I'll probably get a bit sentimental and excited at the occassion of the 30th anniversary. I'll watch the Trilogy, and I'll watch the Holiday Special for the first time! I may even go to Celebration.
But that will be the last huzzah. I have the trilogy on DVD, and I don't expect any better releases in the future. Any that happen would be gravy.
I had such a good time with Star Wars 1977 - 1983. Seeing each movie multiple times in theaters was great, collecting stuff was fun, playing with toys was a hoot. Best of all was lining up for the premiers on Hollywood Boulevard, especially for Return of the Jedi, which was a then-revolutionary 7 days. It was a week of fun that I will always remember fondly.
I had an incredible good time with Star Wars 1999 - 2003. Seeing each movie a few times in theaters was far less fun, and there was no collecting or playing with toys on my part. But lining up for the premiers on Hollywood Boulevard was outrageous fun that I will cherish for a lifetime. 6-week-long Star Was street festivals, and I made many good friends.
But there's no more movies ... to which I breathe a sigh of relief. TV shows, video games, continued EU books and crap - - those things mean nothing to me. But I have my memories, I have the enrichment of my life via all the fun, and I have lasting friendships that sprung from it all.
As time marches on, I'll probably pop Empire or Jedi into the player far less often (it's only about 3 times a decade as it is) ... but I'll continue to watch and enjoy Star Wars till the day I die ... maybe making it an annual event ... and I'll happily chat about Star Wars with anyone of similar interests.
After the 30th hoopla that I intend to make a final Star Wars fun revival of, I will probably put my fandom in a deep, personal compartment. It's very likely I'll stop posting here.
Star Wars was a great ride, but it's over. I'll always be thankful for the prequels (even though I think they suck as films) for the unexpected Star Wars fun revival that brought me such wonderful enjoyment and friendships. That was a bonus bit of Star Wars pleasure that a guy like me who came on board in '77 had no right to expect. I'm now perfectly content to let it all fade into the sunset.
But Star Wars, the original, will always have an honored place in my heart, just as it will always have an honored place in movie history. The time for any active fandom, however, is fast coming to an end.
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