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Whenever Jonathan Rosenbaum writes a film review he seems to find it imperative that he reference at least one utterly obscure film as a kind of testament to his sagacious grasp of moviemaking history. “Wow, this guy must really know his stuff,” we are supposed to mutter to ourselves. (I can usually hear the faint pat on the back as he extends his arm behind his shoulder in hearty self-congratulation.)
When Star Wars was first released, I remember sitting in the theater reading the rolling opening title sequence and suddenly coming across the words “Episode IV: A New Hope.” I turned to my father anxiously and said, “Hey, did we miss the first three parts?” I couldn’t understand how they were able to slip by without my knowing. I soon discovered that the three prequels and the three sequels (nine chapters in all) would come later. This was 20 years ago. There was no “retooling.” This was the idea from the start.
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