I MISS YOU, HEROIN

If you think junkies have a ferocious hunger for heroin, consider spending every single day pretending not to be a junky. It’s incredible work. You see, junkies live outside the law; they need heroin, period. A functional addict needs heroin more. A functional addict doesn’t rob and pillage for heroin because there is a risk of being caught, and if you are caught you don’t get a reduction cure, you get sick and are then forced to quit. So instead the functional addict gets up every morning and goes to work. They work overtime. A functional addict operates the same way as a junky in regards to needing heroin. The difference is that a functional addict has the ability to wait.

For a functional addict time is something that isn’t shown on a clock. Before I quit heroin two years ago, I got up twenty minutes earlier than I do now. I never needed an alarm clock because I knew that it was time for a shot. I never hit snooze and I was never, ever, late for work. I would open my eyes and be in the bathroom fifteen seconds later. I went to work until lunchtime, when I would speed home for a midday shot. That shot would send me reeling, and I would head back to work to make another half days worth of pay so I could buy more junk that night. When I was at work, much like anyone else, I would look at the clock and count the minutes. But as a heroin addict, not only does time slow down, time stops if you need a shot. Working in a world where heroin is generally considered bad stuff is a bit tricky; you can’t exactly be high.

A functional addict has to have the ability to separate themselves from heroin enough to appear to be completely normal. Hiding my addiction was not very hard because most people have no idea that someone can be a heroin addict and have a job. People don’t recognize heroin addiction in a functional addict. The best way to hide your heroin addiction is to blame your symptoms on something else. A functional addict is a Hollywood film crew rolled into one person. I am an actress, a makeup artist, a director, and an editor. When people noticed I never ate, I acted as if I had an eating disorder. When I had done too much on my lunch break and had to throw up, I blamed my rush to the bathroom on my period or diarrhoea or a vaginal problem. I didn’t give a fuck what people thought of my hygiene, as long as they thought it was a physical issue.

As a functional addict you must be very proficient with make up in order to cover track marks. Do you really think Aunt Sally and Cousin Susie aren’t going to notice if you’re wearing long sleeves in the summer heat? Of course people notice that kind of shit. You’d be surprised at how often people see things that are out of place. Being functional means not getting caught and not getting caught can take some creative measures. When people would notice something askew about me, I would change whatever they were noticing. I never had anyone pinpoint what, exactly, was wrong, but people came close. I had to play director in my own life. I had to be able to see myself as other people saw me, and edit out all the things that might jeopardize my supply of heroin. An addiction is a sickness in itself, but being sick because you don’t have whatever you are addicted to is infinitely worse. So I worked at being an addict.

Being a functional addict gave me an entirely different perspective on life. I mean, besides the fact that I didn’t have a savings account, looking into my life you would have thought I was just a girl. I wasn’t just a girl though. I did something everyday that no one ever knew about. Who I was at work and socially was my alter ego. I was pretending to give a shit about life because I needed and wanted my heroin supply to be constant. I was not an addict that surrounded myself with only other addicts; that’s dangerous business because junkies are much more common than functional addicts. In fact, I’ve only ever known one other functional addict. Most of the people I knew and talked to and hung out with had no idea I was addicted to heroin. I faked my entire existence just to maintain my addiction. If I lost my job: no heroin. If my family or friends found out: instant intervention and no heroin. If I didn’t pay my bills: no place to shoot up. Suffice to say that besides paying my bills, all my money went to heroin. I didn’t buy new clothes and I didn’t go to the grocery store. My secret life was flawless, and quitting wasn’t because I couldn’t afford it, or someone forced me.

Whenever I think of heroin, I think of it fondly, but then I’m lucky. I was a functional addict, so I knew when enough was enough. I knew I couldn’t continue shooting heroin forever, and I know now that I can never be addicted again. I’ve seen what heroin can really do to people, and while throughout I’ve been saying it’s possible to be a functional addict, it is not possible to be a functional addict and accomplish anything. In order to be a functional addict forever, you cannot have dreams. You can’t think of a better life. You cannot be successful at the same time. You have to go to your crappy job everyday, and no matter how much you hate it, you can’t quit. You can’t look for a new job because you have to buy junk today. The best you can hope for is moving up within your company. With heroin it’s either all-in or all-out. Whether you are a junky or a functional addict, heroin runs your life. There is no time for anything else.

I hate myself for missing heroin, but I just can’t help it. Every summer I wonder if anyone notices my faded scars, to which I no longer apply makeup. Every morning I think about that purple Crown Royal bag I used to keep my works in. Every afternoon I wonder if Josie has oxycontins, morphine, heroin, or diladid today. I don’t remember every shot of heroin I ever took, but I remember taking a fucking shitload of them. I remember shooting up with a plastic spoon and saliva in the parking lot of a bank. I remember spurting blood all over a hotel room before a Jane’s Addiction concert. I remember using the electrical cord from a curling iron in my moms’ bathroom to tie off. I remember heroin. I remember how fucking great it made me feel. I mean, there were some bad points too, but the bad don’t add up to that one perfect moment; that moment heroin addicts live for.

It’s been two years since I shot up, but there are a million reminders everyday. These little insignificant things that my mind associates with heroin are everywhere. Walgreen’s and I have a very special relationship thanks to their acceptance of my bullshit diabetic card. When I can’t turn left, I always check to see how long the street is, and if it isn’t very long, I go the wrong way, just out of habit. I run red lights even though I’m no longer rushing to buy heroin, and I shake with excitement when I see confederate flag stickers on the back of trucks. I’ve spent more time waiting in front of a 7-11 than you’ve spent riding the subway. With all the time I’ve spent waiting for, chasing after, or shooting in heroin, I could have written twelve books.

I wish I could videotape myself writing this because I am shaking. It’s been two years since I last did heroin, but I know if someone were to walk in with works and a bag, I would have that needle in my arm before you could say HIV. I miss it. Sometimes I wonder how I have gone this long without even dosing once. And I look forward to a time when I can dose again. I even know when that day is, and I am counting down. It’s not until April though, so I have a while to wait. You might ask, “Why would you quit for two years only to take another shot?”

Well the answer is obvious. I miss heroin. I miss the routine. I miss waking up everyday and knowing exactly what I need to do that day. I didn’t even realize how much I missed it until just now. Just now while trying to put into words what I think about when I think about H. Besides, you don’t get addicted in one shot. I figure since I haven’t had one for two years I can have a couple, and be ok. But that’s a saga for another day. Actually I’m pretty interested to find out what it feels like after all this time. I’ll probably puke my guts out.

I’m not going to pretend that heroin is okay — most people who develop a real addiction to heroin never quit. I don’t know the exact statistic, but I know this previous statement is true. I am lucky to have been born with the willpower I have, and as stated previously, I only know of one other functional addict. I’m lucky to remember what I wanted before heroin. And what I want from life is much bigger and better than one small moment of heroin bullshit. But that one small moment of bullshit is something that I can’t get out of my head.

:: rogerebert.com :: reviews

:: rogerebert.com :: reviews: “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

BY ROGER EBERT / May 19, 2005

20th Century Fox presents a film written and directed by George Lucas. Running time: 140 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for sci-fi violence and some intense images). Opening Thursday at local theaters (midnight screenings Wednesday at select locations).George Lucas comes full circle in more ways than one in ‘Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,’ which is the sixth — and allegedly but not necessarily the last — of the ‘Star Wars’ movies. After ‘Episode II’ got so bogged down in politics that it played like the Republic covered by C-Span, ‘Episode III’ is a return to the classic space opera style that launched the series. Because the story leads up to where the original ‘Star Wars’ began, we get to use the immemorial movie phrase, ‘This is where we came in.’

That Anakin Skywalker abandoned the Jedi and went over to the dark side is known to all students of ‘Star Wars.’ That his twins Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia would redeem the family name is also known. What we discover in ‘Episode III’ is how and why Anakin lost his way — how a pleasant and brave young man was transformed into a dark, cloaked figure with a fearsome black metal face. As Yoda sadly puts it in his inimitable word order: ‘The boy you trained, gone he is, consumed by Darth Vader.’

As ‘Episode III’ opens, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and his friend Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) are piloting fighter craft, staging a daring two-man raid to rescue Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). He has been captured by the rebel Gen. Grievous (whose voice, by Matthew Woods, sounds curiously wheezy considering the ge

neral seems to use replacement parts). In the spirit of all the “Star Wars” movies, this rescue sequence flies in the face of logic, since the two pilots are able to board Grievous’ command ship and proceed without much trouble to the ship’s observation tower, where the chancellor is being held. There is a close call in an elevator shaft, but where are the guards and the security systems? And why, for that matter, does a deep space cruiser need an observation tower, when every porthole opens on to the universe? But never mind.

Back within the sphere of the Jedi Council, Anakin finds that despite his heroism, he will not yet be named a Jedi Master. The council distrusts Palpatine and wants Anakin to spy on him; Palpatine wants Anakin to spy on the council. Who to choose? McDiarmid has the most complex role in the movie as he plays on Anakin’s wounded ego. Anakin is tempted to go over to what is not yet clearly the dark side; in a movie not distinguished for its dialogue, Palpatine is insidiously snaky in his persuasiveness.

The way Anakin approaches his choice, however, has a certain poignancy. Anakin has a rendezvous with Padme (Natalie Portman); they were secretly married in the previous film, and now she reveals she is pregnant. His reaction is that of a nice kid in a teenage comedy, trying to seem pleased while wondering how this will affect the other neat stuff he gets to do. To say that George Lucas cannot write a love scene is an understatement; greeting cards have expressed more passion.

The dialogue throughout the movie is once again its weakest point: The characters talk in what sounds like Basic English, without color, wit or verbal delight, as if they were channeling Berlitz. The exceptions are Palpatine and of course Yoda, whose speech (voiced by Frank Oz) reminds me of Wolcott Gibbs’ famous line about the early style of Time magazine: “Backward ran sentences until reeled the mind.”

In many cases the actors are being filmed in front of blue screens, with effects to be added later, and sometimes their readings are so flat, they don’t seem to believe they’re really in the middle of amazing events. How can you stand in front of exploding star fleets and sound as if you’re talking on a cell phone at Starbucks?

“He’s worried about you,” Anakin is told at one point. “You’ve been under a lot of stress.” Sometimes the emphasis in sentences is misplaced. During the elevator adventure in the opening rescue, we hear “Did I miss something?” when it should be “Did I miss something?”

The dialogue is not the point, however; Lucas’ characters engage in sturdy oratorical pronunciamentos and then leap into adventure. “Episode III” has more action per square minute, I’d guess, than any of the previous five movies, and it is spectacular. The special effects are more sophisticated than in the earlier movies, of course, but not necessarily more effective.

The dogfight between fighters in the original “Star Wars” and the dogfight that opens this one differ in their complexity (many more ships this time, more planes of action, more detailed backgrounds) but not in their excitement. And although Lucas has his characters attend a futuristic opera that looks like a cross between Cirque de Soleil and an ultrasound scan of an unborn baby, if you regard the opera hall simply as a place, it’s not as engaging as the saloon on Tatooine in the first movie.

The lesson, I think, is that special effects should be judged not by their complexity but by the degree that they stimulate the imagination, and “Episode III” is distinguished not by how well the effects are done, but by how amazingly they are imagined. A climactic duel on a blazing volcanic planet is as impressive, in its line, as anything in “Lord of the Rings.” And Yoda, who began life as a Muppet but is now completely animated (like about 70 percent of what we see onscreen), was to begin with and still is the most lifelike of the non-humanoid “Star Wars” characters.

A word, however, about the duels fought with lightsabers. When they flashed into life with a mighty whizzing thunk in the first “Star Wars” and whooshed through their deadly parabolas, that was exciting. But the thrill is gone.

The duelists are so well-matched that saber fights go on forever before anyone is wounded, and I am still not sure how the sabers seem able to shield their bearers from attack. When it comes to great movie sword fights, Liam Neeson and Tim Roth took home the gold medal in “Rob Roy” (1995), and the lightsaber battles in “Episode III” are more like isometrics.

These are all, however, more observations than criticisms. George Lucas has achieved what few artists do; he has created and populated a world of his own. His “Star Wars” movies are among the most influential, both technically and commercially, ever made. And they are fun. If he got bogged down in solemnity and theory in “Episode II: Attack of the Clones,” the Force is in a jollier mood this time, and “Revenge of the Sith” is a great entertainment.

Note: I said this is not necessarily the last of the “Star Wars” movies. Although Lucas has absolutely said he is finished with the series, it is inconceivable to me that 20th Century-Fox will willingly abandon the franchise, especially as Lucas has hinted that parts VII, VIII and IX exist at least in his mind. There will be enormous pressure for them to be made, if not by him, then by his deputies.

Episode III-Revenge of the Sith

Episode III-Revenge of the Sith:
This review was written by noted Star Wars aficionado Jason Vasquez and is exclusive to Pardon My English.

Whether you are an adult or child, businessman or sci-fi geek, the day of May 19th, 2005 was long anticipated for most of the world’s population or at least those in the age 5-50 demographic. “Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith” had finally been released to all those hungry for the last epic in one of the greatest film series ever. I was one of the many who couldn’t wait and went to see it at the stroke of midnight.

George Lucas did not disappoint the legions of faithful fans. “Sith”, I believe, ranks up there with the original “Star Wars” and along with the best of the series, “The Empire Strikes Back”. With the familiar opening story scroll, it begins with the exclamation of “WAR!.” Wasting no time, “Sith” opens with a 22 minute space battle, which seen in the right theater (digital projection and sound) is stunning. The thunderous sound of battle destroyers reverberates throughout the theater and the swarm of fighters “dogfighting” through scattered laser fire is visually insane. We are introduced to one of the new villains in the very beginning of the film, General Grievous, leader of the separatist droid army and also, Count Dooku makes a return appearance. The conclusion of this battle sequence sets the tone for the rest of the movie. As noted in the media storm leading up to the opening, “Sith” is a dark movie. Whether it deserved the PG-13 rating it received is, I believe, debatable.

As “Sith” continues, the romance between Anakin and Padme evolves, these scenes being the slower parts of the movie. Mercifully, we are not subjected to as many of these scenes as we were in “Attack of the Clones”. We see the conflicts rising in young Anakin due to his treatment by the Jedi Council and Chancellor Palpatine, which eventually lead him to the Dark Side and in turn he becomes Darth Vader.

We explore new worlds such as Kashykk (where we get to see the familiar Chewbacca), and Mustaafar, which is where the climatic battle between Obi Wan and Anakin takes place. Some may be surprised to finally learn the reason Darth Vader has to wear the well known black life support suit that he dons.

The conclusion of Episode III ties up loose ends while at the same time laying the groundwork for and leading us into the 1977 classic that started it all. Most fans should be very content that what was expected out of this latest installment has indeed been delivered.

FutureMovies.co.uk – The Birth of Darth Vader! MAJOR SPOILERS

FutureMovies.co.uk – The Birth of Darth Vader!:
“The Birth of Darth Vader!
Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith

The Birth of Darth Vader!Well, this is it. This is the Star Wars films that the fans are waiting for. In May the bearded god of sci-fi George Lucas unleashes Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, the last and final part of the most famous space opera ever committed to film. Ok, so while it is roundly considered (although not by this writer) that The Phantom Menace was a pile of poo and Attack Of The Clones was far better but still had its problems, any Star Wars geek worth his overweight, lonely salt would have to agree that they’re getting excited about ROTS. Besides, Lucas would have to be monumentally inept to balls this one up. It’s the birth of Darth Vader, for God’s sake!Everything cool happens here. On paper, it is by far the darkest of all six films. The old republic falls, the Empire rises, all the Jedi are wiped out, save for Obi Wan and Yoda, who are forced to live the rest of their days in a hermit-like existence in a vast desert and a massive pond, respectively. Central to the story of course is the tragic and senseless death of Padme Amidala shortly after secretly giving birth to twins Luke and Leia and the betrayal and fall of her true love Anakin Skywalker, who loses the mother of all lightsabre duals, gets frazzled in lava and is reborn as the best villain ever created, Darth Vader! I’m getting excited just writing this!

According to all the rumblings from those in the know i.e. the cast, Fox executives and big fat Harry Knowles, this should restore everyone’s faith in Lucas to create breathtaking imagery and simple, powerful storytelling. The fact that everyone knows what is going to happen in this film and yet are chomping at the bit to see it speaks volumes for the power of his saga to entertain and enthral the young and the old alike. Except for my granny, who’s never heard of Star Wars at all.

The truly unique position that ROTS holds is that it is the bridge between the prequels and the original trilogy, so fans worldwide are intrigued to see how everything fits together. Producer Rick McCallum has officially gone on the record to state that they have worked very hard to ensure absolutely EVERYTHING from this film seamlessly ties in with the original Star Wars, or Episode IV: A New Hope, as it is now known.

Fanboys and geeks can be the most stern and pedantic critics, and Lucas and his own production empire on Skywalker Ranch know this and have been very astute by using this to their advantage; they went into fan websites, waded through forums and in some cases enlisted the counsel of the millions of fans to make sure the continuity is perfect, not a stone is left unturned and everything locks into place to form one epic story, including an explanation of how the lush, magisterial feel of Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones can segue into the rather budget and mechanical vistas that were created a long, long time ago, way back in 1977.

So what can we expect from this final burst into hyperspace? Well, for those who wish to go into THE FINAL STAR WARS FILM EVER without knowing too much, we’ll keep this relatively spoiler-free; that said, here are a few reasons why we at Future Movies think this film will be chuffing brilliant:

• Episode III takes place three years after the events of Attack Of The Clones, with the Clone Wars just coming to an end. Anakin is now a fully-fledged Jedi and has become a bit of a war hero, allbeit a very angry one. Actor Hayden Christensen bulked up for the role to give his character a hard-as-nails edge; He is the man who will, after all, become Darth Vader, played in the original films by yokel bodybuilder Dave Prowse.
• The film had more sets built and exterior shots filmed than both Episodes I and II combined, thus allaying the fear of many that this will be another CGI-fest. Of course, there will be CGI in this, but that’s not always a bad thing, as without its help, we wouldn’t have had the Yoda lightsabre battle in the last one!
• This film cannot be anything other than dark. The Empire rises, the good fail. All Jedi, including Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu, as well as all the children or ‘younglings’ in training will be brutally slain. Lucas has had trouble editing this film down to a respectable, family-friendly certificate in line with the other films, but even then expect this to be rated 12A, unlike any other Star Wars film. Hopefully, somewhere in all the carnage Jar Jar Binks will be caught in the crossfire…
• this film has the most lightsabre action out of all the previous films. Not only does Yoda get another chance to kick bottom, but so also does the Emperor, who makes his first proper appearance of the trilogy. Now we’ll get a chance to see how handy the old crinkly despot is with a blade! Also, the final duel between Anakin and Obi Wan is supposedly the longest, most impressive lightsabre fight yet.
• Ewen McGregor has repeated in the press that he is really please with this film and says both the writing and the acting is far improved on the last two prequels. Of course, anyone involved in a film bigs it up before release, but McGregor has in the past been very vocal and honest about how bad he thought The Phantom Menace was and how Attack Of The Clones was better, but had a stupid title and is far from perfect. Ultimately time will tell but you kind of trust him when he talks about projects he’s involved with!
• As has been hinted by the teaser trailer that appeared online and in cinemas at the end of last year, Darth Vader will appear at the end of the film, although it’s top secret as to how much screen time the Dark Lord of the Sith will receive as well as whether or not he’ll actually wield his famous red sabre.
• Chewbacca and a load of wookies are in this one!!

Point is, acting and dialogue is not why millions adore Star Wars. The films frequently pop up first in the various lists of ‘greatest films ever made’ because they are, as mentioned earlier, classic examples of simple storytelling and grand spectacle. That is what you pay for and by the looks of how Revenge Of The Sith is shaping up, that is what you’ll get!

The Holy Bible

The Manic’s ‘The Holy Bible’ Turns 10 Published: 2004-12-10

They recently released their seventh studio album, but fans of British trio Manic Street Preachers will soon be able to revisit the band’s past too. The band’s classic 1994 album ‘The Holy Bible’ is set to be expanded and reissued on February 8th. The occasion for this revisit of MSP music past is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the album’s release.Now you may say to yourself, February is in 2005, and that would be the 11th year of ‘The Holy Bible’s existence, but the reissue is actually hitting British shores this month (which is still 2004, you see). North Americans though, are being forced to wait a bit longer (unless it’s purchased as an import that is). The revamped package of ‘The Holy Bible’ is set to include three discs: a re-mastered version of the original audio, the US mix of the album, and a DVD. In addition to the original audio, there are also demo and live tracks included on the CDs. The 80-minute DVD is set to include television clips, videos, live performances, and an interview with the band members. ‘The Holy Bible’ was the Manic Street Preachers last album as a quartet, as after its creation, guitarist/songwriter Richey Edwards mysteriously disappeared. The track-listing of ‘The Holy Bible’ 10th Anniversary Edition: Disc 1 (original): ’Yes’ ’Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayitsworldwouldfallapart’ ’Of Walking Abortion’ ’She Is Suffering’ ’Archives of Pain’ ’Revol’ ’4st 7lb’ ’Mausoleum’ ’Faster’ ’This Is Yesterday’ ’Die In The Summertime’ ’The Intense Humming Of Evil’ ’P.C.P.’ ’The Intense Humming of Evil’ (Live) ’4st 7lb’ (Live) ’Yes’ (Live) ’Of Walking Abortion’ (Live) Disc 2 (U.S. mix): ’Yes’ ’Ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayitsworldwouldfallapart’ ’Of Walking Abortion’ ’She Is Suffering’ ’Archives of Pain’ ’Revol’ ’4st 7lb’ ’Mausoleum’ ’Faster’ ’This Is Yesterday ’Die In The Summertime’ ’The Intense Humming Of Evil’ ’P.C.P.’ ’Die In The Summertime’ (Demo) ’Mausoleum’ (Demo) ’Of Walking Abortion’ (Radio 1 Evening Session) ’She Is Suffering’ (Radio 1 Evening Session) ’Yes’ (Radio 1 Evening Session) DVD: ’Faster’ (Top of the Pops) ’Faster’ (Butt Naked) ’P.C.P.’ (Butt Naked) ’She Is Suffering’ (Butt Naked) ’4st 7lb’ (MTV Most Wanted) ’She Is Suffering’ (MTV Most Wanted) ’Faster’ (Glastonbury ‘94) ’P.C.P.’ (Glastonbury ‘94) ’Yes’ (Glastonbury ‘94) ’Revol’ (Reading ‘94) ’Faster’ (US Video) ’Judge Yr’self’ (Video) ’Yes’ (New Film) ’Band Interview’ (30 Mins) ’Faster’ (Hidden Video Extra) ’Revol’ (Hidden Video Extra) ’She Is Suffering ‘(Hidden Video Extra) Writer: Jaclyn Arndt

A fan of the franchise’s take on the dark new Star Wars – The Triangle – Entertainment

A fan of the franchise’s take on the dark new Star Wars – The Triangle – Entertainment:

“A fan of the franchise’s take on the dark new Star Wars
By James Mack, Jr.
Published: Friday, May 13, 2005Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is one of the best Star Wars movies made. Let me repeat that: It is one of the best Star Wars movies made. It comes in a very close second to the Empire Strikes Back. Sith embodies all that is a Star Wars movie, and more. It is well made, balanced, and best of all, all of its scenes are completely and utterly necessary. George Lucas has done it �- he has honored the tradition of Star Wars in this final installment.

The past six years have been a surreal ride. We all grew up, at the very least, knowing what the hell Star Wars was. Some of us (His Dorkiness Mack included) fell in love with this science fiction epic. But when it was announced in the late 1990s that George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, was making the ‘prequel’ trilogy, Star Wars fans everywhere blew a load. We collectively soiled ourselves. The six years that followed were filled with wonderment, awe, and a little disappointment all ending with one hell of a bang.

Something I found lacking in episodes I and II was that some content seemed commercialized. It was as if sensational movie making overpowered the Star Wars universe. The Yoda fight scene in Episode II was ridiculous and redundant. It was made for people to say ‘Wow, Yoda fighting, look at the little bugger go!’ Episode III had none of that nonsense. Every stroke of the light saber was calculated and referenced, but didn’t copy, Episode I’s light saber fight scene which, coincidentally, was the greatest fight scene of any Star Wars installment. The action was incredible, and more importantly, meaningful. Meaningful to the plot, the fan”

While we’re on the topic of characters, Lucas’ casting for young Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) years ago was proven to be the best choice. Ewan was absolutely the best actor in this movie, bar none. He is simply amazing. He is part of what makes this film memorable, if not for the Star Wars quality, but for the acting itself. He completes so much of what we fans desire, and that is properly remembering and honoring Sir Alec Guinness. McGregor does him proud, I would bet.

It is unfortunate the running time is two hours and ten minutes. It was the first time in over two years I did not check my watch for the entirety of a film, and it could have been longer. You get the impression that Lucas was trying his damnest to put stuff in, and he couldn’t do everything he wanted. Regardless, what he did put in was great. Sure, I would have liked to see a more smooth transition between three and four, but beggars can’t be choosers and I am not ungrateful. What they did use to transition between three and four was good, and it elicited a lot of emotion out of me (and Steven Spielberg, who cried at the premiere). It was like watching everything in a series of epic novels come together. If they made it two hours and 40 minutes I would have been none the wiser. But two hours and ten minutes is still very much worth it.

Get to the theater as soon as possible to see it (once it comes out, of course). Star Wars fans will be in awe at the pure greatness that is Episode III. They will not be disappointed. Non-Star Wars fans will also see this as a great movie. It is worth it, and a part of movie history. This is, without a doubt, one of the best films of the past three years even without the Star Wars title.