ITEM PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Paraphernalia worn by Dave Norcross of Revere at Showcase Cinemas for the “Star Wars” marathon on Thursday. He was in the lobby getting snacks before heading back in to see “The Force Awakens.”
BY GABE MARTINEZ
I have a confession to make. I’m a “Star Wars” nerd. There, I said it. It feels good to finally let it out.
I watched “A New Hope” 16 years ago and have been hooked ever since. I like “Star Wars” enough to almost consider dressing up as a stormtrooper. Almost.
There is something about this fictional world millions of light years away that takes me from Earth for a few hours and makes me wish I was a character in this beloved space opera.
A friend of mine recently asked me why I was so enthralled with this movie? I thought about it, and I could not give him a good answer — but I wanted to so I made my way down to the Cinema de Lux in Revere where a “Star Wars” marathon was underway. Showcase showed all six movies starting at 3:30 a.m. Thursday ending with a 7 p.m. showing of the latest chapter in the saga, “The Force Awakens.” I wanted to speak with fans and see if they could help me put into words why I liked Star Wars.
The first fan I spoke with, Eric Gallant of Revere, was a big help.
“I think everyone can connect with it,” Gallant said. “I saw it when I was 3 and I loved it. Then you grow older and you can appreciate all the themes that go along with it. No matter what age you are, it grows older with you.”
Another fan, Sam Polo of Roxbury, said it was the connection she felt with her friends that made her like the movie.
“I’m actually here with three friends and we saw “Return of the Jedi” in 1983 at 3:30 a.m., and it’s really cool that this started at 3:30 a.m. too, and I’m still with my same friends.”
Both Sam and Eric made some great points in regards to the series. The movies really do grow up with you. When you are younger, you are fascinated by the light sabers, and blasters, and the cool spaceships. As you grow older, you can fully understand the battle between good and evil, and how fear and anger are emotions that can corrupt your judgement.
As I thought more about what these fans said I started to create my reasons why I like “Star Wars.”
I enjoy the story. It’s the classic good versus evil, told in a futuristic world. The characters are compelling, the costumes are extravagant, and I wish I could shoot a blaster.
It also is a good way to escape. There is so much negativity in the world, and “Star Wars” lets you leave that and go away for a few hours to another galaxy far far away, where you can be a Jedi Knight, or a stormtrooper, or a Wookie.
With the release of “The Force Awakens” my “Star Wars” fandom has gone into overdrive. I have avoided reading online reviews in fear of any potential spoilers. My hope is that by going in fresh I will not have a film critic’s experience hurt my own.
My hope is that the latest film brings me back to when I first watched “A New Hope.” I have waited 10 years — I can wait another day. May the force be with me.
Gabe Martinez is director of new media at The Item. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @gemartinez92.
