There Is No Part 1 · 31 August 2024
When you have a sequel of any kind, there is no Part 1. Unless you are Star Wars.
I was on a kick about not being in a funk. Three blog posts on the subject. Apparently, I did the same with Kimchi a while ago. But with Kimchi I had four parts. Albeit, those posts were over about a year and only two were consecutive weeks. So apparently, writing blog sequels is a thing. Or at least it is a thing with me. Do not worry. This is not a fourth blog post about not being in a funk. It is a post about sequels. Rather, about what the original is called.
If you have ever been in a conversation about movies, you have probably heard somebody say something about Rocky 1 or Jaws 1. Those movies do not exist. They are called Rocky and Jaws. Period. No 1. Arabic or Roman numeral. No 1 at all. And yet people say it all the time.
“Oh yeah. Rocky 1 still works today.”
“I saw Jaws 1 again. I won’t even go in the lake for weeks.”
“I saw A Nightmare on Elm Street 1. It still scares the bejeebers out of me.”
I know the reason people do it. When you just say, “I saw Rocky last weekend,” somebody inevitably asks, “Which one?” So you just say, “Rocky 1.” Even though there is no Rocky 1!
Of course, you could just say, “The original.” Or you could cock your head sideways and not say anything. But when you do that, whoever you are talking to will undoubtedly say, “Oh yeah. Rocky 1. I love that movie.” And if your head explodes when you say, “There is no Rocky 1!”, your friend will say, “I know. I just like to see your head explode when you say, ‘There is no Rocky 1!’” With friends like that…
At any rate.
I simply do not have that conversation with people. I just let them go along their merry way thinking or at least saying that there really is a “1” at the end of the original title of a movie with a sequel or five. After all, I hate it when my head explodes.
There is, of course, an exception to the No 1 rule. Star Wars. (By the way. There is an exception to every rule. Right? Except that one. Or is that a paradox or a conundrum or something like that?)
Star Wars is a conundrum all by itself. After all, the first one is actually the fourth one. Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope was the original Star Wars, but you cannot call it Star Wars 1. Which is a relief. Unfortunately, it causes its own conversational nightmares. Nightmares not on Elm street.
Or maybe it gets rid of conversational nightmares. Think about it. Star Wars movies have their own numbering system. They are episodes. And those episodes are actually in the titles. Which is great! You can just say which episode you are talking about by number and people will know exactly what you are talking about.
Except they do not.
When you say, “Star Wars 1” or “The first Star Wars” or even “Star Wars: Episode I”, people will still ask you, “Do you mean the original? Or the actual Episode I?” Probably just to see your head explode.
At any rate. I hope this clears things up about ones.
Remember, if you are talking about the original of a series of movies, you do not put a “1” after the name. Unless there really is a one there. Which is an interesting thought. Somebody ought to make a movie with a “1” at the end of the title and not make a sequel. No doubt people would then ask if you had seen the movie but will leave out the 1. Probably just to see your head explode.
And with that ends part 4 of not being in a writing funk (just kidding). Just remember, the original does not have a “1” at the end. And remember. It is nothing like Star Wars.
© 2024 Michael T. Miyoshi
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