Sometimes what we consider to be great cultural touchstones are simply works that have managed to physically survive through the ages. Literature is rife with such examples.
One day, will beleaguered students analyze George Lucas the way we do Shakespeare? Like it or not, you can easily make the case that Lucas’ work will still be kicking around 500 years from now, such has been its popularity.
In honour of this bright and sunny Star Wars day, I present you with the following videos—I do seem to enjoy collecting them...
Under pressure to follow up last year’s viral Super Bowl ‘Force’ commercial, Volkswagen released a ‘Bark Side’ commercial teaser which has been making the media rounds lately.
The teaser consists of a gallery of dogs barking the Imperial March theme song from Star Wars:
I’ve previously described the continued proliferation of Star Wars remixes and parodies as
“... a remarkable indicator of the pervasive socio-cultural impact of George Lucas’ epic space opera franchise.”
Now comes the fantastic news that the crowd-sourced project known as Star Wars Uncut has finally been released in a stitched-together Director’s Cut!
From the description:
In 2009, Casey Pugh asked thousands of Internet users to remake "Star Wars: A New Hope" into a fan film, 15 seconds at a time. Contributors were allowed to recreate scenes from Star Wars however they wanted. Within just a few months SWU grew into a wild success. The creativity that poured into the project was unimaginable.
SWU has been featured in documentaries, news features and conferences around the world for its unique appeal. In 2010 SWU won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media.
Without further ado, here it is -- all two hours of it -- maximize to full screen and grab the popcorn!
It’s a magnificent achievement of... I’m not sure what, but I find it uproarious. The best feature of this project is also its worst -- if you hate one fan’s heretical interpretation, it only lasts 15 seconds. Conversely if you love a scene... 15 seconds later a fresh blasphemy gets underway. Some parts are awful, others are wonderfully inventive.
It’s more or less unbearable to watch in its entirety, but curiosity at what’s going to show up next keeps it going... In a peculiar way, the exercise is about seizing back control of the story from George Lucas. It’s ours to mangle, not his. (Spoiler alert: It’s not Greedo that fires first in this version...)
Bonus remix: I am your father - Silent Film Edition
Restricting my list of Star Wars videos to 10 was purely arbitrary (see my Top Ten Star Wars Spoof Videos). And overly confining.
As it turns out, the Star Wars tradition is rich in content, and the field of parody and humour lies vast and deep. While the videos get repetitive -- even exhausting -- they're nevertheless well worth examining during idle moments of weekend leisure.
Herewith additional Star Wars material for your viewing pleasure and contemplation...
The Force: Volkswagen Commercial
A viral commercial hit first played during the Super Bowl. It even inspired its own parody, as well as having an outtake reel released.
Darth Vader Cell Phone
Don't you wish you could do this to offenders at the theatre or other public places?
adidas Originals - Star Wars Cantina 2010
Kind of a travesty, this sort of revisionist editing is what leads to Greedo shooting first.
It's a Trap!
Admiral Akbar says: It's a trap!
Grocery Store Wars
While not actually that engaging, the cleverness of the props in this short deserves accolades.
Star Wars Help Desk
Star Wars Gangsta Rap 2
Darth Vader's Collect Call
Harry Potter/LOTR/Star Wars Mashup
Making some uncomfortable observations about the shared plot elements of these stories.
Weird Al Yankovic: The Saga Begins
I'm not sure which is stranger, this version or Madonna's.
Weird Al Yankovic: Yoda (LEGO)
Death Star over San Francisco
I like the editing in this, it's almost seamless except in a few places.
Darth Vader Feels Blue
This one takes a little patience, you have to wait for it to develop.
Darth Vader Heidi Klum
But what line are they answering??
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Star Wars
DJ Keltech - Keltech Strikes Back
Star Tours: Darth Vader Goes to Disneyland
Lord Vader's foray into the theme park world has resulted in some truly heinous outcomes.
Darth Vader Salsa Trombone
This clip of Darth Vader playing trombone at a retirement home is nigh unbearable, yet strangely hypnotic...
And finally, you can't have a Star Wars video parody list without including the granddaddy of them all,
Hardware Wars
Gratuitous extra clip - Kenner toys commercial
Bonus clip 2: Sariah Gallego Joins the Dark Side
Were there any classics that I missed? Let me know in the comments! (sorry, no Family Guy or Simpsons for me...)
And now, for no particular reason, in no particular order, here are my ten favourite Star Wars-inspired spoof videos. Their continued proliferation is a remarkable indicator of the pervasive socio-cultural impact of George Lucas' epic space opera franchise.
The most successful videos mash together recognizable Star Wars leitmotifs with familiar elements drawn from other areas of popular culture. The results are often strikingly transformative, and highly original. Not to mention hilarious.
What are your favourite Star Wars spoofs? And what is it about remixing -- juxtaposing often unrelated thematic ideas for effect -- that makes these inspired works so entertaining? Isn't it fascinating that many of the parodies are preoccupied with Darth Vader, the key villain for most of the original trilogy (and the protagonist for the prequels)? What do these playful videos have to say about our relationship with the series?
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments...
Galactic Empire State of Mind
Best appreciated if you're familiar with Jay-Z and Alicia Key's Empire State of Mind. The rebel pilot and Stormtrooper dance moves are classic.
George Lucas Strikes Back
This notional film trailer advances a startling Oldboy-driven theory as to why the prequels sucked.
Storm Trooper 9/11
Where were you when the Rebels blew up the Death Star? A little edgy, but the pointed references in this analogy are what make it so effective.
TROOPS
Great fan film. Download the original in full and read about its making here.
Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager
Highly amusing short about Chad Vader, Day Shift Manager at Empire Market. Winner of an official Star Wars Fan Film Award.
Darth Vader being a Smartass
Sometimes simple humour is the best for generating laughter.
Cover Me Porkins!
A jarring tribute to good old Red Six.
KESHA + STAR WARS Tik Tok Music Video
This bizarre conflation mixes up pop starlet Ke$ha and Star Wars for maximum goofiness.
How Star Wars IV should have ended
This grumpy animated short explains how A New Hope should have been extinguished.
Vader Sessions
Many Star Wars characters don't have moving mouth parts. This makes them ripe for redubbing. In this stellar effort, dialogue from James Earl Jones' other movies is cleverly substituted at key points of this remix...
But Wait -- there's MORE! Thanks for watching. But we're not finished yet, Star Wars fans! There were way more than 10 videos deserving your attention. We'll take a short break, and tomorrow I will post the rest of this quality collection for your entertainment.
-inspired spoof videos. Their continued proliferation is a remarkable indicator of the pervasive socio-cultural impact of George Lucas' epic space opera franchise.
and Star Wars for maximum goofiness.