The Nerd's Eye View

I remember watching Return of the Jedi when I was little at the Loew's multiplex down on 34th and 2nd Ave with my Dad. I had only seen part of A New Hope on television, and had never seen Empire Strikes Back. Stepping out of the dark cinema into the bright light of New York summer, I was a transformed being. I wanted nothing less than to become a Jedi Knight, fake flipping down the sidewalk, and making lightsaber noises as my father looked on, probably amused. That summer I considered changing my name to Luke (as in Skywalker) and fantasized about wearing a black, quasi-militaristic suit with matching cloak.

Next thing I know, I have a bunch of action figures and have developed a fascination with Dark Vader's management style. I was already enough of a dork that this didn't register on my personal Richter scale, but still it was a "thing". George Lucas, it was said, could do no wrong. And I grew older ....

In college, rumors circulated that George Lucas was planning three new movies, three prequels. Seriously! And this time I was going to be an adult, able to take myself to the movies, watch them a ton of times, buy them on video! I was afire with anticipation and my nerd brethren along with me, although people did take it a little too seriously. Anyway I wasn't going to stay in line for a year to be the first to watch the midnight show, not when the movie was going to be playing in 6 theaters all day long till the end of eternity. So I was able to stroll in at lunchtime with my then girlfriend, get a good seat ... and have the rug completely yanked out from under me; and it was no fluke, though things got better, and I vowed that George would never going to get another cent of my money (on opening weekends). And time went on ...

Now a couple of years later, I'm over George and have bashed him as much as I care to. I don't want to hate him anymore. But I am a grudge holder. My friend MiniRacer (in conversation) mentioned that he wasn't mad at George anymore, that his 5 year old loved the prequels. That maybe George had done them that way on purpose, so a new generation of kids could learn to enjoy them. I was't buying it, but then I read this article, which makes some good points. But I don't know if I'm ready to forgive just yet. Maybe a coffee, a hang out and a quick reminisce about the fun times we had with Empire ... maybe.

link courtesy of Io9