On this episode of Weird Movies With Mark, I'm talking about Gymkata! Thanks for subscribing! Patreon-------------► / fanboyflicks Instagram---------► / fanboyflicks
Skateboard Kid, the same thing for me. A movie with a talking skateboard after lightning hits it and gives it life and it even flies, also that was the 90s' SMH 🤦♂️ Saw it once at my cousin's house on Saturday afternoon tv and never again
Damn I miss the 1980's. I remember when that movie first came out. It actually helped me kick someone's ass in grade school. The person had about 50 lbs on me, but he didn't expect a cartwheel that ended with a kick to his face. I got suspended for a week. Thanks, Gymkata
@@DamienDrake I think it was the after earth video, where he does this skit and in the end you see him review Jayden Smith social media posts with no pants on. Either that or I'm just completely off 😅
True Story: I was a very young child in Blockbuster wondering if I should rent this. I said to my mom "Do you know Gymkata?" She said, "Jimmy Carter was a president." I thought she said Gymkata was the president. I thought this was a biopic about a guy named Gymkata who fought like this then went on to become the president of the United States. That was very confusing.
RIP Kurt Thomas..awesome guy...I'm best friends with his nephew and let me tell ya. Kurt is one of the coolest person that I've had the pleasure of ever knowing
Fun Fact: the main bad guy here,is Richard Norton. He's a very well known Aussie Martial Artist.stuntman,fight choreographer and has a long career in playing bad guys in martial arts movies,specially in Hong Kong. He has starred in a shitload of Jackie Chan movies among other things. Oh and get this: he used to be the real-life bodyguard of Kylie Minoque. P.S. It just took one global health crisis,to get Mark to upload videos on a regular schedule. I'm not complaining though.
The random placement of gymnastic equipment throughout the movies was both super random and hilarious at the same time. I'm surprised they didn't have a random pair of gymnastic rings hanging in an alley.
@@Supervillain725 Yeah it was early 80's stuff so pretty tame. Still, yeah, what she did show was a nice surprise. I'll never complain about a little T&A :)
Fun fact: The Playboy model here, Techie Agbayani, is now Psychology professor who holds a master’s degree. After a career in modeling and doing sexy movie roles, she went back to school and finished her studies.
@@eisnerisgod That is really cool -- thanks for the info! I just checked her out in wikipedia, and indeed she has had an outstanding career in entertainment, psychology, and motherhood. Such a classy lady!
Yes yes. Ive been having my own gigglefest with a recent one he did.. "you've been mindtrapped AGAIN!" Just the way he says it. Has a seinfeldesque flair to it.
Fun fact: The woman who played the Parmistan princess was Filipina Playboy model Tetchie Agbayani. She is now a Psychology professor who holds a master’s degree in Psychology. After a career in modeling and acting, she went back to school and finished her studies.
I was a gymnast in the early 90s and this was my favorite movie! I mean there wasn’t a lot of gymnastics on tv back then so I didn’t have much to compare it to but I really loved all the gymnastics parts. I really enjoy how his hands are always chalked up and ready to go for any metal bars he might come by:)
This man is a clone! Gucci Mane is a clone!! The Real Mark will tell you he will see you next week but in reality he is saying he will see you in 3 years..
I prolly rented this on VHS for every birthday party when I as a kid. We were always freaked out by the old lady howling out of the window during the village scenes.
This reminds me of childhood days, when I brought two VHS to the counter, and me Dad reminded me: "I said ONE movie, not TWO..." So, a decision had to be made, and the choice fell on "American Ninja", instead of "Gymkata"... Still pondering to this day, whether I made the right decision... 🤔
This movie has a special place in my childhood. The 8 year old me thought this was the greatest thing ever and I would go to my grandmothers house every month just to play this on her vhs player in the early 90s. This movie made me want to get into gymnastics so bad because I thought you could really use it as martial arts lol.
I remember this movie as a kid. I thought it was pretty cool back then kind of like the cheesy American ninja movies. Looks silly now, but I'd still watch it if it was on. There's something about those old B grade martial arts movies that I find entertaining even if their choreography and execution kind of sucks. As an aside, cartwheels are actually a thing in martial arts particularly capoeira. The idea is you use the momentum and weight of your full body to hit someone or evade an attack. Could do a lot of damage if it lands. With my limited knowledge of martial arts, I'd probably say capoeira is the closest I've seen to what gymkata was portrayed as.
How many people remember Fox Saturdays, all the greatest movies , A& B movies. After Bmtas, X-Men, Spiderman, and all the greatest cartoons. Damn I'm old and miss the old days😰😰😰
This was amazing ! perfect couch potato host i love his un-amused attitude ... i remember Gymkata on HBO in the 80s and i thought it was great ... i was 8 years old then and now i see the errors in my ways ! It's even funnier that the movie tried to give the movie a sense of historical value with the ending paragraph, i mean the country wasn't even real ! Great video. thanks for sharing. I laughed several times.
Stranger: Those men among others will train you. * points to a pair of strangers fumbling around with ropes * Jon: I don't like where this is going, but go on.
11:10 "Why would you give her the [knife]?" Well that's easy, it's so that he appears less threatening, and if she attacks him with it he'll use that faultless disarming technique he showed off earlier in the movie.
I rented this years ago at Blockbuster and thought something was wrong with me that I couldn’t believe the Flinstone’s pommel horse would just happen to be there and that it could be used as a deadly weapon. Thank you. I feel validated with our shared cynicism.👍🏼
I’ve been watching you for years and you have always been amazing! I’m so proud that you’ve been on such a consistent release schedule because I know that was a goal of yours and I have been so happy to see a new video up so fast! Thank you for making my life just a little bit better and thank you for being you!
I was soooo hoping this would end with: "Jonathan did a backflip, snapped the bad guys neck and saved the day." And it did! Now we know where PitchMeeting got their phrase from XD
That shirt!!!! And the actress you played the princess is a Filipina actress, who was once a Playboy model, but is now a college instructor/professor of psychology after completing her higher studies.
You're one of the few RUclipsrs who actually makes videos that are interesting to watch all the way through. I never skip through any of your videos. Amazing channel! I'm glad you suffer through those movies so we don't have to :)
I have a conspiracy theory. Maybe the freeze frame at the beginning of Gymkata signified a very short first film! Then we are launched directly into the sequel. Two movies in one sitting. Revolutionary avant-garde film making. Bravo Gymkata, bravo!
Thank you so much for bumping up your output during the quarantine. Your videos are always a treat and the frequency of your uploads lately has really spoiled me. They're great entertainment during this insane point in time. Take care of yourself.
Ronald Reagan was a loon 😆 I’m really happy you’ve been posting so often, Mark. It makes me just a little happier when I see one of your videos in my feed
Thank you Mark. Your no pants had me laughing so hard that it made my whole day better after being on the front lines. Hope you're in good health as well and keep the vids coming my friend!
You have no idea how much I rewatch your videos and laugh just as hard as I did the first time. Your videos have a high replay value which is something I look for in a video game but is typically unheard of for original RUclips content. You are very much appreciated Mark. ❤️😊
I was kid just getting into gymnastics when this came out and let me tell you, that back-flip-conversation-with-himself scene was the coolest. It's one thing to do a back flip with a running start. It's a whole 'nother thing to do a standing backflip. Ah, the '80's were a magical time.
Gymkata is basically wrestling especially when they jump around doing flips and throwing people around like no one's business in ways that only work in that medium.
I remember watching this late night a few months ago on one of the specialty channels. The fact that there was a pommel horse in the middle of the town for the last fight scene was hysterical.
I know I'm 3 years later, but the US's missile defence program in the 1980s was nicknamed Star Wars by both the military and the press. So the name sounds weird if you just take into account the Star Wars films but for a brief decade after the first film's release, there was a period where the term "Star Wars" appearing in newspapers could mean either the movies or the Strategic Defense Initiative.
Приколы
I remember seeing this as a kid, then years later tried explaining it to anyone. Nobody knew what I was talking about and I sounded crazy.
I was just going to say that.
Yeah.
I did the same thing lol
A good 75-80% of movies made in the 1980s fit that description.
Skateboard Kid, the same thing for me. A movie with a talking skateboard after lightning hits it and gives it life and it even flies, also that was the 90s' SMH 🤦♂️
Saw it once at my cousin's house on Saturday afternoon tv and never again
R.I.P. Kurt Thomas (1956-2020), the Gymkata guy :'(
Damn I miss the 1980's. I remember when that movie first came out. It actually helped me kick someone's ass in grade school. The person had about 50 lbs on me, but he didn't expect a cartwheel that ended with a kick to his face. I got suspended for a week. Thanks, Gymkata
Nobody expected a cartwheel to the face, until “Only the Strong” came out
I laugh literally every time Mark says “Parmestan” because I’m imagining everyone in the country is obsessed with Parmesan cheese.
That's italy.
i thought the same. was about to comment on it until i saw your post lol hilarious
Nothing like a plate of raviolistan sprinkled with parmestan, maybe a few breadstickstans with a saladstan.
I don't get it. Parmesan smells like feet!
Same hehe
I laughed so hard when the dad took another arrow to the back
Me too I was so happy they were reconnected and the BAM out of nowhere lmao.
I laughed when he 'disarmed' the princess of Palmerstan of the knife. She hardly had a chance
Everfree Brumby At least gets didn’t take an arrow to the knee...
I laughed uncontrollably at the EXTREME hug! 😂😂😂
Also love that they just left the arrow in his back for the entire horse ride back home. #reallove
Wasn't the first one in his chest, as he was hanging from the rope? Not that it matters, mind you. . .
So does this mean all this time you've been doing reviews without any pants on?
He's said that before
Do you remember which video? I laughed so ridiculously hard at that part that my roommate probably thinks I'm insane.
@@DamienDrake I think it was the after earth video, where he does this skit and in the end you see him review Jayden Smith social media posts with no pants on. Either that or I'm just completely off 😅
Nah at like 6:00 you can see he is wearing jeans.
DamienDrake private school which I saw on USA up all night was hiliarously bad but watchable uncut though☺️
True Story: I was a very young child in Blockbuster wondering if I should rent this. I said to my mom "Do you know Gymkata?" She said, "Jimmy Carter was a president." I thought she said Gymkata was the president. I thought this was a biopic about a guy named Gymkata who fought like this then went on to become the president of the United States. That was very confusing.
🤣🤣🤣!!
RIP Kurt Thomas..awesome guy...I'm best friends with his nephew and let me tell ya. Kurt is one of the coolest person that I've had the pleasure of ever knowing
Fun Fact: the main bad guy here,is Richard Norton. He's a very well known Aussie Martial Artist.stuntman,fight choreographer and has a long career in playing bad guys in martial arts movies,specially in Hong Kong. He has starred in a shitload of Jackie Chan movies among other things. Oh and get this: he used to be the real-life bodyguard of Kylie Minoque.
P.S. It just took one global health crisis,to get Mark to upload videos on a regular schedule.
I'm not complaining though.
Thought that name was familiar. He played a bad guy in Mad Max: Fury Road too, as the imperator that Furiosa headbuts during the final chase.
...and he's in most every Cynthia Rothrock film; Mark needs to tackle those.
Cynthia Rothrock is fucking awesome,she and Michelle Yeoh are the Kung Fu Queens.
This was the first movie I ever saw him in, then I saw him fighting Cynthia Rockroth, and was even more pissed at how this film did him.
I remember when Minogue was the most famous Kylie in the UK. She's been overtaken here by Jenner.
Sunrise/sunset
The random placement of gymnastic equipment throughout the movies was both super random and hilarious at the same time. I'm surprised they didn't have a random pair of gymnastic rings hanging in an alley.
13:03 "And suddenly they turn around, and give you...THE HAM." LOLOLOLOL
This Gymkata Hero looks like a Dollar Store version of the young Richard Dean Anderson.
So let's get a Playboy model and a male gymnast to star in a movie. What could go wrong? Wait, it's not a porn flick? OK, that's what went wrong.
Well that one guy did do a lot of Cynthia rothrock movies.
She was in Playboy? Bonus.
@@Supervillain725 Yeah it was early 80's stuff so pretty tame. Still, yeah, what she did show was a nice surprise. I'll never complain about a little T&A :)
Fun fact: The Playboy model here, Techie Agbayani, is now Psychology professor who holds a master’s degree. After a career in modeling and doing sexy movie roles, she went back to school and finished her studies.
@@eisnerisgod That is really cool -- thanks for the info! I just checked her out in wikipedia, and indeed she has had an outstanding career in entertainment, psychology, and motherhood. Such a classy lady!
'Doesn't matter how fast this guy runs, you can never out run a good flip' - Killed me!
If you were a kid in the 80’s, you LOVED this movie in all its cheesiness.
I lived on these movies!
They can say what they want but when i was 7 years old this movie had me enthralled!
i didn't see this but i totally remember that cover from video stores
I used to call bowling alleys to have Jim Kata paged to the phone!
lucabrasisleepswiththefishes 🤣😂, good one.
"This guy's dealing out gymnastic justice in perfect form." :D lol
Your sense of humor is much appreciated during these times Mark. As always.
Yes yes. Ive been having my own gigglefest with a recent one he did.. "you've been mindtrapped AGAIN!" Just the way he says it. Has a seinfeldesque flair to it.
It won't save you from the corona
Super High Doug Judy cool
@CommiesCant Surf can't they just lift quarantine for the young and healthy people
Did you survive covid? Get a booster up your ass just in brief case case
The most underrated content creator on youtube, period
Nah, that's Slammarang!
Good Bad Flicks 👍
Half his schtick he took from redlettermedia, I guarantee he covered this because he saw their much funnier video
being rated is overrated ^^
.
16:07 “Amazing, I expected very little, and I’m still disappointed.” Wonderfully put Mark.
Fun fact: The woman who played the Parmistan princess was Filipina Playboy model Tetchie Agbayani. She is now a Psychology professor who holds a master’s degree in Psychology. After a career in modeling and acting, she went back to school and finished her studies.
I was a gymnast in the early 90s and this was my favorite movie! I mean there wasn’t a lot of gymnastics on tv back then so I didn’t have much to compare it to but I really loved all the gymnastics parts. I really enjoy how his hands are always chalked up and ready to go for any metal bars he might come by:)
Same. This film is definitely underrated by non-gymnast plebs. ;)
@@echelon2k8 Most people just call them heterosexuals
@@200membersofcongressdncgop2 Most idiots, maybe.
@@200membersofcongressdncgop2 Why is your username "200 members of congress DNC & GOP took Ivermectin"?
Never imagined there would be a day I laughed at someone gets arrowed on his back
Me, a slav: This looks like it was shot in Yugoslavia!
Wikipedia: The film was shot in Yugoslavia.
Bully on the playground:
"Give me your lunch money, kid"
Me:
"I know Gymkata."
Bully:
"Easy kid. I..I..was just foolin".
13:07 "...and suddenly they spin around...and give you the ham...." ahhaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!
😂😂😂 "ham!" Love Mark
Can we all just acknowledge having a camouflaged pummel horse in our local woodlands would be awesome?
That cracked me up! Seriously, you don't think we know what that is? This is a movie with a gymnast in it!
RIP Kurt Thomas. 1956 - 2020.
I voted for this guy as most likely to imitate Jerry Seinfeld without even trying.
“And I know what you’re thinking, Mark are we going to get even MORE GYMKATA ACTION?!
Well what do you think…
Yes”
Dude, you crack me up! LOL
four videos in one month?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE REAL MARK?!?!
Him and jontron must be sharing schedules
This man is a clone! Gucci Mane is a clone!! The Real Mark will tell you he will see you next week but in reality he is saying he will see you in 3 years..
*spin around and..give you the ham"
damn you mark, for making me giggle in my room at 4:30 AM.
R.I.P., Kurt.
“Screw that I can do flips on them.” 😂😂
He did a backflip, snapped the bad guy's neck and saved the day.
More!
Making Pitch Meeting references in a different channel is TIGHT
It was super easy, barely an inconvinience
Yeah
Wow! Wowwowowow!
I prolly rented this on VHS for every birthday party when I as a kid. We were always freaked out by the old lady howling out of the window during the village scenes.
Mark without pants ❤️
Also, this movie is truly epic.
This reminds me of childhood days, when I brought two VHS to the counter, and me Dad reminded me: "I said ONE movie, not TWO..." So, a decision had to be made, and the choice fell on "American Ninja", instead of "Gymkata"...
Still pondering to this day, whether I made the right decision... 🤔
The "right decision" would have been neither one.
I love you for this comment g. Replace dad w mom and that's my childhood too!
As long as the quarantine is going on, we will get consistent uploads from Mark. I guess its about finding the silver linings in life
This movie has a special place in my childhood. The 8 year old me thought this was the greatest thing ever and I would go to my grandmothers house every month just to play this on her vhs player in the early 90s. This movie made me want to get into gymnastics so bad because I thought you could really use it as martial arts lol.
Okay, the scene when the guy does a half twist and talks to himself was bad ass and you know it. 👍
@Giuseppe Shmo wow, fascinating read!! Now i feel so bad for poor Elena Mukhina...
I remember this movie as a kid. I thought it was pretty cool back then kind of like the cheesy American ninja movies. Looks silly now, but I'd still watch it if it was on. There's something about those old B grade martial arts movies that I find entertaining even if their choreography and execution kind of sucks. As an aside, cartwheels are actually a thing in martial arts particularly capoeira. The idea is you use the momentum and weight of your full body to hit someone or evade an attack. Could do a lot of damage if it lands. With my limited knowledge of martial arts, I'd probably say capoeira is the closest I've seen to what gymkata was portrayed as.
Iceaxe0410 watch night of thecomet it’s a great b movie 🍿
How many people remember Fox Saturdays, all the greatest movies , A& B movies. After Bmtas, X-Men, Spiderman, and all the greatest cartoons. Damn I'm old and miss the old days😰😰😰
As silly as a cartwheel might *look* in a fight, I wouldn't understate the full weight and force of a heel to the jaw at mach 2 🤸💥
>Dat shirt
FRIENDS FOR ETERNITY LOYALTY HONESTY
We'll stay together, through thick or thin.
Friends forever, we'll be together.
We're on top 'cause we play to win.
As soon as the video started I was laughing. Dragon sound 4 life
This was amazing ! perfect couch potato host i love his un-amused attitude ... i remember Gymkata on HBO in the 80s and i thought it was great ... i was 8 years old then and now i see the errors in my ways ! It's even funnier that the movie tried to give the movie a sense of historical value with the ending paragraph, i mean the country wasn't even real ! Great video. thanks for sharing. I laughed several times.
Stranger: Those men among others will train you.
* points to a pair of strangers fumbling around with ropes *
Jon: I don't like where this is going, but go on.
11:10 "Why would you give her the [knife]?" Well that's easy, it's so that he appears less threatening, and if she attacks him with it he'll use that faultless disarming technique he showed off earlier in the movie.
That shirt put a big, dumb smile on my face.
RIP Kurt Thomas, the Gymkata master :(
R.I.P. Kurt Thomas
So does Black Widow and every other movie superheroine know gymkata.
Just at the moment that guy with the backless robe turned around, my cat walked by lifting up its tail... Yup.. It just pulled a Breen on me !
I rented this years ago at Blockbuster and thought something was wrong with me that I couldn’t believe the Flinstone’s pommel horse would just happen to be there and that it could be used as a deadly weapon. Thank you. I feel validated with our shared cynicism.👍🏼
As a former gymnast I have to say that it was an enormous thrill to see Kurt Thomas win Olympic gold in men's gymnastics. R.I.P. Kurt.
Unfortunately Kurt Thomas never won gold at the Olympics.
I’ve been watching you for years and you have always been amazing! I’m so proud that you’ve been on such a consistent release schedule because I know that was a goal of yours and I have been so happy to see a new video up so fast! Thank you for making my life just a little bit better and thank you for being you!
And to think it only took a global pandemic for it to happen
I would have given this movie a 10 out of 10 if the random pipe broke.
Heidi Fedor 😇
The Star wars program is actually a real thing here in the states. It dates back decades.
16:15 George Lucas (and me) TRIGGERED.
No way, I watched this movie as a kid and couldn't remember the name to save my life , and out of the blue I get this video recommendation. Subbed!
The country of Parmesan?
Such a cheesy movie
No, they just export parmesan but they're called Parmestan. 😉
You beat me to the cheese joke.
Almost Pakistan but more cheese like
Could've worked if it wasn't the wrong name.
Puns? Oh that's grate
I remember watching this movie in the mid 80s with a couple of friends and we thought it was so cool back then.
In that regard, it's the Fast and Furious of the 80s.
@@commandercaptain4664 yes you're correct. Hehehe 😁
Rest in peace Kurt Thomas!
I was soooo hoping this would end with: "Jonathan did a backflip, snapped the bad guys neck and saved the day." And it did! Now we know where PitchMeeting got their phrase from XD
Parmistan . . . a country famous for their perfection of Parmesan cheese.
That guy with the "surprise peek a boo" robe looked like Serj Tankian from System of a Down.
That shirt!!!!
And the actress you played the princess is a Filipina actress, who was once a Playboy model, but is now a college instructor/professor of psychology after completing her higher studies.
Sad to hear that Kurt Thomas just recently passed away.
So this is how Mortal Kombat actually started. Interesting. xD
I love this guys reviews. He is the king of sarcasm.
You're one of the few RUclipsrs who actually makes videos that are interesting to watch all the way through. I never skip through any of your videos. Amazing channel! I'm glad you suffer through those movies so we don't have to :)
I have a conspiracy theory. Maybe the freeze frame at the beginning of Gymkata signified a very short first film! Then we are launched directly into the sequel. Two movies in one sitting. Revolutionary avant-garde film making. Bravo Gymkata, bravo!
is nobody going to mention he looks like a discount MacGyver?
😅😅😅😅
Missing the back half of his suit sort of likes Moe Szyslak was missing the back half of his tuxedo.
This movie was....
AWESOME!!!
Howling at “gymnastic justice.” Bravo.
Thank you so much for bumping up your output during the quarantine. Your videos are always a treat and the frequency of your uploads lately has really spoiled me. They're great entertainment during this insane point in time.
Take care of yourself.
I remember me and my buddies loving this movie when I was a kid in school. Haven't watched it since cuz I don't wanna spoil the memories, LOL!
Mark's still "Against The Ninja" I see. Good man.
"Spin around, and give you the ham" :D
*It's Confirmed*
Mark doesn't wear pants when he films.
Would you?
what a pervert!
"You got your karate in my gymnastics!"
"You got your gymnastics in my karate!"
Two great tastes that taste stupid together: Gymkata!
The Town of the Crazies elevated this movie beyond complete and utter schlock. Such a unique and disturbing sequence.
This movie taught me that if i could do backflips my life would be soooooo much better.
4:12 Pantless spirit animal detected
“Spin around and give you the ham” 😂
I am screaming! 🤣🤣🤣
"Screw that, I can do flips on em, let's go." 😆
Ronald Reagan was a loon 😆
I’m really happy you’ve been posting so often, Mark. It makes me just a little happier when I see one of your videos in my feed
Says the fat neck beard.
As soon as your notification pops up, it brings such joy in my heart.
Ha ha what a story Mark
Thank you Mark. Your no pants had me laughing so hard that it made my whole day better after being on the front lines. Hope you're in good health as well and keep the vids coming my friend!
"You can never outrun a good flip"
Mark of FanboyFlicks - 2020
I watched this a couple of years after it came out, as a young boy it all made perfect sense to me.
Thanks for destroying a childhood memory🤣
Glad you finally got to this one. I bought the dvd for a friend last Christmas and it was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time.
yes this movie looks dumb but damb the gymnastics are legitimately impressive
RIP GYMKATA MASTER KURT THOMAS
You have no idea how much I rewatch your videos and laugh just as hard as I did the first time. Your videos have a high replay value which is something I look for in a video game but is typically unheard of for original RUclips content. You are very much appreciated Mark. ❤️😊
Mark you silly billy it’s 80s law that a group of ninjas never attack all at once lol
I loved this movie as a kid. Rest in peace Kurt Thomas.
4:12 Donald Duck’in it with the perfect framing. 10/10 commitment to the bit.
I was kid just getting into gymnastics when this came out and let me tell you, that back-flip-conversation-with-himself scene was the coolest. It's one thing to do a back flip with a running start. It's a whole 'nother thing to do a standing backflip. Ah, the '80's were a magical time.
Gymkata is basically wrestling especially when they jump around doing flips and throwing people around like no one's business in ways that only work in that medium.
Just saw the news, RIP Kurt Thomas.
I remember watching this late night a few months ago on one of the specialty channels. The fact that there was a pommel horse in the middle of the town for the last fight scene was hysterical.
I know I'm 3 years later, but the US's missile defence program in the 1980s was nicknamed Star Wars by both the military and the press.
So the name sounds weird if you just take into account the Star Wars films but for a brief decade after the first film's release, there was a period where the term "Star Wars" appearing in newspapers could mean either the movies or the Strategic Defense Initiative.