Star Wars. A lifetime of memories.

I hope I never get sick of this

Star Wars Episode VIII : The Last Jedi is 12 weeks away and I'm unfeasibly excited about it. Far more excited than a 38 year old man should be. 

I've loved Star Wars all my life. To quote someone I know "it feels like a warm cosy blanket wrapped around you when you watch it."

People call them silly and laugh at them and ya of course they are silly but they are a great escape too. 2 hrs where you can sit back and enjoy a bit of space fun and not think about that bill that's scaring you, that mountain of washing that's taunting you or the fact the the world is basically goosed.

It all brings back great memories for me. Some happy and some poignant. Not just memories of the films but the places where I saw them and the people I saw them with. Some of them not even here anymore.

In my head this is worth thousands.

A few things I remember vividly.

Arguing with Peter Tynan in our garden about Episode IV. Him trying to tell me Luke's father was alive and a baddy and me telling him he was wrong and a dope because Luke's Da was dead and was only a worker on a spice freighter. It nearly got violent between us. Or as violent as things can get between a 7 and 9 year old. Our squeaky little voices annoying everyone. Man, did I feel stupid a while later. This was back before the films were released on video, When the only way you could see them was on ITV on Christmas day. It would be a year before I saw the next one. I saw this again when it was re-released in the cinema in the late 90s. It was the first Star Wars film I got to see on the big screen. It was amazing. The trench run at the end. Pure cinema.

Then came the jaw dropping moment when I found out the truth of Luke's parentage In The Empire Strikes Back. I remember turning to my father like "WHHAAAAAA" and he was nodding all serious and trying to pretend he wasn't as surprised as I was. Empire blew me away. Getting to meet Yoda for the first time. The opening battle on Hoth is still my favourite of the entire series. AT-AT's adorned all my school books when I was back in school. And I was intensely jealous because Scott Fairbrother had a model of the Millenium Falcon. Bastard. Plus I really wanted a cape like Lando Calrissian and I'm eternally grateful my Ma wouldn't buy me one. I know Empire is the one that everyone says is the best and you know it probably is but it's not my fave. I got to see this on its re-release too and still have the ticket 20 years later.

The first time I saw Return Of The Jedi was when we borrowed it off our neighbour Gary. The films had just been made available to buy and were a cool £80 each. I treated the tape like gold. I'd been threatened otherwise. I was 10 and I was giddy as hell. The open ended ending of Empire had stressed 9 year old me out. We sat down and watched it. Me and my brother. Parents too. We were enthralled by Jabba The Hutt. Terrified by the Rancor. Bouncing around the room during the forest speeder bike chases. Nearly crying as the emperor tortured Luke. Peering through our fingers as Darth Vader's mask was removed. I get shit for this all the time but Jedi is my all time favourite Star Wars film. I adore it. It always gives me a warm feeling. 

Fast forward 10 years. 

The internet was here. I was in college in Waterford. Mark Stedmond came barrelling towards me on the WIT campus. "HAVE YOU SEEN IT!!!" The trailer for The Phantom Menace was out. It looked amazing. We were so excited, only 6 months of a wait to see it!!!!........................ Jesus it was a crushing disappointment. It still is. It has never grown on me. One great scene near the end just can't save it. I hate it. Midiclorians. Storylines about trade disputes. TRADE DISPUTES!!! Young Anakin and his awfulness. Natalie Portman's appalling performance. It makes me cringe. But importantly it didn't make me lose any love for the original films thankfully. A few years ago I went to see it with my friend Paul when it was re-released. In 3D. I hate 3D. It kills my eyes. I moronically thought maybe it will improve it. It didn't and I ended up with a double headache and a renewed hatred for Jar Jar Pissing Binks. 

Attack Of The Clones was better. But only just. Me and my friend/housemate Mikey ( Gone now 10 years since May. Fuckin hell where does the time go? ) went to see it in the local Omniplex. We walked into a dark auditorium and I instantly fell up the steps and destroyed myself with a strawberry Mr Frosty. And then someone laughed at me. OH I was like a demon. The film still had the horribleness of Menace but was slightly more fun. The whole cinema erupted when Yoda produced his light sabre. Not a euphemism. It was pretty wicked. Plus the Fetts appeared and they were always going to be good. Also Christopher Lee. He's great.

Revenge Of The Sith was my favourite of the prequels. It was still mithered with the bad acting and desperate overuse of CGI but I loved its darkness. I remember the gasps in the cinema when we realised what was going to happen in the Jedi temple. The cold blooded putting down of Count Dooku. The shock of order 88. The end of Anakin and the beginning of Vader. It was a whole new vibe and it was great. But the old flashes of fun remained too. The cheers when Mace Windu decided to kick ass. Count Grievious and his multi sabre skills. This was the first one I really remember talking about online too. Hearing about bits I missed or didn't understand. It was a whole new world to me for talking about film and I loved it. I remember my boss calling me a nerd for talking about this film. He didn't like it when I agreed and laughed in his stupid cockney face.

Fast forward another 10 years.

I was sitting in class during a course when I saw the first trailer for The Force Awakens. It was amazing. I was riddled with goosebumps. That was it though. I'd ruined far too many films for myself by watching too many trailers and reading too much about them before release. I wanted to go into this one cold. Somehow I succeeded. I saw it opening day. The path outside the cinema was packed and we all rushed in as the doors opened. The sense of anticipation was immense. We'd been burned before but were all cautiously optimistic. Thankfully the film was amazing. The sense of nostalgia during it was overwhelming. I nearly started to cry when Han and Chewie appeared.(I watched it again with my parents on bluray and my mother cheered at this part, a full on whoop). Then again at the end when Rey showed what she was capable of. It felt so good to be watching it. One bloke angrily stormed out after one major scene and that made it all even more enjoyable. God it just rocked. There was a 2 year wait for the story to continue but I didn't care about that. I was high after it.

Rogue One was the first Star Wars spin off. I didn't have the highest of hopes for it but was still mad to see it. It was also my first ever midnight showing so that would be cool. Once again the buzz was mighty. The lights went down and the film was good solid fun. Nicely different to what had come before. I recall the lack of an opening scroll really throwing the crowd. It was a fine film. Until the last 5 minutes when we all realised how it was going to end. I was buzzing. I remember whispering "NO WAY".  The little bit of hair I have left stood on end. A wave of energy surged through the crowd. There were claps and cheers. It was a brilliant way to end the film and a real gift to the fans who had stuck by the series through the good and the bad. It was perfect. 

Now the buzz for Episode VIII is starting to build and I'm getting all those old feelings again and it's just the best. I'm happy out. Plus I get to rewatch all the films in the run up to it. Any excuse eh?

"My precious"