Let's face it, Star Wars in the beginning when the film came out, was all about Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo.
     Now people are into Stormtroopers and the Dark Side, because it is cool.

     Anyway, it is interesting that Leia has her hand on Han in this picture.  In real life, Carrie Fisher was way more attracted to Harrison Ford than Mark Hamill.

     Leia shouldn't have her hand on Han Solo's shooting arm, because what if a Stormtrooper suddenly showed up?  It might mess up his shot.
     Not that they had to worry too much anyhow.  Trained Stormtroopers on The Death Star couldn't hit one of these three with a laser shot, which is amazing.
     The Stormtroopers had a 0% hit rate, which is an epic fail.

     Anyway, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford were elevated to the status of international fame when Star Wars came out.
     Mark Hamill thought he was going to be a big star.  He did 'Corvette Summer' which I saw in the theater because Mark was in it.  I don't think anybody else saw that movie.  People only wanted Mark as Luke Skywalker, and that was it.
     Harrison Ford got to be Indiana Jones and Rick Deckard in 'Blade Runner', so his career was on a great track for success.
     Carrie Fisher was in 'The Blues Brothers' as a disgruntled ex-girlfriend with a bazooka.  She was pretty funny in that, but she really didn't get a lot of acting work.  She ended up working on scripts, and writing a book or two.  She is a pretty good writer.

     The picture of the three of them was in a lot of press releases, and was featured in the first 'Star Wars card set'.  I wish I had all those cards now.  I gave them to my brother when I left home.

     I saw about a week ago on msn.com that R2-D2 was the most popular Star Wars character of all time.

     Everybody loves Artoo, how can you not?

     This picture is great, because he is all messed up from the swamp on Dagobah.



     It is odd with George Lucas, because he built his film career with THX-1138 about a 'used future', where he didn't think the future would all be sterile and new.  It would look and feel used, instead of like '2001: A Space Odyssey'.

     Then in Episodes I, II, and III, everything looked new, and it didn't work.

     People liked Star Wars because everything looked fubar.  The lesson is to never mess with something that works.

     Basically, without 'Flash Gordon', there would be no 'Star Wars'.  Besides Flash being a prototype for Luke Skywalker, many things from the Flash Gordon serials were stolen.  These include scrolling text, symphonic music, electricity shooting out, spaceships, cities on alien worlds, even some snow scenes that are reminiscent of Hoth. 
     Someday, I will watch the whole Flash Gordon series again, and take snapshots of anything that was stolen for Star Wars.

     I could never watch Buck Rogers, because they used the same belt that Buster Crabbe wore in Flash Gordon.  That made no sense whatsoever, and ruined the illusion.  Plus, that series just wasn't as good.

Welcome to The Star Wars Space Station

     Imagine a space station where everything to do with Star Wars is in one place.
     This is it.

      Star Wars is bigger than all of us.

      It is so huge at this point, that it is even bigger than George Lucas.

      It is out of his control.

      He barely cares about it anymore.  He is more of a businessman, now.
     
      I can't say I blame him.  Bills have to be paid, you know.

      Anyway, for the first time in my life, I started looking at some THX-1138 material.  I saw the original student film.
      I saw in a video that 'THX-1138' wasn't even George's idea, but it was a script floating around.
      George did make it happen, though, so you gotta give him credit for that.
      I remember from my reading somewhere before that the assignment for his class was to make a five minute film.  George broke the rules of the assignment, and made a fifteen to twenty minute film.
      Thus, a filmmaker was born, because he didn't want to go by the rules, and he had a vision of what he wanted to do.
       By the way, I'll have to do some more research on THX-1138.
       It is, in my opinion, the first real Star Wars film.  The idea of a 'used future' is there, as is a society filled with authority and control, just like the Empire.
       '1984' by George Orwell influenced and informed 'THX-1138'.  It is pretty obvious.

       Other influences for Star Wars comes from Flash Gordon, World War II, and Star Trek.

      Then, there is the 1965 sci fi masterpiece of literature....'DUNE'.  Desert planet?  Arrakis existed before Tattooine was a thought in George's head.

      One can not forget the influence of 'Twilight Zone' on just about anything to do with science fiction.

      Science and Technology itself was an influence, as was the 'Space Race', and landing men on The Moon.

      It was in the air.

      So, somehow, Star Wars came out of all this.

      * * * *

      Episodes I-III were a disaster.  I'm of the mind at this point to pretend that they don't exist. 
      At the very least, a good writer could rewrite the prequels, and try to make sense of that mess.

      On the other hand, the Clone Wars cgi cartoon series is very good, and keeps getting better.
      Thank goodness there are people who actually do care about Star Wars, because in a way, it is about all of us.

       * * * *

      One final comment about Episode VI.  Just because the Death Star was destroyed for a second time wouldn't necessarily mean the end of The Empire, so I don't know what everyone in the galaxy was so happy about.
       I think it was too soon for a Cinco de Mayo Sesame Street Celebration.
       I think it was just an easy and convenient way to end a movie.