Originally posted by: Anchorhead
someone brought this up just a few days ago - it was just about the worst kept secret in the world.

Heheh, I think that was me.

I'm really glad I saw the opening midnight show of Empire, because the reveal was already out to the people who were in line for the 3am show as I was leaving the theater. It did not, as I posted earlier, get the same respect as the reveal in The Sixth Sense, which inspired a world-wide conspiracy of silence. To me, that speaks volumes about the effect of the reveal on the general public, indicating it was fun ... but not an amazement of shock.

But the reveal was a great surprise at that opening show. Personally, I didn't get the impression it was a lie ... because it just seemed too important as the climax of an entire movie. I knew that meant either Obi-Wan was lying or Vader was ... and though I knew a big, fat lie would be more in line with Vader's M.O., I just couldn't see a fake-out like that being used as the denoument of the film.

It was a wonderful gasp moment ... and it wasn't till the next morning that I realized the turn in the story was about as gay as it could be.

There always being the remote possibility that Vader was lying, it was a fun three years till the paternity test was confirmed in Return of the Jedi. Sigh, I've always known the decision to to take the meaning of Darth Vader's name quite literally was one made after the release of Star Wars. People thought I was delusional and a nutjob for insisting so ... and I was very glad to finally be vindicated among Star Wars fans when the truth became generally known upon release of the Empire of Dreams documentary.

But in 1980, the reveal was really kinda fun.

For that one show.

And for that one day.

.