Awright, enough ranting about spotty journalism. It's a time of celebration, after all. A time to soak in some of the returned love that you've expended over three long years of killer deadlines and enormous workloads.

But beyond that, it's about loving Star Wars, and a midnight screening is the best place for that. Now, to be honest, the energy level at the Metreon's digital screen seemed a bit subdued, but that's only comparison to 2002's cranked-up-to-11 insanity at the Coronet's Episode II debut. Alas, the Coronet is no more, and you can't get 450 people to recreate the energy level of 800+...

But it was still a rush, looking out in the audience, anticipating the moments when you knew the crowd was going to get giddy. There were quite a few tears streaming by film's end. In all, it worked. Sure, there were nitpicky quibbles -- that's what fans do -- but you can sense the energy in the room. It was a satisfied audience.

So, in no particular order, here are 10 observations from the midnight screening.

10. R2-D2 beeping rules. He's always been my favorite character, so I'm more than happy to see him in the action hero role. I know when spoiler reports of his antics got out, there were noises of dismay from the black t-shirt wearing mopey crowd that dreads the notion of anything in Star Wars being fun, but darn it if it doesn't get a laugh and a cheer everytime.

9. Another surefire pleaser: Obi-Wan's leap from his starfighter as it crashes into the cruiser hangar bay.

8. I love Boga. I want one. I love her honk wa-wa-wa-wa cry. I also love the chase through Utapau, particulary the pebbly surround sound goodness of that shot where she jumps in over camera, scattering dirt all over us audience members.

7. You know you're in an audience of fans when you hear the hurried whisper-whisper-whisper of quiet discussion of implications when Palpatine casually drops that whole midi-chlorian bomb in his story. It went over the heads of all the other screenings I attended, but people in this crowd realized what he might be talking about.

6. This is just me, but the saddest line in the film is Anakin telling Padme that his return is the happiest day in his life. Because I realized just how unhappy a life Anakin has led.

5. I always latch onto little shots -- completely devoid of specific context -- as my favorites. It's just something about the way they're shot. A certain quirk about them. My favorite Episode III shot: the close-up of the clone troopers' feet on Mygeeto, when they stop marching forward.

4. I loved the audience gasp of, "oh, crud..." when the camera cuts to Obi-Wan standing in the entryway of the Naboo star skiff, and Anakin notices him. The audience members knew that there was no way Padme was going to talk her way out of this mess...

3. You've got to love the loyalty of fandom when a white corridor gets applause.

2. Applause when the mask settles on, and Vader takes in his first breath.

1. This was my fourth screening -- and four-for-four, there were collective gasps, smiles and cheers when the audience witness something that they hadn't realized they had ALWAYS wanted to see: Yoda scrambling up onto Chewie's back.