Reely Bernie Faves: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

As a boy who grew up in 1980s America, Star Wars was included in my DNA. Some proof of my passion for the George Lucas-inspired space opera franchise can be found in my childhood sandbox where my middle brother and I buried all of our action figures. We didn’t know any better at the time and sculpted a gigantic figurine-guarded fort to be taken out by the garden hose. I still see the water seeping closer to Chewbacca’s stronghold and watching him slowly fall into our little Pit of Carkoon.

There are probably hundreds of dollars-worth of merchandise in that sandbox, and I often wonder if the current residents have made any discoveries.

Aside from the wonderful toys, the original Star Wars trilogy on the screen also played a role in formulating my childhood, and to this day, nothing tops The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

This ultimate sequel deepens the character relationships and amplifies the outer space adventures of its predecessor, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). It also takes the entire world by surprise with four notorious words: “I am your father.” (I remember gulping at that line as a kid.)

Director Irvin Kershner journeys us to the ice planet of Hoth, where AT-AT Walkers hover and tauntauns roam and make for good carcass cavity coats (“And I thought they smelled bad… on the outside.”); Luke and Yoda skyrocket to spiritual heights in the swamplands of Dagobah; and, on the gas planet of Bespin, Lando betrays his friends to Darth Vadar, and Han Solo is entombed (along with our hope) in a frozen block.

It was all so devasting to me as a kid. But, when Luke gets a mechanical hand and gazes at the stars with Princess Leia at the very end, we get a glimmer of hope back. It’s as if this daunting sequel was the last blow from Goliath. The sting in the lower gut felt so real. (Luckily, “David” gets another shot with an Ewok by his side in the next one.)

I listened to a podcast last summer about the natural tendency to accept and even crave adversity when matching up against the favorite in any sports event. There is a built-in inclination (for most) that playing for and rooting for the underdog is not only more fun—it balances the universe and gives us hope.

Not too long ago, the New England Patriots under the duo of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were our Darth Vader. We need teams like them. It’s always going to be a tough battle against the favorites, but get out your lightsaber because there’s always a chance we can beat them!

In “Empire,” Darth Vader and the Imperial Army fortify their ranks and take back the reins. John Williams introduces the Imperial March theme, and we’ve got prime time football.

Amid the darkness, Yoda teaches Luke about letting go his anger and letting the force guide him to the greater good. He’s on the dark side’s 2-yard line, but, somehow, we know he’s going to make the drive to the end zone with Yoda, Leia, Hans, and Chewy on the team.

Before the aforementioned burial in the sandbox, it was all about recreating Star Wars at home with our plastic action figures. LEGO didn’t have the licensing yet, and video games consisted of Pong. I remember The Empire Strikes Back being the most popular re-enactments, and my neighbors had an AT-AT!

Unfortunately, after Return of the Jedi, we’ve been left with CGI-indulgent prequels about trade wars, a decent old-school rejuvenation in The Force Awakens, a beautiful but forgettable The Last Jedi, some mediocre spinoffs, and a whimper in The Rise of Skywalker.

The Empire Strikes Back holds up so well, it makes me cherish the good times of the past. Cherishing the past is a perfectly healthy thing to do until today brings the next opportunity to grow and the next sandbox to fill. This is why I am Reely Bernie for a few hours per week. This is why I love being nostalgic. The past is immaculate in The Empire Strikes Back.

Reely Bernie Faves:

1. Amadeus (1984)

2. Magnolia (1999)

3. Poltergeist (1982)

4. Pulp Fiction (1994)

5. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

6. The Godfather Part II (1974)

7. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)

8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

9. Goodfellas (1990)

10. Nosferatu (1922)

11. Pollock (2000)

12. Kicking and Screaming (1995)

13. Jaws (1975)

14. Fargo (1996)

15. Citizen Kane (1941)

16. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

17. The Endless Summer (1966)

18. Back to the Future (1985)

19. Angel Heart (1987)

20. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

21. The Goonies (1985)

22. Trainspotting (1996)

23. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

24. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

25. Bambi (1942)

26. The Paradise Lost Trilogy (1996-2011)

27. Psycho (1960)

28. Parenthood (1989)

29. Swingers (1996)

30. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

31. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

32. Smoke (1995)

33. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

34. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

35. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

36. City of God (2002)

37. 1917 (2019)

38. Black Swan (2010)

39. School of Rock (2003)

40. Mulholland Drive (2001)

41. Groundhog Day (1993)

42. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

43. The Greatest Showman (2017)

44. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

45. The Florida Project (2017)

46. Cinema Paradiso (1988)

47. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)

48. Shadowlands (1993)

49. Steve Jobs (2015)

50. ¡Three Amigos! (1986)