The Tatooine Hotel

December 12, 2006 9:31 PM

You may know that some of the Tatooine parts of Star Wars were filmed in Tunisia . But did you know you can spend the night in Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen's distinctive underground house? In the middle of the desert, local people have taken up residence in the 30-year-old set.
posted by gottabefunky (20 comments total)

They need a Jabba's palace, complete with Rancor chamber below...and a Sarlacc pit just for good measure.
posted by mystyk at 9:56 PM on December 12, 2006

I just geeked out a little, in my pants.
posted by lekvar at 9:56 PM on December 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

A friend of mine went there. I've been to Yavin and Naboo.
posted by muckster at 10:04 PM on December 12, 2006

I had heard before that the big skeleton snake could still be seen out in the desert.

Sadly, though, googling tells me that this prick went there, chopped it up, and sold it. Way to make the world a better place, dude.
posted by Meatbomb at 10:24 PM on December 12, 2006

"...One of his favourite items is the Ewok mask from Return of the Jedi (1883)..."

I am surprised to hear just how long ago and far away it was!
posted by mwhybark at 10:52 PM on December 12, 2006

Although the star wars caves are quite nice, the rest of Tunisia is a dump, its tourism geared largely to providing cheap packages to Brits, Germans, Dutch etc.

Go to Morocco instead and buy yourself a box set collectors edition of star wars.
posted by rhymer at 12:35 AM on December 13, 2006

Have some fennel stew, just like Aunt Beru made.
posted by eatitlive at 12:43 AM on December 13, 2006

But did you know you can spend the night in Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen's distinctive underground house?

If you're really lucky some Imperial troops will come by and burn you to a crisp.
posted by jonmc at 6:54 AM on December 13, 2006 [2 favorites]

I had my picture taken in the lobby of that "hotel" ("Hotel" suggests a level of comfort that I'm not sure is appropriate)

George Lucas apparently patterned Obi Wan's garb from the native Berber cloaks. It was amusing to see Jedis tooling around town on mopeds.
posted by justkevin at 6:58 AM on December 13, 2006

Snakes on a Plane! Jedis on a Moped!
posted by Kirth Gerson at 7:15 AM on December 13, 2006

jonmc:
If you're really lucky some Imperial troops will come by and burn you to a crisp.

There you go, spreading lies and innuendo about our brave boys in white. Here's what really happened.

Hate the empire, support the stormtroopers!
posted by signal at 7:25 AM on December 13, 2006

My only concern is for the independent contractors who built the second Death Star.
posted by jonmc at 7:27 AM on December 13, 2006

They knew what they were getting into.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:21 AM on December 13, 2006

They were just trying to scratch out a living. They had no personal politics.
posted by jonmc at 8:32 AM on December 13, 2006

I personally believe that during a time of war, all civilians were evacuated, just like in the world. Im sure the rebels killed no innocents.
posted by subaruwrx at 8:52 AM on December 13, 2006

In the middle of the desert, local people have taken up residence in the 30-year-old set.

Um. The pit houses are throughout Matmata, which is one of the more noted locations of troglodyte architecture in the world. The Sidi Driss may be as much as 700 years old, and similarly with many of the quote-unquote "futuristic sets".
posted by dhartung at 9:40 AM on December 13, 2006 [1 favorite]

The pit houses are old school, but the fiberglass mos eisley buildings were fabricated in the '70s, which are the ones he's talking about.
posted by nomisxid at 10:39 AM on December 13, 2006

Making fiberglass houses so they look like mud huts is futuristic?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 11:06 AM on December 13, 2006

...and similarly with many of the quote-unquote "futuristic sets".

Making fiberglass houses so they look like mud huts is futuristic?

Um, what part of "A long time ago" didn't you people understand?
posted by signal at 2:28 PM on December 13, 2006

This part:

Nowadays, the poor desert people of Tunisia are the inhabitants of the futuristic houses built by George Lucas and company.

What other links did you not read?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:36 PM on December 13, 2006