Trailer A1 "Breathing"
Date: November, 2001
Theater: White Flint Mall
Location: Bethesda, MD

Trailer A2 "Forbidden Love"
Date: November, 2001
Theater: Merrifield Cinemas
Location: Fairfax, VA

Trailer A3 "Mystery"
Date: November, 2001
Downloaded on the Internet

Trailer B
Date: March 11, 2002
Theater: None
Location: My own home
Watched its "debut" on television during The Simpsons

Viewing #1
Date: May 16, 2002 8:30 a.m.
Theater: The Uptown
Location: Washington, D.C.

The Uptown is Washington's premiere movie house and has shown every SW movie since ANH. I could have gone to a midnight showing in Gaithersburg, MD with friends, but after working all day on the 15th, I hated the idea of falling asleep during the film and hated the idea of driving 20 miles home at 2:45 in the morning even more. So I bought a ticket online to see it with the Uptown camp-out crew at its very first showing--8:30 a.m.--on the 16th. This worked for me because I could just hop the subway to work afterwards.

I got to the theater cutting things a little close. Everyone had gone inside and all that was left outside were a lot of news cameras and crew, lights, and the pile of trash left by the line campers. Uh oh! I went in and found a seat in the third row (note: the screen at the Uptown is the largest in the D.C. metro area).

If I had to describe the crowd in one word, it would be "raucous." Especially for this early in the morning. Some folks came in costume and more than a few came with lightsabers. When a local t.v. reporter who had camped out in line for both TPM and AOTC came in to take his seat, the line campers cheered and chanted his name, "Al! Al! Al!" Then they started chanting, "Arch sucks!" (Referring to a t.v. reporter/movie critic on another station).

As 8:30 drew nearer, the audience started chanting, "We want clones! We want clones!" When the lights went down, everyone went crazy. Several trailers played, including one for The Matrix sequels, which got a raucous reaction until at the end when it said, "Coming in 2003." Everyone then groaned and booed. But the 20th Century Fox logo sparked up their spirits again as the fanfare gave way to the brief dramatic pause before the Main Title.

Let me tell you, seeing a SW movie at The Uptown is a party unto itself. People cheered like they were at a Redskins game, and the Redskins were actually winning! They cheered at practically everything that happened in the movie, especially at anything referring to the other movies. Padmé's black bustier caused quite a commotion as well. But as you might have guessed, Yoda's duel with Dooku brought down the house.

Bottom line, it was the most fun and involved crowd I'd ever seen at a SW movie. I walked out of the theater into a phlanx of media anxious to get the audience's reaction. I was on cloud nine...my gut reactions were: that was the bomb, I can't wait for Episode III, and Hayden Christensen needs to make a lot more movies. But I had no wish to talk to Darth Media. I ducked around the cameras and headed to the Metro station. I overheard a couple of grumpy guses complain but couldn't imagine why they'd come to a first showing. What mattered anyway was that I thought it ruled and I had a good time. Pity all others.

When I got to work, everyone wanted to know what I thought. "Go see it!" I said. Good thing we weren't real busy that day because I was too spazzed to do anything. This was like showing up at the office tanked on cheap liquor. Note to self...take the day off for Episode III.

Alas!--MJF

Viewing #2
Date: May 18, 2002, 4 p.m.
Theater: Merrifield Cinemas
Location: Merrifield, VA

This was part of a costumed gathering/release party put on by fellow ex-SW exhibit volunteer Lori Frye. Lori came dressed in her Zam Wessell costume, while her (now ex) husband and kids came dressed up as well as some of her friends and their children. I didn't wear a costume. On the way into the theater, one of the ushers seized the lightsaber belonging to someone dressed as Darth Maul. She had the blades closed, but the usher insisted she take it out of the theater. Hmph, they didn't bother the kids bringing broomsticks to Harry Potter that previous fall. Again the theater was crowded and the only available seats were either way up front or way in the back. Having experienced AOTC way, way up close and personal, I opted for sitting in the back. Even though this was my second viewing, I was a tad nervous. Would I love it as much the first time? As it turned out, I loved it even more. Not a crazy crowd like at the Uptown, but this time I got to enjoy the movie itself in a more complete way. The party afterwards at Lori's house was a lot of fun too. The only thing was I learned afterwards that this same multiplex was also showing AOTC in digital and that the digital version had a slightly different ending! I knew I had to come back.

Viewing #3
Date: May 25, 2002, 6:30 p.m.
Theater: Merrifield Cinemas
Location: Merrifield, VA

25 years to the day after ANH was released, I had my first viewing of AOTC the way God and George Lucas intended...in digital! Okay, the auditorium was stuffy and the screen was a little too small. But the flawless picture and sound quality were unbeatable. Think of it as watching a DVD on a movie screen. And Padmé's taking Anakin's creepy mechanical hand into her own at the end was a splendid, gothy little touch.

Viewing #4
Date: June 2, 2002, 1:00 p.m.
Theater: Merrifield Cinemas
Location: Merrifield, VA

I went with my friend Debbie for my final viewing before leaving the country on vacation, which was also my second DLP experience.

Viewing #5
Date: June 22, 2002, 3:40 p.m.
Theater: Crown Cinemas Annapolis Mall IX
Location: Annapolis, MD

I return from the Dominican Republic to find that Merrifield, a convenient 7 minutes from my house, was no longer showing AOTC in digital. The only other theater in the area still doing so was way the hell out in Annapolis. But digital is worth it, and aside from that, this was a nice new theater with stadium seating and THX. So I planned to meet Debbie and her visiting pal Suzanne for a noon showing. But, fate intervened. A huge accident shut down the Beltway, forcing me to find an alternate route to Annapolis Mall which in a nutshell made it impossible to catch the noon show. I knew a couple of other fans were going to see it later there that afternoon, so I managed to meet up with them instead. I only saw Debbie and Suzanne on their way out. All wasn't lost though. I found at Borders the issue of Contents magazine (since folded) featuring a scintillating 13-page spread of Hayden's cute self. Then I saw a group of fans from Baltimore's Fan Force club wearing these really cool t-shirts from the Senator theater. Hmm, I thought, this might be worth a trip...

Viewing #6
Date: June 29, 2002, 1:15 p.m.
Theater: The Senator Theater
Location: Baltimore, MD

The Senator is a Baltimore institution. An independently-owned old-time movie house with historical registry, The Senator seats 900 and has a screen even bigger than that of The Uptown. The owners are SW fans and they always have something special to commemorate each release. They print up their own posters, make special tickets, and sell commemorative t-shirts. The shirts they made for AOTC were especially cool--on the back Vader and Anakin loom over the theater, AOTC is on the marquee, and Yoda is in the ticket booth! The shirt and the ticket alone were worth the haul up to Balmer. The sound system is the latest Surround EX 5.0 system and they had the highest quality film print projected on a new screen. It was really fantastic; if it had DLP I would've been there every weekend. No lie! But I also appreciated the homey feel of the place, where the staff seemed more like a family than in the multiplexes. The lobby had a permanent exhibit of old photos and memorabilia from its long history and an exhibit of SW stuff culled from local collectors. Outside there's a Chinese Theater style sidewalk featuring signatures, handprints, and footprints from Baltimore's contributions to filmdom like John Waters, Edward Norton, and Barry Levinson. There's a SW section featuring David Prowse, who made an appearance during the Special Editions run in 1997, and George Lucas.

Viewing #7
Date: July 27, 2002, 3:40 p.m.
Theater: Crown Cinemas Annapolis Mall IX
Location: Annapolis, MD

I went to this fourth DLP viewing with a couple of gals from a Hayden mailing list. But what really made it fun were the kids in the audience. One young voice piped up toward the beginning of the film, "It's Jar Jar!" During the "love pledge" scene after Padmé says, "Before we die, I want you to know..." another youngster worriedly asks his mother, "Are they going to die??" Then, after Dooku slices off Anakin's arm and sends him flying, another kid says, "Mommy! Is Anakin all right?!"

Viewing #8
Date: August 17, 2002, 12:05 p.m.
Theater: Hoyts Potomac Yards 16
Location: Alexandria, VA

Nearly 25 years to the day after the King of Rock and Roll went off to the Jungle Room in the sky, I munched on nachos and mused on how SW is truly the cinematic Elvis. First of all, there's the mutual connection to 1977. Graceland...Skywalker Ranch. Elvis impersonators descending on Memphis...Jedi Knights and stormtroopers descending on Indianapolis. Both live on in popularity.

Viewing #9
Date: September 7, 2002, 12:45 p.m.
Theater: Hoyts Potomac Yards 16
Location: Alexandria, VA

I looked through the movie listings expecting to find AOTC in the discount theaters but was shocked and amazed to find it still playing at a first-run theater. Granted, it was the ONLY one the D.C. area, but a first-run nonetheless. The print was awful--probably one they've had since May--but it was a good time anyway.

Viewing #10
Date: October 5, 2002, 12 p.m.
Theater: University Mall
Location: Fairfax, VA

Finally AOTC hits the dollar movie circuit in Northern VA. The so-called Beltway Snipers had begun their death-and-terror spree, forcing locals to think twice about pumping gas and to run in a zigzag pattern to their cars as though it were Beirut circa 1982. Did that stop me from getting my AOTC fix? Hell no! The theater was actually pretty crowded, with the only event of note was the projector lamp burning out 20 minutes into the film, stopping the flick for nearly 10 minutes. You get what you pay for.

Viewing #11
Date: November 1, 2002, 6:00 p.m.
Theater: National Museum of Natural History, Johnson IMAX Theater
Location: Washington, D.C.

The museum nixed fan attempts to put on a party for the IMAX release but that didn't stop us from having a good time. Fans came in costume anyway, and plenty more came in SW t-shirts and hats. The show was sold out as was the show after it, with little local promotion. How cool is that? Ten days later, I picked up the DVD.

Viewing #12
Date: February 22, 2003, 8:15 p.m.
Theater: National Museum of Natural History, Johnson IMAX Theater
Location: Washington, D.C.

AOTC's run on IMAX was so successful locally, it was extended past the holidays and ended up playing there until March 3, 2003. At this point , I'd already bought the DVD and watched it a couple of times. Paying money to see it in a theater, a hacked-up version at that, makes no sense. But when it comes to fandom, nothing makes sense! I went with my friends Jason and Mike on a dreary winter night after a week of cruddy snowy weather. We felt like we had to catch AOTC on the big, big screen one more time before it left.