These days it’s called “Star Wars IV: A New Hope.” In 1977, it was just “Star Wars.” Whatever you call it, that film launched the most profitable movie franchise in history and changed all kinds of things: Fashion, product design, merchandising, movies and perhaps even science fiction itself.
As the franchise got bigger and the action figures kept selling, its influence deepened. Now, with the seventh movie in the series, “The Force Awakens,” opening on Friday, the noise has become almost deafening. The extended “Star Wars” universe seems poised to completely invade our consciousness. But what has its enduring influence been?
Source: salon.com