Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.

If you've been a STAR WARS fan for as long as I have, and you've been on the Web for as long as I have, you start to see familiar names and faces pop up anytime there's a discussion of all things Lucasfilm. TheForce.Net has always been one of the main waystations for SW information, both fact and rumor. For me, one of the most fun things during the period building up to the release of THE PHANTOM MENACE was watching the evolution of Roderick Vonhagen's THE VIRTUAL EDITION, a speculative website that featured photos Roderick had created in Photoshop, stills that had been released, and all sorts of other trickery designed to create the best guess at what would be onscreen when the film finally hit theaters. In the end, he wasn't 100%, but it was so much fun that it didn't matter.

Looks like Roderick is at it again!!

This isn't exactly brand-new, either. I've been watching the site come together over the last few weeks, enjoying it. Today, TFN ran a link to the section of their site, though, touting the new and reworked "Episode II: The Definitive Plotline!" It's a fairly exhuastive compilation of all the rumors that are out there on the Web at the moment about the new film's storyline, and it makes a convincing case. It's definitely worth a read for anyone who doesn't mind potentially monstrous spoilers.

Personally, I've been sitting EPISODE II out for a while. I've been sent the same batches of storyboards as the other sites, the same script pages that seem to be leaking. I've talked with a few of the principal actors from the film and I've heard all sorts of reports about the current shape of the film's very rough cut and the success of the digital format. I've enjoyed any number of the Episode II select photos that have been running on the official site. What really took the joy out of covering it all was things like the insistent efforts of pranksters this time around or the squabbles over each piece of info that popped up. For whatever reason, STAR WARS brings out the worst in people just as much as it brings out the best in them. I have seen a few documentaries now that are being prepared for festivals and release in the coming year that center around the release of THE PHANTOM MENACE, and so far, they depress me more than anything. There's very little joy on display among the fan community. Instead, there's a sort of pre-packaged mania, a very artificial, even commercial air to things. There's also a lot of backbiting, infighting, and even the hint of genuine mental illness. My love for the films has been at war with my horror at the face of fandom that's being presented in association with STAR WARS. I've been trying to just soak up the little tidbits I've been hearing and enjoy them for what they are without getting too caught up in it all. Roderick posting this encyclopedic collection of rumors was a perfect opportunity to finally bring the subject up again.

I will say this: I like what I'm hearing. I like it a lot. I'm optimistic about the chances that EPISODE II will be a rollicking adventure film first and foremost. I've heard good buzz about the Jonathan Hales script, and several filmmakers I trust have waxed rhapsodic about the new digital cameras and the images that Lucas and company have captured. ILM sounds aggressive in the communications I've had from inside, determined to win the Oscar in 2002 no matter what WETA, Sony Imageworks' SPIDER-MAN crew, and the team for the MATRIX sequels all end up releasing. Tall order, and it's nice to know that they're aware of the competition.

After you've had a chance to digest the Virtual Edition, come back here and vent your feelings. I'm curious what the rest of you think of the current rumored direction of EPISODE II. Over the course of this year, we'll be working to bring you some special EPISODE II reports that won't be the sort of fleeting rumors of the past, but rather substantive glimpses of the progress the picture is making. Until then, we can all just keep enjoying the speculation game we've been playing, right? That'll keep us going until the lights dim and the first line of the opening crawl plays across the screens in the summer of 2002...

"There is unrest in the Galactic Senate."

See you there.

"Moriarty" out.