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Star Wars (The Original Trilogy)
1977 - Star Wars.
1980 - The Empire Strikes Back.
1983 - Return Of The Jedi.
way more Helter Skelter.

May 25, 1977 - 2022: 45 years of: Star Wars.

The Big Bang ...of modern entertainment.

In dreadful 1977, no one from this galaxy could've foreseen the success and time-challenging power of Star Wars and it's eventual legacy, not even George Lucas himself. In the entertainment-business, there is a definite turning-point: pre-Star Wars and post-Star Wars.

In a galaxy far, far away ...beyond our collective imagination lies hints from The Thing From Another World, hints from Star Trek, hints of the hierarchical themes of Flash Gordon and hints of Space 1999. Behold the explosive battles of Star Wars, nine years after Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey's gigantic game-changer.

This is the full package: faith, passion, adventure, war, futuristic societies, totalitarian politics, religion, friendship and family. From great to greatest, this epoch became a larger than life space-opera, all penned by visionaire, writer and producer George Lucas.

From the Skywalker family, to the estranged Father, to the wise old Ben, to the captured Princess, to the cowboy-renegade Han, to the moon-like battle-station ...Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, is a stand alone act in this half-century long cinema frenzy. The Force is now at your fingertips. The inner-energy, the will of man, the love / hate duality is fully displayed in this out of this world chronicle. The power of good versus evil, the Force that make a person a sworn Jedi, shall be the war-cry call for the young Luke and the driving-plot for the entire upcoming franchise.

New cutting-edge special effects and camera-angles were used to trick the eye and to open the imagination wide. Laser machine-guns, light-speed vehicles, clever droids and invisible force-fields became the new hip tech-talk for millions of curious futuristic-fans. On the shelves, a plethora of toys and related-merchandise was now the standard for year-round gifts and mass-consumption America.

Teens and adults couldn't have been more dazzled. Theaters were filled to the brim, all summer long and beyond. Expectations were low, yet the public / critics reactions were orbit-high. No movie has since surpassed the initial shock, amazement and craze of Star Wars '77.

Humans would have to wait a full three year to witness the following chapter with 1980's global blockbuster: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.

RIP Peter Cushing AKA Grand Moff Tarkin (1913-1994)
RIP Alec Guinness AKA Obi-Wan Kenobi (1914-2000)

PS: Han shot ...and left.

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Star Wars = movie-trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-vsILeJ8_8
1977 in retrospect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSaLGHklyr0
Everything wrong with...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZDNawCEamA

May 21, 1980 - 2025: 45 years of: The Empire Strikes Back.

"That's it, the Rebels are there..." The multiple decade-long track-history proves that the initial Star Wars Trilogy: 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope, 1980's Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Episode VI: The Return Of The Jedi were way, way, way more than the average drive-in B-movie sci-fi. The biggest sequel from the biggest movie-trilogy of all time.

All the elements present on the first flick came back, stronger than ever on Episode V, where the evil Empire takes a bite out of the relentless Rebellion:
- Luke Skywalker amputated.
- Han Solo captured.

Once again, the grandiose John Williams soundtrack, takes a huge page out of Gustav Holst's iconic 1918 seven-movement orchestral suite: The Planets. Classical score, jazz infused and filled with epic dynamics, The Empire Strikes Back's melo-dramatic soundwaves matches the film's melo-dramatic flavors.

And this cosmic-saga couldn't be perfect, without it's perfect coup-de-théâtre. Nothing from the first movie could've prepared us for this now immortal cut-throat (or hand actually) scene from this science-fiction supernova.

The biggest blockbuster event of all-time:

From the silver-screens to the breakfast-cereal, the Star Wars brand created and perfected a full 360° commercial-juggernaut. Toys, action-figures, clothes, video-games, books, music, spin-offs and beyond ...the related merchandising quickly became a gazillion-dollar industry that forever changed not only Hollywood's modus-operandi ...but entertainment itself.

As a five year-old space super-fan, seeing this on the large-screen changed my life and shaped me for the upcoming glorious 80s bonanza, thanks Mom. The Empire did stroke back with the Disney acquisition. And with too numerous prequels, sequels and side-stories ...it's safe to say that the Star Wars franchise will be around for well pass another 45+ years.

In the meantime, the revenge / return would close the lid on this family-feud, as the final adventure would explode in 1983's The Return Of The Jedi.

"Set your course for the Hoth System !" RIP Carrie Fisher AKA Princess Leia (1956-2016)
RIP Kenny Baker AKA R2-D2 (1934-2016)
RIP Peter Mayhew AKA Chewbacca (1944-2019)
RIP James Earl Jones AKA the voice of Darth Vader (1931-2024)

*
The Empire Strikes Back = movie-trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNwNXF9Y6kY
The Empire Strikes Back = movie review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDlnOsWu27E
The Empire Strikes Back = documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeB-uXGGaEU
Gustav Holst's The Planets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSqb7gD5acY
The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLTTHTJzGGw&list=PLeigbpMXUkYm9yh32UAjGL-ozEVn0fQNi
The Imperial March
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8
The Imperial March = orchestral version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMvcCfs8mf8
The Imperial March = metal version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nohQReM7BpI
Everything wrong with...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_0yLbcV3U8

May 25, 1983 - 2023: 40 years of: Return Of The Jedi.

Welcome to Episode VI ...the final sting.

The logical ending, they had to do it, he had to return and save the night. Following the dire end of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, the search was on to rescue Han Solo, from the grips of Jabba's motley crew.

The passing of the torch and the endless knowledge, climaxes in Yoda's demise. Also completing his Jedi-training, the young Skywalker was now fully ready to face his imminent alter-ego ...his very own Father.

Another side of The Force was used in the introductions of the lovely Ewoks. These mini-furries rapidly became the Rebel Alliance's best asset on the tree-filled planet of Endor. A crystal-clear attempt to capture a Saturday-morning kids-friendly audience of the early 80s.

In conclusion, the Son survives the torture, the Father redeems himself and the evil Emperor burns as the Death Star is destroyed. Luke and Lea comes-out as brother and sister, which leaves room for Solo to play his game. The end of the saga, the final chapter of what would be referred as: the Original Star Wars Trilogy.

The very long and very astronomically lucrative following string of films would be hatched, starting with 1999's prequel: The Phantom Menace. Fans and critics would also have to wait until 2015, in order to receive the official sequel to Return Of The Jedi, the non-George Lucas written: The Force Awakens.

From a galaxy far, far away: Star Wars, the ultimate legacy in sci-fi entertainment.

RIP David Prowse AKA the body of Darth Vader (1935-2020)

*
Return Of The Jedi = movie-trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L8p7_SLzvU