On the bus on the way home from the airport on Sunday, one of those exciting but totally queer bus conversations started and ended on the way from East Olive Way up to where Trader Joe’s is on Madison. DK was on the #11.
Someone I have never seen before interjected into what would become a quiet and public, but in a subtle way, conversation about Star Wars. You know you’re in Seattle when everyone wants to chime in with their opinions about very old science fiction blockbusters.
It started when a recent acquaintance (AQ) appeared on the bus and said hello.
DK: Hey!
AQ: So did you watch Star Wars?
I should tell you that the previous conversation with AQ ended with, “I have to go home and watch Star Wars.” At which point eight people turned to me and shook their heads at the mention of Episode 1.
DK: Yeah! It was Episode 1, so…
AQ: …
DK: But we watched 2 after that, and I have to see 3 tonight.
Then the person next to me goes, “Why do you have to see 3?”
She was wearing purple lipstick (PL) and had straight black glossed up hair. It may have been dyed.
DK: Um. Because. Um.
PL: You don’t “have” to watch it.
DK: I kinda do. It’s due at the library tomorrow.
This is when people on the bus in our vicinity began to indicate that I should continue my Star Wars marathon run. A man with a long white beard nodded sagely at me. The young athletic-looking one on the other side of me sort of leaned in to see where this was going.
DK: And plus, I haven’t seen it! I have to see it.
I didn’t go on to say on my whole entire vacation I was dying to know why Anakin Skywalker got seduced by the Dark Side. I kept that bit to myself.
PL: The trilogy is good, but the prequel is… blech!
DK: …
PL: It’s really… eww! Blech!
AQ: …
PL: You know what you should do? You should just watch Bladerunner.
I think most of these films are bearable if watched on DVD with a remote that has fast-forward on it, so you can avoid the bits with syrupy sentimentality. And Jar-Jar Binks.
What’s good about SF these days is that you can have blockbuster-quality special effects on regular TV programmes. So the only limit is the author’s imagination.
Now watch any recent Star Trek series, and ask yourself: “WWhhyyyyyy?”.
You know, I nearly have to agree with PL girl! Of course, if you’ve just watched SW 1&2 then you’ll want to watch 3. But I randomly flicked to a channel playing bladerunner just 2 days ago, right at the end when the last replicant does his “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe” speech, and it reminded me what an epic movie it is.
So… you know what you should do? You should just watch Bladerunner
@Richard,
I should. I have a crush on Harrison Ford, too.
I think that the title pretty much sums it up. No need for any other word!
Hands down my favourite film.
Jar-Jar must be the most hated character in the history of Hollywood…