Michigan’s own Hive of Scum and Villainy! The Space Dive Cantina!
Michigan’s own Hive of Scum and Villainy! The Space Dive Cantina!
“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!” Not true Obi-Wan! We can find it at the Tangent Gallery! From May the 4th, through May 6th, the Tangent Gallery will be transformed into The Space Dive! A Star Wars multi-sensory cantina experience!
For a small fee of 35 credits (yes, I said credits) you can have access to the closest thing to drinking with a Wookie you’ll ever find. According to Mlive.com, The Space Dive will be filled with Star Wars-themed everything. Cosplay, props, music, and themed drinks!
Space Dive will be housed in the Tangent Gallery on 715 E Milwaukee Ave in Detroit. It’s a cool space, I showed some art there, a LONG time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
The event is for ages 21 and up and opens at 7 pm. But there will be a family day on May 6th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission for 18 and under is free. Hours are 7 pm-2 am and the family day, May 6th, is 11 am to 2 pm. Tickets are only available at the door.
We Don’t Serve Droids!
You MUST wear a costume! And you’re cute “I know shirt” won’t work. Space Dive wants you to think about what a citizen of the Star Wars universe would wear. Even if it’s a jacket, some goggles, and one cool glove! I think droids are okay here though. So bring that little R2-D2 along!
“You don’t need to buy a Storm Trooper costume or anything like that. We want people to come not as on-screen characters, but as their own invention of what an everyday citizen of “Star Wars” would dress like. You could throw on a leather jacket, a keffiyeh and some goggles and be done, or you could go all-out with full Cosplay armor, masks and prosthetics. Just don’t come dressed in a “Star Wars” shirt.
The creative director of the event is John Dunivant. John is also the creator of Michigan’s Theatre Bizarre. He has some experience with creating unique and out-of-this-world events.
So if you have 35 credits and some free time on May The FOURTH, then you might want to take a Speeder down to the Tangent Gallery.
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!
Speaking of Scum and Villainy, check out the history of the Star Wars Holiday Special:
A Brief History of the Infamously Terrible 'Star Wars Holiday Special'
May 25, 1977: ‘Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope’ debuts to a stunning, surprising reception
Lucasfilm Ltd.
The runaway success of “Star Wars: A New Hope” made Lucas’ brainchild the highest-grossing movie in history, nudging out 1975’s “Jaws” and grossing $775 million. The film wasn’t surpassed until 1982’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” “A New Hope” came complete with a unique lexicon, mythology, and intimidating potential for merchandising.
June 16, 1978: ‘Jaws 2’ released
Universal Pictures
Small-budget films with quick turnarounds like the James Bond series enjoyed enormous popularity in the ’60s and ’70s, but big-budget franchises and sequels were virtually nonexistent. That changed with “Jaws 2,” which made nearly $200 million worldwide on a $30 million dollar budget. The sequel was the definition of big-budget, exceeding the original “Jaws” budget by more than four times.
July 1978: Lucas funds production of ‘Empire’ with his own money
Lucasfilm Ltd.
The first run of “A New Hope” ended July 20, 1978, and was re-released the following day in response to demand. The return engagement netted $10.1 million in three days. Meanwhile, George Lucas was already nearly a year into plans for “Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back.” To retain creative control over the sequel, Lucas funded “Empire” with his own money.
It was a risky move unlike any that had been tried before in movie history—particularly as the budget exceeded “A New Hope” by more than 150%.
1978: Fears mount that ‘Star Wars’ characters won’t hang on
Lucasfilm Ltd.
As costs mounted for “Empire,” fears grew that the “Star Wars” universe and its characters wouldn’t maintain a hold on public consciousness long enough for the franchise’s sequel to make a splash in the box office. With little precedent for sequels being promising ventures, ideas began to form for a way to maintain the relevancy of “Star Wars” while gaining new fans in the process.
Summer 1978: CBS pitches a variety hour
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Variety shows were among the earliest offerings of television, gaining steam throughout the ’30s and ’40s and enjoying explosive growth during the Golden Age of television. By the ’70s, major networks had canceled many variety shows that appealed to more rural demographics in favor of catering to weather parts of society. Most variety shows had ceased production by the end of the decade, which adds to the mystique of why CBS went ahead and pitched Lucas on a variety show centered on the “Star Wars” universe to be broadcast around the Thanksgiving holiday—and why the famed filmmaker jumped at the opportunity.
Getting ’Star Wars” stars and other celebrity household names proved to be a separate challenge: Harrison Ford was particularly difficult to convince; and Bea Arthur, who played the cantina’s bartender, later said she only agreed to participate because her youngest child was a diehard fan of “A New Hope.”
Lucas hands over a simple-if-ill-fated concept
Lucasfilm Ltd.
With Lucas preoccupied developing “Empire Strikes Back,” CBS took the reins on production of the “Star Wars Holiday Special.” The caveat would be the death knell for the operation: an insistence by Lucas that the storyline center on Wookiees—namely, Chewbacca’s family. The film creator offered up a six-page treatment for the special.
Lead writer Bruce Vilanch, who later admitted to copious drug use during the screenwriting process, objected to focusing entirely on creatures who grunt unintelligibly without subtitles. Lucas was apparently firm, and the storyline moved forward.
A chaotic production ensues
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Director David Acomba made it through a small handful of titular scenes—including the cantina and Jefferson Starship’s performance—before departing the production and being replaced by Steve Binder.
Mayhem on set was second nature—from characters passing out during the cantina scene due to lack of oxygen inside the masks, Mark Hamill having to wear almost comical makeup to disguise scars from his recent car accident, and an entire scene in which Chewbacca’s father, Itchy (Paul Gale), watches—on primetime TV the week before Thanksgiving, no less—a holographic adult film.
Nov. 17, 1978: ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ premieres
Lucasfilm Ltd.
With a plot full of holes and a handful of celebrities begrudgingly taking part, the “Star Wars Holiday Special” made its debut. For his part, Lucas was mortified and successfully halted the show’s broadcast in most territories outside of the U.S. and Canada. At one “Star Wars” convention, Lucas famously said, “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.”
Ratings nosedive halfway through
Lucasfilm Ltd.
The “Star Wars Holiday Special” drew in roughly 13 million viewers nationwide, failing to rate among Nielsen’s Top 10 for the night and losing out to shows including “The Love Boat” and a Pearl Harbor miniseries called “Pearl.” Nielsen data further shows that the largely plotless special hemorrhaged ratings about an hour into the show and immediately following Boba Fett’s debut.
The show was never rebroadcast.
Decades later, the special is the stuff of legend
Lucasfilm Ltd.
For all of Lucas’ attempts to buy and destroy every master copy of the production, and the ongoing embarrassment of almost every actor who took part in the production, nothing could stop the “Star Wars Holiday Special” from living on in infamy.
Modern-day plugs—from podcasts like “Stuff You Should Know” to Disney+’s adoption of “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee” interlude cartoon featuring Boba Fett—have contributed to enshrining the “Star Wars Holiday Special” into our cultural fabric. Interviews with cast members have only added to the intrigue: In 2006 as a guest on “Conan O’Brien,” Harrison Ford claimed to have never seen the special and wouldn’t admit it ever happened.
Meanwhile, “The Empire Strikes Back” was released May 21, 1980; it stands as the 11th-most successful of the “Star Wars” movies.
