STAR WARS' Special Editions Cemented the Saga's Timelessness

The Star Wars Special Editions hit theater screens 25 years ago. At the time, the advent of video rental stores and cable had rendered the big theatrical re-releases of the past moot. But when Star Wars returned to theaters for its 20th anniversary, it proved that George Lucas’ seminal space saga was not only best viewed on the big screen, but that after a long period of pop culture hibernation, that Star Wars was back for good. And it would never leave us again.These days, people debate the merits of the Star Wars Special Editions based almost solely on their CGI upgrades. And there is merit to both sides of the argument. In short, some work (the Death Star battle) and some don’t (Han and Greedo). But that is all an old and tired debate. What we’re here to talk about is how the Special Editions repositioned Star Wars from something that was once popular over a decade earlier, to something as ubiquitous to American culture as McDonald’s and Mickey Mouse.The Dark TimesFrom 1977 to 1983,...