Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
E-mail Janell with your compliments. I'm sure she would appreciate it.
We knew there would be a line, eventhough the movie had been released three days prior.
We had planned to be there around 10am for the 7pm Friday night showing, with more of our group showing up throughout the day.
Janell and her troupe arrived first (around 11am) and saved places in line. A line, at the time, that consisted of only 4 people ahead of us!
They set out a tarp, and sat down to wait.
Sheri, Jason and I arrived 30 minutes later, glad to see we were not the first ones ,of our anticipated 100 person group, to arrive.
The beginning of the day moved slowly, and several at a time left to get food and drink from a local restaurant, or to make a bathroom run.
Fortunately they were used to this, and we were able to use the theater bathrooms, as long as we provided our ticket and an id, to make sure we came back.
More of our group arrived throughout the day, which began to move faster as more people and several camera crews arrived to film the line.
Most of the tourists were amazed, several even asked what movie we were in line to see?! As if they could not read the marquee that was lit up in big letters saying Episode 1:The Phantom Menace!
There was theater security controlling (or trying to) the lines, keeping us pressed up as far against the walls as they could so that the tourists could pass without being pushed into the street.
Once we had about 30 people enter our line and they began to put rails in front of us, thinking that would keep out the rest of our group. Ha! not a chance.
We did begin to feel like a herd of cattle, however. Can't wait to see those pictures!
As more of our group arrived, they stood behind the wall in the parking lot, chatting with us until it was time to be seated.
Soon, there was no room to be had as we packed three deep behind these metal rails.
They tried to tell us that we could no longer let anyone else into the line, but that just wouldn't work with us. Our line was just too long and it was just too easy to sneak those of our group into the line when security was not looking.
After 7 hours of waiting, posing for more pictures than I could possibly count, the announcement came to hold our tickets and be prepared to enter.
A cheer went up along the line as we started to move.
We were guaranteed the best seats, having been in line for so long, and we headed straight for our favorite seats.
Most of us had been in this theater before and knew exactly where we wanted to sit.
The seated us 45 minutes before the show was to start. Any less time and everyone would not have been able to be seated in time.
For those of you that are reading this and do not know how big the Chinese Theater is...it holds 1500 people....and this show had been sold out for days.
I have never been in a bigger theater. I don't even know if one exists.
Most of our 100 person group came in costume and some posed at the front of the theater for pictures.
A brief list of the different costumes that we sported for the event is as follows:
Numerous Jedi (Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon costumes), several Darth Maul, Boba Fett, Dark Jedi,Shmi Skywalker, Several little Anakins, several Padme's, Queen Amidala, Several different costume versions (if you realize there were as many different costumes for the Queen's personal guards as the Queen herself had different costumes) of the Queen's Handmaidens,Leia, Tie-Pilots, Stormtroopers, Biker Scouts,Darth Vader, and many more that I can't even remember right now.
Soon the lights dimmed, everyone rushed to their seats and the curtains opened to reveal.....This Preview has been approved for all audiences....
The crowed booed and hissed as we awaited, somehwhat impatiently, for the feature presentation to begin.
Later, we had reservations for 100 at the Hamburger Hamlet across the street.
The staff seemed very accomidating finally, after Janell had a hard time convincing them to host our party.
Took a threat to find another venue to convince the new management that turning us down would be a BAD idea.