Well, now the wait for Empire begins. To say I was blown away is an understatement. I won't go into the spoiler aspect of it here, I'll save that for my page, but what I will do is try to put into words the emotion and poignancy the moment had for me.
I went today to the screening, lugging my father (who I will never miss seeing a Lucasfilm first screening with) and my best friend. We had no pass, no tickets. And little hope. I had contacted Fox far too late to get the pass that they so willingly wanted to give me. So instead, I had only the benevolence of my fellow geeks. I stayed up most the night worried about how to get in, then I put on the soundtrack to Star Wars and closed my eyes. For hours the hymns of Williams held me, until the phone rang. My best friend Glen, "Hey Harry, it's time to hit it." It was 7am. With a quick ferocity I pulled my clothes on and woke my father. And off we were.
We arrived at the theater to see one other car, this one had two people sitting in it. We sat there waiting for the arrivals. Sporadically cars began to appear, one after the other. The faces all too familiar, these were the faces of the brotherhood of sci fi film watching. We only see each other's faces at events like this one, and excitement was in every visible breath escaping our lips. In one car a fan was putting on the stickers on his Skyhopper toy, while in another a girl played with her Death Star Chasm playset. Then the first couple entered into the line. In an instant response other car, vans and truck doors opened spilling the eager fans out. They were all happy with their passes gripped firmly, meanwhile I had none. I left the warm sanctuary of my van to feel the same cold air as my fellow fans, and to get a ticket. I wasn't going to try. ("Try, there is no try. Do or do not.")
Just as I was about to approach the line my best friend Glen arrived. He looked ragged as all hell. Up all night, with only a 16 hour notice, he moved heaven and earth to attend and it showed. He was desperate to get a pass, worried that he would not, and personally had the look of someone who you wouldn't give a pass to. He went up to several people pleading, knowing he wouldn't get in, visualizing it. Then I saw two people come up to one another and exchange multiple passes. I knew this was my chance, I was going to get it.
"Hi, you wouldn't have an extra pass or two would you?," I said with the utmost confidence, fire in my eye because I knew he was in possession of 5 passes. I watched as his hand entered his coat and gave me the PASS. My friend Glen, who was at the far end of the parking lot picking up old tickets hoping to pass off a ran over stub, let out a , "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS" And we knew we were in. So now after only 30 minutes I could completely enjoy the experience. The force was truly with me.
Well the line was forming with maybe twenty people in front of me. Then came the feeling of euphoric unity. Everyone helping everyone. Not a sad or lonely face amongst all that stood. Conversations about what was about to happen were everywhere, as fandom was truly present. Speculation and jubilation was the order of business. And we all glowed in the golden light of the rising sun. The line grew and grew and soon stretched to the end of the parking lot, not turning as all lines do, but rather following the curvature of the earth itself. Then they let us in.
I headed straight for my seat with only thirty minutes to the start. A ripple of excitement was easily felt. Everyone recalling the first time they had this feeling, the first time the were taken far far away, so long ago. Then someone showed up with the plastic Star Wars Trilogy cup, then everyone got up and got one. And we all looked at the cups as if they were some sort of jeweled chalice from which eternal life would spring forth. In a way it was. Then the lights began of ebb.
The ever so familiar green glow of a trailer rating screen appeared and the ANASTASIA trailer began. Honestly it looks interesting. Then another green preview screen, when it went away the sound of Star Wars was heard. An audible gasp was let out when the Lucasfilm Logo flickered with it's magical life-affirming greenness. The new trailer for Empire and Jedi. Footage I hadn't seen, BIG. Lumps began forming. The trailer ended and it was time for the feature presentation.
As the 20th Century Fox logo appeared my friend Glen began shaking as if this were all too much for him, and he said to me, "I wish my son was old enough for this." Then the Lucasfilm logo again sent shivers up and down my spine. Then those blessed words appeared on screen and the film began. Tears whelled up in the corners of my eyes, a warm glow in my stomach and my mind was no longer in the theater. I was transported. I won't go into the details of the film with one exception. The Biggs scene. I had no anticipation for this moment and didn't know how it would effect me. But god bless me I began to cry, as I am doing now. I can't explain it, that simple non-effects filled moment was a complete triumph speaking right to me. Knowing of the tragedy that was soon to come, gave it all a weight that I wasn't ready for. As the film ended, I sat there watching all the credits and knowing how perfect it all was. Scenes that should or should not have been changed were beside the point, the feeling of the moments and the time were worth every penny to my name, and this was why they built movie theaters, even if the carpenters didn't know it.
