Star Wars fans come out for celebration of 30-year old flick
DOWNTOWN SM Thirty years ago,an epic film featuring a gold robot,light sabers and stormtroopers clad in white premiered in 32 theaters nationwide. Little did the filmmakers know, but they would spawn a new science fiction subculture of fans who would remain devoted to the franchise for decades.
The first installment in George Lucas’ phenomenally popular “Star Wars” series debuted on May 25, 1977, changing not only the face of science fiction, but movies in general.
In anticipation of a five-day blowout birthday party at the Los Angeles Convention Center that begins Thursday — advertised as the largest party ever thrown for “Star Wars” — the Santa Monica Public Library held a more modest event Monday night to celebrate the storied saga.
The film garnered lasting affection from millions of fans worldwide, some who notoriously dress up as characters from the movie or wait in line for days before the premiere of a prequel.
The public library-sponsored event centered on a discussion between two science fiction novelists — Steven Barnes and Michael Reaves — who wrote several “Star Wars” novels that were published between the prequels (the last three movies made, depicting the backstory of the original movie) to supplement additional plot lines.
Outside the auditorium, a group of “Star Wars” fans dressed as stormtroopers were busy posing for pictures with other plain-sclothes fans.Waddling around in their white costumes and carrying fake guns, the members were representing the 501st Stormtrooper Legion of the Southern California Garrison.
Each was in character, conversing with one another through microphones in their helmets.
The local “Star Wars” fan club makes appearances in charity events and conventions, according to Chris Knight, the leader of the pack.
Though the prequels were entertaining, they are not nearly as good as the original film, he said.
“When the new movie (Episode 1) came out, it got all of us back in the movie,” Knight said.
The audience of about 40 people in the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium was not filled with the type of “Star Wars” fans that some might envision would attend such an event — the costumed characters once ridiculed royally by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” Rather, the people who came out for the event were mainly casual “Star Wars” fans who watched several of the movies, interspersed with a few hardcore science fiction fans.
Many of the children who attended the event were busy reading free “Star Wars” comic books during the discussion.
Sitting next to a poster of their most recent books — “The Cestus Deception” for Barnes and “Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter” for Reaves” — the authors talked about how the first movie changed science fiction and how they don’t believe Lucas will be as involved in future “Star Wars” movies, that is if episodes seven, eight and nine are ever produced.
The movies play on the childhood fantasies of robots and spaceships, while prompting people to ponder the basic truth of who they are, Barnes reasoned.
When the younger generation of viewers watch “Star Wars”today, they might not realize just how groundbreaking the original movie was, not only the storyline but the graphics used, said Barnes, adding that it’s the kind of rare film that can hold his 2-year-old child’s interest on images alone.
Science fiction has changed since the 1930s and 1940s and has become more serious over the years, according to Reaves, who insists the future of science fiction appears “grim.”
Many movies today are filled with explosive special effects, but are not emotionally moving, Reaves said.
“Just because you can do everything on screen, doesn’t mean you should,” he said.
Barnes agreed, saying many of the science fiction movies are lacking substantive storylines, comparing the original “King Kong” film in 1933 and its simple special effects with the 2005 remake, which utilized complicated computer-generated effects. The original was much more moving, Barnes said.
Surprising to the audience, Barnes’ favorite movie is not “Star Wars,” but Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
He recalls watching “2001: A Space Odyssey” for the first time, sitting in the theater feeling stunned.
“It was a completely exceptional piece of work,”Barnes said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 23, 2007. Read the original PDF.