With the DVD release only a couple of days away (squee!), here's one last look back at my ROTS adventures at the multiplex. Hopefully even those of you who have read my various postings on LJ last summer will glean a few things I haven't mentioned before:



13 Times and I Still Couldn't Find the Kitchen Sink
ROTS Memories

Trailer A--November 2004
I first saw this on the internet and several times on t.v. thereafter. What a great trailer! I put it on par with TPM's Trailer A. My only theatrical experience with Trailer A was seeing it with The Incredibles a couple of weeks later at the Edwards Cinema Mira Mesa theater in Mira Mesa, CA.

Trailer B--March 2005
My first viewing was its world premiere at the end of The O.C.. Awesome stuff! I saw it with Robots on the big screen a couple of weeks later at the AMC Mission Valley 20 in San Diego, CA.

Viewing #1
AMC Mission Valley 20
San Diego, CA
May 19, 2005, 7 p.m.

The one thing I'll never forget about my first viewing of ROTS...it was hot. A hot day and a hot auditorium completely packed with people. It felt like I really was on Mustafar!

I bagged out of work a little early, which turned out to be too early, so I wasted some time at the new West Elm home furnishing store and Old Navy before heading to Mission Valley mall. While waiting outside of the theater for my mom to show up, I saw an awful lot of people wearing SW t-shirts, a few wearing costumes, and many wielding lightsabers. I wore my ROTS t-shirt from the 2004 ComicCon and a guy in a Sith cloak walked by me, smiled, and gave me a thumbs-up.

There were four different lines roped off for the evening shows, and I eyed the 7 p.m. line nervously, hoping we wouldn't be stuck with crummy seats because mom got there too late. Eventually, she showed up and waited out the rest of the time slurping on some smoothies.

I was excited and sad at the same time. I was sad partially because I wanted to see ROTS for the first time in digital, but it turned out the digital showing was later. But mostly, I was sad because I knew I would never have the experience of seeing a new SW film for the first time again. Something besides Padmé and Mace Windu was coming to an end.

We got into the auditorium and got crummy seats toward the back anyway, since mom has an odd thing for the back of the auditorium. I nervously munched on popcorn and a hot dog through what seemed to be an endless hour before the theater went dark. I made sure I paid a visit to the little girl's room because I didn't want to miss a thing. After about 20 minutes of trailers (!), the 20th Century Fox fanfare blared over the speakers and everyone cheered.

The audience though wasn't nearly as raucous as the audience at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C. the morning AOTC opened. It was fairly quiet throughout the film except for a few scenes (Artoo's heroics got some cheers and of course, Yoda taking out the Royal Guards elicited a lot of laughs) and when Vader's helmet was sealed and he drew his first breath, some fanboy yelled, "Yeah!"

The interesting thing is this theater is not too far from the site of the old Valley Circle theater, where I first saw ANH 28 years ago and is no longer there. It ends where it began.

Viewing #2
UA Horton Plaza 14
San Diego, CA
May 21, 2005, 10:00 a.m.

UA Horton Plaza, located in an open-air downtown mall that looks like it was designed by M.S. Escher, had ROTS on at least half of its screens opening weekend. I bought this ticket in advance knowing I'd want to see ROTS a second time within 48 hours of seeing it the first time. I worried a showing this early would draw mostly little kids, but let me tell you, if you want to beat the crowds for any big film, there's no better time than 10 in the morning on a Saturday. There was at most 30 people in the theater. Again, a quiet group. Either crowds here in SoCal are kind of boring or maybe it's the darker than a Dove bar tone of the film.

Viewing #3
AMC Palm Promenade 24
San Diego, CA
May 28, 2005 1:55 p.m.

This is the biggest multiplex in San Diego County and probably one of the nicest. Given its proximity to the border, the theater and its adjacent shopping center draw a lot of people from Tijuana and its environs. Again, not a rip-roarin' crowd. I'm becoming convinced SoCal audiences aren't nearly as much fun as D.C. area audiences. Afterwards, I went to a party for the local Fan Force, which was quite a lot of fun, especially with a viewing fresh in your mind.

Viewing #4
AMC Mission Valley 20
San Diego, CA
May 30, 2005 3:45 p.m.

Yay, my first ROTS experience in digital. Immediately I noticed the superior sound quality. A very good crowd that cheered at the beginning, laughed at the right parts, sat in stunned silence during the dark parts, and cheered at the end. I noticed there were a lot of girls in the audience. One had a text messager that said, "I (Heart) Emo Boys." Wonder why she went to see this flick? This was also the first time my dad and my brother, doing some consulting work locally, saw the movie. Unfortunately, my dad and brother are uber nitpickers when it comes to movies. My dad for instance wanted to know why all of the younglings were humans if there were alien Jedi around.

Viewing #5
AMC Mission Valley 20
San Diego, CA
June 12, 2005 12:00 p.m..

That morning, there was a small earthquake but was it going to stop me from seeing ROTS a fifth time? Heck no! A little flatulence from Mother Nature couldn't keep me from admiring Anakin's hotness in glorious DLP for a second time.

Viewing #6
Edwards Cinemas Mira Mesa
Mira Mesa, CA
June 17, 2005 7:35 p.m.

I'd had a rough day at work. I was stressed out, not feeling well, and I almost bailed on going with the SDSWS to this showing, which was going to be the first of a three-peat I planned for that weekend. I also wanted that Father's Day "Who's Your Daddy?" poster! Despite feeling icky, I made myself go and felt a whole lot better when I got to the theater. Who needs Benny Hinn when you've got SW at the multiplex? SW cures!

This was still showing in DLP (#3). In addition the auditorium had THX, which made it the best local presentation of ROTS. It was almost a full house, which was pretty good given it was the same weekend "Batman Begins" opened. Must have been the free poster, which I received when I bought my ticket. Had a lot of fun with the SDSWS group too.

Viewing #7
The Arclight Cinerama Dome
Hollywood, CA
June 18, 2005 2:10 p.m.

Aside from some stupid boys in front of me, this was an awesome place to see a SW movie. DLP on a massive screen, reserved seating, a swanky ambience, gourmet concessions, a cool little gift shop, a great display of SW stuff, the ROTS soundtrack playing before the film, and simply being behind enemy lines, er, in the heart of Tinseltown, made for a memorable experience. It was worth the two-hour-plus slog and slow creeping on the freeways. You almost want to pester George to make one more just for an excuse to come back. Fourth DLP viewing, second in a weekend blitz, and another Who's Your Daddy poster.

Viewing #8
Edwards Cinemas Mira Mesa
Mira Mesa, CA
June 19, 2005 4:25 p.m.

Fifth DLP viewing, third in a weekend binge, and yet another Who's Your Daddy poster. Whew! In a way, I was sort of glad it'll be the last time I'll ever pull a stunt like going to the movies three days straight.

Viewing #9
Grossmont Center 8
La Mesa, CA
June 24, 2005 5:00 p.m.

It was painful seeing an analog version after seeing it in digital five times in a row. But it was close to where I worked at the time. Any port in a storm, right? It was a fairly small auditorium with a handful of people. The funny part was right after watching the sturm, drang, and carnage of ROTS, I walk outside into the shopping center's plaza where a kicky zydeco band was playing. Talk about a contrast.

Viewing #10
Ultra Star Del Mar Highlands 8
Del Mar, CA
June 26, 2005 4:00 p.m.

Who knew this little out-of-the-way theater also had a digital screen? Well, it did, so for that reason I had to check it out. The most amusing thing that happened here was overhearing two teenage boys dithering on what they wanted to see while I was in line to get tickets. One kid suggested ROTS, but the other kid balked, "We've already seen it three times!" This was my TENTH time...lightweight!

Viewing #11
AMC Mission Valley 20
San Diego, CA
July 10, 2005 2:50 p.m.

My seventh and final viewing of ROTS in digital. Sniff, sniff! The odd thing is even though it was a digital presentation, the movie theater quit advertising it as such.

Viewing #12
UA Horton Plaza 14
San Diego, CA
July 30, 2005 2:55 p.m.

The auditorium was surprisingly crowded, but it was also at that point one of two theaters in all of SD County still showing the movie. It was the most lively audience I'd seen thus far. They really got into it. I remember at one point when the camera pans over Coruscant's nightline a little boy exclaimed, "Cool!" When Yoda slams the Royal Guards into the wall, one guy said, "So much for the Secret Service." I tied my personal best for theatrical viewings of any movie (AOTC) with this showing. However, if you consider all of my ROTS viewings were in first-run theaters, not discount theaters or special releases (i.e. re-releases, IMAX), ROTS passed AOTC for first-run viewings at #10. Does this make any sense ;)?

Viewing #13
UA Horton Plaza 14
San Diego, CA
August 27, 2005 12:10 p.m.

At last, I break my AOTC record at lucky 13. It was sort of sad because I figured it was going to be the last time before I see it on DVD but I could rest easy knowing the chances I'll ever want to see a movie 14 times at the theater are pretty slim. Unless George Lucas wakes up tomorrow with an idea for an Episode VII.