128 -The Ahigan DailyWeeken ,AL e Thursday, Janu*30, 1997 F . . The Michigan Daily eeken Mag IJ State of the Arts 'GENERATION X' IS THE 'STAR WARS' GENERATION 'Star Wars' books satiate hungry fans with accurate, frequent books .e I hate the names used to label my g e n e r a t i o n. There's the most horrendous of them all - "Generation X;" "The MTV Generation" (any label that associ- ates me with Alanis Morissette and Kurt Loder Wars" was the defining moment of my generation. Other generations have wars or political motifs to char- acterize themselves. But with the lack of any great national tragedy to shape our lives up to this point, we need to find a label for ourselves other than the apathetic Generation Nothing. While my parents' generation vividly remembers where they were when JFK was shot, my generation has no single event of the same caliber. I remem- ber where I was when I heard the Gulf War had By Bria.A. Gnatt Daily Arts Editor 4 honestly say any of these events had a significant impact on my life, or bet- ter yet, defined my generation. But I do remember when, where and who I was with when I saw the "Star Wars" films. To my generation, noth- ing we have experienced Veekend together has been as AeeAkd huge a phenomenon as "Star Wars." Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are more than household names - they will be ingrained in all of our memories until the day we die. Are there any teen- agers or 20-somethings who haven't seen the about which everyone has an opin- ion. We can argue how the Ewoks ruined "Return of the Jedi"; what an evil man Billy Dee Williams is for giving up Han Solo in the "Empire Strikes Back," a career move that sentenced him to a life of Colt 45 commer- Areth cials. We can argue about the SOmethii point in time fight with wrapping paper or paper towel rolls? Categorizing myself as a member of the "Star Wars" Generation explains a lot about my peers. We care more about the entertainment indus- try (and pay more, too) than any 20- any generation before us. We 'S Who care more about 19 !' should be considered abhorrent) and the dim "13th Gen." Despite my hatred for all of these ridiculous identifica- tions, it wasn't until recently that I found a label for my generation that I agreed with - a label I could relate to. I'm proud to be a member of the "Star Wars" Generation. It may sound petty to define tens of millions of people by a Hollywood film and its two sequels, but "Star when Luke and Leia figured out they were brother and sis- ter, and most of all, we can debate about haven't se, "Star War movieGs? begun. I remember Panama and Grenada. I remember seeing the space shuttle launches and the Challenger's demise. I also remember Reagan being shot, but I couldn't I If You Lik e Chicken, Ti "Star Wars" movies? Maybe a few shel- tered souls who stay home on weekends listening to ABBA. But most of them have probably seen "Star Wars" numer- ous times. The "Star Wars" Generation knows more about the Sarlacc Pit than the Secretary of State. Shunning the films could be seen as more anti-American than criticizing the president. I'd even go as far to bet most of the "Star Wars" Generation could name more crew members of the Millennium Falcon than they could name mem- bers of Congress. Have you ever noticed how our generation can argue for hours about the movies? "Star Wars" is a topic which was the best film of the trilo- gy. (I vote for "Empire.") What was it about "Star Wars" that made it such a phenomenon and set it so far apart from the rest? Aside from being excellent films, there were the action figures, the X- and Y-Wing Fighters, the Millennium Falcon, AT- ATs and other toys. There were the trading cards, the iron-on T-shirts, the books, the board games and as we got older, the CD-ROMs. The Rebels vs. the Empire was a game that could be taken to the play- ground at recess, or to the Oval Office with Reagan's proposed nuclear defense system in space, "Star Wars." And who hasn't had a mock lightsaber Beavis and en" theButthead than Bosnia and Chechnya. We are more likely to fight over McDonald's and Taco Bell than being a Democrat or a Republican. And we are probably more likely to go to tomorrow night's premiere of George Lucas' revamped generation- defining masterpiece than read tomorrow's newspaper. Is this acceptable behavior? Probably not. But for better or worse, this is my generation. While today we are seen as apathetic and disinterested, maybe one day we'll wake up and make the "Return of the Jedi" transfor- mation from the heartless and cold Darth Vader back to Anakin Skywalker. If only we all believed in The Force. - Brian A. Gnatt can be reached via e-mail at bgnatt wnich.eda. Journey into the world of Star Wars with action-pac By Elizabeth Lucas Daily Books Editor As audiences left theaters at the con- clusion of "Return of the Jedi," few of them realized that the suspense wasn't over yet. The three "Star Wars" films that have been released are parts four through six of a planned nine-part series. Until recently, no one knew how long it would be until the saga was continued. As it turned out, they only had to wait until 1991. Although the first new "Star Wars" movie is projected to be released in 1999, books detailing the further adventures of Luke, Han and Leia have been in print for six years. Though not widely publicized, these books consti- tute a quiet publishing phenomenon. "Star Wars" novels are, book for book, the single most valuable active franchise in publishing," said John Seabrook in the January 6 edition of The New Yorker. There are some 25 titles in print, and many of these have been bestsellers. "There's always a lot of interest when a new book comes out in the series, Borders employee Jean Moseley said. "All kinds of books on the (Star Wars) movies are popular, too." The series really began with tie-in books, released at the same time as the movies; these were later reissued as a one-volume trilogy. However, Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire," published in 1991, was the first sequel. Since then, there has been a vast increase in the variety of "Star Wars" titles available. Many are novels by well- known science fiction writers like Zahn and Kevin J. Anderson. These are mostly in paperback, but Steve Perry's "Shadows of the Empire" and Kristine Kathryn Rusch's "The New Rebellion" have been published in hardcover. .For those who like a thematic approach to "Star Wars," some books focus on one character, such as "The Han Solo Adventures" and "The Lando Calrissian Adventures." There are also anthologies like "Tales.of the Bounty Hunters" and "Tales from Jabba's Palace." One of the more interesting varia- tions on the "Star Wars" theme are the National Public Radio dramatizations of the movies, which have also been published in book form. And for those See BOOKS, Page 13B Fans may read about adventures o r Our... 4 Chicken Salad Classic all white meat! Served with lettuce and tomato on a pita) l e Chicken Gyro (like our Gyro sandwich, but with char-broiled Chicken) * Char-Broiled Chicken (Breast of chicken on a kaiser or pita) + Chicken Deluxe (From the fryer-seasoned chicken) 812 South State Street 769-5650 El .1 By Brian A. Gnatt Daily Arts Editor "Star Wars" games used to be a lot simpler. They usually had something to do with moving small two-dimensional paper figures of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo around a flat cardboard game- board. Then, there was the simplistic, yet enjoyable "Star Wars" arcades game, where pilots had " to fly an X-Wing fighter in the attack against the first Death Star - all on a primitive mono- chrome screen. Thanks to "Star Wars" producer George Lucas, who has been involved in other film-related ventures since the end of the trilogy, mainly his special effects studio Industrial Light & Magic and his soft- ware company LucasArts, there are I I new "Star Wars" multimedia titles that make the film's board games of the past seem like mere antiques in the high-tech '90s. LucasArts, which releases all of the new "Star Wars"-related multimedia games, has done a purely phenomenal job in designing and Veeken(I executing the various F* CD-ROM titles that appear in its latest release, "The LucasArts Archives Vol. II - 'Star Wars' Collection," an afford- able priced six-CD- ROM collection of multimedia adventures. (Available for PC and Macintosh.) In the set are four previously released best-selling "Star Wars" titles: "Rebel Assault," "TIE Fighter" "Dark Forces" and the two-CD "Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire." There is also a new disc, "Making Magic," which gives a preview of new scenes, storyboards, interviews and other treats from the re- released "Star Wars." It's the games, however, that are the highlight of the collection. They are superb for various reasons. First of all, they are visually and audibly delectable. While some are more film-like than others, they all capture the feeling of the "Star Wars" trilogy. The graphics, voices and actual sound and video clips from the movies put the player right in the center of the action. Whether it's in the cockpit or on foot, the games have taken the utmost care to maintain the continuity between the films and the CD-ROMs. Second, and most important games are all exciting. None fal the fairly-common multimedia going all-out on a game's produ yet still ending up with a borinl ROM. "Rebel Assault II" is the bread ner of the collection. With its c nation of live-action video (it co some of the first footage shots the original films), an exciting plc a large variety in the many tasl player must perform, the game blast to play. It contains both exte cockpit flight and ground co which is significantly more ex than simply one or the other, "TIE Fighter" and "Dark Forces _,Ba gual Flight Attendants To better serve the needs of our culturally diverse passengers, United Airlines is seeking bi-lingual Flight Attendants for our domestic routes. If you're enthusiastic, enjoy work- ing in a team environment and have a sincere dedication to customer service, consider becoming a Flight Attendant for United Airlines. camp " Bi-lingual in English and one of the languages spoken in Asia, Western Europe or Latin America * Able to legally accept employment in the U.S. * At least 19 years of age * Between 5'2" and 6' in height " Willing to relocate * A high school graduate or equivalent Alg with the pride and satisfaction that come from working for a world class airline, you Hl enjoy generous flight privileges, a competitive salary and great benefits. To find out more, please attend our: OPEN HOUSE INFORMATION/INTERVIEW SESSIONS Thursday, January 30, 1997 3:00pm Friday, January 31, 1997 9:00am; 12:00pm Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza 800 Merriman Romulus, MI Seving is limited, so please arrive early. If unable to attend, please call (847) 700-7200 for future Open House dates and locations. UAL is an equal opportunity employer m/f/d/v. 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