I never saw the original Star Wars on the big screen because I was born the year The Empire Strikes Back was released. I have no stories of first time viewing, no life changing moments brought about by the films, just that I always remember them being a part of my life and I always loved them.
When the Special Editions were released, I eagerly lined up with everyone else to see them. It made me so happy that I was finally able to see these three films on the big screen after years of watching them on warped VHS tapes, but a little part of my love died as I watched Greedo shoot first. HAN SHOT FIRST!!
I don't hate the prequels but I also don't love them. 'Meh' is the best word I can find to describe my feelings towards them. Instead of getting angry about them and indignant at what George has done to the Star Wars franchise, I prefer to pretend they don't exist. My children will grow up believing that 'IV' is the roman numeral for 'one'.
Enter the Victoria Film Festival and its showing of The People vs. George Lucas. I attended tonight's showing with Darth* and I do take a little bit of dorky pride in saying that we were second and third in line. The film was well worth the wait in the cold.
It was a very funny and interesting look at how people feel about George Lucas. We have a man who created this incredible world and shared it with us through his films. He shaped pop culture in a way that could never have been anticipated prior to the first movie's release. He was the driving force behind our childhood imaginations. And then he tinkered with it. People got angry. But did they really have a right to get that angry? It is, after all, his original work. Where are his rights to do with it as he wants? The film wasn't a deep, philosophical look at the subject matter but it definitely did make me stop and think on a few points.
It's a film that I think even non-geeks would enjoy and I was glad it was my first film of this year's Film Festival. Now, bring on the werewolves!
*Names have been changed to protect the evil.
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