Preserving the...cringe...Star Wars Holiday Special (Released) — Page 26

Asaki said:

I've seen one on YouTube of someone modelling the all-white prototype, if that's what you mean. I think that was for the movies, though, and not the special.

none, thank you for the link.

I've never seen this, and it's fascinating. I believe it, but at the same time it could almost be a private joke by Ben Burtt and Duwayne Dunham, to see just how gullible we all are.

It probably WAS from after the Holiday Special, but it's still definitely at the level (as Burtt says) of prototype.

Thank you both!

Definitely hit me up about it if Retartedted decides they don't want to do it.

My back yard is out of control, some of the grass three feet high and much more of it matted down at ground level. I let it go too long, and it'll be at least two more days' weed-eating to get it under control.

Which of course got me thinking about Star Wars -- and specifically the newspaper comic strips from back in 1979. 

Narration: "Gliding sinuously through the miles-thick vegetation forming the surface of Kazhyyyk, the beast of burden plunges downward."

and

Han: "Chewie says the best orga root is on the eighth level... which is as far down as anyone dares to go!"

When was Kashyyyk's structure established? Was it designed for the Special, or was writer / artist Russ Manning extrapolating from what he saw onscreen?

MattMahdi said:

My back yard is out of control, some of the grass three feet high and much more of it matted down at ground level. I let it go too long, and it'll be at least two more days' weed-eating to get it under control.

Which of course got me thinking about Star Wars -- and specifically the newspaper comic strips from back in 1979. 

Narration: "Gliding sinuously through the miles-thick vegetation forming the surface of Kazhyyyk, the beast of burden plunges downward."

and

Han: "Chewie says the best orga root is on the eighth level... which is as far down as anyone dares to go!"

When was Kashyyyk's structure established? Was it designed for the Special, or was writer / artist Russ Manning extrapolating from what he saw onscreen?

 

Ralph McQuarrie did establish some of the structure of Kashyyyk when he did drawings & paintings for the Holiday Special, some of which have been published and others only recently have seen the light of day.  I think it may have been Lucas himself who had originally decided that Kashyyyk would have layers of flora and fauna below the treetops, each more dangerous than the next depending on how far down you went.  The Holiday Special didn't really explore this idea, but also didn't ever show anyone walking on the planet surface.  But when the stormtrooper fell over the railing, "he's gone!" could mean more than he just fell to his death.

There were two EU items that expanded on the description of Kashyyyk, and one was the Russ Manning strips while the other was the children's book The Wookiee Storybook.  I *think* the Russ Manning strips came first, because I seem to recall the book's depiction of the lower levels seeming much less dangerous than the strip showed.  They both showed up in 1979, though, following the broadcast of the Holiday Special, and "The Kashyyyk Depths" newspaper strips ran from July 15 through September 9.

Both stories referred to Life Day, although the Russ Manning one claims it came once every three years (whatever a year was on Kashyyyk!).

--SKot

Just came across the following, a five-minute excerpt of a commentary on the Holiday Special:

http://vimeo.com/33626859

Offered as a curiosity only. The other commentaries (MMM, Rifftrax) seem much more lively.

Far funnier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vefT-vXnhRo

How the Holiday Special could, and perhaps *should*, have ended.

SKot said:

MattMahdi said:

I just came across this at theForce.net:

SW Holiday Special Commentary

Posted By Joshua on December 21, 2000

Moviebabble has a Fan Commentary to download and play as you watch the 1978 Holiday Special. If you do not know their site it has downloadable commentary from fans much like the official running commentary that comes with DVD.

Unfortunately, the Moviebabble site has apparently been claim-jumped.

I think I did hear this, and if it's the one I remember, it was pretty lame and not really worth saving.  The RiffTrax one is really the best bet for commentary so far.

--SKot

Date-wise this CAN'T be the one I asked about long ago: it's dated 2007. But I did come across it last night and it's interesting. Not great, but interesting. One viewer is well-researched (with the exception of mis-remembering Harrison Ford's appearance on Conan O'Brien) and the others are understandably stunned and horrified.

http://beemp3.com/download.php?file=1526355&song=Geeklabel+DVD+Commentary+003%3A+Star+Wars+Holiday+Special

The track is by Kingfish & the Vicar.

The copy I've always watched on YouTube was taken down by Fox. I need a copy with the opening crawl and commercials so it syncs to my RiffTrax! Any help guys?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbF_ecnlyTk

I think people can claim take downs in anyone's name.

BTW, I've got a preservation with the RiffTrax on the way, so hooray!

none said:

doubleofive wrote: The copy I've always watched on YouTube was taken down by Fox.

I guess Fox can do that on grounds of the Star Wars relationship, but it was a CBS program.  What was the link?

Interesting, that.  CBS and Fox are two competing networks, but in the 80s and 90s they had a partnership to release videotapes under the CBS/FOX logo (we all remember those, I'm sure).  That partnership was dissolved in 1998.

But the  point should be moot anyway, since a legal copyright transfer was recorded on May 5, 1989 from 20th Century Fox (who is recorded as the original owner) to Lucasfilm, back-dated to September 1st, 1981, giving Lucasfilm sole rights and ownership. From the United States Copyright Office records:

And included in the list of titles is:

074 Star Wars holiday special; motion picture / PA 22-826 (1978)

075 Star Wars holiday special; teleplay / PAu 92-666 (1978)

So Fox really has no claim on this material.  The fact that they did in the 80s (rather than just CBS) causes me to wonder if this was because they were going to release it on video in the 80s as a CBS/FOX VHS release.  Lucas did mention something about this being in the works at the 1987 Star Wars 10-year anniversary convention.  Perhaps he decided shortly after that he'd better secure the rights to this to keep that from happening, and hence the copyright transfer in 1989.  It's mostly conjecture, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Anyway, the real question is: who does Fox (if it really was Fox) think they are, calling copyright infringement on something they don't own?  Seems like only LFL should have that ability.

Maybe there's a legitimate counter-complaint here...

--SKot

P.S. - you may want to browse the whole entry, as it's pretty interesting.  Both the "Baby Wookie" and "Grandpa Wookie" [sic] masks were registered...though oddly not Malla's mask.  This may explain why we've only seen archive registry photos for the two masks.

doubleofive said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbF_ecnlyTk

I think people can claim take downs in anyone's name.

Ah, so it *was* Fox and/or SME (Sony Music Entertainment?) who made the claim.  But neither of them owns the material.

My opinion on this is LFL can take down the material if they so choose.  But they didn't.  Looks like Fox is overstepping their legal ownership here.

--SKot

Maybe because the SWHS uses the Star Wars soundtrack?  In any case, it's a stretch...someone went to a little too much effort there, and it wasn't Lucasfilm.  It's a bit silly.

--SKot

I don't think I've seen mention of this. Just came across it (via Google) and it's the experience one person had at the Paley Center when the SWHS was screened at Christmas. His assignment was to cover the screening for "The People vs. George Lucas".

He hadn't seen it before.

And he wasn't impressed.

Most of the video is his brief reports in a washroom stall -- to avoid security who would disallow his video camera -- but it is interesting. And a few brief seconds did go into "The People vs. George Lucas."

Where I originally found it:

http://redcowentertainment.com/2012/03/doug-burgdorff-at-the-paley-center-screening-of-the-star-wars-holiday-special/

Direct link:

http://vimeo.com/39153018

It's a bit under 8 minutes.

Found it when I searched for star wars holiday special documentary, hoping to see a sign of something that Bruce Vilanch mentioned in an interview. Some people were shooting a documentary... that apparently went nowhere. (The interview was on "Feast of Fun" in July 2010.)

(And why did I have to jump through hoops to get this posted without the lovely markup code?!)

SKot, is there any reference that gives the spelling of Captain Kazan? I'd assumed that it was in the script, but apparently not.

MattMahdi said:

SKot, is there any reference that gives the spelling of Captain Kazan? I'd assumed that it was in the script, but apparently not.

Hmm...yes, oddly enough it's missing from the available script.  The name was only spoken during a quick voiceover at the beginning and end of the cartoon.

I'm not sure if I ever found an actual reference to the spelling in that case.  "Kazan" is the most straightforward, but "Khazan" or "Kazann" even "Cayzann" could be possible.

It seems like I saw it written somewhere, though.  Maybe on the official website?

--SKot

UPDATE: Looking at the official Blu-ray release of the Holiday Special cartoon, the subtitles definitely spell it "Captain Kazan".  But they also call the ship the "RS Reekvange", rather than "RS Revenge".

Reekvange?  Really?  Was it an error, did they know something we don't, or did they decide to change it because "Revenge" sounds more like a name for a Star Destroyer than it does a Rebel Cruiser?

Also, the idea of a "Captain's Log" with a  stardate given...sounds a bit too much like a certain other show with "Star" in the title.  This was an ill-advised last-minute add-in voiceover, methinks.

SKot said:

UPDATE: Looking at the official Blu-ray release of the Holiday Special cartoon, the subtitles definitely spell it "Captain Kazan".  But they also call the ship the "RS Reekvange", rather than "RS Revenge".

So the Blu-rays give with one hand and take with the other.

I don't own the set -- I've owned the films too many times! -- so I never dreamed that it would be subtitled. Many thanks,

WALLPAPER

We've all wanted SWHS wallpaper, right? Actually I'd never dreamed until I encountered it on Pinterest. But this site:

http://erikasartzone.wordpress.com/tag/holiday-special/

has a widescreen wallpaper that's quite nice. Available as 1280x800 or 1680x1050.

SKot said:

Looking at the official Blu-ray release of the Holiday Special cartoon, the subtitles definitely spell it "Captain Kazan".  But they also call the ship the "RS Reekvange", rather than "RS Revenge".

Reekvange?  Really?  Was it an error, did they know something we don't, or did they decide to change it because "Revenge" sounds more like a name for a Star Destroyer than it does a Rebel Cruiser?

I just watched those opening bits... and I can just about hear "Reekvange". I don't think that's what he's saying, because there wasn't any reason to get that convoluted back in 1978, but there is precedent.

Remember in 1983 when Emperor Palpatine went on about Luke's friends on the "Century Moon"? Every time I watch that I have to remind myself that he's saying "Sentry".

Sanctuary.