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There is a dorky reference in Star Wars: The Last Jedi that even director Rian Johnson admits that you may have to be of a certain age to get – thanks to a narrow window where you might have been watching premium cable in the very early ‘80s when this bizarre little short film would air in-between feature-length films. But, yes, Johnson confirms, we’ve come full circle, there is a Hardware Wars reference in The Last Jedi.
Literally the first question I asked Johnson in an interview on Friday was, “That had to be a Hardware Wars reference in The Last Jedi, right?” Johnson let out a bellowing laugh and said, “I’m so happy you saw that.” After explaining that I haven’t found too many people yet who have gotten the reference, Johnson said, “I know. Patton Oswalt, after he saw it, he DMed me just, ‘Hardware Wars!’ I was like, ‘Yes!’ It’s people of a certain age who will get that, I think.”
Released in 1978, filmmaker Ernie Fosselius released a crude-but-endearing 13-minute short film that recreated the original Star Wars, only with appliances. Characters Fluke Starbucker (with his flashlight lightsaber) and Augie “Ben” Doggie meet an ace pilot named Ham Salad who flies them all around in a giant iron that battles flying toasters. You know, it might just be easier if you watch it yourself, which you can do right here:
And, as Johnson said, kids “of a certain age” who were dying to rewatch Star Wars over and over before it was ever released on VHS, well, Hardware Wars was as close as it was going to come for the time being.
And then, 39 years later, comes Rian Johnson’s entry into the Star Wars saga, The Last Jedi, where Ham Salad is now canon – sort of.
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I was the only one in my theater who got this reference, but I started cackling when I saw it. Haters can hate the new movie all they want, this right here is why it’s my new favorite in the series.
I did indeed catch it but thought it could all just be in my head, maybe an unintentional reference. So the geekness is strong is this one.
all i could think about during that scene was the vacuum cleaner scene from SpaceBalls.
I just got back from seeing the movie. My jaw dropped when I saw the spaceship/iron. My kid, there with me, had no clue, because she’s never used an iron (and probably hasn’t seen Hardware Wars). Then the shot pulled back and I was so distracted by the cleverness of the shot that I probably missed a bit of the real story.
I did not get the reference but loved the shot and was possibly the only person who laughed(that happens a lot) in the entire movie theatre.
Ooh, your name suggests Scott Baio is dead… *checks wikipedia*…. you motherfu…
Dead to me.
The American Library Association used to have film night at their annual conferences. We saw this when it came out – and it’s still hilarious. I looked at my husband and said “was that an iron?!” Hardware Wars! I’d forgotten about the Wookie Monster and the cinnamon roll hair. Thanks, Rian Johnson!