Well, it’s a very simple answer: because Star Wars has some damn fine music! I bought the episode 1 soundtrack just so I could listen to “Duel of the Fates” over and over. I went to the Star Wars Celebration they had here in Denver in '99 just before Ep1 opened, and was completely blown away when they showed the video (it came out a few days later on MTV, but I don’t get cable…) And “Binary Suns” comes in a close second for favorite piece. Oh, and the “Imperial March”. And the cantina bit is great too…
Um, excuse me. I have to go bring up WinAmp…
Anyway (and I feel really ashamed for bringing this up), am I the only one who can’t keep the “Star Wars” and “Superman” themes straight? If I’ve got one going through my head, inevitable I slide into the other…
Yes! I get the chills whenever I hear it. It IS sad, because we know what ends up happening.
“Binary Sunset” is wonderful. I also love “Carbon Freeze” from the ESB soundtrack, and I don’t recall the title of this one, but the music that plays towards the end of Luke and Vader’s battle during ROTJ. Chilling, indeed.
The last half hour or so of music from ROTJ gives me chills. The part where the ominous choir comes in when Luke snaps and beats down Vader…the chilling emperor’s theme fading into a short interlude of Luke’s theme when he announces that he’s a Jedi…and then the somber version of Vader’s theme when he dies…so nice.
Star Wars is almost definitely my favorite movie soundtrack of all time.
Let me know if I’m alone with this, but every time, every time, I hear the 20th Century Fox theme, I think it’s gonna be SW. I was probably 12 before I realized/found out/was told that the Fox theme isn’t part of the SW theme, but even now (7 years later) I think that Fox ripped off Williams.
If there was a CD of Cantina-style music (I’m not gonna call it “jizz wailing”- that sounds like an overly emotional masturbation session) would you buy it? I would.
While not my favorite piece from the movies (that would probably be “Binary Sunset”), I really like the Imperial March. It so perfectly conveys a sense of militaristic evil.
Yes, yes, yes. I forgot about the way they did Vader’s theme for his death. So sad. Speaking of the end of ROTJ, for the ending sequence, do you guys prefer the original music or the special edition? I go with the special edition, personally. The old version is just…eh.
Ender_Will, it’s not just you. Just about every time I watch a movie with the 20th century Fox opening theme, I half expect to hear that first note and see the Star Wars logo pop on the screen. It just fits so well.
Second Star: eh?! What SW music could possibly be…
Oh wait.
It’s coming back.
You’re talking about singing ewoks aren’t you? The image that signified the end of the Star Wars Drinking Game because no matter how messed up you are, that image will burn it’s way through any drunken haze. I’m with you on that then.
The special edition was mostly “eh” to me (extra creatures in ANH, mini-Jabba, rings of flame around exploding planets/Death Stars), but the new celebration finale they added to RoTJ was definitely an improvement over singing teddy bears. Plus, they toppled the emporer’s statue (and I had to wonder how many of the people who worked on Saddam’s statue last week had seen RoTJ…)
Does anyone remember The Star Wars theme by **Meco[/d]? This disco version was very popular in 1977 the radio played it constantly.
Another good track is the ending music from ROTJ when we see the rebel fleet, not triumphant like the throne room from SW but a mix of sorrow and hope.
[Streisand] Memories light the corner of my mind.
Misty water color memories
Of the way we were.
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind,
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were. [/Streisand]
What’s not to like about the music? The only thing is, thanks to Ender_Will, I’ve now got the music from the Cantina scene stuck in my head, rather than the theme. Ya-da-da-da-du-uh
Ya-da-da-duh da-da-da-a-duh!
As for the story, what can I say? Guy from a small town gets to run off, see the galaxy, and save the world. The girl kicks butt as well as the guys do. We’ve got a suitably roguish and scruffy secondary hero (Harrison Ford – Yum!), and bad guys who are really and truly unambiguously bad. So, let’s get out the popcorn, cheer the goodies, boo the baddies, and get out of this mess called “reality” for a few hours. The dishes and the job can wait!
CJ
Who also wanted to be a jedi or Princess Leia, or both!
Perhaps the reason I love the theme so much is I’ve always had slight thing for Han Solo… I’ve watched the romantic scenes with him SOOOO many time- how embarrassing! And although ESB is my favorite in the series, I always have to watch ROTJ soon after I watch ESB just to make sure Han makes it out of carbonite OK…
Monstre- I don’t play, I merely dabble. I took harp for 6 years, so I know how to read music. I got the keyboard free secondhand somewhere, and I can practice playing with the solitude of using headphones, which is nice. I download music off the net that I like, or occasionally buy some. I can usually only play one song, but it changes. Right now I know “Nobody does it Beter” by heart, but I’m working on Cid’s theme from FF7. I’ve never attempted the SW theme because I figured it would be too hard.
Just wanted to add my two cents: the vader and luke duel theme at the end of jedi is now part of Final Battle/Endor on the Special Edition Cd. I also feel that special edition jedi music is better then that crappy ewok one…
I guess after Empire i realized that Fox Fanfare music wasnt just for star wars. I know i still get giddy when it starts then fades to the Lucasfilm logo then black. I got giddy over 20 yrs ago and i got giddy when Attack of the clones came out.
My favorite music tracks that are a part of my IPOD FOLDER are the death star trench from star wars, here they come, and of course the battle of HOTH from empire. That’s my all time favorite trakc, that and carbon freezing chamber. Numerous others that i’m sure no one wants to know.
Star Wars is the reason why I wanted to become a writer and a filmmaker.
Another Star Wars chick checking in. I even co-admin a Star Wars RP/discussion board (link in the WWW), you can’t get much geekier than that.
My favorite music is the Imperial March, and the music at the very beginning of the movies, when the big “Star Wars” flashes, followed by the the scrolling text. It gives me goosebumps.
Yes, me too! Even though I KNOW it’s another movie, I just keep waiting for the fanfare. Like Pavlov’s dog.
Yeah, I’d by a Cantina CD. That would kick ass.
As for the Fox fanfare, I think it was written back when Fox was founded. At least, it says that in the liner notes of my ANH soundtrack. (On cassette-at the time, I wanted it really bad, but couldn’t afford the CD. Oh well.)
Althought there are contemporary film composers I like better than JW (Jerry Goldsmith is at the top), one of my favorite score tracks anywhere is “The Asteroid Field” from Empire.
Oh, and here’s a lone vote for the Ewok musical ending over the SE one. Yub-Yub!
“Ah… Star Wars! Nothing but Star Wars!
Gimme those Star Wars… don’t let them end!
Ah… Star Wars! If they should bar wars… please let these Star Wars stay-ay!
And, hey! How about that nutty Star Wars bar?
Can you forget all those creatures in there?
And, hey! Darth Vader in that black and evil mask
Did he scare you as much as he scared me-e-e-e?”
Speaking of the end of ROTJ, for the ending sequence, do you guys prefer the original music or the special edition? I go with the special edition, personally. The old version is just…eh.