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Now Available from RiffTrax… … and at the risk of a whole ‘nother stupid “you shouldn’t riff good movies” argument (I beg you all, please refrain): STAR WARS EPISODE 5: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. [Sampo ducks, and reminds all concerned how really really funny the “A New Hope” riff was.] Mike, Kevin and Bill will again be joined by special guest riffer Chad Vader. 60 Replies to “Now Available from RiffTrax…”Commenting at Satellite News
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All content posted on Satellite News is copyright © 2024 by Chris Cornell and Brian Henry, except where otherwise noted. This Date in MSTory is written and compiled by Steve Finley, Chris Cornell and Brian Henry. Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce This Date in MSTory items in any form without express written permission from the authors. Items of MST3K news may be duplicated or reposted, as long as Satellite News is cited as the source. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Satellite of Love, LLC. No warranty is expressed or implied that the information given herein is completely accurate, and in fact this information can and will change at any time. So there. Mystery Science Theater 3000, its characters and situations are copyrights and trademarks of Satellite of Love, LLC. Banner image created by Larry Lee Moniz. |
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You do realize Lucas had to redirect parts of Empire, right?
I’m thoroughly suprised at the level of hate for this fantastic film. Empire has amazing character development, and a lot of films today could learn from this movie. There is a reason the film is nearly unaimously given top honors by critics. You know it’s okay to like Starwars AND MST3K. That said, I have no problem with the Rifftrax. All movies are open game.
I have it on good authority that Boba Fett’s armour was flavoured heavily with tabasco sauce, exactly in case a giant monster attempted to eat him (as his father so nearly was). As we all know, tabasco sauce can induce gastro-intestinal distress, especially when its presence is unexpected. Therefore the ‘belching’ scene to which you refer was entirely appropos. Necessary even, for those of us more familiar with Boba Fett’s habits.
And those Ewoks ate all the defeated and dead prisoners, you know. You think Solo was an isolated incident? Even the Predator didn’t EAT the guys he killed. Ewoks are pretty badass.
“Anything else can be made funny. And be serious, in Empire, Yoda is goofy, Stormtroopers act like morons, Billy Dee Williams hams it up as Lando, and C3PO lays out some whoppers too.”
I think Yoda carried lot of dignity, actually, which is quite a testament to Frank Oz. Yoda doesn’t act goofy until all the yelling versus Count Dooku.
I’ll agree to nearly anything about Stormies and C-3P0, however.
“Even the Predator didn’t EAT the guys he killed. Ewoks are pretty badass.”
That’s certainly true, although whether they’re “trounce advanced soldiers with interstellar-age weapons and equipment” badass is . . . well . . . straining credulity, in and of itself. And a lot of unsatisfying rationalization exists in the EU to try to compensate.
I would like to see Rifftrax cover more of the SW material, like those Ewok movies and the abominable theater release of the Clone Wars cartoon. *shudder*
Absolutely. Primitive natives never trounce trained soldiers with advanced technology! And certainly not during Lucas’ lifetime, during the period where he was forming the ideas that would become the Star Wars trilogy! It’s absolutely unthinkable that knowledge of the terrain, cunning, strong ideals and simple but effective weaponry would overcome the advantages possessed by an arrogant military that relied on overwhelming force. Such a thing could only happen in a fantasy world.
John Seavery, post #54: Your sarcasm is noted, but the limits of the costumes, both Ewok and Stormtrooper, really do make it hard to believe. I mean, if he saw Ewoks stabbing the weak-points of the armor, or using their clubs to crack open the heads of Stormtroopers, then I could see the Ewoks as formidable foes. But that doesn’t happen. All anyone sees is dwarfs in fur costumes jumping on normal-sized men in plastic costumes.
“Absolutely. Primitive natives never trounce trained soldiers with advanced technology! And certainly not during Lucas’ lifetime, during the period where he was forming the ideas that would become the Star Wars trilogy! It’s absolutely unthinkable that knowledge of the terrain, cunning, strong ideals and simple but effective weaponry would overcome the advantages possessed by an arrogant military that relied on overwhelming force. Such a thing could only happen in a fantasy world.”
Oh really? So there were stone-age human beings armed with nothing but primitive bows and clubs taking on other human beings armed with weapons capable of vaporizing internal organs, armor that could resist anything less, and sensor technology that allowed them to identify enemies at long range through smoke, darkness, and foliage? I’m ever so sorry for not making myself aware of this great Cave Man-Space Marine War before posting.
Yes, the Vietnamese had no armored vehicles or air support, but they did at least have rifles and explosives to complement their knowledge of the terrain. Had they been equipped with only what the Ewoks had, they would have been utterly destroyed by contemporary Western forces, even though said forces did *not* possess 25,000 years worth of weapon, armor, and sensor technology.
I mean, hell, whole empires like the Aztecs and Incas were crushed in direct combat by much smaller numbers of conquistadors because the latter just had primitive muskets, steel armor, and horses, while the former had stone-age technology.
The only thing Ewoks had going for them was numbers, which I could see making sense in a huge ambush – dogpile the troopers and wrench away their guns before dragging them off to the stewpots – but the Stormies should have seen them coming and the Ewok casualties should have been gruesome, at the very least.
And if this series of exchanges becomes the basis for a Rifftrax bit, I for one will approve. The absurdity of the Ewoks needs to tackled, of course, but moreover it needs to be the high point of the riffing. Anything less would be too lenient.
I’ve seen the three 1990s star wars rifftrax and they were pretty funny. Not 100% consistently funny but enjoyable nonetheless.
The “Star Wars Holiday Special” rifftrax is AWESOME! That film is unfathomably bad … i was so excited when i first got a bootleg copy in 1998, and then i watched it and was horrified. So bad it redefines “DEEP HURTING” .. even w/ the rifftrax commentary.
Very excited to see them riff the first three SW movies! DIE EWOKS DIE!
My response to the stormtrooper/Ewok debate is simply this: obviously Ewoks are more dangerous than they appear, or they would not have won. Something to think about as I quietly but proudly study my collection of 500 Matel Ewok figures, all in their original packaging.
Now I’m off to ride my flying bike through densely packed woodland.
“My response to the stormtrooper/Ewok debate is simply this: obviously Ewoks are more dangerous than they appear, or they would not have won.”
Yes, although an explanation is wanting. I have to assume that they were exposed to radiation from all the heavy equipment the Imperials had brought, and they were mutated into hyper-strong, energy-weapon-resistant super-critters.
It’s the only thing that makes sense.
I liked it when Star Wars visited The Muppet Show, but the reverse, The Muppet Show invading Star Wars(via Ewoks) did not amuse me.
I saw the first Star Wars (ANH) when I was 8, which is the perfect age for it, when anything with a laser is cool, even Laserblast (I got my parents to take me to Laserblast at a drive-in. They have never forgiven me).
I think ANH stands best on its’ own. No Teddy Bears, incomplete endings, or Luke’s love interest turning out to be his sister to muck things up.
I also think that the first Indiana Jones movie (Lost Ark) holds up better as something to watch at age 38 than the Star Wars films.
As for the prequels… Well, let’s just say I felt sorry for all the 8 year olds whose first taste of Star Wars was flavored with Jar Jar and pod racing.