2. Well, I really love the first two SW films. Beyond that, it's still a pretty entertaining bunch of films (even the prequels!). As far as comparisons to other film series go, LOTR and Indy are up there with SW for me. The Godfather is great as well (I even like Part 3). And Back to the Future is a great piece of entertainment too (though I think the original is by far the best of the bunch). James Bond is a bit tougher to classify since beyond the first few, they have very little to do with one another. Still, I'd say at least half of the Bond flicks are good. Harry Potter is fun too.
3. LOTR was pretty big for me. But maybe that has more to do with the fact that I was born after ROTJ and wasn't introduced to SW until I was about 8. The SW prequels were a little disappointing, so LOTR and other franchises helped fill the void. Probably the most excitement I get from SW nowadays is learning about how they were made, the development of the ideas, etc.