PEE-NOO-YAAR to everyone involved.

Sorry I was late, but I have been tired and emotional and in need of respite, celebrations and such like have taken their toll, and a small amount of rest is needed to recharge and regroup. Get my shit together, if you like. This is a shot taken on 30/12/19 of prayer flags attached to a Trig pillar on the top of Malvern Beacon, in a way I’m sure it is a metaphor for something along the lines of fluttering in the breeze at the whim of the elements, blown this way and that. And just so you know. There’s nothing we can do about it, so maybe we should concentrate on more pressing issues, of which I’m sure we all have many.

Today I cried. I took my son to see a film, not Cats, why would I waste my money on that? From what i’ve read and been told anecdotally its not even so bad its good, but there is no accounting for people’s taste, maybe they like the music of Lloyd Webber, for some reason millions do. I digress, this afternoon, my brain still reeling with the New Year Head-Fug, I took my son to see Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. I first saw the first Star Wars in 1977 but possibly 1978, I think it was the first film I had seen at the cinema, but I could be wrong, possibly I might have seen Bambi but the shooting of his mother/father (can’t remember now) traumatised me so much I like to blank the memory.  So I picked up my friends, RM and JU (originally I did put their whole names but googling them it appears they are both in responsible careers so I don’t think it would be right to pester them, they’re both far more successful than I am and as such you must leave them alone, if you have beef, have it with me). Anyway my Dad picked them up in his Citroen DS, couldn’t see out of the back windows, the seats were far too low slung for 6 or 7 year olds. Mum sat in the front passenger seat, Dad drove and we had to go to his office to  attend to some Saturday business. Whilst Dad rummaged and telephoned we took paper and stapled little folders together for our star wars figures and star wars cards. JU had seen it the weekend before and delighted in telling us what was going to happen.

Most people will have seen the film or have heard of the film and will at least has an idea of the subject matter, classic good versus evil, light against dark. So I won’t run over plots and story lines and the narrative and meanings. But I came out of that film, realising that nothing would ever be the same again. At Portland House School the following week, the handful of boys who attended the school played Star Wars at break time and continued to do so for weeks and weeks. Years later I’m still playing Star Wars, imagining the galaxy  far far away.

The first film, actually episode 4, had sequels episode 5 and 6, thew stronger “The Empire Strikes Back” and the weaker “Return of the Jedi”. Then a gap of a decade or so, the prequels appeared (less said) and we skip to recent times and we have the final 3 episodes, 7, 8 and 9. With the superb stand alone and darker  “Rogue one”.

Today’s film, episode 9 “The Rise of Skywalker” was, for me, for what it’s worth, brilliant. I don’t think any true fan would be disappointed with the ending. Its probably not a technically superb film, the script may well have been slightly clunky in parts, but it worked for me. What made me cry and made me freeze in my seat (VIP seats, didn’t pay) and was unable to leave was that this was the last part of a film franchise which has lasted for 42 years which is pretty much all of my life. I will never see any more of what the gang will get up to. That saddens me. In the preview to the film, which showed before it started, a young (1980’s) George Lucas revealed that it was a 9 part story, which I never knew and seeing this today made me wonder what labour of love this enormous thing must have been for the man, a normal man’s working lifetime spent in Space, starting in Luke’s uncle’s farm on Tatooine and ending there, buried in the sand like the farm buildings themselves.

I salute you Mr Lucas, thank you from the bottom of my heart, thanks from my son too (aged 11) who said this was the best film he has ever seen. We will be going again.