Ten years ago today, I was waiting in a sun-drenched line at West Acres Cinema in Fargo, N.D., to buy a ticket for the midnight debut of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” a movie that was supposed to change cinema as we knew it. One could make a case that it succeeded, at least in one sense: All “Star Wars” movies push the technology that makes fake things look real, and “Episode I” was no exception.
But it didn’t change cinema the way the original “Star Wars” did, in the sense of making people excited about going to the movies again. If anything, it inspired a wave of cynicism. Because while George Lucas and Rick McCallum couldn’t stop raving about how they created an all-digital character who interacts with human actors, the average moviegoer was just annoyed by Jar Jar.
“The Phantom Menace” didn’t change my life, but I remember the details of that Day of “Star Wars” fondly. Waiting in line for eight hours with my pal Jeremy (this was in the days before advance ticket sales became the norm) and having the show sell out just before we got to the front. Getting a call from Jeremy later that day that he came upon tickets anyway.
Playing “Star Wars” Monopoly in line. Taking a Taco Bell break and getting the latest “Star Wars” toy from the restaurant — toys so ubiquitous that they can’t be unloaded for a penny today. Listening to the audience cheer Obi-Wan after he sliced Darth Maul in half (I didn’t partake; I kind of liked Maul).
Getting interviewed by a local radio station the next morning (as a representative area “Star Wars” geek). I said it was “different” from the classic trilogy.
Yeah, I had “Star Wars” fever that summer. I bought $400 worth of toys on opening night from Toys R Us. I claimed the Jar Jar cardboard standup from the grocery store I worked at. I quoted “Now that’s what I call pod racing!” and “You can kiss your trade franchise goodbye!” at inappropriate times.
I saw the movie seven times in 1999 (it was in theaters practically all year because of an agreement with the distributor). By the seventh trip, I was the lone moviegoer celebrating peace between the Naboo and the Gungans when the credits rolled on the scratchy film.
I was too much of an idealist at the time, so I gave “Menace” an A+ in the review for my college paper. Ross Raihala, the movie reviewer for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead (yes, newspapers had local movie critics 10 years ago; and yes, people read newspapers back then) had a point of view that I agree with now, through the clarifying lens of time. He gave it three-and-a-half stars, with a headline that read, “No, it doesn’t live up to the hype, but how could it?”
Truth be told, “Episode I” wasn’t even the best piece of entertainment I saw that evening. The “Graduation Day Part I” episode of “Buffy” — with that classic Buffy-Faith fight — aired five hours before the midnight showing of “Menace.”
The movie, I can now admit, was good, not great — it’s certainly worse than Episodes IV-VI, but certainly better than Episodes II and III. Ranked against the whole history of film, it’s a little above average. Nothing special.
But it holds a special place in my heart, so I’m going to celebrate the 10th anniversary by watching “Episode I” on VHS (yes, they still released movies on VHS back then) and remembering more idealistic times. Heck, maybe I can learn something.
Have some bittersweet “Menace” memories to share? Go for it.