INTRO.
As the description of this blog states, this will be a blog about the movies which have impacted my life, and most likely the lives of many others. I'm sure some of the ideas expressed here have been expressed by others in different, most likely more literate, ways. My goal is to entertain, laugh at myself (hoping you'll laugh at/along with me), reminisce, and just discuss great, and not so great, movies. Just like a movie you love, I hope you enjoy the ride as we embark together on travels throughout the universe of movies. Please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think. After all, going to the movies becomes all the more enjoyable when it is shared with those who have the same passion. Well, I guess we should begin.
PART 1
SCENE 1:
It is the year 1978. Location: Monroe, NC
Ext. Large movie screen spreads out before rows of cars. The sun has set and the night is getting darker and darker. The air feels warm, with a slight breeze, indicating it is early summer. Random pieces of debris float across the lot.
Int. Sitting in a Pontiac Bonneville are three people. Two adults and one child. The adults are around 36 and 29, parents. The child sits in the middle of the front seat on the arm rests. He is 4 years old. This is his first movie experience. Popcorn is being passed and drinks are being sipped. The speaker for the movie is attached to the car window.
And so it began. This is how my first experience at the movies started. Sitting in a car with my parents in the summer of 1978. I have always wished it would have been the summer of '77, but alas, I wasn't one of the coolest kids who knew what this movie would do to the industry. Even with the infinite wisdom of a four year old, I was at the mercy of parents as to what I was able to watch. Up to this point, I don't have any recollections of going to the movies. This was a first. The screen seemed to take up the entire night sky and I was absolutely fascinated.
I can honestly say, the moment the lights started to flicker and the crawl of the movie started, I was entranced. STAR WARS. Of course, I am sure you guessed the movie before I even got to the title. I mean, there have been so many people who have cited this as the movie which influenced their early lives.
This is a good time to point out how jealous I am of J.J. Abrams being able to direct the new movie. I'm not saying I have any talent in that direction, but damn, how cool is that. You grow up loving a movie, one which influenced you to become a director, and now you're directing the newest incarnation! In my wildest dreams I would have been that person. Well, actually, I would just settle for a small part in it! You hear me Abrams? I want a part in your movie!
However, I digress. I remember the music starting and jumping because I wasn't expecting such a large blast of music at the very beginning. I think I may have spilled some popcorn at that point. Then the crawl starts, and I remember my mom reading the introduction to me. They didn't know why it said Episode IV at that point. It was something we all questioned. My parents weren't the pop culture junkies I have become. They liked movies, TV mini-series, good TV shows, and my mom loved music; however, they didn't consume pop culture like our generation has.
I do remember sitting in front of the TV with my mom when Elvis passed away on their anniversary in 1977. I can recall wondering why my mom was in shock over the news on the TV about some guy with a large house with musical symbols on it. She told me who he was and showed me a picture of his Christmas album which we listened to every year. At that time, I had no clue who Elvis was and why he meant so much to so many. I would come to learn that as well.
On the screen, the movie played out and I was officially hooked. I wanted to be Luke Skywalker, but I liked the attitude Han Solo displayed. However, I knew I wasn't a Han. I was a Luke. I didn't have that confidence and swagger of Solo; I was a dreamer, even from that young age. After that movie, I began looking up to the stars, just like Luke stares off into the two setting suns of Tatooine.
Of course, now we know how much merchandising went into this movie release and how much money was made on the toys. That Christmas I received the Kenner Death Star Space Station. Girls had Barbie, and now boys had "action figures" and "dream houses" as well. My parents hated the toy at times. It came with so many foam pieces of "trash" they would find all over the place. Because we went to West Virginia every year for Christmas, I had the pleasure of playing with this for the first time in front of my dad's parents. They had already put the toy together so I didn't have to wait for it to be constructed. I was fascinated by it.
The other toy which helped fuel my passion for all things Star Wars was a remote controlled R2-D2. I remember torturing our dog with that toy. I would have R2 chase him around, and then I would get in trouble. I am not sure what happened to either one of those toys. I believe they were both sold at a garage sale when I was in middle school or high school.
Not only did this space opera influence the toys I played with, it also influenced my early obsession with space. I can remember thinking that somewhere out there would be the galaxy in which this great story took place. When we started studying the constellations in school, I thrived on that. I could name the planets, the constellations, different stars, etc. Whatever we studied pertaining to space I devoured it. Yes, I did learn the galaxy in the movie was fake, but it didn't stop my love for the stories of how the constellations were created.
In some deep-seated way, George Lucas had tapped into my love of story. He consulted with the author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell, for a reason. And yes, because of my knowledge of this I became an English major, and I have read this seminal book. His triggers of using in media res, using archetypes, and even using a different language to hint at Darth Vader's true nature, led me to study stories and now even teach those stories. I have to credit this movie for everything I am in my life.
No, I am not a famous director, an actor, or even a screenwriter (all jobs I have wanted at one time or another), but Star Wars has helped me become an incredible teacher and a seeker of knowledge within stories of all kinds. I try to help those Lukes, Hans, and Leias I see in my class everyday. I strive to become their Ben Kenobi, their Yoda; I want to lead them down the path of the right and steer them clear of the Dark Side, even though their are times that seems to be the "cooler" side!
This has been said a thousand times before, but it bears repeating: Mr. Lucas has influenced an entire generation of kids, who are now adults, into believing in the power of story and myth to tap into our deepest desires, hopes, and dreams. I guess this post is also a thank you to him for his influence. I know I said I wish I could be Mr. Abrams, but now that I think about it, maybe I don't. We have all lived through the backlash of the newer trilogy (which I will write about in a later post), but with Abrams we have a "new hope" for the same type of story telling from the first movie. I wish Mr. Abrams the best, and I hope he inspires a new generation of movie goers as much as the original inspired all of us!
