TWO DAYS TIL DARTH

In a galaxy far, far away, 1977 to be exact, I moved to Atlanta. That year is significant because it's the same year that "Star Wars" came out. No coincidence either, I have always felt an affinity, a kinship to the story lines that run through the Jedi sagas. Thus, this is a very special time for me, as the "prequel" to the George Lucas' Trilogy could just be more in this mirror image of my existence.

Just as Luke Skywalker embarked on the adventure of his life in Star Wars, the same happened to me upon moving from my small town in South Carolina to the Big City. If you recall the movie, it begins with Luke meeting the Jawas, a desolate, group of scavengers dressed in rags. In my new world, these were called Atlanta street people. And if you were to meet my college roommate at that time, you would quickly see the similarities and say.. "Yeah, Chewbacca." Though I didn't know anyone at that time anything like Princess Leah, I did seem to have a vision once, during a food fight, when Sharon Kelly got a cinnamon roll stuck to the side of her head.

Other "coincidences" during my first year of college with the original Star Wars movie: Harrison Ford drove the Millennium Falcon--Alabama Farm boy Freshman, Miles Harrison drove a Ford Falcon. Jabba the Hutt was a grotesque, hairless extraterrestrial gun runner--We used to make midnight runs to Pizza Hut where the extra cheese pies were rarely hairless. Jedi Master: Obi Wan Kenobi--Cafeteria food: Okra Stuffed Cannoli. Typical battle cry: "May the Force Be With You."--Typical response to one of my date requests: "I couldn't be forced to be with you."

Then the 1980's hit and there were two Star Wars sequels. Thankfully disco's popularity was as low as Billy Carter's beer belly and we were introduced to Yoda. Yoda was the antithesis for the 90's as he coined the phrase. "Size matters not." I guess Pamela Anderson Lee has had a bit of nostalgia lately then. We also heard the phrase, "Luke, I am your father." Of course in the 90's Darth Vader would demand a DNA test and at all cost, avoid child support.

There will probably be people already standing in line as this column is read, just days before the first showing of "The Phantom Menace." There are alot of rumors about what the story line will be for this movie, "Episode 1." Some have speculated that a young Obi Wan will summon all the power of the force to try and revive Mark Hamill's career. Others have claimed that we will finally get to see inside R2D2's armor to catch a glimpse of the actor voicing his bleeps and whistles, Michael J. Fox. C3PO will not make it back for the movie as he is still serving 3-5 years for kidnapping and false imprisonment of a toaster oven, while he was strung out, living in the Rick James Complex.

Faster than Boba Fett can track down a Corellian smuggler, people will be divided on loving or hating this new generation of Star Wars' heroes. As Grand Moff Tarkin, admiral of the Death Star used to say, "Kill a few billion Wickets and people hate you, bake a few brownies and they love you all over again." It's no wonder that Lando Carissian was such a whipping boy for the dark side of the force. He loved chocolate, baked goods. So, have a good time at the movie (and not to give anything away), just don't be surprised when Princess Leia dumps Han Solo for a slimmed down Jabba the Hutt ("Thanks Tai Bo!!") saying, "Jabba, you put the storm in my trooper!!"

Billy Murphy -- 5/8/99