Star Wars (1977)
Dec 16, 2000Space Opera
The single most influential science-fiction film of all time, one that created a massive industry of sequels and spinoffs, not to mention copycats, and changed the way that people thought of science-fiction
Carrie Fisher
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
Oct 8, 2005Star Wars Variety Show
The tv special that George Lucas would have all copies destroyed, a work of legendary badness - a Star Wars Thanksgiving special featuring most of the original cast and a series of variety performances that are mind-boggling in their ineptitude, not to mention complete and utter fumbling of everything that Star Wars was
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Apr 4, 2001Space Opera
George Lucas’s first sequel to Star Wars and a work that holds up every bit as well as its predecessor, in many places betters it. The story darkens the mythos and introduces new characters, while the special effects sequences are the peak of the series
Under the Rainbow (1981)
Oct 31, 2008Comedy During the Making of The Wizard of Oz
Widely considered a bad film, this is a slapstick comedy starring Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher set around the dwarves during the making of The Wizard of Oz
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Mar 21, 2001Space Opera
A disappointing end to George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy. The script lazily wraps up loose ends while sidelining the new characters introduced the last time, and the climax rehashes the climaxes of the two other films
The Time Guardian (1987)
Jun 30, 2015War Across Time
An Australian entry in the 1980s time travel film fad featuring Carrie Fisher engaged in a war across time in a time-travelling city
Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)
Jun 1, 1999Anthology of Comedy Skits & Genre Parodies
An anthology of comedy skits from several different directors including Joe Dante and John Landis. The result is fairly scattershot with moments of occasional humour falling between laughs that do not come off
The ‘Burbs (1989)
Jan 3, 2000Suburban Paranoia Black Comedy
Joe Dante black comedy about a neighbourhood where everybody becomes paranoid about the weird new people moved in. The film's bite gets lots amid everything being pitched at a clumsily shrill level of hysteria
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
Jun 20, 2002Anarchic Invisible Playmate
Sort of Harvey remade by way of Beetlejuice wherein Phoebe Cates's childhood imaginary companion returns to wreak havoc. A film that makes a beeline for mud-pie throwing and general anarchy
Scream 3 (2000)
Feb 16, 2000Slasher Sequel Parody/Deconstruction
By the time of this third film and the departure of screenwriter Kevin Williamson, creativity in the Scream series seems to be flagging even though this has critic-proofed itself by calling itself a parody of a sequel
Fanboys (2008)
Apr 3, 2010The Lives of Star Wars Fans
Affectionately made road trip film about four Star Wars fans on a journey to break into Skywalker Ranch. Packed with lots of witty fannish in-jokes and cameos, this comes out as enjoyable if broad at times
Sorority Row (2009)
Apr 13, 2011Sorority House Slasher Film
Loose remake of the 1980s slasher film The House on Sorority Row, competently made but in the end this never sufficiently surmounts the routine
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Dec 26, 2015Space Opera
It's not another Empire Strikes Back but it makes up for the prequels. A good part fanservice to the original – if overly reliant on rehashing elements from Star Wars – this also does many things right
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Mar 17, 2018Space Opera
I'm not one of the haters on this. It's the first Star Wars sequel since the 1980s to invigorate the series with fresh action sequences and place more focus on the characters instead of the action
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Mar 21, 2020Space Opera
The concluding chapter of the third trilogy of Star Wars films. After the critically divided The Last Jedi, J.J. Abrams opts for a return to the safety of familiarity and nostalgia