Happy International Star Wars Day 2021
The above image (Topps Trading Card No. 72) from Rogue One one of my favourites of the Star Wars films sums up how Star Wars has changed since I was a young boy watching the first film Star Wars IV A New Hope on its release c. 1977/78.
We didn’t see many films at the cinema growing up in the 70s. It remains the only film I have seen twice in the cinema – I still remember the awe of watching the opening moments of a huge Imperial star cruiser appearing to fly over your head across the top of the screen.
It changed the school playground overnight. Everything became space!
I have seen each of the films since in the cinema and Rogue One remains a favourite, being a stand alone prequel to the events of the first film in 1977 /78.
Now Disney have worked hard to make these movies as inclusive as they can be ranging from female X Wing Fighter pilots, young and old to a multiracial cast.
That gutsy feisty dark-haired space princess heroine of Princess Leia has been recreated many times in the subsequent films and stand alone films.
The Mandalorian Disney TV series continues this multiracial inclusive approach. Everyone should be able to see themselves reflected in this Star Wars universe somehow.
Thanks George Lucas and team for bringing us this interesting, inspiring, gritty and fantastical universe.
This is the set I wish I had bought – Star Wars Battle of Hoth set – with the tiny snow troopers and rebel snow figures.
Instead of the Airfix sets, I still have my original Palitoy Star Wars figures (goodbye Airfix budget for a while). I hoped Airfix would bring out OOHO or 1:32 Star Wars figures.
Eventually 1:32 Star Wars figures – seen in my blog post In A Yarden Far Far Away – and MicroMachines type tiny Star Wars figures appeared from different makers. They have been good for the occasional duelling games.
Spot the Airfix Luftwaffe crewman – odd one out – for scale.
My Close Little Star Wars rules for the tabletop or garden
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/close-little-space-wars/
Happy International Star Wars Day!
Previous International Star Wars Day May 4th blog posts.
2019 https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/farewell-chewbacca-may-the-4th-be-with-you/
2018 https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/march-reading-minor-galactic-epic-fail/
2016 https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/in-a-garden-far-far-away/
Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN, 4th May 2021
Man of Tin blog 
And also with you!
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Ahh May 1977. It was the last film I saw with my Dad. I was a newly commissioned sub lieutenant on leave before reporting to HMCS Ottawa in Halifax for several months of on job training. I had a contact number for a wargaming friend of a college friend and knew noone else. Starwars was playing at a cinema a short walk from the dockyard so I watched it again, and again and again….till at last we steamed out of harbour.
One of the best years of my life and those memories are mixed with Starwars. Still the best of the movies until Rogue One came out!
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Good memories! I wonder if you viewed the film differently with your fresh military training.
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I think ‘Star Wars’ maybe marks a sort of generational divide – I was about 14 when it appeared, and had perhaps already been heavily influenced by WW2 movies etc on the telly, but I reckon for younger folk, that has been replaced by ‘Star Wars’ and its cultural progeny. I think the rise of Sci-Fi / Fantasy gaming has been a result of that, helped by the nice coincidence of ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ etc appearing at around the same time. I did like the film, but never got round to seeing any more of the series…
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Arguably Star Wars is those WW2 movies you / we were raised on and a space western at the same time.
Apparently George Lucas (raised on such heady fare of 50s and 60s war films) showed his team who were preparing to film the spaceship fights a mash up of old WW2 dogfight film footage to show them what he was looking for.
Seen simply by some, Darth Vader’s side are the Nazis, the evil Empire …
It is worth watching some of the Star Wars movies. The first two films (oddly episode IV and V) are good, I was going off them by the VI (the Ewok one) stage.
I disliked intensely the 2000s prequels (I, II and III) and cannot find a good word to say about them.
I found the latest Disney three sequels VII, VIII and V are good in parts but long … so long … especially in the cinema.
What enjoyed most since the first two 70s films was the stand alone film Star Wars: Rogue One which is worth watching. It finishes roughly where the first film starts without giving too much away. It has a few familiar ‘faces’ and references a few names from the first films, again without giving anything away …
Oddly I never got into Dungeons and Dragons (or Tolkien or Thrones) or fantasy gaming systems, though they suit many folks both young and old quite admirably … I think it is down to my being a bear of very little brain where Rules and Dynasties are concerned.
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