#52 - Star Wars #1, or A Study in Terribleness

Saturday, February 25

Today I am thankful that George Lucas is done making Star Wars films.

I love 4, 5, and 6.  I have no love for 1, serious disdain and dislike for 2.  3 was a worth seeing, and really not much sillier than the original 3 movies.

Why do I dislike 1 so much?  First, in light of my recent reading of Lies My Teacher Told Me, the obvious racism in the Gungans and Jar Jar Binks.  Second, the terribleness of plot line that results in a PLANET ELECTING A 13 YEAR OLD as its MONARCH with absolute power.  Third, the broken family that is the Skywalkers - a boy who "falls in love" with a mother figure, and we know marries her later.  Fourth, the directing.  And fifth and so on, the directing.  I don't know how a director can make Ewan MacGregor, Liam Neeson, and Natalie Portman go all much-mouthed and flat-faced.  But he did.

Today I took the kids to see the movie in 3D.  It had to be done.  They don't see the reasons I object to it, they just like the show.  My dad came, too.  It was a good time - I got to spend most of the movie with Jakers - he was hugging my arm, sitting on my lap, and laying down across his chair with his head in my lap.  I won't get that too many more times.  So I'll enjoy it while I can.

Meanwhile, the house has made major progress.  There are some things to be done, but the schedule says they'll all be done in the next week.  If the house is not on the market by the end of this week, it will be the middle of next week.  The rest of the new windows came in today.  I spent most of my work time in the studio.  It needed a lot of attention.

Pic of the day comes from Sleepy Hollow cemetery again. There is a hillside of vaults there that date back over 100 years.  Odd to walk around a corner in the cemetery and see a little neighborhood.  It reminded me of The Shire, actually.  Low doors, houses built into the hill.

The good pics are coming soon.  I got some doozies on my way out of town, but they are still on my camera, so you have to endure these slightly less contemporary pics for a couple more days.