Midday, Saturday, May 25, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire
Saturday Salutations and Almanac
Hi, everyone, and welcome to the 1,540th post in A Certain Point of View, Too. It’s a nice spring day here in Eidelweiss District, a subdivision of Madison. Currently, the temperature is 70°F (21°) under sunny conditions. With the wind blowing from the south-southwest at 4 MPH (7 Km/H), the heat index is 79°F (26°C). Today’s forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 78°F (25°C). Tonight, we can expect scattered light rain showers. The low will be 55°F (13°C).
Time Flies, Doesn’t It? (Star Wars Edition)
Today is the 47th anniversary of the premiere of Star Wars (known, since 1981, as Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope). For me, May 25 is the real “Star Wars Day”; “May the Fourth be With You” is a cute punny mashup of May 4 and the famous phrase “May the Force be with you” that recurs throughout the long-running franchise but, it’s more of a humorous marketing bit from Lucasfilm than the anniversary of any major Star Wars release.
When I was younger, I used to spend May 25 celebrating Star Wars Day by binge-watching the movies, but then life happened – my mother’s final years and a move from Miami to the Tampa Bay area. During my seven years in Hillsborough County, I tried to revive my tradition, but I’d only watch part of the nine-film Skywalker Saga instead of everything I had on home media. Or I’d plan on watching one of the three trilogies (Prequel. Original, or Sequel)…and I’d forget…or start too late during the day to watch more than two Episodes back-to-back.
I don’t know if I’m up to trying to watch one of the Star Wars trilogies today – it’s still early, so I can do it in theory – but I can rewatch 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series or parts of Andor – Season One if I get in the mood for it.
Happy Star Wars Day!
Whatever you decide to do today, I hope you have a fun and relaxing time. Star Wars is more than just a movie franchise; it’s a cultural phenomenon that has inspired generations of fans and creators. Whether you prefer the classic adventures of Luke Skywalker, the epic prequel saga of Anakin Skywalker, or the new stories of Rey, Finn, Poe, and their friends, there is something for everyone in the galaxy far, far away. And don’t forget the amazing spin-offs, such as The Mandalorian, Rogue One, Solo, and The Clone Wars, that expand the Star Wars universe and showcase different aspects of its rich lore. Star Wars Day is a great opportunity to celebrate your favorite characters, stories, and moments from this amazing franchise. May the Force be with you, always!
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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3 responses to “Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, May 25, 2024, or: The Force is STILL With Us, 47 Years On”
I don’t remember when it came out in Sweden. Back then movies typically came out a few months later. However, I remember when it did and I did not go see it. A lot of people had negative opinions about it, weird, silly, etc. I saw it maybe a decade later and that’s when I realized what I had missed. I thought it was great.
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In Sweden, Star Wars (aka Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope) was released theatrically on December 16, 1977.
I think that most of the negativity aimed at Star Wars back then was from older moviegoers who didn’t care for sci-fi or fantasy fare. I will admit that I was reluctant to see it at first, even though most of my friends had seen it and fallen in love with the movie by the time school opened again in early September of 1977.
I wasn’t the kind of teen who loved to follow fads, so I thought that like disco and Pet Rocks, Star Wars just another “trendy” pop culture thing that would be “hot” for a while, then be replaced by another trendy pop culture thing.
Also, as I’ve written in posts about why I’m such a Star Wars fan, 1977 was an anno horriblis for me. I experienced my first breakup, my grandfather died, and my mom (urged on by my recently widowed grandmother) decided to buy the townhouse in Miami where I ended up living for almost 38 years.
Thus, I was not particularly interested in seeing it…at least, not at first.
Good thing that 20th Century Fox realized it had struck cinematic gold and kept Star Wars in theaters for a longer run than normal. Back then, VHS tapes and VCRs were not yet common, so the studio extended the theatrical release for as long as demand for the movie was high. That’s why I can say I’m a Generation 1977 fan…I finally gave in to my curiosity in October of 1977…mostly to say to my friends, “Okay, I saw the movie…” and fell in love with it.
I guess part of my affinity for the film comes from the fact that it helped me during the grieving process over a death, a lost romance, and an unwanted move from a house and neighborhood where I was already happy.
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Wow December 16. That is almost 7 months later. That’s longer than typical back then. Now a day movies are typically released right away in Sweden, at least if it is a popular movie. That’s interesting history but I am sorry to hear you had a hard year. I should say that there were also young people who didn’t see it (at first) but back then I hardly ever watched movies anyway. Movies, especially American movies, were not considered a good thing in my family. So I didn’t see it until much later.
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