Episode Anticipations...

Today, I am experiencing a phenomenon. Imagine, if you will, that Halloween was a holiday that came around 6 times... and then it was done. Now imagine that it didn't happen every year, but every 3 years, with a big 16 year gap in the middle. That's what it feels like to be a Star Wars fan today. (Well yes, technically there have been sneak previews dating back to last week, and the 'true' fans went to the midnight show early this morning / late last night - but I'm getting too old and am not lucky enough for stuff like that). The whole multi-media culture of the 21st century is practically throbbing with the whole spectacle of it all. Star Wars is in our stores, in our food, on our television, and it's saturated our Internet. The synergy of the Star Wars vehicle has only taken hold in this fashion 5 times before, and after this one... it's all over. You see the thing that makes today bittersweet is I know that this will be the last time. As I type this, I am in a state I will never be in again - the bliss of ignorance. One of the most magical things about all the waiting between these movies is the power of the fan's imagination. From the first release of "A New Hope", George Lucas created what is now a truism in today's film... anything you imagine can happen in the movies. The fame the first flick got was mostly due to the fact that the movie reflected what so many people had already dreamed of, and it made it seem so undeniably real. In between each episode, we've been able to do what Lucas did as a kid watching Flash Gordon serials after seeing those big cliff hanger endings... We've been able to ask ourselves, "what happens next", and since my childhood, this Willy Wonka of the sci-fi space saga has provided me with an infinite number of toys and games to play my guesses out. In my early adulthood, I've internalized this form of play in a more 'novelized' way, by theorizing about plot points, characters, and having endless debates with my friends over the myth of the force... And therein lies the rub. The first trilogy was fed to me. By the time the prequels began, I had already learned how to cook (well, in so far as this analogy's concerned). I had imagined what would happen before the original 3 movies took place only to realize that I had out-imagined the first two prequel movies. I think this is what happened to a lot of people as the 'fans' began panning both ep. I and II. Say what you will about the failure of these movies to own up to the original 'trinity', the real downfall is that they crystallized what until then had been ethereal dreams, and a dream always looses power after you've written it down. So I have decided, above all else, to enjoy this last movie in spite of it's inevitable downfalls and in reverence of it's assured glories. In a few hours time, I'll have seen all the movies there are to be. To be honest, I can't wait. In the mean time, I'm enjoying this moment of anticipation, like the delayed gratification of a present yet to be opened. Who knows, maybe they'll come a day when even these movies are re-released with brand new features, characters, and effects. Then, it'll be like that special kind of Halloween all over again. =)