging and the attempt to drain every last dollar out of the fan base he created, even though I think the Prequel Trilogy bites, I thank George Lucas for his myth. 'Cause it changed my life, and I'm pretty sure it changed yours.

So... what's your favorite line from the series? Mine, no question, is just before that huge first fight (in The Empire Strikes Back), when Darth says from the shadows, "The Force is with you, young Skywalker... but you are not a Jedi yet."

Comments

[allandaros.livejournal.com]

So many to choose from...

"Impressive."
*BACKFLIP NINJA JEDI STUFF*
"...Most impressive."

"Over my dead body!"
"That's the idea. I've been waiting for this for a looong time."

"I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

[devospice.livejournal.com]

No sure from the movies, but I saw a spoof trailer for Episode III that had what has got to me my all time favorite Yoda fake quote.

"Warn you, I did. Listen, you did not. Now, screwed we all are."

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Favorite canonical movie line:
I've got a bad feeling about this.

Favorite radio play line:
Even the universe is curved, Captain Solo. If you run far enough and fast enough, eventually, you end up right back where uyou started.

I said, when Clones came out, that we'd all go see it. Because although George Lucas is the trailer trash boyfriend who beats us, we keep going back anyway. He only does it because he loves us.

(as for how big a geek I am? I drive a semi for Falcon Transport and have had more than one friend comment "what a hunk of junk" on my truck, and offer to make me life-size wookiee plushie.)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

That line actually did a lot to help propel the vibe of the movie. One of the things critics remarked upon at the time as an example of the quality and craftsmanship of the movie was that the universe was lived-in. It wasn't all gleaming spaceships and macho robots and all that. We get our first glimpse of the Falcon, and before anyone in the audience had even a moment to inhale to say Coooool Luke is bad-mouthing the ship like it's his older brother's barely-held-together-with-duct-tape Eldorado with "LOVE MACHINE" painted on the side. It's a great, great moment.

And I can think of a lot of people, myself included, who would buy a life-size Wookiee plush. Fill him with that koosh stuff they use in travel pillows, and make him a full-body pillow, and you could probably clean up on the love-toy sites.

And I think I just got a little deeper into Furry fandom than I intended. ;)

Favorite line -by- far.

[andamaroo.livejournal.com]

"They didn't even ask me any questions."

[random314.livejournal.com]

"The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am."

"When 900 years old YOU reach, look as good you will not, Hmmm?"

And, despite what time and our culture has made of it: "That's no moon...it's a space station."

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Oh, I actually think that line is incredible... based pretty much on Sir Alec's delivery. The dawning horror in his voice as the implications sink in... brrr.

Mostly the humor

[nezmaster.livejournal.com]

"aren't you a little short to be stormtrooper?"

"some rescue"

And you know, the one line that is so overused, so tremendously powerful, that we barely consider the power and origninatliy that pushed it into it's own fame.

May the Force Be With You.

Re: Mostly the humor

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Roger that. And we all tried to have The Force, we really did.

[que-sara-sara.livejournal.com]

My favourite memory isn't a line, it was one of those annoyingly busy Christmas days in Suncoast where we were running the THX edition because we could and as I'm standing at the register the next woman to walk up looks at me and says, "I'm not the only one who knows the words to the theme song!!!"

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

So... what's your favorite line from the series?

Oh, you have got to be kidding me. At the top of my personal Quotable Movies list, above The Princess Bride, above every Mel Brooks and Marx Brothers movie, above Kevin Smith, above Monty Python, are the three movies of the Original Trilogy.

And I have to choose one line? Or even two or three?

Impossible.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Well, then, pick one you quote a lot. Or two or three. :)

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

"I don't believe it!"

"That is why you fail."

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Resonates with me in an opposites kind of way.

People have often told me that I'm irritatingly able to hold off reality by refusing to believe in it.

If that's the case, I wanna know how much unbelief in gravity it takes to get awesome flight powers.

[sdelmonte]

"Wars not make one great."

"Do or not do. There is no try."

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"...From a certain point of view."

And..."I've got a bad feeling about this."

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

"From a certain point of view" is Jedi-speak for "I'm lying through my teeth here."

[sazettel.livejournal.com]

For all the wonderful quotable lines in the 1st 3 movies, IMHO nothing can beat the sheer beauty of one robot saying to another "Don't get technical with me!"

Then of course there's, "I find your lack of faith...disturbing."

[nimitzbrood.livejournal.com]

Very cliche' but for me it's the training exchange between Luke and Obi-wan:

Luke: "You know, I did feel something. I could almost see the remote."
Obi-Wan: "That's good. You have taken your first step into a larger world."

That and Yoda's comment about beingness in ROTJ:

Yoda: Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.

[razorjak.livejournal.com]

" Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. " --- I take guilty pleasure in using that line on students.

" Laugh it up, fuzzball. " --- I still use that on one of my old bouncers. He was taller than me and his hair was long and the same shade as Chewie's. So yes, he was the Bar Wookie.

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

We rag on George Lucas now, I think because he has lost the power of his own vision.

If somebody made crappy prequels to stories that were crappy to begin with, who would care?

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Got that. The prequels hurt so badly because we love the Original Trilogy so much.

[susan-the-rogue.livejournal.com]

One of my favorites isn't from the movies, but I find the Jedi Code to be an extremely effective mantra.

There is no emotion, there is peace
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge
There is no passion, there is serenity
There is no death, there is the Force

It helps me maintain my sanity when my cousins are driving me completely batshit crazy. ^_^

[momentrabbit.livejournal.com]

The line that summed up my relationship with technology - then, now, and for the rest of my life:

"Don't worry, she'll hold together. (sotto voce)You hear me, baby? Hold together!!!"

[darthparadox.livejournal.com]

Yeah. That line actually reminds me more of Firefly than anything else, and the closing dialogue in Serenity... I have to imagine there was some influence there.

[hms42]

Does this mean we will get a Star Wars themed iTom song this week? :)

No specific favorite quote that hasn't been said already by others...

Time to go back to work and play "Grand Moff Tarken's Crew" by LA filkharmonics....

Harold

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I'm idly considering it. The overarching theme is myth and legend....

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

My favorite quote from Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope (the actual title): Leia elbowing past Chewbacca saying, "Will someone please get this walking carpet out of my way?"

"You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll kiss three bucks goodbye!" -- from the narration of Hardware Wars, a filmed SW-IV parody

[inamac.livejournal.com]

That 'walking carpet' line is my favourite too.

And I tend to riff on "These are not the droids you are looking for," a lot (Though not as frequently as my cats who have a "This is not the supper we were looking for" expression whenever fed supermarket kibble rather than fresh tuna...)

[partiallyclips.livejournal.com]

"Sand people startle easily"

I've sometimes pictured Ben Kenobi sneaking around the desert with a blown-up paper bag.

"...but they will be back, and in greater numbers."

Everything I needed to know about foreign policy, I learned from watching Star Wars.

[razorjak.livejournal.com]

Ohhh so metaquoted.

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

Oh wow...this is nigh on impossible, seeing as how Han Solo is perhaps the most quotable character of all time. But let's see...besides all the ones mentioned above...

From Phantom: "You were right about one thing, Master. The negotiations were short." (Obi-Wan's cheeky smirk just makes that line)

From Clones: "Begun this clone war has." (this sent a chill right up my spine)

From Revenge: "This is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause."

From Hope: "Wonderful girl. Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her!"

From Empire: "Then I'll see you in hell!" (Han charging out into the Hoth storm)

From Jedi: "It's a traaaap!" (loooove overwrought delivery)

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

Well, obviously, "May The Force Be With You"

But for me, its gotta be a Han line...

"Never Tell Me The Odds"

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

"I don't know, I can imagine a lot."

"Open the blast doors! Open the blast doors!"

Musically, the cantina theme.

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

The lines I quote the most?

These aren't the droids you're looking for and Excitement, adventure; a Jedi craves not these things.

Too bad I'm banned for life from seeing Return of the Jedi with anyone else, since I can't stop myself from singing The Teddy Bears' Picnic.

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

laurel_potter did put new words to that Teddy Bears' Picnic, The BabelCon Songbook, which she edited, circa late 1980's, page 14. BabelCon was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

-Ryan

[bryanp.livejournal.com]

Who's scruffy looking!?

Gets me every time.

[sarekofvulcan.livejournal.com]

It took me way too long to make the Buffy connection to that line. :-) I think I had to re-watch Empire before it bonked me on the head...

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

This icon is pretty much my favorite line ever.

Even if it wasn't actually in the original.

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

Though Han's "I love you," and Leia's "I know," also really did it for me, entirely because of the context.