A long time ago, in a theater far, far away...

So, here's the pitch--

Director: "The movie is about a society that is super advanced -- they travel around in spaceships and fire lasers at each other."

Studio Exec: "Lasers? Cool. I like that."

Director: "Well, not everyone uses lasers. The good guys actually do all their fighting with swords made out of light."

Exec: "Swords versus lasers? Hmmm, I'm not so sure about that. Continue.

Dir: "Well, to be really honest, the good guys used to use the light sworrds. All the good guys are pretty much dead now."

Exec: "The good guys are dead?"

Dir: "Yeah, well... except for one of them. He's old but wise. (pause) He gets killed off in about the middle of the movie by the second-in-command of all the bad guys."

Exec: "Oh... the second-in-command? What about the leader of the bad guys?"

Dir: "We don't meet him in this movie."

Exec: "Uhhhh. So the second-in-command is a real bad !#^@#!^, right?"

Dir: "Yeah, totally! He has to use a machine to help him breathe and he lost most of his limbs in a volcano accident years ago, but he's scary."

Exec: "O, so the amputee bad guy kills the old good guy. What happens next?"

Dir: "Well, the bad guys have a giant spaceship, as big as a planet, or at least as big as a decent-sized moon, and they are going to kill all the good guys. But this one kid who has never flown a spaceship in combat in his life destorys the moon-spaceship by firing one shot in just the right place causing a chain reaction that blows the bad guys up."

Exec: "Riiiight. Anything else?"

Dir: "Well, he's only able to do it because he trusts this invisible thing that controls the universe called The Force."

Exec: "Yeah... uhhh, don't call us, we'll call you."

Dir: "Wait, I havn't told you about the robot that talks in beeps and clicks or the huge bear that only grunts. The audience is gonna love both of these guys!!"

30 years ago today!!! May 25, 1977, Star Wars hit theaters.

Hollywood would never be the same.

--Jason "which was more influential, Star Wars or the blockbuster of the summer of 1976, Jaws? Nevermind, no question it is Star Wars" Evans

30 years ago tonight, another
medicine intern and myself (and our dates) went to the Houston Galleria theaters and caught the second showing of the new film, "Star Wars". There were free 'May the Force Be With You" buttons, and local TV interviewing folks as they left the theater. For the next couple of weeks, as we passed each other in the Methodist Hospital hallways, we'd fight each other with our imaginary light sabers, and all the other MD's and nurses would roll their eyes, and think, the intern year is almost over, thank God...

Very cool Jason. Thanks. I have past your prose on to many via email, giving you appropriate credit with your signature included.

The thing to remember about the Star Wars phenom was that the film opened with VERY little buzz in just a handful of theaters.

Yet, it became such a phenomenum in New York and LA that it was on the cover of Time magazine within a month -- before 90 percent of the country had a chance to see it.

The distrubution crept along in dribs and drabs -- it was another three weeks after Time that it got to North Carolina. The first place it was shown was a multi-plex in Greensboro. They only had one print, but demand was so high than they played it in three theaters, carrying the reels from one projection booth to another while the next reel was playing.

Two weeks later, it got to Raleigh ... and a week after that to Durham.

I have to confess that I was a first-day viewer in Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham.

I also have to say that after being disappointed so many times by the hype, I'll never forget the thrill when the opening credits finished and were chased across the screen by the Empire battle cruiser that seemed to go on forever. That one sequence took my breath away -- and started one of the great thrill rides of all time.

I should say that I actually think in hindsight that No. 2 -- Empire Strikes Back -- was a better film and that halfway through No. 3 -- the Return of the Jedi -- the series lost me and I've never been interested in the three prequels of the last decade.

But 30 years ago! Wow!