Revenge of the Sith Premiere

 A few days ago marked the 20th anniversary of the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Throughout college in the early 00's, I developed a role as ring leader in gathering together my different friend groups for movie premieres. I was lucky enough to be in college for all three Lord of the Rings films, and during the first of two fall semesters of my senior year, I got 18 people together to see 2003's The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. I finally graduated college in December of 2004, and a perusal of this very blog will show that I was quite unmoored in 2005, unsure of my future, and likely espousing many views I don't agree with 20 years later. It's miraculous that Blogger still exists, people still come here, and those posts are still alive for all to see. However, I did have one last big premiere in me, and The Revenge of the Sith premiere that year was the apex of 00s nerd culture, bigger than the Matrix sequels, bigger than the (admittedly better...and better than most things) Lord of the Rings films, more culturally significant than the Marvel films that would release later in the decade, and more lastingly impactful than its closest competitor, 2008's The Dark Knight, which was a great premiere in itself, and probably the only one to come close since. I had a sense that Revenge of the Sith was a great ending in my life, and considering I unexpectedly got married the next year, and saw my life shift in many strange ways, that prophecy was not misread. Apropos (thanks for that word, The Matrix Reloaded), I was able to somehow wrangle together 30 people for The Revenge of the Sith premiere at midnight, which though my stub says 5/18/2005, was technically at 12:01 am 5/19/2005. The Rave Movie Theater (now an AMC) was showing Revenge on the Sith on just about every screen, and since my enormous mish-mash of friend groups all bought tickets at different times, we were split up near the door to our different screens. However, for most of the time in line outside that night, we were together in the mayhem, adults and kids dressed as Darth Vader, Jedi, Stormtroopers, Boba Fett, you name it. It was awesome. I've never seen anything like that again (except for maybe all the people dressed as the Joker in 2008). I'd say, "If only I knew what a special time in history that was..." but I think I had a feeling. When I went back for the 20th anniversary screening of the film several weeks ago (why Disney did this in April, and not on the film's actual anniversary, who can say...Disney sucks), one guy was dressed as Darth Vader, and I thanked him for bringing back memories and told him about how many people were dressed up at the original premiere. He and his friend (who was not dressed up) said they wished they had been there. They were probably both eight. I was wearing the same Big Dogs "The Empire Bites Back" shirt that I wore 20 years ago, and to every Star Wars movie I've seen in the theater, at least until Disney ruined the property so much, I no longer want to see a new Star Wars movie in the theater. But who cares about now. Here are pictures from that night 20 years ago!

My stub from that showing

I ended up going three times--I saw the other two prequels five times apiece in theaters, but ironically saw the best prequel the least amount of times

My friend Lyle rocking a vintage tee, photobombed by my friend Dave and Boba Fett, who had to take a phone call

Dave and Lyle, but blurry

Boba Fett dropped his phone

Me, my faced lined by worries and cares that seem quite insignificant compared to the ones I'd have later

Proof that there were girls in attendance

My friend Will being a rebel and wearing a He-Man shirt

Will after I told him we aren't friends any more because of his He-Man shirt

The bright lights of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

There is a daiquiri store next to the movie theater and people were walking over from there to investigate and play with our lightsabers...uh...that came out wrong 

Now you see, kids...

Lyle, the biggest Star Wars fan I knew, reflecting on the moment

Father and son!

I should mention that I took these with a cheap digital camera!

So much cosplay! In Baton Rouge!

They should have let Lyle keep this lightsaber!

I think Dave may have shaved his head the day after this? Dave is the only person during this era who changed his hair length as much as I did.

En guarde!

Little Vaders!

Little Vaders again! We ended up in the same screening as them! Hey, that girl is looking at me!

Dave and Five Iron Adam

So much 2005 going on in this picture. That kid with his mom is so lucky. Also, why the Burger King crowns?! I don't even think I knew then!

My cousin, Lauren, taking in the moment

Still my cousin, Lauren, except more magenta now

The news was there!

My cousin Adrian, aka The Rabbit!

The closest thing to a group picture I got that night, though my arm probably scrubbed out half of us

There were four of us from the group in this screening, back when you didn't sit in recliners, and there were hundreds of people in the room with you. Adrian came with me to the 20th anniversary screening last month for old time sake. I should have tried to recreate this picture. Also, I was big into layering multi-colored undershirts that year. I could have made it popular, but the next year, my wife made me stop. Now that I'm single again, maybe I should try to bring it back!

I got these lightsaber spoons in a couple boxes of Fruit Loops and gave them to the girls. Cereal toys really need to make a comeback. Also, I wonder if Lauren or Lacey still have those things? They are worth cash money now!

If you look at the blog I posted later that day on 5/19/05, I took a blogging break to deal with some personal issues. Man, it's dramatic to announce you are taking a break from blogging to deal with personal issues, but I guess blogging was the biggest deal in my life back then. I don't want to undersell the issues I was dealing with, since they felt so heavy at the time. Ironically, though I was able to get so many friends to that premiere, another of my friend groups had recently blown up due to an infidelity. Unfortunately, that was the friend group central to my proposed living situation. The four of us were talking about getting a place, and I had tied my future in my mind to that...now that was gone, along with everything in the future I planned with it. These events changed the course of my entire life for better or worse. Whatever the case, on the way home from Revenge of the Sith, I took these emo pictures of a tree in front of a streetlight in the middle of nowhere (and used for my only (quite downbeat) post that summer on this very blog). I thought I was going through trials and that year was such a rough time...and yet, when I think back on it, 2005 is probably my second favorite year of my life. I've never had a year with as much space in it as that one again. I had so much time and so much room, and 20 years ahead of me that I now have behind me. It was a great year. And that night 20 years and two days ago was an anchoring event. But you know you what that teaches me? You gotta cherish it! So whatever (hopefully plentiful) years I've got ahead of me after this stroke--I'm gonna try to cherish them!

Look at how sad and dark and mysterious!

Look at it!

Isn't it so sad...and so dark...and so mysterious...

Which way, Western Man? Which way, me?

I've had this shirt since early 1997!