PROFILE OF A PREQUEL NEWS JUNKIE

  I am a Star Wars fan. I have always been and always will be a Star Wars fan. I cannot imagine life without Star Wars. By now, I hope you imagine what Star Wars means to me! I was born the month that Star Wars was released, back in May, 1997 - I am as old as Star Wars itself, although Star Wars is timeless.

  During the end of my childhood, and as I entered my teens, around 1990 was the time, Star Wars entered the back of my mind - it took a back seat if you will, and you could say that I was taking a breather. I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life, when with the advice of my Mother, I sold all of my old Kenner Star Wars figures. My big mistake, my big regret. The following year - 1991, Star Wars once again burst into my life via one extraordinary book: 'Heir To The Empire'. Once again I was thrust into a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

  With each published novel, I secluded myself away to absorb each and every word. I vividly remember in 1994 during my school exams, when a friend told me that he saw on 'Entertainment Tonight' that George Lucas had announced via a Leonard Maltin interview that he was making three new Star Wars films which would be prequels to the current trilogy. Obviously, with this revelation, I couldn't concentrate on my exams, and I was dreaming of what adventures lay in store. The only clue that I could dig from my friend was that he told me that the new movies would be about a young Obi Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and his wife. I was left pondering who his mysterious wife would be . . .

  A while later, I bought the inaugral magazine 'Sci Fi Universe', and on thier front cover, they had a picture of the Millenium Falcon, with the blurb 'The next Star Wars trilogy - the adventure continues in three years . . . can you wait until Summer 1997?' But alas, this promise of the release date came to pass, along with 1998 until we were promised 1999.

  During 1996, I was introduced to a new fad called the Internet. What a change to my life this has brought. It took me a while, but I found sites devoted to the Prequels as much as I was. For example: TheForce.Net, Prequelwatch at Jedinet, and movie news sources such as Aint it cool news, Cinescape, Corona coming attractions and I have recently discoved with pleasure, the Star Wars Database.

  I scour the web at least twice a week for every single tidbit of news about the Prequels. As an avid fan, I know what is false and what is most likely truth, as when you have lived with it for so long, you know what would be right. But to borrow from another great show 'the X-Files', the truth could be lies, and the lies could be truth - anyway the truth IS out there :)

  I remember as Kenneth Brannagh was supposedly concrete in his role as a young Obi Wan Kenobi, and I believed him perfect for the part until I discovered that Ewan McGregor had signed, and I thought who? A same story for Natalie Portman, the benefit of these casting desicions, was that I discovered these actors and their films, and indeed found what quality performers that they are.

  I remeber when the list of supposedly character names was realsed. I remember reading such names as Qui-Gon Jinn, Padme, Naboo and thinking what the #@!&, but now, they are so familar to me and to everyone, that it WOULD be strange if these were indeed code names, as we are all so used to them. I remember when some of the first prequel photo's began to trickle out of the Offical Star Wars web site, and how I was mesmerised and staring at my monitor.

  I named myself 'The Gatherer', as I collected and disected all relevant Prequel news, gossip, speculation and information. I also saw myself as the guardian, protecting the secrecy of the prequels as to not spoil the suprise of the movies by giving false information. For exaple, I started the 'shade of grey' rumour about Liam Neeson's character on Corona. I also put all of the most reliable rumours on the 'net into a fan script called 'Knights of the Republic', which I think a few of you readers might of heard of :). It's all fun and games, my friends, fun and games. I released it originally anonymously to see the reaction, but most sites worked it out, now I keep updating it. It's ironic when I still want to be suprised and not spolied, but I also want to know every single detail about these films!

  Concluding, I personally can't wait until the release date of May 25th, but the final injustice will be that as I live in Australia, the film wont probably premiere here a few months later :(

All I can say, is that we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go . . . . .

May The Force Be With You.