Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with our first look at this year's CELEBRATION, the gathering of Star Wars geeks from around the world to celebrate the release of a new STAR WARS movie. This is a big one this year as it's (supposedly) the last time this event will be held to celebrate the release of a new STAR WARS movie. The man himself, George Lucas, will be popping up and blessing the fans. No word on if he'll be wearing a big hat, robes or if he'll be arriving in a pope-mobile.
For ATTACK OF THE CLONES, the very first footage of Yoda brandishing his lightsaber was shown at CELEBRATION, so who knows what's in store this year? I'm trying to think of what he can possibly show that isn't already out there, considering the script, making ofs, art ofs, novelization, etc are available to anybody who wants to give Lucas some money. Hell, I got a bit of a spoiler by reading a damn Pepsi bottle at the grocery store last week!
Anyway, as notorious as this event is for having exclusive material, it's even more notorious how much of a cluster-fuck it is. Is this year's event any different? Take a look below and find out!
Hey Harry and all:
My name is Keith, and I wrote to AICN three years ago about the second Star Wars Celebration, so I thought I would give you some preliminary thoughts on Star Wars Celebration III, now going on at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
Six years ago the first Celebration was held in Denver, at a former military base. Several thousand of us slogged through rain and sleet and mud and endured leaky tents, but it was fun. Three years ago Celebration moved to Indianapolis and was inside, but was still incredibly disorganized.
This year, it's as if the organizers learned little from past experience.
Arriving more than two hours - two hours! - after admission was to begin for Star Wars Fan Club members, thousands still stood in line. When we left a couple of hours later, many still waited in the general admission line. And these were people who already had badges!
Thankfully, the volunteers were friendly and helpful. The first volunteer we spoke to directed us away from the longest line, around the RCA Dome and to the fan club line. He also acknowleged that attendees were already pissed off. And the convention had only just opened.
The organizers did make a good decision in moving the opening ceremony to Thursday evening, as thousands of us were still lined up on the freakin' sidewalk during opening ceremonies three years ago.
Inside, lines were once again long but volunteers and attendees alike were mostly cheerful.
The line for the Celebration Store - featuring the "exclusive" Darth Vader figure - was insane, stretching halfway across the convention center.
Other lines, like that for the Lucasfilm archive, were more reasonable.
Probably the most enjoyable aspect of Celebration so far was the autograph hall. In past years, fans stood in line to buy coupons to trade for autographs from actors and artists associated with the movie. That's still the case, but at least this year you can tell who is available in the autograph "corral" at any given time. In the past, you bought your coupons and you took your chances, hoping that someone whose signature you sought would be on hand that afternoon.
This year, you can walk freely between the line of autograph tables, eyeing actors who filled such memorable roles as Jabba's green dancing girl or the Rebellion leader who solemnly intoned, "Many Bothans died to bring us this information." It was so cool!
The rest of the convention is pretty standard, enjoyable stuff - a huge dealers room, interesting panel discussions and lots of fans in costumes and one amazing young lady in a Leia slave girl outfit who posed for hundreds of pictures with salivating fans.
David Prowse - long in the doghouse with Lucasfilm - must have mended fences because the former Darth Vader is among those appearing at Celebration, along with Kenny Baker and Lucas himself.
Lucas is scheduled to speak in three sessions early Saturday. Of course, as my friend Andy pointed out, that will be the best time to get in line for the Celebration store and Darth Vader figure.
If I see anything else relevant to report this weekend, I'll be back in touch.
