May the 4th

I was there in 1977. It was at the Turnpike Cinema in a little strip mall in Augusta, Maine. This was the old days: crushed velvet and red fabric everywhere. Vinyl chairs. Drinks were human-sized, and you didn't need a second mortgage to get a popcorn and candy.

My dad worked there. One of his several jobs at the time was movie projectionist and he worked there and at the drive-in movie theater as well. I was seven years old when Star Wars came out, and he took me on a day off. (Poor Dad: having to show up to work on a day off because his two kids - my little brother Thom and I - wanted to see Star Wars.)

One of those "Before and After" Moments

Before Star Wars, no one took science fiction (science fantasy, Lucas said at the time) very seriously. No one but us nerds, but we were used to robots looking like spray painted cardboard boxes with dryer hoses for arms waving around like the robot had no idea where it was. George Lucas build Industrial Light and Magic because he couldn't find the kinds of effects he needed elsewhere. This changed the world's imagination instantly. Suddenly, we WERE a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

This was one of the reasons that Star Wars changed everything, and why completely serious people still get a sparkle in their eye. We could FEEL the effects in our brains and hearts and bellies. It just looked so real. The other reason we could? The toys.

Imagine leaving the movie and thinking about how you wanted to be Chewbacca or C3PO or whoever, and suddenly being able to buy the toys. Star Wars was one of the first movies to do toy tie ins that people actually wanted, that were taken seriously. I remembered loving Greedo. Which was YOUR favorite?

And it wasn't just the toy store. Star Wars was everywhere!

You could feel more and more connected to the exciting movie storylines because you could play with the toys, drink from the glasses, bring the lunchbox to school and on and on.

We Still Can't Get Enough

In the hands of Disney, we can't quite escape Star Wars. There's something for everyone. Not really into the whole Jedis and the Force thing? Great. Rogue One and Andor. You love Jedi? Too many stories to name. Want your stormtroopers to be clones? Check out the Bad Batch.

Maybe you want Wes Anderson to do Star Wars

Or maybe you just want that lightsaber you didn't buy as a kid.

That video above shows TEN different lightsaber companies you can buy from. Uh, what?

Yes, it's an industry unto itself, the fandom.

Are you a Star Wars person? Are you a SECRET Star Wars person?

Or did you never quite see the appeal?

Chris...