‘Star Wars’ is Coming

By Charly SHELTON

Greetings, True Believers! It is I, your magnanimous leader, back once again to lay some knowledge on you from beyond the computer screen.

We’re coming into the home stretch. “Star Wars Episode VII” is released on Friday, Dec. 18. Everybody has their rituals and preferences on how to see a big film like this. When the tickets went on presale for opening night, it broke the Internet. Some people who were able to get tickets will be going to see it tonight, Thursday night, while some prefer to wait until the midnight showing and still others will see it Friday during the day or even Saturday. Personally, I am going to wait for my dad. I’ve seen all six “Star Wars” films for the first time on the big screen with my dad. “A New Hope” was an important reason that he went into the film industry and he passed the love of these films on to me, waiting until I was about 6 to show me any of the “Star Wars” films so I could see them rereleased on the big screen for the first time. Now 20 years later, the new “Star Wars” films are coming and I’m going to keep the tradition alive. So although I am usually the first one to rush to the theater at midnight or even to do the 12 hours long marathon viewing in theaters leading up to the release of a new film, this one is special.

This also opens me up to have the night of Dec. 18 free. Battle L.A. is taking place in Pershing Square in downtown L.A. tomorrow evening. At what is being billed as hopefully a Guinness World Record-setting lightsaber battle, there will be simultaneous lightsaber battles in San Francisco and Los Angeles on Dec. 18, and in San Diego and Seattle on Dec. 19. It’s basically a big group of nerds wailing on each other with plastic lightsabers. It’s going to be awesome. If you were not among the lucky ones to get a ticket to see “Star Wars Episode VII” opening night, come to the lightsaber battle and have a good time. Visit newmindspace-tour.myshopify.com where you can reserve a lightsaber for $10 and pick it up at the event.

Those who are already reading True Believer I’ll bet already have a lightsaber. For those who don’t want to buy one of theirs, bring your own and just show up. It starts at 8 p.m. on Dec. 18.

Until next time, True Believers, Fight on!

New issues of True Believer can be found online at www.true-believer.net every other Friday.

  Charly Shelton