The Next Chapter of My Star Wars Fandom centers around the next movie release. (There will be a later chapter about my main focus in the interim, but for now I will progress chronologicaly!)
2002 was a big year for me. As I was born in 1981 it was my 21st year of life on planet earth. A big birthday in American culture made even more so by the fact that this was also my third year of service in the United States Marine Corps. So, I bet you can imagine what I was doing on my 21st Birthday....oh you bet ya! The 17th I was so hungover from the opening of Attack of The Clones I could barely walk! You heard me, I turned 21 May 16th 2002 and I took 3 days of leave to revel in the beggining of the Clone Wars!
I had a good friend in the service at that time who was from Atlanta. We were stationed in Beaufort SC, and I wanted to go to a big city to revel in the celebration. I wanted to spend money, see a midnight showing, and revel in pure Str Wars on my birthday! It lived up to my expectations.
We bought the soundtrack and listened to it the whole 5 hours there disecting it for clues and thrilling to John Williams score. Then we went to the best theatre in Atlanta. I don't recall the name, but there were lines everywhere with people in costumes. We walked up to a window and bought tickets for a midnight showing and immediately went shopping. I bought a Sith ball hat, darkside t-shirt, Dooku's lightsaber, a Yoda and Dooku action figure to view the movie with me. We went out to eat and got some of tie in snacks (mmmm gogurt sticks!) Then we showed up at the theatre at 10:00 p.m. and took our swag inisde and set up camp in our seats. We chatted with the feloow fans and thrilled to their stuff, dueled and just had a blast.
Then more, came, and more. Our campsite vanished and our items took up space in our pockets so that they could see and be blessed by the film. Then it began.
I have never enjoyed a film more. I didn't hear half of it because of the applause, hooping, and hollering from our theatres and the ones next to us! It was great! Especially when Yoda draws his lightsaber, we stood and cheered for the whole duel! It was great.
The rest of the weekend we saw it twice more and heade home with even more swag.
BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!