What an amazing journey.

I gotta tell you. This line was difficult, painful, stressful, sleepless, wet, sticky, smelly, and loud, but it was the best time I have had in at least three years.

I cannot thank all of you enough. Everyone in line played fair and we all had a great time. When I was standing at the front of the Theater at the 10:30pm show while my brother took the group photo, I could see that everyone was so happy, and electricity was in the air. People enjoyed the movie, and everyone had a good time. That's why we did this.

After it was all over, I stood out front of the theater and talked about the movie with my friends and family. I hugged Bob, chatted with Edwin (I hope your film career goes well in L.A.), and said goodbye to a great many others who spent their time waiting in a city parking lot for the end of an era.

I did not realize until I climbed into my truck that I was the last one to leave. First one in, last one out. Believe me, I did not plan it that way, but it felt a bit erie driving through the empty parking lot. The people are gone, and now it's time for memories to take over.

I'll never do this again. I have a child, I have a career, and I don't know where life will lead me. This was one of the best weeks of my life, and I don't think I'll ever find a sense of community like that again. Six years ago, I was waiting for a movie. Today, I have a lifetime of memories and stories that I'll tell my great-grandkids.

People knock me for "acting like a child". I hear a lot that waiting in line for a movie is immature, and that I should "pay attention to the important things in life". Well, I may be in better touch with my inner child than most others, and that may cause me to act like a kid sometimes, but that also helps me to remember just how happy I was in 1977 when my aunt took me to see Star Wars for the first time. That sense of wonderment and childhood happiness is difficult to re-create, and is something that no one should ever forget. There are only two places I can still find it; in line waiting for these films with all of you, and in my daughter's eyes.

You all gave me the best birthday present ever - your company. I hope I see you all again. I know I'll see some of you again soon. Take care, stay happy, and. . .

May the force be with you.

Rain, rain, go away.

It's a rainy morning. Bring warm, dry clothes, and be ready for a lot of wind.

Weather's up!

The wind is really kicking up today. A lot of people lost tents and tarps overnight, finding them in the street when they woke up. It was an exciting night to say the least. We are expecting sprinkles today, and cloudy weather on Thursday the 19th.

I was asked to point out that there is an additional line in front of the Century 21 theater which pertains to all of the shows on that screen for opening day. If you intend to see Episode III at the 21, that's where you will want to start waiting. Good spots are still open!

There's a report that the 10:40 am show (the first digital show) is almost completely sold out. Several of the evening shows are sold out already.

Toooozday morning

I'm here at Starbuck's with Bob (Say hi, Bob). It's a good morning for juice and muffins!

Bob says hi.

The showing of Episode I went well last night. It was mellow, but we got through the film and got to bed at around 2am. I expect to start EP II a bit earlier tonight.

There are three lines plus one more. That means that we have lined up for the first three shows of the day in three separate lines in front of the C22 doors (like last time on opening day). The fourth line contains people for all other shows. It's a first come-first served basis, so get here soon if you want to be close to the front. On Thursday, we will be pulling individual shows out of the main line as their space comes available (after the line for their screen's previous show is let into the theater). In the mean time, we are all just hanging around and having a great time!

Today's the day!!!

Note: Mikk asked me to change the date we put away our gear in the third paragraph below from the 16th to the 19th. Just a small typpo. ;)

We'll be lining up TONIGHT! Weee! This'll be a blast.

I'm deciding right now if I will sleep in the truck or in a tent. It looks gusty today, and the weather looks unpredictable. we'll see.

I hope to be able to show Episode I tonight. I'll bring my 21" LCD monitor and I can play it from my laptop (I hope). I'll pick up a simple home speaker system to use that will not be too loud. It's not what we had last year, but it will be okay considering the circumstances. I am hoping to show Episode I on Monday night, Episode II on Tuesday night, and all 25 Clone Wars cartoons on Wednesday night. I was able to record and encode them so that I can play them from my Mac.

Monday Night	Tuesday Night	Wednesday Night

Show up if you can - it will be a LOT of fun!

-------------Steve

Here's a message I got from Mikk and the SBSWFC.

Kevin & I talked with Bill Williams today & we got latest info. Before I begin this will be much easier if you think of the Episode 3 line up as two separate entities, the camp out & the lines. The camp out will happen from 9pm on Monday the 16th through 6am on Thursday the 19th. After 6am on the 19th the camp out will cease & the lines will begin.

Management has decided that rather than having one big camp out line like we did for Episode 2 there would be three separate camp out lines, much like we did with Episode 1. The three separate camp out lines will represent the first three showings at Century 22. Apparently the 2nd smaller dome at Century 22 currently has no film scheduled for it & will most likely get Episode 3 as well. Since the first showing at Century 21 is at 1:30pm there will be no camp out line for that. Just to be clear this means that if part of your group is seeing the first digital showing & another part of your group is seeing the first big screen showing at Century 22 then you will need to have two separate camp outs.

As for the 19th what we have decided to do is break down the three camp out lines & put away all the gear starting at 6am on Monday the 19th. This is when we go from the camp out to the lines. While the first three Century 22 lines are organizing in the parking lot anyone who is planning on seeing a later show will start lining up on the sidewalk that runs down Olin Dr. As each line in the parking lot goes into their respective showing people for the next showing will be taken out of the main line along Olin Dr & lined up in the parking lot. Again this is very similar to how we did things for Episode 2. It is unclear at this point if we will immediately line people up for the 1:30pm showing at Century 21 or wait until later in the day when it is closer to the show time. Hopefully I will know something before the 19th.

Now this isn't rocket science, or any kind of science for that matter, but this is the best way I can think of to allow the camp out but still allow people to line up early as well as cut down on as much confusion & line cutting as possible. Of course management can choose to change their minds at any time for any reason so we will have to flexible. But if we don't cause any trouble then we should be OK. That means that we are going to have to be clean, quiet, & to abide by the rules posted on the Century Theatres web site. Remember they don't have to let us do this.

Now I know that a lot of people have questions or concerns about some of the rules. While I am not part Century Theatres let me see if I can answer some of them. First, "[e]veryone in the line must have a ticket for one of the first three shows of the opening day of Star Wars: Episode III." After talking with Bill I am pretty sure this is referring to the actual line up rather than the camp out. I think that anyone with any ticket will be able to camp out until the 19th. But once we go from the camp out to the individual lines on the morning of the 19th then only ticket holders for the first three shows will be allowed in the lines in the parking lot. All other ticket holders will have to move the main line on Olin Dr.

Second, "[n]o holding a place in the line for more than four people and the person in line must have all tickets in their possession." Again for the camp out I don't think that this will be an issue, but once we form the lines on the 19th you will have until 8:30am for everyone who is going to one of the first three Century 22 shows to be there. So I strongly suggest that they get there as early as they can on the 19th.

Third, "[n]o live or electronic entertainment devices will be permitted." After talking with Bill I am under the impression that this is reference to items that may disturb the surrounding neighbors such as stereos, TVs, etc. As many of you are aware the Winchester Century theatres are surrounded by residential housing & as a result have strict laws about noise. As long as what you are using (gameboy, laptop, etc) isn't loud enough to disturb the people living around the theatres then I think it will be OK. Unfortunately this means that we can't screen all five Star Wars films on the nights leading up to Episode 3 as we would have liked. Remember, if we get enough complaints from the neighbors then the line could get shut down. This goes not only for the noise, but garbage & parking as well.

That’s it for now. If things change or if there are any updates I will let you know. If anyone has any questions they can email me at mikk@sbswfc.com & I will do my best to answer them.

R emember this isn’t about being the first to see the film or even about getting a good seat. It’s about hanging out with fellow Star Wars fans before seeing the last Star Wars film ever and most of all it’s about having a good time.

Please respect others' privacy.

I recently received an email from an irate Star Wars fan. He felt that it was his duty to include my entire original Star Wars Line-up mailing list on an email in which he was very critical of the efforts I have taken to organize the Episode III line.

I will respond to this email only by saying that if anyone has comments or opinions that they feel need to be shared with me, I will be happy to read them. My email link is located at the top of this page. Please do not email the entire list, as it contains addresses of many people who are not participating in this line, and have no interest in reading about or being drawn into a flame war regarding its management. I assured them that they would not be emailed again after the initial invitation.

Thank you.

Lost in translation.

The Century Theaters have posted the rules (outlined below) for waiting in line for Episode III. Aside from shamelessly promoting fandango (they make an extra $1 on every ticket sold online), they have posted a re-hashing of the rules they posted for Episode II. I will present their rules below (red type), and I will then re-interpret them (blue type) and let you know how they make real-world sense.

While waiting in line:

- You may begin to line up at the starting time listed below. Please locate the theater you are attending and find the corresponding
   line up time.

For the Century 21/22 Theaters, we may start lining up on Monday, May 16 at 9:00pm. This date and time may change - check back often.

- Everyone in the line must have a ticket for one of the first three shows of the opening day of Star Wars: Episode III. No holding
   a place in the line for more than four people and the person in line must have all tickets in their possession.

We all know this is not going to work. There are a lot of people who are seeing multiple shows. We will decide on the best way to manage ticket holders on our own while we are waiting in line. For now, assume that if you are seeing any show on opening day, that you are welcome to participate in the line.

- If anyone has driven their vehicle, it must be parked in the lot area designated by the theater manager. No vehicle camping
   is permitted.

Do they think we will all take the bus there? I, for one, will be sleeping in my vehicle in the street. "nuf said.

- No alcohol, drugs, or unruly behavior, will be permitted. Anyone violating the law or causing a disturbance will lose their place
   in the line and be removed from the premises. Their tickets will be confiscated and refunded.

I think this is a logical rule. Let's follow it.

- No tent larger than a two person tent permitted. Maximum size is 6' W x 8' L x 6' H.

I'm considering Don Hale to be the average size of one person. Two of him means a pretty big tent.

- No cooking permitted.

I can live without the barbecue. Can you?

- No live or electronic entertainment devices will be permitted.

We'll see about this one. If you bring a portable stereo, I doubt anyone will have a problem with it as long as you keep it at a reasonable loudness and don't piss off the local residents.

- "Porta-potties" will be provided.

I suppose this is a good thing. Don't camp down wind of the toilets.

The opening day of the Star Wars:

- Prior to 8:30 AM, all camping gear, games, etc. must be removed from the line and stored in vehicles. Ticket holders only
   may be in the line; no reserving places in line for people who haven't arrived.

Well, we'll see about this. Aside from being totally non-enforcable, it also places an implied sense of distrust in the moviegoers and contradicts the "no holding places for more than 4 people" rule stated above. I say that everyone who will be attending a specific show should be in line 3 hours before showtime. This allows us to set aside a reasonable amount of space for each group early.

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day.

We met at The Garret (WOW - was that place hummin' with Saturday post-soccer-game-madness!!). Thanks to those who came. I appreciate the support and the desire to work together.

We essentially came away from the meeting hoping to see where Kevin Mulvehill's efforts with Century's corporate management will get us. Hopefully, we will be able to line up earlier. If not, then we'll see.

While back in line, I relenquished the first spot in line to Mikk and Kevin because I was not sure if I could resume my post as organizer/line leader without the internet connection and RV. Even though I will be in line on Mnday, the 16th, and I'll be trying to continue the line's efforts, it looks like Mikk and Kevin will be continuing to head up the line because I placed them in the first spot. I will take a spot further back in line.

Let's meet.

There will be a meeting at The Garret in Campbell at 6:30pm on Saturday, May 7. We will discuss plans to get back in line.

The Garrett is located at 1777 S. Bascom Ave in Campbell between Hamilton Avenue and the entrance to the Prune Yard. The Garret is actually on Campisi, but the address is on Bascom. There is an Eric's Deli on the corner, and a Jack in the Box on Bascom out back.

Click on the map for a close-up.

Well, we're out.

Sorry for the lack of updates.

On Moday, Bill Williams visited us in our remote corner of the parking lot and explained that, due to circumstances beyond his control, he would have to ask us to leave and return on the Monday bafore the show opens (May 16).

We were clearly disappointed. Kevin Mulvehill contacted Century Corporate and was told that this is indeed the case, and that there will be no exceptions. Kevin is still in talks with them (Thanks Kevin!) and any changes will be posted.

In the meantime, I had to return the RV (there was no place for me to keep it in the south bay), and I'm back at home enjoying some off time.

Management did not come by and boot us today.

That's a good sign.

I could have gone over and talked to Bill Williams about the line situation, but I didn't want to stir the pot. Perhaps he is not concerned with us right now, perhaps he has more pressing issues, or perhaps he doesn't even realize we are there (we are pretty far from the doors).

Either way, I'd rather not be the most prominent issue on his mind, so I kept quiet and enjoyed the sunny weather. It was a nice day.

Still no broadband - I'm going nuts not having my broadband!

We had a brush with death yesterday.

We found out yesterday that the dirt lot which lives under the Century 21/22/23 signs is not Century land. It belongs to the neighboring Winchester Mystery House. And they didn't want us there.

We were visited by the disturbed but professional folks who work at "the house", and they politely told us that we were not welcome. No problem, right? I'm not here to make anyone angry, so I mentioned that we would immediately obey his wishes, and I apologized for causing any inconvenience. That would have been fine and dandy, but he went on to tell us that our activities are no longer necessary, and that what we are engaging in is no "fun".

My Mother raised me to believe that everyone's opinion counts, and to accept peoples' differences, so perhaps it was my misunderstanding when this gentleman decided for me that my activities were no longer enjoyable. I seemed to be enjoying myself, and everyone else there looked like they were having "fun", but perhaps we were all mistaken and ought to go home to read the Wall Street Journal."

Or perhaps our friend from "the house" had a hit taken out on his inner child when he hit his tenth year of managing a tourist attraction.

Eh - water under the bridge.

The result was that we spoke with the Assistant Manager at the Century 22, and he allowed us to park in the same corner, but on Century land, overnight until Bill Williams (the Century 21/22/23/24 main Manager) returned on Monday (today). He said that the Century corporate folks would be posting a date on their web site for when they would like us to start lining up. Well, they are a little late on that one, but I'll talk to them and see if I can work something out today.


What did we learn from today's lesson?

- Just because you enjoyed the Winchester Mystery House as a child does not mean that it is filled with happy workers with sunny dispositions. No mystery there.
-The Century Management are cool. They empathize with our effort, and they respect our definition of "fun".
- Chili's makes some KILLER Chipotle Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers!

Tune in later for more.

I encourage you to visit this site often.

I got in last night and met with Mikk's group as well as group #3 (who's names I have once again forgotten). We are set up directly under the big Century 21/22/23 signs on Winchester and Olsen Dr, right across the street from the mystery house. It is a good location, even if it is a bit noisy.

We'll see if theater management gets miffed that we're out "early". I hope they do not give us trouble. Let's make this a fun, but mellow line. So far, so good.

When will you all be out in line? I can't wait to see you all.

The RV is almost in place, and we might start tonight!

The lot was pretty full for tonight's hitchhiker's shows at the Century 22, but the 21 side of the lot was almost empty. There was plenty of room towards the back of the lot. I think that's where we will line up. Possibly inside the white cement traffic barricades.

I spoke briefly with an Assistant Manager from the Century 21, and he said they were under orders to evict anyone who showed up this early. We'll see how they respond, I guess.

The web cam has been set up. . .

. . . and it should be working when our web connection goes live. I have been working all weekend on putting together a page for our web cam. you may view it here.

I have also developed a Dashboard Widget for the new Mac OSX Tiger that shows our web cam. If you are running Tiger, then you may download and use this free widget to keep an eye on us while you are away from the line.

There will be a midnight show across the street from Century 21.

Tickets are on sale for a midnight showing (that's midnight on May 18) of Episode III. Tickets and show times are available through Fandango here. This showing is possible because the CinéArts theater is not located near residential housing, so they can make noise much later at night.

Since I have coordinated my group's show for the 10:30pm show on the big screen at the Century 21, I will not be attending the midnight showing. That being said, who knows what the future holds. . .

I am still not sure how this will affect our showings of the first 5 movies on the preceding nights. We will work this out in line.

There is a chance we may move to a different location in the parking lot.

In an effort to maintain good relations with theater management, we may set up camp further out in the parking lot towards the big movie signs. This would minimize the impact our camp would have on weekend traffic and parking. Stay tuned for more info.

Tickets for the Century 22 digital theater are available now.

Thanks to Mikk at the South Bay Star Wars Fan Club for posting that tickets are available for the digital projector. Tickets are for sale on Fandango.

There are 4 showings at 10:40 am, 2:00 pm, 5:25 pm, and 8:45 pm.

I saw the morning show in the digital theater for Episode II, and I enjoyed it a lot. The image is brighter, and the colors are more vivid than film. The only thing that bothered me was that I could occasionally see the pixels on the screen, and that ruined the effect for me.

Tickets cost $9.50 each.

NextWeb has confirmed a high-speed internet line for use while waiting for the film.

I heard from NextWeb today, and they will be working with us to set up a 6Mbps line for high-speed wireless access to the open internet (that's as fast as 4 T1 lines!). We will firewall and route the connection to anyone who wishes access.

There also may be another surprise if things work out. Stay tuned!

NextWeb may provide internet access for us as they did for Episode II

The news is not final yet, but I spoke to my contact at NextWeb, and they are looking into providing us with broadband internet access in line in exchange for exposure and sponsor status. They were excited to hear form me, and we look forward to continuing a great relationship.

As always, the internet connection will be available to anyone and everyone - free of charge.

If you ever need internet access for an event, or in an odd location, these are the guys to call. They can have a connection set up virtually anywhere, and in a matter of minutes. Their speeds are great, and their service is better. Remember them for all of your web access needs.

Spend your gas money on tickets!

If you are really into paying convenience fees, then you will be relieved to learn that you may now purchase EP III tickets at the Fandango web site. Purchase early, purchase often.

I thought you'd get a kick out of this.

Apparently, the Century Theaters never took down their "rules" page from Episode II. It's still there for you to check out and giggle over.

Don't take this as any kind of confirmation that the theaters will be instituting these rules for Episode III. If they create a set of rules, then I think they will be separate from those shown here.

http://www.centurytheaters.com/general/starwarsinfo.html

Tickets are available now.

I went to the theater (Century 22) and purchased tickets. I bought 40 tickets at 9:30 pm on Saturday night. At that time, the theater was only about 1/4 sold out for the late show (around 10:30 pm). There are PLENTY of tickets left. I cannot find tickets for these showings for sale on Fandango.

As of this writing, they are only selling tickets for Screen 1 (the large screen) at the Century 22. They will probably open the digital projector up for EP III, but I have no idea when tickets will go on sale.

Tickets cost $9.50 each.

Strange. . .

I originally heard that the film would not be showing at the Mercado, but apparently tickets are available now. I'm not sure where the disconnect is there. I'll post more as I learn more.

Update:

I got a call telling me to check out the availability of tickets at fandango.com. I went there and found that tickets are available for several area theaters. The image shown is a screen capture of their tickets page as of 4:00 pm Sunday, April 16. The links are not live, and it may have changed since then.

The Century 21 and 22 theaters are not listed here. I am still not sure what the status is for these theaters. I think that theater management is also uncertain about this, and that is why the tickets do not appear on the web. If I find out anything new, I'll post it here.

You are welcome to purchase tickets how ever you choose. If you plan to buy in line, it will not affect your placement in line. The line is for seats, not tickets. If tickets go on sale at the Century 21/22 while we are in line, we will use the line's existing order to determine ticket sale order and priority.

Rules for the Episode III line:

We are all going to be together for a long time. Please try to get along with each other, and treat others the way you'd like to be treated. Here is a list of rules for line conduct:

- The line starts May 1. Please do not line up before then.
- Assume that EVERY person in line is holding a spot for many others. Don't complain when there are suddenly hundreds in front
   of you on May 19. My group will be between 50 and 100 people.
- Please use the facilities at local businesses before you use them in the theaters. We want to bother them as little as possible.
- Clean up after yourselves. I was very disappointed to see all the trash left out after Episode II. Let's be nice to our gracious hosts.
- No loud noise after 9:30 pm. We are less than 1 block from people's homes. We can easily get booted if we are too loud.
- As of this writing, no cooking in line. I'll look into this and see what we can do about barbecues.
- ONE CAR PER SPOT IN LINE. Do not hog too much space in line. If you can, use only one parking spot for your group.
- There will be one line for all shows until the morning of May 19. We will separate into lines for each show at that time.
- You must have someone in line at all times to represent your group. Anything you work out with other groups to "watch your stuff"
   or "hold your place" is between you and them, and does not concern me or my line management. If you are not here, you may
   lose your spot.
- No alcohol, drugs, or illegal paraphernalia of any kind will be permitted in line at any time.
- Anyone violating the law or causing a disturbance will lose their place in the line and be removed from the premises.

Keep in mind that you will need representation on the day tickets go on sale. If they limit tickets to 8 per person, then make sure you have at least 1/8 of your total group there to purchase. We are not responsible for ticket availability or online sales. It is up to you to get your own tickets. The line is officially for theater seating and not for ticket sales.

Many of you will remember the problems we had during the opening morning of Episode I (has it really been six years?!) when people showed up without waiting at all and demanded to be at the front of the line. I think we all can agree that it makes no sense to complain about holding spots when we are waiting in line for so many people. There are enough showings on opening day that everyone who waits for a week or longer will most likely have pretty good seats for their chosen showing. If you positively cannot wait in line, then it is up to you to make arrangements with someone, or go see the film in Mountain View or Foster City or someplace where there will be no line.

The managers of this page, the theater owners, the owners of the land, and the managers of the line are not responsible for any damage or theft of property left in line. You are waiting in line at your own risk, and you are the only one who is responsible for your spot in line.

I just filed my extension - it has been a busy year. We'll see about getting my taxes in as soon as possible.

I dropped by the Century 22 Theaters this afternoon and had a talk with the theater manager (his name escapes me at the moment). He was expecting to see me, and was ready for my questions. I explained that we were hoping to start waiting for Episode III on May 1, and that I was visiting to help insure that we could maintain an agreeable relationship during our time in line. He seemed to be in a good mood and didn't have the look of dread that I was expecting to find on his face.

Things I learned from him:

- Episode III will DEFINITELY be showing at the Mercado theaters near Great America.
- Episode III will NOT be showing at the AMC Saratoga theaters (as of this writing).
- He is expecting to get Episode III, but has not received final word from the corporate office yet.
- There are no big films being released between May 1 and May 19, so we don't have to worry about getting booted for another
   opening weekend (I hope).
- The Century 22 screen 1 (the small dome on the left) is the only digital projector. It will probably get Episode III for this
   reason. The large screen at the 22 and the 21 theaters cannot show digital because the throw is too long from the projection
   booth to the screen.

Woohooo!

I just got confirmation that I'll have an RV for the duration I am in line. This is GREAT! I'm so happy! I'll have a bathroom and a power generator!

Don't get any ideas, I will not be running a community outhouse. the RV has a ballast tank which I prefer to empty as little as possible. I'll be using the facilities at local restaurants as much as possible.

I plan to start waiting on May 1 in the lot near Century 21 (see map). Those of you who wish to line up in advance are welcome to drop in behind me along the line shown. First come, first served.

I have a call into NextWeb (our web sponsors from Episode II) and I hope to have an internet connection this year as well. I really hope they are willing to donate their antenna and some bandwidth. If they do, I will share it wirelessly day and night, and through a Cat-5 drop during the day.

I have a new Apple 17" laptop which I will be using to work on freelance jobs for the duration of the wait. I may also bring my Desktop PC and flat panel monitor to play video games and movies while we wait. If we end up using the RV as a movie theater, I may ask for a pittance of donations to support all the gasoline I'll be burning. It costs about $150 to fill up the RV at a gas station.

Please do not come out before May 1, as the theater will not know you are going to be there and may not allow you to wait. Contact me in you need any information on waiting in line.

--------------------S

I'm currently developing a strategy to get us out in the parking lot of the Century 21 for the release of
Star Wars - Episode III as early as May 1, 2005. It's not going to be easy, but we'll make it work somehow.

Stay tuned here to check on changes and updates to the plan.

thanks,

Steve Dorsey

steve@dorseygraphics.com