May 25, 1977

The day that changed the world and innovated, if not created a massive industry.

Star Wars was released to theaters and everything changed. Yeah perhaps Jaws was the first summer blockbuster but Star Wars took that success and built upon it, no not built upon it, put it on top of a rocket and launched it into a level so high that it might not ever be seen again.

There have been movies and franchises that have come close. If you look at what three movies did all by themselves, soundtrack sales, inventing a toy industry, books, shirts, posters, spinoffs, and all of the intangible things such as dreams, kids wanting to fly a X-Wing or have a lightsaber, have a Wookie as a new best friend. The list goes on.

Fast forward to today when you can put some money into a PC, camera, software, and a few friends and you can make your own Star Wars fanfilm. You can literally fight with a lightsaber now, you can fly an X-Wing, and you can have a Wookie as a best friend.

Look at how good Lord of the Rings and The Matrix did at the box office, do you see the playsets, marketing tie ins, Lord of the Rings glasses at McDonald's on the scale that you did with Star Wars? Take Spiderman for instance, do you see anything resembling that kind of exposure? No, despite the massive amounts of money that franchise has pulled in it hasn't reached the level of fan intensity that Star Wars has.

George Lucas captured lightning on 35mm and changed the landscape of films forever. Yes episode I,II,and III were weak compared to IV, V, and VI. There were many inconsistencies, almost as if they forgot which movies came first and what happened in them, it is frustrating but I guess that GL could do as he wished since he created the movies even to the dismay of the fans.
Star Wars was the innovator, the Galaxy far far away where you wanted to live and join The Rebellion and oppose the Dark Side.

Thirty years ago pop culture changed forever and opened its own Star Wars wing in America's history.

May The Force Be With You!