We move on to our second installment of The Phantom Menace Reflections as TheForce.net and Rebelscum.com content manager Dustin Roberts chimes in with his thoughts...




The Phantom Menace will go down in history as George Lucas's triumphant return to the Star Wars saga. The years leading up to it were full of surprises as the internet grew as a tool to showcase what we were in store for. TheForce.net & Rebelscum.com were both in full spoiler mode, updating their websites non-stop with news about planets, characters, collectibles, fan made trailers and rumors. It was a fun time to be a fan as LFL didn't really have a clamp down on what to expect from this new technology and the rabid fans running the sites. As the release date approached there were fans who had been lining up for months just to be the first ones to buy tickets. You have to remember that back in 1999, online ticket purchases didn't exist in most markets. The day before tickets went on sale here in Cincinnati, I heard people were already lining up. I had to take off of work just so I could go join the growing line of Fanboys and girls. I stood in line for close to 6 hours before I was able to purchase my tickets, and recall getting sunburnt in the process. My co-workers thought I was nuts but I didn't care, this was STAR WARS! I didn't get tickets to the midnight showing, but opted for an early showing the following morning. I remember joining several local Star Wars collectors that morning for breakfast before we went to see it. Everyone was so excited. What would it be like? Would it be the same as we all remembered? Would Jar-Jar really suck the life out of the movie? As I sat there and those iconic words splashed onto the screen "A long time ago in a galaxy far far away", everyone cheered and the suspense was lifted. We were all mesmerized by what we saw. I'm looking forward to seeing it re-released in 3D, only this time I won't have to wait in line or get sunburnt to secure my seat.



We thank Dustin for his contribution not only to this post series but to TFN and RS in general. We'd also like to take this time to wish him and his wife Shannon a belated congratulations on the birth of their new little girl, Chloe. The Force is strong with her!

Next up, Rebelscum staffer, and photographer extraordinaire, Dave Myatt shares his thoughts on The Phantom Menace. That post will be up on the site as of Friday.