New documentary explores the origins of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special

I wrote a piece some time ago suggesting Return of the Jedi was partly a product of cocaine. It was (mostly) a joke, though some of the performances make you wonder. <cough Harrison Ford cough> We don't have to wonder about The Star Wars Holiday Special. It's obvious.

There's also the fact that The Holiday Special co-writer Bruce Vilanch admitted he was heavily into cocaine while working on the project.

Tell me something I don't already know, Bruce. I have eyes and also common sense. Cocaine and writers are like the union of the Two Towers—a force to be reckoned with, but the joining is more likely to produce nothing but pain and misery.

The Star Wars Holiday Special aired once, in 1978, and has since lived in infamy.

Apart from bootleg copies passed around like old Playboys, you couldn't watch The Holiday Special prior to the internet. George Lucas did his darnedest to ensure you didn't, which only stoked fan curiosity. Even though Disney now owns Star Wars and has its own streaming service, you will only find The Holiday Special on YouTube. (I'm providing a link only to reinforce that statement, not as an endorsement. You really don't want to watch it. Trust me. Some of you will click anyway out of spite or contrariness or simple curiosity, so let me skip ahead and say I told you so.)