The Star Wars Holiday Special

Possibly one of the most awkward and painful things I have ever watched. George Lucas has expressed a desire to destroy every copy of it, and it is understandable. It stands in garish contrast to the Star Wars movies as possibly one of the dumbest and cheesiest items ever put to film. And yet...I loved it. The accomplishment of saying I watched it, combined with the knowledge that even great artists can make terrible art, is rather entertaining. The Holiday Special successfully alienates all viewers in its attempt to appeal to older viewers used to variety shows and younger viewers used to action and science fiction, and in that alienation, there is unity. Somehow, 15 minutes into a scene in wookie with no subtitles, you look at your fellow watchers and feel a certain kinship. The Holiday Special is for true fans only, not because it is good, but because it is so, so bad.

In '78 as a 9 y.o. and completely all-in on Star Wars fever, I had no notion of what bad was....it was Star Wars on TV! As an adult it really is hard to watch, but lets face it if you're even just a avg fan...it is still a must watch. Just keep a finger on the chapter/scene skip button!