I just read through this thread. Other than a few names I recognised, it meant nothing to me whatsoever.
I’m 28 years old. I know virtually nothing about Star Wars. Does this make me unique?
And, at the risk of eroding my uniqueness, can anyone give me a brief rundown of (a) what it’s about, and more importantly (b) why and how a seemingly unexceptional 1970s movie took over the world?
Reportedly, Natalie Portman hadn’t seen any Star Wars movies at all when she signed up to be Amadala.
for (b), because it was anything BUT unexceptional in the 1970s. You young 'uns grew in up the era of great special effects. In 1977, nobody had seen ANYTHING like all the special effects in Star Wars. Add in a fast-moving plot (for the times) and it was a huge, huge movie.
As for (a), it’s a typical space opera. Big bad evil emperor runs through galaxy doing Bad Things. Young hero emerges out of the rural backwash of the galaxy, meets up with handsome swashbuckler and rescues the princess.
A good friend of mine (female, 21) has never seen a Star Wars movie. Similarly, my boyfriend (26) can’t tell the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek. So you’re not entirely alone.
Lots of people dislike anything resembling science-fiction. Just not, uhh, internet folk…
I don’t often mention this for fear that I will lose my crown as Queen of the Geeks, but while I’ve seen scattered moments of the various Star Wars films on TV I’ve never seen any of them all the way through. I’ve never even tried. I know the basics of what they’re about and who all the major characters are; it would be impossible not to if you’ve been as thoroughly immersed in Geek culture as I have been. So I know more than enough to know that I don’t care.
Judging from the fans I am aquainted with the most important thing to know – and I don’t mean the most important thing about the movies, but the most important thing in the WORLD, a fact upon which the whole fate of humanity depends – is that Greedo didn’t shoot first. Just bring that up and people will think you know what you’re talking about.
No worries. My grandmother, a retired college professor, doesn’t go to the movies EVER * and her pop culture threshold is astonishingly low. She might recognize some phrases and characters from sheer cultural osmosis but rest assured she’s seen none of the saga.
Cute story for you–A few years back, I went to the picnic for my 20-year high school reunion. Bumped into a girl I knew who was there with her husband and 12-year-old daughter. The daughter drew me into a conversation, and it turned out that she’d never seen Star Wars, her mom wouldn’t let her see it until she turned 15. She didn’t say so outright, but I could tell she wanted me to talk her mom into letting her see it.
At first I thought, “Damn, how strict! Star Wars is the ultimate kids’ movie! How can she be so mean as to not let her kid see it?”
Then it occurred to me that there was something slightly off about this kid–didn’t know what it was, but a diagnosis of Asperger’s wouldn’t be a huge surprise–and decided her mom sure knew her better than I did. So I said “Well, I didn’t get to see Star Wars until I was 16, so you get no sympathy from me, little girl!”
“16? How come?”
“Oh, well, that’s how old I was when they released it in 1977.” Well, I lost one kid’s respect that day, but ya gotta pick your battles, that’s what I say.
Star Wars sold, what, 20 or 30 million tickets domestically? That’s a lot, I guess, but it’s still less that a tenth of the population (not counting people who saw it on cable, video or DVD). You’re not that big of a freak.
OK, so my cultural savvy is revealed to be on a par with a woman at least 40 years older than me (at a guess), and you say “No worries”? 
You haven’t seen it? Well then…
Leia kisses Luke. And Luke seems to enjoy it.
Mind you, that was revealed in the second movie, rather than the original Star Wars.
A motley crew of good-looking young rebels finds itself at war with creepy, old authoritarians with bigger weapons and superior manpower. They eventually win, but not without setbacks and heart-wrenching losses. One of them has mysterious ties to a lost order of superheroes called the Jedi Knights; he must explore this link to turn the tide in the good guys’ favor. That’s about it.
Why did it take over the world? This was the first really huge special-effects movie since The Wizard of Oz. Science Fiction was largely ignored as a film genre up until that point, because it was thought to have a limited appeal. Look at all the SF movies of the preceeding decade and you’ll see a list of modest successes (Logan’s Run), critically-acclaimed money losers (2001: A Space Odyssey), embarrassing cheap crap starring Charlton Heston (The Omega Man, Soylent Green) and sequels to Planet of the Apes. It was a tapped-out genre, much like Westerns are now.
George Lucas invented a new kind of blockbuster: Big budget amusement park rides on film that people would go see again and again. It raised the bar for extravagant filmmaking, got people out of their houses and into the theaters again.
Don’t mistake this for deep, quality storytelling. It’s not that.
I avoided watching The Godfather for years, partly because I was a little intimidated by its grandiose reputation. I needn’t have bothered. These are just movies. Go watch them and don’t expect anything more than a fun evening. These aren’t Dostoevsky novels or anything.
Greedo shot first.
Rent the DVD and see for yourself. As if a guy like Han would just shoot someone in cold blood.
Don’t worry, Colophon, you haven’t missed much.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re mildly entertaining films – I just can’t see making a religion out of them as so many people have.
I assure you, you can live just as long and die just as happy without having seen them.
My girlfriend, 8 years younger than I, hasn’t seen any of the Star Wars movies, nor has she any desire to. :eek: The mind boggles.
I vaguely recall seeing the trilogy years and years and years ago when I was like six. But only vaguely. I basically “know” I watched it, but I don’t remember anything really.
Somebody was showing all 3 movies not too long ago, and I sat down with the intent to watch the second one. I got fifteen minutes into it before I realized the movie simply wasn’t for me.
I haven’t seen any of the original movies, unless you count the various 60 second clips I’ve seen on whatever TV programs. I tried to see Ep I when it came out in theaters, but I fell asleep and caught the first and last 5-10 minutes; I wouldn’t have even gone at all except that my boyfriend at the time promised his niece and nephew that he’d take them and we made a whole day of it.
I haven’t seen any Bond movies, either. Or Indiana Jones. There’s a whole lot that I haven’t seen. 
And I’ve only seen 1/3 of the LoTR trilogy (Two Towers).
:runs:
If you haven’t seen any of the Star Wars movies, I envy you. As a fan, I would love to be able to watch all six movies for the first time in one sitting, not knowing anything about the Saga. If you have never seen Star Wars then I suggest you watch Episodes One through Six when they are all out on DVD.
You know how every summer is the season for blockbuster spectacle movies? Star Wars started that.
You know how every big movie has merchandising tie-ins up the wazoo? Star Wars started that.
You know how every big movie gets promoted up to a year in advance? Star Wars started that.
You know how every sci-fi and fantasy movie gets buzzed at conventions and previewed to fan groups? Star Wars started that.
And to add to Krokodil’s excellent summary, it’s worth pointing out that before Star Wars came out, most movies tended to be depressing, “soul searching” stuff. The previous year’s Best Picture Oscar went to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, for example.
This statement surprises me a little. I’m pretty neutral about the whole Star Wars thing, but my understanding is that hardcore fans would not expect the unititiated to sit through the first three chapters (that is, the most recent films) and then have any interest whatsoever in seeing 4 - 6.
uninitiated, that is.