Hulu has put up the Family Guy hour-long episode Something, Something, Something Dark Side, an animated parody of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back which sees the Griffin family and friends acting out the roles of the original film.

The oversized episode is now streaming for free for residents of the United States and can be watched in its entirety here below.

Something, Something, Something Dark Side is the sequel to Family Guy‘s Star Wars-themed movie Blue Harvest. It infuses humor into the much-loved Empire Strikes Back and pokes fun at it in all the right places by stating the absurdities of certain scenarios. (For instance, why do the rebels evacuate from Hoth right into the path of the Imperial fleet?)

It’s all in good fun, especially the opening crawl text (hilarious!) and has lots of other references to pop culture in it, as well as special guests, so watch it for free while you can!

May 2010 has undoubtedly turned out to be Star Wars month. With the 30th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back and Universal Day of the Jedi on May 25 (tomorrow!), we also had “May the 4th be with you,” “Revenge of the 5th” (wished-for by ThinkGeek.com), and George Lucas’ birthday. It’s been a big month of celebration for Star Wars fans around the world.

The Star Wars saga has developed a prosperous history over its 33 years of integration into the consciousness of pop culture, including the ever-developing Expanded Universe; which, through novels, games, comics, and more, has fleshed out an in-universe chronicle stretching from thousands of years before the life of Luke Skywalker, to hundreds of years after his death.

Arguably, one of the most unique aspects of the Star Wars saga is the lightsaber. The preferred weapon of the Jedi and the Sith, it is representation of, in the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “a more civilized age.” Since the release of the first Star Wars film on May 25, 1977, fans have embraced the lightsaber as a representation of the Jedi, as have the creators of the Expanded Universe.

Within the Expanded Universe of the Star Wars saga, we can find a historic view of how the lightsaber came to be — its advancement and chronology. So, in-universe, how did the symbolic weapon of the Jedi come into being?

The Empire Strikes Back: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition)
Composer: John Williams
London Symphony Orchestra
1997 Release

WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS!

It’s been thirty years since The Empire Strikes Back, the much-anticipated sequel to George Lucas‘ 1977 mega-hit cultural touchstone Star Wars, opened in theaters around the world and the impact it made upon audiences and critics has not dulled a bit, and for good reason. The movie proved that the success of the first Star Wars film was no well-timed fluke and even a movie that essentially paid homage to space operas, samurai films, and westerns could evolve beyond its influences and become its own beast. Best of all it was better than Star Wars in every possible way: the script by Leigh Brackett (screenwriter of such classic films as The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, and The Long Goodbye) and Lawrence Kasdan (who later went on to co-write Raiders of Lost Ark and enter his own directing career) opened up the universe Lucas had created and expanded the scope with an epic, serpentine tale that was more darker, richer, and emotional than the original and overflowing with memorable characters, and quotable dialogue; the direction by Irvin Kershner was professional and assured; and the cast, free of George Lucas’ stilted writing and relative inexperience with actors (despite the fact that he had directed the actor-heavy American Graffiti to great success), were able to give deeper and more nuanced performances under the direction of the deferential Kershner.

We all know the story so well: The young scrappy boy who shares an intimate kiss with his sister before going to learn “˜magic’ from a muppet in a swamp, the space princess sexually assaulted by a drug smuggler in a broom closet, the back-stabbing Colt .45 pitchman, and of course the reunion with the estranged father who then maims his son.

But what of the unsung heroes of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the little people who charge the blasters, reset the flyers, and get shot down by the AT-ATs?

Ladies and gentleman, here’s a peek at a day in the life of Lobot, Lando Calrissian’s faithful assistant on Cloud City.

This week is a special week for us Star Wars fanatics out there, as it is the 30th anniversary of my personal favorite, The Empire Strikes Back. LucasArts is giving all you Xbox 360 owners a special treat by offering ten Avatar costumes and other Star Wars-themed accessories available for purchase tomorrow (May 20th) on Xbox Live.

There’s a nice selection to choose from, including: Imperial snowtrooper (male and female), Boba Fett (male and female), Lando costume with cape (male), Chewbacca (male and female), Rebel snowspeeder pilot (male and female), Han Solo Hoth outfit (male), Leia Hoth outfit (female), Bossk (male and female), C-3PO (male and female), AT-AT pilot (male and female), and props like a tauntaun pet, a ballcap with Yoda ears (male and female), and a lightsaber.