The sci-fi movie Noel Gallagher said typifies Oasis: “It blew my mind”
Former Oasis leader Noel Gallagher has always had a penchant for keeping fans on their toes. From criticising prominent fellow artists to effusing those who surprised him most, veering off the beaten path is something that the Mancunian is well accustomed to and remains a crucial part of his cultural standing. Never afraid to offer his opinion, the Britpop master is as authentic as they come.
While best known for his music, Gallagher has provided many accounts in his time outside of this field. When speaking to Mojo in 2011, he revealed he is a lifelong lover of cinema. As part of this extensive interview, he was asked to pick out his five favourite films of all time. The perfect situation in which to share some of his usual insights, Gallagher was more than happy to discuss the titles that mean the most to him.
Whilst he picked out Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western masterpiece, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, as one of his most cherished films, labelling it “epic”, Gallagher’s collection showcased the broad scope of his taste, with him a fan of classics as well as newer, more niche titles. After all, this is a man whose musical journey has also been stylistically all-encompassing, so it makes a lot of sense.
Each of Gallagher’s movie choices were compelling, but it was his discussion of 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope that stood out above the rest. The first film in the series released by George Lucas, Star Wars changed the lives of all the children who saw it, including the Oasis man, so it holds a particularly special place in his heart. Gallagher revealed that he still believes the galaxy far, far away exists somewhere and still looks great. He said: “I was ten when this came out, and I still believe that galaxy is going on somewhere, a long, long time ago and far, far away. And even now, it looks state of the art.”
“It deals with the most basic premise of good vs evil,” Gallagher continued, “And someone got to rescue the girl, but you’ve got to admire someone with the vision to invent an entire language. It blew my mind, and I can’t wait for it to blow my son’s mind.”
The most eye-catching aspect of Gallagher’s account of A New Hope came at the end. After outlining how it blew his mind, he described it as the movie that typifies Oasis, pitting it against Blade Runner, which he says represents Radiohead. Seemingly referring to the maximalist approach of Oasis in opposition to Radiohead’s famed minimalism, Gallagher concluded: “Fuck Blade Runner. Blade Runner is Radiohead. Star Wars is Oasis.”
Watch the trailer for Star Wars: A New Hope below.
