ROTS, at long last

[emmagrant01]

I have tickets to see Revenge of the Sith tomorrow afternoon at 4:40!!! OMG -- this is finally it!

It's fun to watch all the posts on LJ from folks who've seen it or are about to see it. I'm jealous, but I just couldn't manage to get tickets for a midnight show. I just got off the phone with jedirita, who'll be seeing it tonight with her sisters. I hope y'all have an AMAZING time!!!

I posted what follows on a discussion list earlier today, in response to a post by jedirita. Just thought I'd put it here too, in case anyone else is interested.

Am I sad that Star Wars is almost over?

I have to make the obligatory statement here about how important Star Wars has been in my life. It's one of the first movies I remember seeing, and it consumed much of my childhood and adolescence. While other girls' Barbie dolls were going shopping, mine were sporting Princess Leia buns and wielding "blasters" against bad guys. My friends and I pretended our bikes were X-wing fighters as we rode them around the neighborhood. I was the only girl in my elementary school with a respectable collection of Star Wars action figures.

Star Wars is responsible for my interest in fan fiction. Off and on during my whole life, I've written Star Wars fan fiction. For example, my very first piece of fanfic was a little Luke/Leia story. I didn't know they were twins at the time, of course...

So here it is, at last -- the final film! But rather than being on the verge of feeling traumatized about this, I have been feeling oddly ambivalent about the release of ROTS since Celebration III. I'm very excited to see it, but I'm not dreading The End of the saga like I thought I would. Something I finally realised at Celebration is that what I really love is my own little slashy version of the Star Wars universe. The movie will be fantastic, I'm sure, and I can't wait to see it.

But it won't be the end of Star Wars -- not for me. As jedirita has said, it's more of a beginning, really. George is now finished telling his story, which frees all of us to tell our own. I, for one, am excited to see the fan fiction this film will inspire, and the idea that it might open our slash community to even more pairings is fantastic! Think of the potential for angst!!! Oh, I can't wait!

Before I discovered fan fiction, such things as this (the ending of such a beloved series or saga) would have crushed me emotionally. (I still haven't read Jean Auel's last book, because I'm terrified she won't publish the next one for another ten years. ) But now I feel connected with other fans in a way I haven't been before. I'm so excited to have people to share this with! It makes me happy in ways I can't describe to all those "get-a-life" folks. They just don't know what they're missing!

I think the release of the final Harry Potter book will be similar, and that fandom will be having these same conversations. And I'll be able to sit back and smile and say, "Oh, trust me -- it only gets better from here!"

Enjoy the moment, everyone!

Comments

[charlotteschaos.livejournal.com]

I'm going with araythea tomorrow at 11!!

I figured you had tickets or I would've invited :(

My parents didn't buy me many action figures, but the boy up the street had all of them. ALL of them. He was creepy, though. And I'd play SW with he and his friends but I wanted to be a Jedi... and they always made me be Princess Leia and wanted to take turns rescuing and kissing me.

As little as I cared for the kissing... I disliked not getting to have a light saber. So I'd really only play if we were doing the action figures and not live action. Because seriously.. eww. boys.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I meant to get tickets a lot earlier! Actually, the earliest I could go was late afternoon because of work obligations. And Mr. Grant is taking off work a little early to meet me there. So excited!

Heh -- I didn't know any boys who wanted to play Star Wars with girls. ;-)

[charlotteschaos.livejournal.com]

Oooh the elusive Mr. Grant! We went with later at night. Hopefully less kids and more quiet fan people seeing it for the third time *smirks*

For some reason, the release snuck up on me, so I was late to get tickets to the midnight showing. Alas, I don't tend to dress up or do anything fancy, so it probably would've been a waste anyway... other than I would've been amused ;) I suppose Palpatine wouldn't be too hard to pull off in a pinch.

I had lots of boy friends on and off through gradeschool. I loved playing barbies and actionfigure games, but I also loved climbing trees and playing more physical games. There were more boys on the street than girls, though. That was probably a big part of it.

[astentatioux.livejournal.com]

I was going to take my son tomorrow but the hubby *grumbles* wanted us to go see it together and he could not take time off tomorrow so we're going on saturday.

I too grew up with the original Star Wars and I know it shape some of what I am today *Looks at autographed photo of Mark Hamill with a dreamy sigh*

*Ahem* Anyways, I am really excited about this last episode and hearing the soundtrack I hope the movie does it justice!

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I was SO in love with Mark Hamill...

And I keep hearing good things about the movie!

[gblvr.livejournal.com]

OMGWTF?! I cannot stop laughing over your icon. I showed it to mr.gblvr whose comment, "That's just not right." made me laugh even harder....

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Well, that was the idea! ;-)

[vichan.livejournal.com]

I seriously lucked out on my end. People in Ohio are lame - they don't wanna see Star Wars. Or else there is just a plethora of theaters showing it... there were still two whole screens left with tickets on sale as of 4pm today.

*pets* I almost feel bad. There are other SW fans out there who are much more loyal fans than I am, and they don't get to see the midnight showing.

But I am PUMPED. And I've kept my record of see Episode I, II, and now III at midnight or before (back when I knew half the staff at the movie theater and got to go to employee showings).

(And knowing me, I'll probably do a little lurking dance in the SW fandom for a few weeks. *grin*)

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I could have gotten tickets for a midnight show... a month ago. But I knew I was going to be just getting back from a trip today, and I had no idea if I'd be able to stay up for it.

I've seen the other films in the late afternoon, though, so I'm sort of continuing my own tradition of sneaking out of work early to go!

I'll probably do a little lurking dance in the SW fandom for a few weeks.

Let me know if you need directions. ;-)

[elsie.livejournal.com]

I definitely feel the same way, Emma. The end of the HP books will be difficult, of course, because I love canon as much as I love the fandom. But I have to say, since I discovered HP fan fiction, it's getting easier to think about the end of the books because I know the story will never really be over. And I don't even have to sit around waiting for other people to give me more of it. I can write it myself! And I will.

A little part of me is even looking forward to the end of HP7 in a way because we'll have all the canon "facts," and then we'll be able to really cut loose with our own fantasies without worrying about them becoming insanely AU. We can take these characters anywhere we please. And if they are dead at the end of the series, who effing cares, right? We're not afraid to do AU. Just look at some James/Harry fiction if you need proof. :D

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. I think the SW fandom is more open to AUs than the HP fandom is anyway, but it will still be good to know all the details. SW is a bot weird in that there's a lot of sanctioned fan fiction in the form of published novels and comics, and not everyone accepts those as canon. Very different from HP!

But yes, once the HP books are done, people will finally stop this wibbling and whining about canon and just write what they want.

[spacetweenears.livejournal.com]

I couldn't wait so I'm hitting the midnight show, despite the fact I've gotta be at work by 8:30 am. I wanted to be one of the first!!

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Have fun!

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Saw it this morning, and by and large LOVED it. Poor, poor, poor Anakin. He getsrefused a break again and again and again.

And the Anakin/Obi slash potential! In the script! Practically in the script!

Say, would you hate me if I begged you to cross-post this at echostation?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Woo hoo! Can't wait!

Well, the Obi/Ani stuff has been so lovely in the JQ books. Unfortunately, there's a bit of anti-O/A feeling in the fandom... Too bad, because I think the pairing has a lot of potential. Maybe the film will change that!

Can I just post a link to this?

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Gee, sure!

:)

[clevermomi.livejournal.com]

I just had to comment, that icon almost KILLED ME. I shot iced tea out of my nose =P

[hearts-n-roses.livejournal.com]

I'm not that excited, which probably makes me sound like a bad Star Wars fan. I have seen the last two movies, and I just couldn't get into them because they weren't Star Wars to me. I enjoyed them, but they just didn't seem right for some reason. I know they are part of George Lucas' complete story, but I grew up with the orginal Trilogy and those are what I love.

Much like you, Star Wars was the first movie I ever remember seeing in a theatre. Empire Strikes Back fueled my obsession, and I lined up over-night with friends at 14 to see Return of the Jedi. I am a SW fan from way back, but the newer movies just don't do it for me I guess.

That said, I'm sure I'll see it, and it will be good, but I won't panic about seeing until the fuss dies down.

Have fun tomorrow!

[charlotteschaos.livejournal.com]

Don't know if you saw this... but I thought the Real Person Jedi Slash might appeal. It made me think of you ;)

Ewan's so slashy!

[ccmom.livejournal.com]

I got to see the ROTS tonight because a friend of mine begged me to go with him. lol Actually, we agreed to go together to have more fun. Trust me on this one...take some tissues. That's all I'm saying. Either that or a beach ball, which seemed to be very popular in the theater we went to. Kids these days.

Oh, and make sure you get there earlier or you'll end up with the front row seats like we had. Can you believe that some of these fools showed up days in advance? I so would only do that for HP. lol I guess everyone has their own personal obsessions.

Hope you like the movie!

Michelle

[mereol.livejournal.com]

...as i sit here drinking from my amidala straw cup that i bought at kfc an hour before going to see phantom menace i think, god. get a life people. i can't wait to see rots (tonight, yay!) and i will be sad that it's over but i have a funny feeling that someone someday will want to re-make episodes IV - VI. i just hope they slaughter all the ewoks first.

[assassinofjoy.livejournal.com]

As the final film in this saga draws near, I'm suddenly having childhood flashbacks. My parents couldn't afford to buy us many toys growing up, so my dad fashioned lightsabers out of an old broomstick and rake and painted one blue and the other pink for my sister and I (she gave me a concussion and I broke her nose *grins*). And the only reason I played with Bobby Thomassen was so I could get close to his Ewok village *hangs head*

As a life-long Star Wars fan myself, I concur with most of what you've said. Personally, I'll be a little sad to see it end (even if I completely abhorred "Phantom Menace," and "Clone Wars" was only redeemable in my eyes because of the wicked-ass Yoda duel *sheepish grin*), but as you've said, the ending of this amazing story is just the beginning for many fans. I re-captured my love for all things Jedi when I first read Star Wars fic, and this fan-girl's not been quite the same since. There are so many stories that haven't been told ... I have a feeling that we'll be taking over where Lucas left off, for years to come.

[assassinofjoy.livejournal.com]

Random thought -- when I first saw "Empire Strikes Back" I cheered when Leia laid one on Luke, and when I found out later they were brother and sister ... I felt like the biggest pervert on Earth. On the other hand, when my nephew grows up and watches the saga properly, he's going to be like, "DUDE! That's you freakin' *sister!" *hangs head*

Random thought done ... off to bed I go.

[flauka.livejournal.com]

I went to premiere in Hollywood a week ago. And I'll probably join the long lines to see it again this week. The movie is fantastic and yes I am sad to see these movies go. Maybe in five years George could be persuaded to make EP 9, 10, 11? The original actors would be the right age.