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TOLEDO FEELS THE FORCE … ONE LAST TIME TOLEDO FEELS THE FORCE … ONE LAST TIME
The hype machine for tonight’s debut of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” has been in motion for some time, but it really kicked into high gear after last month’s national convention in Indianapolis.
There’s toys, books, comic books, graphic novels, video games, accessories, booster packs, trading cards, collectible art, board games, activity sets, you name it.
“The Toys R Us team and our vendor partners have worked hard to deliver an exciting selection of products for our ‘Star Wars’ collector customers and fans of all ages,” said John Barbour, President, Toys R Us, which operates three Toledo stores.
But the kid-friendly marketing seems contradictory to the darker tone of the fi lm.
“A lot of it is that the kids who were fans of the fi rst trilogy are now adults,” said Steve Shufritz, owner of Monarch Cards & Comics. “That’s been one argument against Episodes I and II, that the fans of the fi rst fi lms have grown up but George Lucas is still aiming the new fi lms at children.”
That may change with “Episode III,” the fi rst “Star Wars” fi lm to get a PG-13 rating.
“This is not a kids movie,” said Josh Griffi n, the Orange County, Calif.,-based owner and operator of TheForce.net, an unoffi cial but pretty-darn-close-to-offi cial Web site. “The ‘Star Wars’ series has largely been kids movies, but we aren’t kids anymore, and this is defi nitely not something for kids. The problem here might be that kids have been drawn into the saga, but they shouldn’t see this. I have a 3-year-old and there’s no way I’d let him see this.”
About ten minutes of the fi nished fi lm was screened at the convention, which was attended by creator George Lucas himself.
“Obviously, there are big things people are waiting for in Episode III,” Griffi n said. “This is ‘The One.’ This is where we fi nd out everything about Anakin becoming Darth Vader. These fi lms are basically about good vs. evil. We all know Anakin makes a bad decision and ultimately as Darth Vader, he does fi nd redemption and forgiveness, but much later. So, the blanks need to be fi lled in.”
John Rozum, an area resident who has written stories for Dark Horse Publishing’s “Star Wars” comic books, said the novels and comics have helped fi ll in those blanks, with mixed results.
“There is a tremendous offi cial “expanded universe” through novels, games and books,” he said. “I still collect the toys, and I still love ‘Star Wars’ in spite of my lackluster reception of Episodes I and II. Even when the stories fail, the universe they are set in still has the look and suggestion of having an expansive history to it. Holding the action fi gures now is like holding an artifact from that universe. I can look at that plastic fi gure and wonder who that being is, where they came from and what their role in that world was. It links me not simply to the ‘Star Wars’ universe but to that time from my childhood.
“The culture surrounding ‘Star Wars’ has signifi cance for other fans, including St. Louis’ Dajuan Raab, the Midwest Regional Support Administrator for the online FanForce.
“I got engaged at the convention,” she said. “My fi ancé knew it would be the most romantic place to ask me. It wasn’t long before the story was all over the message boards. I think everyone else knew before my mom did. ‘Star Wars’ started as a movie for me, but over the years, it’s turned into much more. It’s brought me the greatest friends, and the greatest fi - ancé, a girl could ask for.”
The anticipation is obsessive for some — midnight showings locally have been sold out for the last two weeks. And of course, there are those legendary fans who camp out at the theater weeks, sometimes months in advance. “Our Internet community is close, and because I’m a moderator, I feel like more like a mother at times,” Raab said. “As fans, we are like family.”
By Mark Tinta Toledo Free Press Staff Writer
news@toledofreepress.com
By Mark Tinta Toledo Free Press Staff Writer
news@toledofreepress.com
The hype machine for tonight’s debut of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” has been in motion for some time, but it really kicked into high gear after last month’s national convention in Indianapolis.
There’s toys, books, comic books, graphic novels, video games, accessories, booster packs, trading cards, collectible art, board games, activity sets, you name it.
“The Toys R Us team and our vendor partners have worked hard to deliver an exciting selection of products for our ‘Star Wars’ collector customers and fans of all ages,” said John Barbour, President, Toys R Us, which operates three Toledo stores.
But the kid-friendly marketing seems contradictory to the darker tone of the fi lm.
“A lot of it is that the kids who were fans of the fi rst trilogy are now adults,” said Steve Shufritz, owner of Monarch Cards & Comics. “That’s been one argument against Episodes I and II, that the fans of the fi rst fi lms have grown up but George Lucas is still aiming the new fi lms at children.”
That may change with “Episode III,” the fi rst “Star Wars” fi lm to get a PG-13 rating.
“This is not a kids movie,” said Josh Griffi n, the Orange County, Calif.,-based owner and operator of TheForce.net, an unoffi cial but pretty-darn-close-to-offi cial Web site. “The ‘Star Wars’ series has largely been kids movies, but we aren’t kids anymore, and this is defi nitely not something for kids. The problem here might be that kids have been drawn into the saga, but they shouldn’t see this. I have a 3-year-old and there’s no way I’d let him see this.”
About ten minutes of the fi nished fi lm was screened at the convention, which was attended by creator George Lucas himself.
“Obviously, there are big things people are waiting for in Episode III,” Griffi n said. “This is ‘The One.’ This is where we fi nd out everything about Anakin becoming Darth Vader. These fi lms are basically about good vs. evil. We all know Anakin makes a bad decision and ultimately as Darth Vader, he does fi nd redemption and forgiveness, but much later. So, the blanks need to be fi lled in.”
John Rozum, an area resident who has written stories for Dark Horse Publishing’s “Star Wars” comic books, said the novels and comics have helped fi ll in those blanks, with mixed results.
“There is a tremendous offi cial “expanded universe” through novels, games and books,” he said. “I still collect the toys, and I still love ‘Star Wars’ in spite of my lackluster reception of Episodes I and II. Even when the stories fail, the universe they are set in still has the look and suggestion of having an expansive history to it. Holding the action fi gures now is like holding an artifact from that universe. I can look at that plastic fi gure and wonder who that being is, where they came from and what their role in that world was. It links me not simply to the ‘Star Wars’ universe but to that time from my childhood.
“The culture surrounding ‘Star Wars’ has signifi cance for other fans, including St. Louis’ Dajuan Raab, the Midwest Regional Support Administrator for the online FanForce.
“I got engaged at the convention,” she said. “My fi ancé knew it would be the most romantic place to ask me. It wasn’t long before the story was all over the message boards. I think everyone else knew before my mom did. ‘Star Wars’ started as a movie for me, but over the years, it’s turned into much more. It’s brought me the greatest friends, and the greatest fi - ancé, a girl could ask for.”
The anticipation is obsessive for some — midnight showings locally have been sold out for the last two weeks. And of course, there are those legendary fans who camp out at the theater weeks, sometimes months in advance. “Our Internet community is close, and because I’m a moderator, I feel like more like a mother at times,” Raab said. “As fans, we are like family.”
REMEMBERING THE FORCE REMEMBERING THE FORCE
“We went to every Star Wars movie with our three sons, three or four times in the theatre, of course on opening day. My wife and I were just cleaning out a closet over the weekend and we happened upon the ‘Star Wars’ fi gures, the giant Millenium Falcons and all. I can remember every Christmas taking hours and hours to assemble these things. It’s a plethora of memories, it’s warm and fuzzy stuff. It takes you back immediately to where you were. It’s better than a photo.” — Lynn Olman, former Ohio representative
“We went to every Star Wars movie with our three sons, three or four times in the theatre, of course on opening day. My wife and I were just cleaning out a closet over the weekend and we happened upon the ‘Star Wars’ fi gures, the giant Millenium Falcons and all. I can remember every Christmas taking hours and hours to assemble these things. It’s a plethora of memories, it’s warm and fuzzy stuff. It takes you back immediately to where you were. It’s better than a photo.” — Lynn Olman, former Ohio representative
“I remember tripping over my brother’s action fi gures in the living room. I thought the movies were cool because of the special effects. I think it changed our expectation of what a movie should be.” — Laura Emerson, anchor, Fox Toledo News
“I remember tripping over my brother’s action fi gures in the living room. I thought the movies were cool because of the special effects. I think it changed our expectation of what a movie should be.” — Laura Emerson, anchor, Fox Toledo News
“The only thing I really liked about Star Wars was Chewbacca. My buddies and I tried so hard to make that sound he makes. Hhooaaahhhhhh...” — Rob Powers, sports director, 13 Action News
“The only thing I really liked about Star Wars was Chewbacca. My buddies and I tried so hard to make that sound he makes. Hhooaaahhhhhh...” — Rob Powers, sports director, 13 Action News
“I was about 8 years old and I watched it over the fence at the drive-in.” — Jeff Bennett, fi refi ghter, Sylvania Township Fire Department
“I was about 8 years old and I watched it over the fence at the drive-in.” — Jeff Bennett, fi refi ghter, Sylvania Township Fire Department
“As a seven year old, I desperately wanted to be Darth Vader for Halloween, but any such costumes had long since sold out. Yet through my mom’s genius with black spray paint, bits of cardboard and a transformed Woody Woodpecker mask, I was the spitting image of the Dark Lord. With my broomstick lightsaber and black cape, I was a perfect foil to the grieving Elvis fans roaming the streets that night in their sequined white bell bottoms.” — Donald Curtis, webmaster, University of Toledo “As a seven year old, I desperately wanted to be Darth Vader for Halloween, but any such costumes had long since sold out. Yet through my mom’s genius with black spray paint, bits of cardboard and a transformed Woody Woodpecker mask, I was the spitting image of the Dark Lord. With my broomstick lightsaber and black cape, I was a perfect foil to the grieving Elvis fans roaming the streets that night in their sequined white bell bottoms.” — Donald Curtis, webmaster, University of Toledo
Toledo Toys R Us stores created wall displays for the new toys.
Toledo Free Press photos by DM Stanfi eld
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LUCAS?
By David Germain Associated Press
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — A wilted monolith of establishment politics. An entrenched ruling class fearful of change. And one man who stealthily rebels from within, turning the system on its head and bending it to his will.
George Lucas’ story is the benign reverse image of the palace coup engineered by the foul emperor of his “Star Wars’’ epic.
The emperor perverted a tired republic into a fascist state bearing the imprint of his boot heel, standard “Richard III’’ stuff for which history buff Lucas had many role models to study from ancient to modern times.
Lucas’ accomplishments marked a one-of-a-kind revolution. He sneaked into a Hollywood that no longer had the verve or nerve to make the weird, giddy, goofy Saturday matinees of his youth. He found a lone patron among fainthearted studio executives willing to pony up cash for what was essentially an Arthurian sword-in-the-stone fantasy in space.
Then he went off and made the most rip-roaring blast of cinematic fun audiences had ever seen as 1977’s “Star Wars’’ became the biggest boxoffi ce sensation of its time.
Where dollar signs twinkle, studios follow, and Hollywood has been lumbering behind Lucas ever since.
Science fi ction and special effects suddenly were back in vogue, and over the ensuing 28 years, Lucas and his visual wizards have led fi lmmaking into a new age of virtual reality that made possible such effects extravaganzas as “Jurassic Park,’’ “Titanic’’ and “The Lord of the Rings’’ trilogy.
In the ‘70s, there was a “technological ceiling’’ over fantasy and science fi ction fi lms, even epics and period pieces, Lucas told The Associated Press in an interview at his sprawling Skywalker Ranch. “The tools weren’t there,’’ he said.
As television chipped away at theater business in the 1950s and ‘60s, studios folded up shop on the effects departments that helped create splashy historical adventures and otherworldly tales.
“It’s like trying to paint pictures without brushes,’’ Lucas said. “Hey, I brought the brush back and said, ‘You know, there’s a lot of things you can do with this thing. I think there’s real power here.’ And by bringing that back, I think that was the biggest effect.
“Because it allowed people to do all kinds of movies that were sort of restricted because they were too expensive. That’s not to say specialeffects movies aren’t expensive, but they’re much less expensive than if you tried to do it in the old-fashioned way and have 10,000 people out in the middle of the desert with catering cars and all the things you’d have to have.’’
Lucas — who turned 61 Saturday, just days before the debut of “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,’’ the fi nal chapter in his six-fi lm saga — never set out to be a Hollywood pioneer, a sci-fi maven or even a populist fi lmmaker.
Impressed with Lucas’
