Force still strong with Mark Hamill

By MICHELE MANELIS

Long before the term "special effects", or movie franchises became the norm, the Star Wars trilogy, which began in 1977, forever changed moviegoing expectations.

The Force, the Death Star, wookies, ewoks, and lightsabres entered the public consciousness and made stars of Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.

Without the vision of creator George Lucas, who inspired film-makers including Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, we may never have been treated to such ground-breaking phenomena as Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Lord of the Rings.

Now, with the release of the trilogy on DVD, those who remember Star Wars from their youth - along with a new generation - can rediscover the adventures that took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Hamill, famous for his role as Luke Skywalker, puts his experience into perspective.

"Its almost 30 years ago and what is and was amazing was how the movies crept into the culture - not just in America but around the world," he says. "The movies became political and satirical references.

"One thing that surprises me is that the young kids find this as fresh as the people who saw it originally - although I'm sure the parents are probably more excited than the kids."

Because Star Wars was the first of its kind, there was some uncertainty as to how it would be received.

"When we were making the first movie it was hard to get the tone because the script was like nothing I had read before. I remember thinking, 'Who are these robots who are always arguing?'

"I made the choice of being sincere and believing in what I was saying. And, ultimately, it was a very human story. I felt like Harrison was Buck Rogers and I was his sidekick.

"I had a crush on Carrie and I idolised Harrison. And, although the robots were hysterical, George had told me I wasn't allowed to laugh or smile in acknowledgment of how funny they were. That was a challenge."

The appeal of Skywalker was simple. "Well, Harrison was obviously a leading man. But, as for me, I was playing this farm boy who seemed to have no special abilities whatsoever.

"I think what translated to many young people was that they'd look at him and say, 'If he can do that, I can do that.

"I wasn't a formidable, buffed, super-hero type. I was just a simple farm boy. The other characters were iconic figures - the wizard, the princess - and they all had the classic elements of the quintessential fairytale.

"Star Wars wasn't science fiction to me at all because most sci-fi movies are very dry."

Like many George Lucas productions, the actors were kept on a need-to-know basis when it came to the script.

"When they brought me aside to tell me that Darth Vader was my father, I was sworn to secrecy, of course," Hamill says. "And I was stunned - just like the audience."

Many actors who perform with imaginary creatures find the work challenging, but Hamill says: "It wasn't difficult for me to work that way. It was like being a kid playing in your backyard. You'd use your imagination and say, 'Okay, now the dinosaur is running after you'. You'd be petrified because your imagination is that strong.

"I made a point of never just acting in the dark. I wanted to know what the Death Star looked like, what the wookies looked like.

"I asked lots of questions and I found that working that way is actually the essence of what acting is really about."

The DVD contains: disc one, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope; disc two, Episode V The Empire Strikes Back; disc three, Episode VI Return of the Jedi; disc four, bonus material.

Lucas film archives have made available the never-before-seen photo gallery, original trailers, interviews and audition tapes.

Irvin Kirshner, who directed The Empire Strikes Back, remembers the first time he heard about Star Wars. "It was New Year's Eve and there were a few of us having a party at director Francis Coppola's house in San Francisco.

"George said to a few of us, 'I brought some of the footage from this film I'm shooting called Star Wars. I want to show it to you.

"So we all traipsed down to the screening room in the basement and George showed some scenes from what would become Star Wars."

"We sat there with our mouths open, not because it was so great - we thought it was junk. We said, 'What, is he crazy? This is a comic book. These aren't real people. What is he doing? George has lost his mind.' Little did we know - we were watching the future of Hollywood."

LOWDOWN

WHAT: Star Wars Trilogy DVD set

WHEN : Released September 22

RETAIL: $70 to $80