In addition to Pac-Man<\/i>, today is also the 30th anniversary of another major signpost in the pop-cultural landscape: the premiere of The Empire Strikes Back<\/i>. But perhaps you’ve not heard of it? It was, after all, just a little-known sequel to a cultish fantasy movie about a farm boy who befriends a trashcan and a walking carpet…<\/p>\n
Okay, so that was a really lame attempt at humor. Sorry about that.<\/p>\n
I don’t have much to say about the movie itself. We’ve all seen it. We all know the shocking twist at the end. Popular consensus long ago determined it was the best of the six Star Wars<\/i> films, and I don’t disagree with that assessment. (I do, however, hold about the same level of esteem for both it and the original Star Wars<\/i>. They’re quite different in many respects, but I love them equally.) It remains, even after decades, the textbook example of everything a good sequel ought to do: its plot was original and compelling, not simply a redo of the original; it expanded upon the established setting without rewriting any rules; it deepened the familiar characters, added new ones that were equally as interesting and\/or lovable, and offered more sophisticated themes. Like the Harry Potter novels would do years later, the Star Wars<\/i> saga was growing up, keeping pace with the maturation of its primary fanbase. It’s a shame that Return of the Jedi<\/i> was in so many ways a step backwards… but that’s a blog entry for another time.<\/p>\n
I have several strong memories associated with the release of Empire<\/i>, most notably the fiendish way in which I found out about Vader’s big revelation to Luke, but quite honestly, I don’t have the time right now to do that story justice. So what I’d like to do is share with you the little-seen teaser trailer that was released a year before the movie itself:<\/p>\n
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