The piece also features updated facts and statistics about the film’s initial theatrical fun and it comes with a great roundtable interview featuring Marcus Hearn (author of The Cinema of George Lucas), Patrick Read Johnson (the writer and director of 5-25-77 and the first “civilian” to see Star Wars during a visit to Industrial Light and Magic in early 1977 while the film was still in production), our friend Kevin Rubio (the director and co-writer of Troops), and another great friend, the longtime DVD and Blu-ray documentarian Charles de Lauzirika (of Alien Anthology, Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery, and Blade Runner: The Final Cut fame, of course, but who also recently produced the Star Wars: Launch Bay featurette for Lucasfilm that’s now playing at Disneyland and Disney World). Michael’s piece is not just a great read, it’s an important piece of film history journalism, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we have.

Now then... I wanted to take a moment, before we close, to post a personal note today. Because, for those of us in Generation X in particular, this is a rather important occasion.

In the Summer of 1977, I was a ten-year-old child of divorce moving from home to home and city to city, losing friends as fast as I made them, and at one point attending a new school a year. Then I saw Star Wars... and none of that mattered. Forty years later, I still vividly recall walking out of the theater with my mother and aunt, a wide-eyed chatterbox, nearly vibrating with excitement. My imagination was unleashed, my dreams were fired into space, and all I had to do to make new friends was ask (or be asked): “Have you seen Star Wars?” For me, this has never been just a film. It’s an experience that altered my life in profoundly positive ways, making what should have been a terrible time joyous. It shaped me, gave me direction, and led me to some of my oldest and dearest friends.

Whatever else it might be, Star Wars is part of who I am. I’ll always be grateful for that. Thank you, George.

That’s all for now. It’s time to go spin a movie disc in the player. I know just the one.

Happy 40th!

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt