I was in a pretty foul mood today when I left work... You know the usual work stress..the daily grind, etc...not getting into it here. I had an inkling to stop at Borders for some reason. I was browsing the Sci-Fi section and I came across a book that I actually saw on the internet awhile ago but forgot all about. The name of the book was "Star Wars: Year by Year" Its a timeline chronicle of the trilogy and the prequels and has everything from film stuff to merchandise to comics, even historical happenings for each year all the way up to 2010 ... I just got done paging through (just skimming taking in the pics) and WOW!!! This book turned my entire mood around. I was flooded with memories all the way back to when I first saw the original Star Wars for the first time.. and the trip to our local department store afterwards with my Dad when I saw the first Star Wars action figure display right in the front of the store.. .Id reccommend this book to any SW fan.. Its 50 bucks but well worth it.
These movies had a HUGE part in my life. Pretending to be characters from the movie with my best friend Kim and using our imaginations to make up new adventures in either of our houses and also outside. We re-created Hoth when it snowed and Endor in the spring and then Tatooine on the playground in the Summer. Yes we played with the action figures also but mostly using our minds imagining ourselves as the characters.. We used metal flashlights as light sabers. Our fingers as the laser guns and the living room couch doubled as the millenium falcon and any other ship we might need.
As time went on as we got too old to play, we switched to the games... Video games for the Atari, then the NES and others. I had different friends then but the story still bonded all of us. We were able to watch them on VHS now whenever we wanted to. I dont know how many times we laughed listening to Red Leader yell "Stay on Target"... next door at my cousins house. At this point we could recite the movie... I was lucky enough to have alot of the collectables.. All the original action figures (which I later sold for money for a trip to Wildwood but thats another story) the ships, playsets, games, etc...
Then the trilogies were re-released and I got to see them in the movies all over again... I simply could never and would never lose the taste for the galaxy far far away... I went to novels, more games with better graphics, and then back to the collectables when the prequels arrived. I actually even stood outside of a Toy Works store for a midnight opening to get the figures and this time I wasnt opening em and I wasnt selling em. Yeah, I know the prequels were largely a dissappointment but for me I didnt care. Star Wars was back! I personally would have loved to see sequels to Jedi instead but o well. Almost every close friend I have met in the last 10-15 years have shared my passion with SW in some way. I actually got to go to a SW Celebration in Indianapolis which was amazing. Maybe the moment ill remember the most was going to see Episode III with my cousin and their family. Poetic seeing it all come to an end together. Ive never cried during a movie in my life and I joke about it but I got teared up at the end of III... Probably because I knew this was it. A huge chapter in my life coming to an end. Well fans know it will never really end.. Cartoons, books, a new MMO, Spike TV marathons and BluRay will keep it around forever. (Maybe a live action TV show coming?) and thats as it should be. Thanks to George Lucas ... for thinking this whole thing up and being such a big part of my life... It still can bring a smile to my face at 41 after a rough day in our galaxy....
(Im sure ill be posting on SW again down the road in case I missed anything LOL)
When you said favorite memory, I had just one come to mind and it's nowhere near as impactful as yours. I enjoyed watching the first SW trilogy for pure entertainment value, but I wasn't "into" the whole SW scene.
ReplyDeleteBut that said, in 1980, Empire Strikes Back was out, and I was dying to find a way to impress one particular girl on one of our first dates. What better way to score tickets to the toughest movie to get tickets for? So I did. And she was indeed impressed.
My favorite memory though was during the movie when (and I probably don't have this exactly accurate), Billy Dee Williams came to save the day in the Millennium Falcon, opening the hatch and allowing Han to drop to safety.
At that point of the movie, she turns to me and said, "And that is why today, they call it a 'Lando Roof'". It struck my funny bone, and I was head over heels (until she broke up with me that summer, but that's a story for your "Wonder Years" blog).
I love Star Wars!!! Sometimes I think I may love it more than my wife. However I will not thank Mr. Lucas. George Lucas is a money grubbing whore. I could go on and on about all my different experiences with Star Wars, so Joe definitely do more Star Wars Blogs. Also Joe, if you would have hung on to those vintage toys you probably would have been able to go on a European vacation now. I can't even be able to begin specific stories. My collection has grown way too big. Lately I have been working on aquireing all the vintage toys, ships, and playsets I either had, or my parents couldn't afford to get me when I was a kid. Joe, maybe you could do an blog on each movie, favorite scenes, lines, actors, toys, etc. That would be fun. --KG--
ReplyDeleteIll definitely consider it! Thanks for the posts!
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