Blue Harvest
Encyclopedia
Blue Harvest was a fake working title used to hide the 1982 production of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
, the third installment of the Star Wars
film series. The supposed film was alleged to be an upcoming horror film
with the tag line Horror Beyond Imagination.
The title is a parody of Red Harvest
, a novel by Dashiell Hammett
, whose plot has been used for several movies including Yojimbo, A Fistful of Dollars
and Last Man Standing
.
, was very thorough; the fictitious film's logo was emblazoned on a wide range of film production items including shirts, caps, coats, buttons, signs, invoices and stationery. The Blue Harvest façade did give a bit of a wink and nod to its true purpose however, as the supposed film's logo (intentionally or unintentionally) used the distinctive Star Wars logo font.
In particular the ruse was employed during location filming in Yuma, Arizona
. The filming took place in the dunes over the Thanksgiving holiday, where there was a reported crowd of 35,000 dune buggy
enthusiasts. Despite erecting a chain link fence, employing a huge security force, and dodging myriad press inquiries, in the end, approximately sixty fans saw through the ruse and refused to leave until they obtained a few autographs and photos.
While filming The Empire Strikes Back
, Lucas found that services would increase their charges based on the speculated high budget. The false title prevented this from occurring during filming of Return of the Jedi.
The Blue Harvest front was not only used during the principal photography for Return of the Jedi, but was also adopted in other areas such as a retro T-shirt that was made by ILM in the 1990s, a cardboard mailer tube to disguise the shipments of Revenge of the Jedi (the working title for the film) posters, an episode of the 1985–1987 Star Wars animated series Star Wars: Ewoks
, and even a popular Star Wars fanzine
. The name Blue Harvest is widely known by Star Wars fans today.
can be seen wearing a Blue Harvest cap during the filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
in the Indiana Jones: Making The Trilogy documentary on the bonus disc of the 2003 Indiana Jones DVD box set.
Around 1997, the website www.blueharvest.com began redirecting web browsers to www.starwars.com.
A special, hour-long Star Wars themed episode of the animated television series Family Guy
entitled "Blue Harvest
" is a parody of the original film, A New Hope
, and not Return of the Jedi
.
"Blue Harvest" is the title of a story arc in the Dark Horse Comics
series Star Wars: Dark Times
.
"Blue Harvest" is among the films listed in Paul Denton's e-mail account in the computer game Deus Ex
. Given the many other references to film and literature in the game's setting, this is probably a nod to Star Wars.
Blue Harvest was also the name of a company to which the assets of video game company Factor 5
were transferred before it was declared bankrupt. , this is under litigation as fraudulent.
When The Simpsons Movie
was made and delivered to theaters, it was labelled "Yellow Harvest" as an homage.
Pendant Productions, an audio productions group, had an audio drama titled Star Wars: Blue Harvest, which ran from 2007-2011.
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
, the third installment of the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
film series. The supposed film was alleged to be an upcoming horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
with the tag line Horror Beyond Imagination.
The title is a parody of Red Harvest
Red Harvest
Red Harvest is a novel by Dashiell Hammett. The story is narrated by The Continental Op, a frequent character in Hammett's fiction. Hammett based the story on his own experiences in Butte, Montana as an operative of the Continental Detective Agency, San Francisco.Time included Red Harvest in its...
, a novel by Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
, whose plot has been used for several movies including Yojimbo, A Fistful of Dollars
A Fistful of Dollars
A Fistful of Dollars is a 1964 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood alongside Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, Sieghardt Rupp, José Calvo, Antonio Prieto, and Joseph Egger. Released in Italy in 1964 then in the United States in...
and Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing (film)
Last Man Standing is a 1996 action film written and directed by Walter Hill, starring Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, and Bruce Dern. It is a credited remake of the Akira Kurosawa film Yojimbo.- Plot :...
.
Usage during principal filming
The title was used in all areas where deemed necessary. The Blue Harvest ruse, credited to producer Howard KazanjianHoward Kazanjian
Howard G. Kazanjian is an American film producer, former Vice President of Lucasfilm, LTD and a published non-fiction author. Of Armenian descent, Kazanjian is an active member of the Armenian charity and cultural community, and a USC alumnus....
, was very thorough; the fictitious film's logo was emblazoned on a wide range of film production items including shirts, caps, coats, buttons, signs, invoices and stationery. The Blue Harvest façade did give a bit of a wink and nod to its true purpose however, as the supposed film's logo (intentionally or unintentionally) used the distinctive Star Wars logo font.
In particular the ruse was employed during location filming in Yuma, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
. The filming took place in the dunes over the Thanksgiving holiday, where there was a reported crowd of 35,000 dune buggy
Dune buggy
A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the...
enthusiasts. Despite erecting a chain link fence, employing a huge security force, and dodging myriad press inquiries, in the end, approximately sixty fans saw through the ruse and refused to leave until they obtained a few autographs and photos.
While filming The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
, Lucas found that services would increase their charges based on the speculated high budget. The false title prevented this from occurring during filming of Return of the Jedi.
The Blue Harvest front was not only used during the principal photography for Return of the Jedi, but was also adopted in other areas such as a retro T-shirt that was made by ILM in the 1990s, a cardboard mailer tube to disguise the shipments of Revenge of the Jedi (the working title for the film) posters, an episode of the 1985–1987 Star Wars animated series Star Wars: Ewoks
Star Wars: Ewoks
Star Wars: Ewoks is an American/Canadian animated television series featuring the Ewok characters introduced in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi....
, and even a popular Star Wars fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
. The name Blue Harvest is widely known by Star Wars fans today.
In popular culture
Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
can be seen wearing a Blue Harvest cap during the filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
in the Indiana Jones: Making The Trilogy documentary on the bonus disc of the 2003 Indiana Jones DVD box set.
Around 1997, the website www.blueharvest.com began redirecting web browsers to www.starwars.com.
A special, hour-long Star Wars themed episode of the animated television series Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
entitled "Blue Harvest
Blue Harvest (Family Guy)
"Blue Harvest" is the hour-long premiere to the sixth season of the FOX series Family Guy and the first part of the series' trilogy Laugh It Up, Fuzzball. It originally aired on September 23, 2007. The episode is a retelling and parody of the 1977 blockbuster film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New...
" is a parody of the original film, A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, and not Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
.
"Blue Harvest" is the title of a story arc in the Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
series Star Wars: Dark Times
Star Wars: Dark Times
Dark Times is a 2006, eighteen issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics. It is part of their 30th anniversary retooling of its long-running Star Wars series of comics, replacing Star Wars: Republic....
.
"Blue Harvest" is among the films listed in Paul Denton's e-mail account in the computer game Deus Ex
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
. Given the many other references to film and literature in the game's setting, this is probably a nod to Star Wars.
Blue Harvest was also the name of a company to which the assets of video game company Factor 5
Factor 5
Factor 5 GmbH is an independent software and video game developer. The company was originally co-founded by five former Rainbow Arts employees in 1987 in Cologne, Germany, which served as the inspiration behind the studio's name....
were transferred before it was declared bankrupt. , this is under litigation as fraudulent.
When The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
was made and delivered to theaters, it was labelled "Yellow Harvest" as an homage.
Pendant Productions, an audio productions group, had an audio drama titled Star Wars: Blue Harvest, which ran from 2007-2011.