Star Wars: End of an era for me

It's true. I am a geek in the fullest sense of the term.

Last week, on opening day, I saw the most recent Star Wars film.

As I watched the credits roll by at the end of the movie, I felt sad for a moment. Really.

Not because the film was that good or bad (more on the actual movie itself in another post) but because a part of my life was now done.

Because I realized there would not be any more Star Wars movies. This really is the end of the story. Yes, maybe in 30 years one of George Lucas' grandchildren or some new hotshot director of the 30s (that's 2030s) may make some movie in the Star Wars universe.

But it won't be the same. I was of the generation which saw the first Star Wars movie in a movie theatre. Which saw all of the Star Wars movies in a movie theatre and in a time before it was assumed that every movie ever made would end up available for consumer sale within a year of a movie's release.

And for many years the Star Wars movies - and all the baggage that goes with them for a fan - was an important part of my life.

Cast your mind back to 1977. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth....

Okay, maybe not that far back.

In 1977: The only science fiction on television were Star Trek re-runs, and even older episodes of The Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits.

There were no science fiction or fantasy novels on the New York Times best seller list.

To be known as someone who read science fiction or fantasy was to call attention to yourself as an outsider from mainstream culture.

And then in May 1977 this really cool movie came along.

And it changed everything.

Suddenly it was not just the weirdos and freaks going to this movie. It was moms, dads, kids. "Normal" people liked this movie.

Science fiction was no longer this really, really, strange thing that no one understood.

And if you went to the movie, you could met other people who also liked science fiction. Who had seen the movies like The Day the Earth Stood Still, or War of the Worlds, people who read Starlog, or were reading The Lord of the Rings for the first or second or third time, or even people who played that really odd game, Dungeons and Dragons.

It made science fiction (and fantasy) acceptable to the general public. And it let us who had known and loved science fiction realize that there were other people out there, just like us.

That first summer I saw it in movie theatres over 114 times.

Before you think I am totally insane, let me tell you how and why.

I was a young teenager. I did not have a lot to do in the summer. The number of household tasks assigned to me were very few (thanks mom!). :-) I usually spent much of my summer at the local swimming pool, hanging out with friends. I earned extra money by babysitting. I had the typical, generic, middle class suburban young teenager life.

Many people, especially kids, wanted to see this movie more than once. But most parents were not willing (or not able) to stand on line for hours waiting to get into a movie that they had already seen with their children once before.

It started with a neighbor's kids. I stood on line with them as their babysitter as they waited to get into the movie one day. Their mom included money for me to buy a ticket.

Word of mouth advertising (plus repeat customers) meant that I was able to spend as many afternoons in June and July watching kids on line for the movie. Or holding the place for someone on line. Not every parent gave me money for my own ticket. However, I easily earned enough from each babysitting job to cover my movie ticket and still have some extra.

Now, I do have to admit, there were some days when I saw the movie twice in a day because I bought tickets to two showings in a row. Why not?

It is hard for someone who was not alive (or least not a young teenager) at that time, to appreciate what it was like then - to see a movie like Star Wars and get caught up in a new experience. Something which was new, not only for you, but for many people. And that new experience was a movie.

It was something unique.

I loved the universe. I loved the story (who wouldn't imagine themselves as a freedom fighter? Except for my then boyfriend Mike who imaged himself as a stormtrooper.) I loved the special effects. I loved that if you sat on the front row of the balcony where it was slight curved, when it came to the part in the movie where Luke's fighter is moving down the trench on the Death Star, it felt like you were IN the fighter, you could feel the sensation of moving up and down in the trench. For only a brief moment you were truly there.

In hindsight: Is it a perfect movie? No. Does it have the best acting ever in the history of cinema? No. The best writing? No.

But the movie filled a void that many people did not know was missing.

It was unique and it was an important part of who I was. It allowed me to fully realize one of my identities: as a science fiction fan. And all the pluses and minuses that come with that title.

Other people may laugh and sneer. But I read. I watch science fiction t.v. shows and movies. I am not afraid to ask "What if?"

Not just what if we find living beings on other planets? Not just what if we explore more of the universe?

But what if... we did this and not that. What if... everything we know is wrong? What are... the implications of our actions (on a small scale and large - personal level to country wide.)

What if?...

And that is a question more people should ask.

getting (?) cranky

Quote from my spouse: "You better get to bed before you fail everyone in the class."

I can not believe it. I teach at several colleges. One of which has a good reputation (although part of that is due to - feh - sports). I have just read some of the poorest papers written by students from this "college."

One of whom used the World Book Encyclopedia as a source.

I love teaching. I really do. I love teaching at the college level (and just to prove that I'm insane, I also like teaching junior high too.)

I can't say "what's the matter with kids today?" I'm not that much older (ish). I am not the best writer in the world. But I am okay. I have articles published in peer reviewed journals. I have edited scholastic material. I made my living writing grants (which were awarded, btw.) So I have a clue.

Part of the problem is, I believe, that some of the students waited until 3 or 4 days before their TERM PAPER, worth 20% of their grade, was due. I really hope that explains it.

In defense of great undergraduate students everywhere, I have some really amazing and wonderful students. And most of them attend a local, low profile community college.

There are times I really do wish I was a computer programmer.

Anthro-geek

p.s. My cunning plan is to write much more on the blog this summer. I hope to write my ethnographic observations down more frequently and to use this space as a place to make notes on the cultures I am part of and observe. We shall see....