Tick bath for Lumpy! Thanks for this upscale. Can I ask if you would consider upscaling the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes? They are in 480 standard Def and could benefit from what you've done here. The problem is that RUclips limits the bandwidth so like this Start Wars upscale they'd be better off being uploaded elsewhere.
@@jaredontv He recently had his car crash so had a lot of make up to hide the scars, and I imagine the hair colour change was part of his new image to go with his new nose ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes it wasn't as bad as many people claim, because all of the specials at the time were corny anyway, but the only strange thing i found was Luke's face.
well, we had no cable, there was no pay-per-view, and there were commercials (mercifully). idk, I couldn't believe it was free until I started watching it!
TV didnt come in very well and forever i wondered wtf i saw anyway. I only saw the part with stormtroopers searching and bullying the home and this is the first confirmation that i didnt imagine it.
You do realize that George Lucas decided sell Star Wars to Disney, because of the so-called 'fans' that told Lucas that he did a terrible job on the Prequels. So instead of blaming Disney for doing what 'any' company would've done if 'they' had the chance to buy Star Wars, blame GEORGE LUCAS for not believing in his story. Also, if you can do a better job, then do it. Otherwise, don't watch it.
@@markusallen5634George sold it, to my knowledge, for the money. He wanted the same deal as was given to Pixar (another, technical Lucas related production). So, it wasn't because George didn't believe in his work, but rather, he sold because of the money. He sold it for something like $4 billion in cash plus 4% to 10% of Disney's stock. 🤷🏾♂️
The Holiday Special has everything: Nightmare fuel Wookiees, Mark Hamill with uncanny valley levels of makeup, Harrison Ford bored out of his mind cursing his agent, coked up Carrie Fisher singing (with extra instrumentals to hide the out of tune parts) and fever dream vignettes.
Lucas had absolutely nothing to do with this at all. It was sort of very loosely based on a Wookie story outline Lucas had written, but it was changed completely by CBS. The only reason Lucas disowns it is because he had nothing to do with it. Also, you should thank the person that recorded this on vhs in 1978, it is their recording that you are seeing. It only aired once and probably only two or three people recorded it since VCRs were too expensive and not many people had them at the time. I bought my vhs copy of it at a sci-fi convention in 1993, long before it was on the internet,
@@zman4242 I actually watched it's first airing. Lucas very much signed off on it at the time. I remember him promoting it on TV. Not understanding Star Wars success himself, hence why he didn't direct them or write them himself after SW.
I watched this live when it first ran. The comedy variety show was a staple of 1970s TV. Exploiting a movie in this format at Christmas made sense at the time. Studios weren't as obsessive about controlling their IP (although Lucas would help to change that). Also there was a huge gap between movies and TV which it's hard to appreciate today. You just wouldn't think of TV and movies happening in the same "universe". Star Trek the motion picture wouldn't come out for another couple years - and that was a milestone in bridging that gap. You would almost think: "Who cares? It's just TV". And you also almost never saw actors move back and forth between the two. Apart from the Star Wars cast, most of these people - Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, Art Carney - were TV comedy actors. In some ways the feature film intruding into the TV comedy variety show is the weird part (or innovative part). Still, there's a lot to love about this - there is original music (it was a musical variety show so they had a great studio orchestra at hand) and the very first appearance in the world of the Imperial March and the Luke & Leia musical theme which doesn't otherwise show up until ROTJ. Even as a tiny kid I knew it wasn't that great, but we would do anything - anything - to catch a little hit of Star Wars (remember, you could only see this in the cinema - and then you had to just hold onto it in your imagination). But the animated section (which I somehow missed in the video), which introduced us to Boba Fett - or to his design anyway - was absolutely thrilling. I have a lot of time for the Holiday Special. I also enjoy seeing Carrie Fisher high as an effin kite.
@rabbitandcrow So true. And we didn't get the chance to watch it over and over at home until it ran on HBO sometime in 82 or 83 and we could record it on VHS.
True about the studios not being obsessed with brand integrity. In the 80s here in Germany we had a series of Barbie audioplays. And in one of them a stranger on a Greek island wanted to kill Barbie by throwing rocks on her. In another one Skipper fell for a pyramid scheme. Good times
Only a true Star Wars fan will endure how bad this Holiday Special was for the sake of the love we have for Star Wars. But never the less we need to thank you for upscaling this historic piece of Star Wars material.
Ignorant comment - Bea Arthur was a solid actress, great gravitas and theater-trained. Next to Mark, Harrison and Carrie - she was already an iconic actress at this point in her career - just because you don’t know something, doesn’t mean it has to be a surprise.
@@Cory_J lol - I watched the xmas special - didn't watch the Acolyte though - based on the Disney track record and then record bad reviews, I won't waste my time, or even credit a single view to the Acolyte. We all need to pray Disney collapses.
It feels like Star Wars- a poorly made misunderstanding of Star Wars, but still Star Wars. Disney has made these hollow, ugly and downright awful things wearing Star Wars' skin
This is almost eerie. I had just turned 8 years old when this was broadcast and watched it in a "cabin in the woods" (technically a mobile home, but "cabin" sounds better) on my grandparents' MASSIVE 25-inch Emerson console TV... and this looks just like the original broadcast. Fantastic work here. Thanks for sharing it, and Happy Life Day!
Sadly, one of the rare items that can't be improved by the upscaling. I remember watching this on TV as a kid the one time it aired. And afterwards, we were all like "What did we just watch?" I used to tell our own children about this horrible thing called the "Star Wars Holiday Special" that was so bad it never aired a second time--only later to discover that Lucas tried to hide it forever--obviously, he didn't succeed, and Perifractric has now unleashed it on the world in an all-new, 5K glory! Thanks!
I had the exact same reaction when I saw the first Disney Star Wars movie. The only thing I could think of was Southpark was right with George Lucas raping Indiana Jones, but it was KKKenedy buggering poor Luke.
Oh how sorry for you! I saw this as a kid and as an obsessive fan of the film and all things Star Wars I absolutely Loved it, especially the Boba Fett segment!
@@AlexisTatarinov VHS/Betamax refresh rates were fixed at 24, 25, and 30 fps, but the illusion of smoother motion on a standard television set was usually the result of the CRT screen itself having a scanline frequency of 60hz. This means that 24, 25, and 30 fps broadcasts were often displayed non-interlaced at double the refresh rate, giving the illusion of a higher framerate.
@@Sum_Yousah yes HZ, but not frame per second a.k.a Fps. The original trilogy was shot for 24fps so, i assume TV episodes were too. So the highest it went was 30fps.
@@Darkcranio Back in the day, film and TV were totally different beasts. Film worked a lot like today's digital video insofar as it was a complete new image being displayed every 1/24 of a second... But TV recordings and broadcasts were "interlaced": instead of one full 480-line image being drawn every 1/30 of a second, there were 240-line "fields" being drawn every 1/60 of a second. Just the even lines first, then the odd lines, then even lines, and so on. So this was a sort of muddy pseudo-60fps which gave old TV shows their distinctive look.
"The special was extremely poorly received, and has never been rebroadcast nor officially released on home video. It has become something of a cultural legend due to the underground quality of its existence. It has been viewed and distributed in off-air recordings made from its original telecast by fans as bootleg copies, and it has also been uploaded to content-sharing websites. In contrast, the animated segment that introduced Boba Fett was positively received and, in 2021, was released on Disney+."
ObiWan: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if a single voice suddenly cried out in terror and was suddenly silenced. Gorge Lucas (distant voice): Noooooooooooooo
He just looks like an entirely different person. I know he had a car accident and got plastic surgery, but I don't understand why he looks so different here, but then looks more or less normal in the other movies that came after.
@@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg this one was filmed closer to the car accident unlike later movies, the scars were probably still fresh and visable, thats why he is wearing tons of make up. thats my guess at least
I figure that there are 2 kinds of Star Wars fans in the world, and this Christmas special is what divides the 2 camps. How hard-core of a fan do you have to be to watch this and enjoy it is beyond me. Also, I'm super glad it was upscaled for us all to witness its true glory. Thanks.
This special has, LITERALLY, never looked so tidy and neat! Even my BEST bootleg VHS copy hunting could ever get anything THIS sweet. You Sir, are once again a Prince among men! Thank you for upgrading my EXTREMELY fuzzy memory of this almost lost gem!
I remember watching this when it first aired when I was a wee lad n thinking what I still think about it today n that's what the hell did I just watch? God u have to love the 70's!
@@armondtanzShe doesn't hate men. She makes movies on Palestine's treatment of women. Her men comment was said as a joke, in the context of one of those movies. Doing research would do wonders.
I saw the original film 13 times in the theater the year that it came out, but this wins the Emmy for Best Unintentional Comedy. It is an embarrassment that keeps on giving 45 years later, a real blessing in disguise. After the opening sequence, you get nearly 10 minutes of uninterrupted Wookie. Is it wrong that this is my favorite part? I'll tell you when I stop laughing. May the farce be with you, and thanks SO much for this.🥳
Imagine the shame any Star Wars fan must have felt seeing this for the first time. The only thing worse would be convincing someone who's never seen any of the movies to watch this with you after non-stop fan gilring over how great Star Wars was. Thinking why not sit and watch this 'holiday special' together cause it should be awesome.
A friend convinced several people to accompany him to see the movie "Doc Savage: Man of Bronze" ... then had to explain that the movie was NOT representative of the old pulp novels. Don't know if he ever convinced them.
I was "today" old when I first saw this... and I saw Star Wars in the theater in 1977. Wow. I heard the odd comments over the years but now I know why nobody talks about this "special" and why I never saw it as a kid or teen.
Mahalo for this. What a cool Christmas present. I'm one of the extant few who watched it on the evening it was broadcast. I was so STARVED for more "Star Wars" that I overlooked and forgave all the silly nonsense that the younglings go on about nowadays. Mele Kalikimaka and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!
As arguably terrible as this show was, the quality of this recording is amazing!! I thought only old VHS copies were around. after watching it a few times, sort of grows on you and was all part of the Star Wars euphoria back then. Great fun innocent times.
I was 12 when this came out. I remember being very excited to finally get another dose of Star Wars. I knew it would not be film quality, but I expected it to be entertaining. I knew something was off in the first five minutes. Then it dawned on me, it was a stupid variety show! I hung on hoping it would get better, but when they cut to the Tatooine part, I couldn't take it anymore and just went to my room. I never saw the rest of it until many years later on RUclips. I remember fearing the sequel they were making would be this bad.
I remember watching this in shock even as a 7 year old … wondering how the same people brought us such an amazing movie just a few months early was able to create this monstrosity
Because it wasn’t the same people, George Lucas had nothing to do with it he signed off on the project but it definitely wasn’t the vision he had…and after he saw it he tried to get his name and any link to him off the project. Lol
The ULTIMATE endurance test for some, a treasure trove of... something... for others. Where else can you get Wookie child abuse, grandpa getting off on cyberporn in the middle of the living room in full view of the family, Mark in Barbie make-up, coked-up Carrie, & indifferent Harrison, all amidst the comic stylings of some of the days' most relevant comedy performers of the youth of that generation: Art Carney, Harvey Korman, & Bea Arthur. One still ponders how in the world the producers managed to secure such cutting-edge talent for this gem. Their omission in the succeeding SW films were truly missed opportunities. Not since the moon landing was such a one-time event so memorably captured in the zeitgeist of, not only the viewing television audience, but the apogee of humanity's achievement. To have it presented here in such a pristine state should garner the envy of the Smithsonian, the Louvre, and artifact custodians & curators the world over! SO SAY WE ALL!
Leia starts singing.... Hey shut up, get over here cinnamon buns and sit on daddy's lap! No, not there, scoot over a little bit so you're in the middle. Oh yeah, there we go! Lol
A masterpiece ! Great acting, wookie dialogues are awesome. Astonishing Audacity of staging. I didn’t know Leia was an accountant. And Merry Christmas 🎅🏼🎄to the Fractic family and the fanfractic community
Oh my goodness! Saw this as a kid when it first aired on TV. Next day on the school playground, then genuine consensus was... confusion and "I guess it was ok". This remaster is amazing. Thanks for cleaning this up and presenting something was almost forgot about.... or tried to forget about? LOL! Cheers to the Fractic Fam.
A long time ago, "The Christmas special" was regarded as a very bad Star Wars parody and it was so humiliating to watch. But that was before the dark times, before the Disney...after Disney took over, this looks like a long lost masterpiece.
@@psyjax2 I’d add the prequel trilogy to the list too. If you can get past the sillier elements and see the deeper story underneath, it was a really a visionary work. The OG trilogy was a comparatively simple “hero’s journey” with added Jungian motifs, but still great obviously.
Excellent!👍 I have a special place for this show in my heart. I was so excited to watch it as a kid and I loved it, even if it was technically bad. Just getting to see Luke, Han and Leia in something new at that time was a treat. Thank you for doing this!
I thought you liked us Mr Fractic 😂😂. I thought i would never see this after the first time i seen it oh the pain oh the pain. Thanks for the hard work and ofc am going to watch it that said i may need a crate of beer to help me 😂🤣. Merry Christmas to the chat and to who ever reads this and Merry Christmas to all at Retro Recipes and i hope 2024 brings much joy to you all 🙂
Growing up with an older brother I never realized how much he loved me until today. I realized that he shielded me from the knowledge of this horrendous disaster of a film . Seeing this as a child it would have etched itself into my nightmares all through my life. Thanks bro.
Like the old saying goes , " You have to take the bad with the good " ...No matter how bad this holiday special is, it's part of Stars Wars history and it should be available to anyone who wants to watch it. I don't love it, but I kinda like it for what it is. Sometimes bad is good.
Happy holidays everyone and may the Force be with you 🎄 7 day free trial: Ad-free early access to our new videos: patreon.com/perifractic 🙏
Dude, its like taking shoe polish to a petrified turd and putting a high gloss shine on the turd. It's still a turd, just a shiny turd.
Is the full, "uncensored" (non-YT) version available anywhere for download? I would love to see this in its complete form.
what's up with Mark Hamill's hair due in this show? lol
Tick bath for Lumpy! Thanks for this upscale. Can I ask if you would consider upscaling the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes? They are in 480 standard Def and could benefit from what you've done here. The problem is that RUclips limits the bandwidth so like this Start Wars upscale they'd be better off being uploaded elsewhere.
@@jaredontv He recently had his car crash so had a lot of make up to hide the scars, and I imagine the hair colour change was part of his new image to go with his new nose ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you are anyone in 1978, this was your second official dose of Star Wars. You couldn't believe it was free on tv.
Yes it wasn't as bad as many people claim, because all of the specials at the time were corny anyway, but the only strange thing i found was Luke's face.
well, we had no cable, there was no pay-per-view, and there were commercials (mercifully). idk, I couldn't believe it was free until I started watching it!
TV didnt come in very well and forever i wondered wtf i saw anyway. I only saw the part with stormtroopers searching and bullying the home and this is the first confirmation that i didnt imagine it.
@@badideabearcub2747caravan of courage and battle if endor were even worse
@@rnichol22
I disagree with every molecule of my being. Loved that kiddie stuff. I was a kid. ROTJ Part 2 and 3? I'm down.
Disney cannot strike this down - they would have to admit it is theirs first 😀
If they strike this down, it’ll become more powerful than they can possibly imagine.
You do realize that George Lucas decided sell Star Wars to Disney, because of the so-called 'fans' that told Lucas that he did a terrible job on the Prequels. So instead of blaming Disney for doing what 'any' company would've done if 'they' had the chance to buy Star Wars, blame GEORGE LUCAS for not believing in his story. Also, if you can do a better job, then do it. Otherwise, don't watch it.
@@markusallen5634George sold it, to my knowledge, for the money. He wanted the same deal as was given to Pixar (another, technical Lucas related production). So, it wasn't because George didn't believe in his work, but rather, he sold because of the money. He sold it for something like $4 billion in cash plus 4% to 10% of Disney's stock. 🤷🏾♂️
you made me spit my biscuit all over my keyboard 😥 what will I dip in my tea now
They're produced worse
When I find out someone hasn't watched Starwars, I always start them off with this.
@@xuxuang8574 that’s actually good idea
I start them off with the last jedi cos I love making people unreasonably angry
This is definitely canon and should always be watched between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back!
Great!! Now we can hate it in 4K at 60fps
BEST PRESENT EVER!!!
The Holiday Special has everything: Nightmare fuel Wookiees, Mark Hamill with uncanny valley levels of makeup, Harrison Ford bored out of his mind cursing his agent, coked up Carrie Fisher singing (with extra instrumentals to hide the out of tune parts) and fever dream vignettes.
😂
Hamill looks like that because he'd recently received plastic surgery for a motorcycle accident.
And even a guest appearance by Beatrice Arthur!
@@biblehistoryscience3530 The car accident where he fractured his nose and left cheekbone?
@Dulcimerist , yeah, I obviously meant that car accident. Imagine my embarrassment forgetting a detail about something that happened 46 years ago.
I've been dodging this for 40 years... I suppose I can't keep avoiding it.
Search your feelings... you know it to be yuletide.
I'll never join you!
@@sirvivor7835 Let go... Christmas is just around the corner.
Keep doing it
Should've kept on dodging....
We just won't let George forget this one. Thank you internet(and Retro Recipes)
🤦🏼♂️George be like they converted it to 4k crap.
Lucas had absolutely nothing to do with this at all. It was sort of very loosely based on a Wookie story outline Lucas had written, but it was changed completely by CBS. The only reason Lucas disowns it is because he had nothing to do with it.
Also, you should thank the person that recorded this on vhs in 1978, it is their recording that you are seeing. It only aired once and probably only two or three people recorded it since VCRs were too expensive and not many people had them at the time. I bought my vhs copy of it at a sci-fi convention in 1993, long before it was on the internet,
@@zman4242 I actually watched it's first airing. Lucas very much signed off on it at the time. I remember him promoting it on TV. Not understanding Star Wars success himself, hence why he didn't direct them or write them himself after SW.
I watched this live when it first ran. The comedy variety show was a staple of 1970s TV. Exploiting a movie in this format at Christmas made sense at the time. Studios weren't as obsessive about controlling their IP (although Lucas would help to change that). Also there was a huge gap between movies and TV which it's hard to appreciate today. You just wouldn't think of TV and movies happening in the same "universe". Star Trek the motion picture wouldn't come out for another couple years - and that was a milestone in bridging that gap. You would almost think: "Who cares? It's just TV". And you also almost never saw actors move back and forth between the two. Apart from the Star Wars cast, most of these people - Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, Art Carney - were TV comedy actors. In some ways the feature film intruding into the TV comedy variety show is the weird part (or innovative part). Still, there's a lot to love about this - there is original music (it was a musical variety show so they had a great studio orchestra at hand) and the very first appearance in the world of the Imperial March and the Luke & Leia musical theme which doesn't otherwise show up until ROTJ. Even as a tiny kid I knew it wasn't that great, but we would do anything - anything - to catch a little hit of Star Wars (remember, you could only see this in the cinema - and then you had to just hold onto it in your imagination). But the animated section (which I somehow missed in the video), which introduced us to Boba Fett - or to his design anyway - was absolutely thrilling. I have a lot of time for the Holiday Special. I also enjoy seeing Carrie Fisher high as an effin kite.
@rabbitandcrow So true. And we didn't get the chance to watch it over and over at home until it ran on HBO sometime in 82 or 83 and we could record it on VHS.
Good points. Can't keep eyes open long enough to get to any big names, though. I think Chewie's family sketch is the prescription for insomnia.
True about the studios not being obsessed with brand integrity. In the 80s here in Germany we had a series of Barbie audioplays. And in one of them a stranger on a Greek island wanted to kill Barbie by throwing rocks on her. In another one Skipper fell for a pyramid scheme. Good times
Only a true Star Wars fan will endure how bad this Holiday Special was for the sake of the love we have for Star Wars. But never the less we need to thank you for upscaling this historic piece of Star Wars material.
Lol, mark hamill's best work.
I just focus on getting to the Jefferson starship performance, if I can endure to that point then I can get through the whole thing
I feel much the same about everything they’ve churned out since Disney got involved.
stop simping for companies that milk you for money.
@@jc4388No, that's gotta go to his work as the joker. Especially his last job was him in Arkham City
Who knew that in a Star Wars movie with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford... Bea Arthur would end up being the best thing about it
"I'll run a tab for The Empire." That was pure Maude Findlay.
AND Art Carney!!
This is Deadpools favorite bea Arthur acting credit.
Ignorant comment - Bea Arthur was a solid actress, great gravitas and theater-trained. Next to Mark, Harrison and Carrie - she was already an iconic actress at this point in her career - just because you don’t know something, doesn’t mean it has to be a surprise.
I actually think that's more "Star Wars" than a lot of the movies. It's got a "Cabaret" WW2 vibe that feels right for the universe.
That was amazing! Carrie can sing!
Compared to the Accolyte, this is a masterpiece.
😂😂
LOL
And sadly, true.
You clearly haven't watched it, or you fancy yourself the king of super edgy comedy.
@@Cory_J lol - I watched the xmas special - didn't watch the Acolyte though - based on the Disney track record and then record bad reviews, I won't waste my time, or even credit a single view to the Acolyte. We all need to pray Disney collapses.
Yes it's true 😂
This is officially better than the most recent disney star wars show
It's not. It's really not.
@@andrewjenkins9965 It is, It really is.
It feels like Star Wars- a poorly made misunderstanding of Star Wars, but still Star Wars. Disney has made these hollow, ugly and downright awful things wearing Star Wars' skin
I think you meant to say "I'd much rather watch the terrible new disney show than this"
@@andrewjenkins9965It most certainly is….😢
With great power comes great responsibility... and you decided to use that gift to inflict this upon us...
Retro Recipes, I salute you!
This is almost eerie. I had just turned 8 years old when this was broadcast and watched it in a "cabin in the woods" (technically a mobile home, but "cabin" sounds better) on my grandparents' MASSIVE 25-inch Emerson console TV... and this looks just like the original broadcast. Fantastic work here. Thanks for sharing it, and Happy Life Day!
Just like the original, huh... WELP! So much for that upscaling job, 5K my sweaty ass!
'nanu-nanu'
Sounds really comfy
Woah I can almost try to imagine what that was like, it must feel like that night was lifetimes away.
This has made me both itchy and lumpy
Most Underrated Comment! ❤️
Didn't AVGN say that in his review?
I watched the original broadcast of this as a 10 year old and this is what it actually looked like on TV at the time.
Better than any of the Star Wars TV shows today.
As a hidden gem, Yes.
I feel like I've just looked at the Lost Ark of the Covenant, and my face is melting. A wonderful Christmas present 👏👏👏
Sadly, one of the rare items that can't be improved by the upscaling. I remember watching this on TV as a kid the one time it aired. And afterwards, we were all like "What did we just watch?" I used to tell our own children about this horrible thing called the "Star Wars Holiday Special" that was so bad it never aired a second time--only later to discover that Lucas tried to hide it forever--obviously, he didn't succeed, and Perifractric has now unleashed it on the world in an all-new, 5K glory! Thanks!
Can’t wait for the AI-upscale VR experience. I want to pet the Chewbaccas 🐕
I had the exact same reaction when I saw the first Disney Star Wars movie. The only thing I could think of was Southpark was right with George Lucas raping Indiana Jones, but it was KKKenedy buggering poor Luke.
Oh how sorry for you! I saw this as a kid and as an obsessive fan of the film and all things Star Wars I absolutely Loved it, especially the Boba Fett segment!
60fps gives the whole thing a look like it’s a sitcom recorded with a home camera in the 80s 😅
Note that it was actually filmed on television cameras, so 60 fps was not added by AI.
@@AlexisTatarinov VHS/Betamax refresh rates were fixed at 24, 25, and 30 fps, but the illusion of smoother motion on a standard television set was usually the result of the CRT screen itself having a scanline frequency of 60hz. This means that 24, 25, and 30 fps broadcasts were often displayed non-interlaced at double the refresh rate, giving the illusion of a higher framerate.
@@AlexisTatarinov wrong. Never was 60, the footage itself.
@@Sum_Yousah yes HZ, but not frame per second a.k.a Fps. The original trilogy was shot for 24fps so, i assume TV episodes were too. So the highest it went was 30fps.
@@Darkcranio Back in the day, film and TV were totally different beasts. Film worked a lot like today's digital video insofar as it was a complete new image being displayed every 1/24 of a second... But TV recordings and broadcasts were "interlaced": instead of one full 480-line image being drawn every 1/30 of a second, there were 240-line "fields" being drawn every 1/60 of a second. Just the even lines first, then the odd lines, then even lines, and so on. So this was a sort of muddy pseudo-60fps which gave old TV shows their distinctive look.
Many good and talented Bothan writers... died in obscurity to bring you this.
This really stands well alongside modern Star Wars. Clearly ahead of its time.
Nearly as far ahead as adult Star Wars Fans crying over the fact that children movies were not made for them.
Truly Lucas' most historic moment in the Star Wars franchise! Much appreciated for immortalising this in 5K. 😂
It was needed. We should all have the privilege of seeing this masterpiece in all its glory.😉
You'll never see the raiders name in any other credits of any movie because after this was made George Lucas haunted him down and killed him
Lucas had nothing to do with this at all. This was before he had complete control over everything. Which is why it doesn't exist to him.
"The special was extremely poorly received, and has never been rebroadcast nor officially released on home video. It has become something of a cultural legend due to the underground quality of its existence. It has been viewed and distributed in off-air recordings made from its original telecast by fans as bootleg copies, and it has also been uploaded to content-sharing websites. In contrast, the animated segment that introduced Boba Fett was positively received and, in 2021, was released on Disney+."
"I'm glad I could be here" - Harrison Ford in The Star Wars Holiday Special
Beautiful restoration! Finally, something better than Disney Star Wars!
RIP James Earl Jones. Thank you for being a part of the beautiful Holiday Special.
Now I'm reliving the pain
5K awesome I can experience the pain with clarity.
MORE PIXELS OF HORROR
Just as the Yuuzhan Vong want
My favourite “Star Wars” film ever….especially with a few drinks! Thanks for upscaling!
To be fair, this is more entertaining than most of the Disney tosh we've been served up.
It stays true to the lore and expands the universe… yes it’s a little cheesy but doesn’t deserve the hate 😂
@@Sketch_SeshOh yes it does. They lowered the Star Wars standards by a mile.
This is way better than the Disney "Star Wars"
ObiWan: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if a single voice suddenly cried out in terror and was suddenly silenced.
Gorge Lucas (distant voice): Noooooooooooooo
It's even stranger in 5K. Thank you!!!!!
I bet your George Lucas' new best friend after uploading this.
Expect Gavin Sykes to not be canon anymore
*you’re
@@ObiWanBillKenobioh ok, that makes more sense
Actually, George Lucas hated the holiday special and did his best to stop people from ever seeing it.
@@Thomas_H._Smith That’s why the original comment is funny, because it’s sarcastic.
Yay, we get to see Mark's garrish makeup in full quality.
He just looks like an entirely different person. I know he had a car accident and got plastic surgery, but I don't understand why he looks so different here, but then looks more or less normal in the other movies that came after.
@@Dr.TJ_Eckleburg this one was filmed closer to the car accident unlike later movies, the scars were probably still fresh and visable, thats why he is wearing tons of make up. thats my guess at least
@@crixxxxxxxxx But why does he look like Ellen DeGeneres?
@@billr3053 it looks like he has eyeliner on along with the pancake makeup.
I figure that there are 2 kinds of Star Wars fans in the world, and this Christmas special is what divides the 2 camps. How hard-core of a fan do you have to be to watch this and enjoy it is beyond me. Also, I'm super glad it was upscaled for us all to witness its true glory. Thanks.
This special has, LITERALLY, never looked so tidy and neat! Even my BEST bootleg VHS copy hunting could ever get anything THIS sweet.
You Sir, are once again a Prince among men! Thank you for upgrading my EXTREMELY fuzzy memory of this almost lost gem!
There is a remastered blu ray of this, and I have it and it looks nearly as good as what is shown here. It even has lots of extra content.
I remember watching this when it first aired when I was a wee lad n thinking what I still think about it today n that's what the hell did I just watch? God u have to love the 70's!
This is still better than all of Disney's "star wars" movies.
Hey theres a rey movie coming up directed by a journalist who hates men. Could be a biggie for them.
There is not lies in your afirmation
thats an original thought.... How's the bandwagon doing?
@@theessentials450 huh? No one likes custard on a hamburger.. is that jumpin on bandwagon. .
No one likes them films.
@@armondtanzShe doesn't hate men. She makes movies on Palestine's treatment of women. Her men comment was said as a joke, in the context of one of those movies. Doing research would do wonders.
Finally, after the Disney trilogy the world needed a good Star Wars movie.
I have been looking for this holiday special for at least 10 years 😂😂😂 thank you so much for releasing it
I saw the original film 13 times in the theater the year that it came out, but this wins the Emmy for Best Unintentional Comedy. It is an embarrassment that keeps on giving 45 years later, a real blessing in disguise. After the opening sequence, you get nearly 10 minutes of uninterrupted Wookie. Is it wrong that this is my favorite part? I'll tell you when I stop laughing. May the farce be with you, and thanks SO much for this.🥳
many fans haven't seen this, and remastering it before the holidays was a great move!
@@NPC_RUclips I'm a Star Wars fan, i'd never seen this, now I wish I'd never seen this.
Imagine the shame any Star Wars fan must have felt seeing this for the first time.
The only thing worse would be convincing someone who's never seen any of the movies to watch this with you after non-stop fan gilring over how great Star Wars was. Thinking why not sit and watch this 'holiday special' together cause it should be awesome.
Imagine those people whose first contact with Star Wars was the holiday special in tv... It probably would have been the last :D
A friend convinced several people to accompany him to see the movie "Doc Savage: Man of Bronze" ... then had to explain that the movie was NOT representative of the old pulp novels. Don't know if he ever convinced them.
After The Acolyte this is a breath of fresh air.
So THAT'S where we are now, huh.
Impressive that it's in Stereo and not Mono, being a TV program from the late 70s that wasn't made to last. Insane that this exists
Thank you. Now my nightmares of this will be even more vivid!
I was "today" old when I first saw this... and I saw Star Wars in the theater in 1977. Wow. I heard the odd comments over the years but now I know why nobody talks about this "special" and why I never saw it as a kid or teen.
Mahalo for this. What a cool Christmas present. I'm one of the extant few who watched it on the evening it was broadcast. I was so STARVED for more "Star Wars" that I overlooked and forgave all the silly nonsense that the younglings go on about nowadays. Mele Kalikimaka and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!
I saw it as a little kid when it aired, as well!
This man really had the balls to upscale this mess... He's probably the truest Star Wars fan there is
I love it myself.
Watch it every Christmas.
Yes it’s cringe but I enjoy it for that.
Definitely the best version on here.
As arguably terrible as this show was, the quality of this recording is amazing!! I thought only old VHS copies were around. after watching it a few times, sort of grows on you and was all part of the Star Wars euphoria back then. Great fun innocent times.
It's ... a nostalgia piece, like watching old Kroft or Hanna Barbera stuff from the 70s.
As bad as it is, it is still truer to the spirit of Star Wars than what Disney did.
Ah, for us? You shouldn't have!
No. Really.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE!
I´d rather watch the holiday special every day than having the power of one, the power of two, the power of manyyyyyy (Acolyte Abomination)
Ford was interviewed recently if he would make another... his reply: "i would rather be dead" 😂😂
Shame he doesn’t feel that way about Indiana Jones
@@iBrummski i feel like this has been his strategy for decades now to pump his salary
Just when you think youre at the darkest, deepest depths of horror, something even move wicked this way comes.
I remember this when it first came out and I was like "oh my eyes my poor eyes!" But now, I'm like "OMG! MY EYES! MY POOR POOR EYES!!!"
The goggles! They do NOTHING!!
What a time to be alive.
I was 12 when this came out. I remember being very excited to finally get another dose of Star Wars. I knew it would not be film quality, but I expected it to be entertaining. I knew something was off in the first five minutes. Then it dawned on me, it was a stupid variety show! I hung on hoping it would get better, but when they cut to the Tatooine part, I couldn't take it anymore and just went to my room. I never saw the rest of it until many years later on RUclips. I remember fearing the sequel they were making would be this bad.
This is obviously the inspiration for the sequel trilogy.
na, carrie was hetero...
It also set the bar that Disney has a difficult time reaching
I remember watching this in shock even as a 7 year old … wondering how the same people brought us such an amazing movie just a few months early was able to create this monstrosity
Bigger disappointment than Rise of Skywalker.
@@mayomonkey3810 i don’t know 🤷♂️
I refuse to watch it 😂
Because it wasn’t the same people, George Lucas had nothing to do with it he signed off on the project but it definitely wasn’t the vision he had…and after he saw it he tried to get his name and any link to him off the project. Lol
So you watched this first?
This is by far the most impressive upscale I've ever seen done. My god, well done...and just in time for life day!!
The ULTIMATE endurance test for some, a treasure trove of... something... for others.
Where else can you get Wookie child abuse, grandpa getting off on cyberporn in the middle of the living room in full view of the family, Mark in Barbie make-up, coked-up Carrie, & indifferent Harrison, all amidst the comic stylings of some of the days' most relevant comedy performers of the youth of that generation: Art Carney, Harvey Korman, & Bea Arthur. One still ponders how in the world the producers managed to secure such cutting-edge talent for this gem. Their omission in the succeeding SW films were truly missed opportunities.
Not since the moon landing was such a one-time event so memorably captured in the zeitgeist of, not only the viewing television audience, but the apogee of humanity's achievement. To have it presented here in such a pristine state should garner the envy of the Smithsonian, the Louvre, and artifact custodians & curators the world over! SO SAY WE ALL!
Leia starts singing....
Hey shut up, get over here cinnamon buns and sit on daddy's lap!
No, not there, scoot over a little bit so you're in the middle.
Oh yeah, there we go!
Lol
A masterpiece ! Great acting, wookie dialogues are awesome. Astonishing Audacity of staging. I didn’t know Leia was an accountant. And Merry Christmas 🎅🏼🎄to the Fractic family and the fanfractic community
Leia was also a coke head. And this was her peak performance ^^
Still better than The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker !
horribly good. Also reminded me of Bill Murray's lounge singer act from SNL singing the Star Wars theme!
I barely remember this from my childhood. I think this is a good thing.
Here because I needed to watch something more bearable than The Acolyte.
It's a Christmas miracle!
Oh my goodness! Saw this as a kid when it first aired on TV. Next day on the school playground, then genuine consensus was... confusion and "I guess it was ok". This remaster is amazing. Thanks for cleaning this up and presenting something was almost forgot about.... or tried to forget about? LOL! Cheers to the Fractic Fam.
I clicked on Subtitles, but the Wookies aren't translated. Imagine all that great dialog we missed out on. 🤣
Never seen this before...it's brilliant! Batter than that Acolyte malarkey...
The Acolyte makes this look like a masterpiece.
"God bless us all, everyone!" - Lumpy, probably
Thanking you for this! It's our annual required holiday movie we all watch! 👏🏼
A long time ago, "The Christmas special" was regarded as a very bad Star Wars parody and it was so humiliating to watch. But that was before the dark times, before the Disney...after Disney took over, this looks like a long lost masterpiece.
It’s really excellent! The staging, the pacing, the blocking, the expanded lore, the special effects… but most of all, our beloved characters.
Lucas Losing his mind in the second three movies was far far worse.
OG trilogy is only good trilogy.
@@psyjax2 I’d add the prequel trilogy to the list too. If you can get past the sillier elements and see the deeper story underneath, it was a really a visionary work. The OG trilogy was a comparatively simple “hero’s journey” with added Jungian motifs, but still great obviously.
No, no it doesn't lol.
The sound of Lumpy and the terrifying visage of Itchy will forever haunt my dreams.
Happy Holidays!
Excellent!👍 I have a special place for this show in my heart. I was so excited to watch it as a kid and I loved it, even if it was technically bad. Just getting to see Luke, Han and Leia in something new at that time was a treat. Thank you for doing this!
I thought you liked us Mr Fractic 😂😂. I thought i would never see this after the first time i seen it oh the pain oh the pain. Thanks for the hard work and ofc am going to watch it that said i may need a crate of beer to help me 😂🤣. Merry Christmas to the chat and to who ever reads this and Merry Christmas to all at Retro Recipes and i hope 2024 brings much joy to you all 🙂
I fear for Peri. I mean, I know his grasp on sanity has always been tenuous, but this...? THIS??
1000x better than the sequels.
No... Actually Disney should claim this so they have something to point to that's somehow worse than Rise of Skywalker...
hahah I always have this ranked above The Last Jedi when I rank everything star wars
It actually makes them watchable
@@camerontevis2054 Last Jedi is so much better than Rise of Skywalker. I think it's better than Force Awakens and Phantom too.
@@namikstudios No, Phantom is one of the best films of all time. Disney is not close.
Growing up with an older brother I never realized how much he loved me until today. I realized that he shielded me from the knowledge of this horrendous disaster of a film . Seeing this as a child it would have etched itself into my nightmares all through my life. Thanks bro.
How did I miss this?! Thank you Perifractic for this! A piece of my childhood...
Still better than all three of the Disney-Star Wars Sequels combined!
This is clearly how Lucas intended it to be but just didn't have the technology at the time
Like the old saying goes , " You have to take the bad with the good " ...No matter how bad this holiday special is, it's part of Stars Wars history and it should be available to anyone who wants to watch it. I don't love it, but I kinda like it for what it is. Sometimes bad is good.
This was way better than the acolyte.
Still better than the last six hours movies
Big wow to see this so cleaned up, my 30yr old VHS is suitably devalued 😊
I like how they have a flat screen monitor for in the kitchen.
You've made the eventual Disney restoration all the more difficult now. Bravo!
I saw this when it was first on and not since. Wow. Congratulations on the upscale. Great job!
No longer the cringiest Star Wars work after Acolyte episode 3 aired.
I'd rather watch this than any of the Disney star wars. Only exception is Rogue One, which was mostly done before Disney bought Lucas films.
@@thystaff742 Disney bought SW in 2012 and Rogue One was released in 2016, one year after TFA... which makes your comment so inaccurate and wrong
I never watched the acolyte. What makes it so bad if you don’t mind telling me.
I was looking forward to Life Day this year!