THE LINE of Star Wars Fools begins...

Incidentally, the ArcLight is one of those theaters where you pay for a specific seat in the auditorium, like at a ball game or a concernt, so you don't even need to wait in line.

That's where I'll be May 19th.

Watch what you post... some of the "liningup.net" folks are amongst us here, including Sarah Sprague (who was the one interviewed for the Variety piece). She's popped in and out of the Franchise forums from time to time and is part of the whole AICN Jedi Council group.

They're not all nuts, it is for a good cause, and I completely understand the nostalgia and tradition behind the Chinese. It would indeed be a damn shame if this is the only film out of all six that does not open there.

Hey Brad, is it easy to purchase advanced assigned-seat tickets to the ArcLight ONLINE, especially for big event flicks like this? I've always wondered about that.

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And you're saying we CAN'T mock these people?

Do what you want. Just don't be surprised if one of them arrives in this thread to defend and explain their side of things.

When has that stopped anyone here before, Carl?

They do a pretty good job of defending themselves in the article.

They also defend themselves pretty smoothly on Defamer.com, a gossip site which devotes attention to a horrible quote from their messageboards:

http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/mov...-update-038187

This is also on Fark, where it is also quietly defended.

I've never understood this phenomenon. It's not like they're waiting in line for a once in a lifetime opportunity. These losers are wasting weeks of their lives to see a movie that will be played 8 times a day on multiple screens in thousands of theaters all over the world. After weeks and weeks of sitting around doing nothing, someone could show up ten minutes later and see the next screening. And a few months after that, the movie will be on DVD, and they can watch whenever they want.

Not to mention the fact that they're waiting on line for a sequel that already has two major strikes against it, but I suppose that's another thread entirely.

It's not just about the movie. It's about the experience, and a whole lotta fun. Shit, I'd do it if I had the money to do it and didn't have the commitments that I do.

I get that, but if you're going to devote that kind of time, energy and money to something, why not travel? See the world, learn something, further yourself in some way. Sitting on a sidewalk for months to see a cartoon - now I understand why the terrorists hate our freedom.

If I was a major filmmaker right now, I'd be right in line with them, along with every other big-name filmmaker I could drag with me. I just think it would be awesome to see the young filmmakers of today showing their support for their fellow movie geeks, while also paying respect to the trilogy that probably was one of the reasons that they decided to make movies. Plus it would just be cool to see celebrities waiting in line with Star Wars fans 45 days straight.

See, that's the thing. "A cartoon." A lot of people don't see it that way. If you're going to understand why people do this, you have to understand that SW is A: more than just a movie and B: not a waste of time to some people. Hell, I flew to America in 2003 to see THE RETURN OF THE KING because I wanted that experience, to hang with people like me, and to see that movie with those people. And it was an amazing experience that I'd never give up.

Yeah, but when you declare yourself as part of the AICN Jedi Council, you forfeit any rights to sanity you have.

It's a fun, bonding, communal experience for these people. That's not terribly hard to figure out or understand, really.

Personally, this isn't my thing either. But I "get it".

I guess I'll never understand the whole movie line thing, but I could at least make an exception for Episode 1. That was a major event that people were waiting years for, and the hype was out of control. Now, though? Star Wars has some major credibility issues, and though I'll certainly be seeing it in the theater, you'd think this kind of enthusiasm would have died down a bit.

I wonder what the world would be like if people with this kind of dedication and determination put their energy toward something...I don't know...useful.

So far, I've come up with:
A cure for cancer
Alternative energy solutions
Habitat for Humanity
Volunteering to help inner city children
Spelling out a giant "Fuck you, George Lucas" that can be seen from space

Hey Carl, I get your White Nike Valley reference (Ewan). Can I get goodies?

Instead of bothering to defend the line crew, I'll just remember the grand time I had back in 1999 waiting in line with a bunch of fellow STAR WARS fans and invite the naysayers to fuck off to infinity.

And Sarah kicks ass. Well met, fellow BNATer!

Don't bother, Carl. You've forgotten that many geeks have an aversion to interacting with other carbon based lifeforms unless it's over Xbox.

I do say let people have their fun, and I hope they enjoy every minute of it and have a grand old time.

But god dammit, I'm gonna mock 'em if I see fit.

That's my right and duty as an American asshole.

You're a little late (3 people already got it) but give me a few more weeks and I should have plenty of cheesy SW swag to part with.

Read As : Kidneystone that sorta looks like Yoda.

Oh, absolutely.
Anyone that's a member of the AICN Jedi Council deserves all the wedgies they get.

And to clear something up, I would've stayed in line for the Phantom Menace if I'd had the time for it when it came out.

After that? Oooooh Hell no.

The good cause isn't exactly a cure for cancer, but it's close.

I would accept a Kidneystone that sorta looks like Yoda. I'm down for that.

Actually, the one who needs to be made fun of and mocked is the fool up in Seattle who has been waiting since January at a theater that LFL and FOX long ago told him definitely will not be showing the film.

But he doesn't care. Because, unlike the LU.Net folks at the Chinese, he is obviously doing it for personal publicity, attention, and free stuff.

Yeah, but the AICN JEDI COUNCIL deserves a little ribbing, too.

Will the AICN Jedi Council be handling crowd control?

No, I think the AICN Jedi Council will be dealing with the press.

And authentic AICN Jedi Council badges that say "Yoda man now, Dawg!"

Hey, Carl, I've never purchased on-line tickets from the ArcLight website; I don't trust computers any farther than I can throw them. I usually just visit the theater as soon as the showtimes are announced and buy the tix in person.

They haven't announced the inevitable 12:01 showtime for "Episode III" yet, but when they do, I assume it'll be playing on several screens, including the Dome.

I'd imagine one of the nice things about fame is that it gets you laid. Unfortunately, the waiting-in-line-for-Star-Wars kind of fame is vagina repellant.

I wish there were lines forming around here. It'd be entertaining to watch, at the very least.

Well I realize at times how silly the whole ordeal seems and even wonder what the whole appeal is, I myself have been in line for the first showing; usually near the front or directly at the front for both prequels.

And while I've becoming a huge skeptic towards Lucas's approach to these films in general (often agreeing with Devin's quips towards the upcoming and previous films) I know I'll still be there opening day, first in line. And when I walk out there will be that dissapointment (hopefully not in the film) but that there are no more of these to look forward to.....at least for a while.

Sure there are other movies that are a little higher on my "to see" list like The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and Oldboy (even though I've watched it about a million times already, the theatre reigns supreme always), but Star Wars is probably the only movie I'll be in line on opening day, first showing.

While its easy to scoff at the people who line up for these movies, but its just as easy to be enraptured in them when they succeed. The Lord of the Rings fans had 3 great years, I'm still hoping 2005 will be the year for the Star Wars fan.

Actually, it won't be playing at the Dome at all. Lucas doesn't like that screen. It'll just be in the multiplex there.

Oh, for Christ's sake! I just saw "Sin City" on that screen at 12:01 a.m. last Friday. It's a terrific venue.

My Feelings exactly. I will cut them some slack becuase they are doing it in part for charity, but for too many others it is just a desperate attempt to get their Fifteen minutes of fame.

How? The SW community has never been like that, aside from the occasional webmaster/nutcase (SuperShadow). At the end of the day, they're just doing it to have fun. It's not like these are basement-bound shut-ins, these are folks who are just in for the social interaction with other nerds and the fun. Hell, people go out every weekend and drink themselves to a fighting stupor. Why is that more socially acceptable than something like this?

You're pretty funny.

Jesus, me neither. It sucks if you're sitting off axis especially, but the audtorium itself is not that impressive.

Is the dome digital or film? I can't remember. I like the Arclight because of the assigned seating and it's very clean and classy, though the ticket price is an arm and a leg.

Maybe I'll take a walk down to the Chinese and say hello to the troops.

I respect the reasons that some of them are doing it for (charity). I understand the anticipation of wanting to be one of the first to see it - I'm going with some friends to a midnight showing, but I can't understand camping out in front of a theater for a month and a half to see a movie.

Especially when the movie's not at that theater....

I hear they get to hang out with Lucas. Not George Lucas though, Jorge Lucas. And they get complimentary tic tacs, one glass of sugar free Kool-aid, and Obi Swan makes Ants on a Log! Then someone breaks out a bag of pixie sticks and the recording begins!

It's funny years ago (8 I think) I had the conversation with my best bud that Star Wars was the acceptable mainstream franchise and Star Trek was the show for the "basement dwellers". Now of course Star Trek is total shite. But Star Wars has obviously lost it's luster with a large contingent of it's potential fan base. 6 Years ago I remember people voicing loud approval of the people waiting in line. Now a little over half a decade later those same people would probably pelt these guys with rocks and copies of Oprah's magazine. I'm sure this will all swing the other way in a decade or so....

Funny thing about this theory is that the movie will still make at least 300 million domestic even if people "hate" it as much as they say they do. 300 mill. is a lot for a movie people hate. A crap Jim Carrey flick making 150 mill. is one thing. But a movie making 300 mill. is more than just the same seventeen nerds seeing the movie 12 times a week. Of course the Titanic anamoly blows my whole theory out of the water. You know the supposition that Titanic's run was given its legs by a consistent repeat audience of females seeing the film week after week.

Ok my head hurts I've debated myself in circles so you don't have to!

Also, I'd agree with you if we were discussing the original trilogy, which is why I could understand the excitement built around the release of the first prequel. But the new ones are cartoons, and they're not very good ones at that.

I cannot concur...

Too late and here is the goodie Carl promised me:

Ah well. Can't win 'em all, I suppose.

All those people supposedly queueing in the wrong place. Now imagine how funny that would be if it applied to the Vatican !