I've been too busy to type this out when it was supposed to go to press, but read it in the context of it being written the day before Star Wars Episode Three gets released for public consumption 'k.
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I have something to confess.
Previous installments of this series (My Guilty Pleasure) has touched on my love of reality tv; my inexplicable affection for tv shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy & The O.C.; my lifelong dependence on geeky hobbies like comic books and Magic:the Gathering; my deep attraction to the cinematic artform....
Now... I have to confess.... to being....
C3PO Wannabe
A Star Wars Geek !
As you can see from the picture above, my affair with Star Wars has been an ongoing one indeed. Being a child of the 80's, I was inundated with images from a long, long, time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.....
After weaning off the fork and spoons that my parents used to give to me as childhood playthings (they were a struggling young couple u see) I remember my first actual toy to be an X-Wing.
Boy was I glad to finally have a real toy.
I brought it everywhere I went and did everything with it. Watched Star Wars together, went out on walks together, slept with it clutched in my hand. I was basically a Star Wars kid growing up. ( I reckon u can guess that already from my C3PO pose up there).
Then when I hit 10 yrs old (or was it 9...my memory is failing me), one of my best friends from primary school had the jackpot. The mother of all booty for a Star Wars kids growing up:
A copy of all three Original Trilogy movies on VHS !
Being the manipulative, naughty kid that I was, I of course managed to *borrow* all three video cassettes from him and until this day, I have yet to return it to him. He still asks for it whenever we meet up this days (Sorry Radzif...I'll make it up to you by buying u a pirated copy of all 6 movies in one HUGE boxed set o.k. ? ) :-p
So there I was, the 10 yr old version of me, watching the Star Wars Original trilogy, day in, day out...until I could memorize every line and remember every scene (SUCH an unhealthy habit to have in retrospect, but hey...i WAS a KID after all)...much to the amazement of my kid friends at school.
Neways, my childhood fandom survived into adulthood and I must say, a shiver of excitement passes thru me whenever the thought of Star Wars runs through my mind.
George Luces however has been a money-making bustard and trampled & pissed on my childhood memories by making the Prequel Trilogy.
Episode One was a childish CGI train ride and was only saved by the best lightsaber duel in all 6 movies (Darth Maul vs. Obi-Wan & Qui-Gon was superb!).
Episode Two was CGI overload again with too many droid battles that looked too fake to be move the viewers. And damn if he didn't paraphrase any Hindustani movies by including those *choke* lame romance scenes going on between Ani & Padme.
Both movies also spent TOO much time on political intrigues of Palpatine (Darth Sidious) instead of focusing on what jedi's know how to do best : kick ass and keep the galaxy peaceful.
I don't know how Episode Three will turn out, but dear God I hope Lucas has learnt his lesson and will make Episode Three the best installment out of the Prequel !