Remind me again why you're even going?
Morbid curiosity is no excuse to dump a couple billion more box office dollars into Lucas's dangerously obese wallet. At least watch the movie in a way that won't benefit Lucas. Renting it in a few months or going to the second-run, $2 theatre won't benefit Lucas much, but there are plenty of ways to waste two hours of your life that won't benefit him at all.
- You could download it. This is the most spiteful thing to do, because they so clearly don't want you to, but it will be in so much demand that it simply must make it to the internet. It's free and immediate.
- If you're like me, you don't have p2p, because you think it's a hassle. But plenty of people still do. Get friend who does to burn you a DVD. Again, immediate. It costs you a dollar or two, but the money goes to blank DVD makers, not Lucas.
- If you can wait until it comes out on video--and there's no real reason why you need to be the first on your block to know just how terrible it was--borrow it from someone who's bought it (free) or buy it second-hand on ebay from someone who bought it in a moment of weakness. This may only be marginally cheaper than buying it new, but you'll get the satisfaction of knowing the money is going to an individual who has already, beyond your control, given money to Lucas. YOUR money is not going to him.
- If you can wait a little longer, the VHS tape will appear, sans dust jacket, at your local Salvation Army.
- You can just watch the damn thing when it comes on TV. Note: Only do this if you do not have a Nielsen box.
Don't treat handing over your hard-earned cash to someone who has killed your childhood legends as an unpleasant inevitability. It's not. Like voting, you may think that your one movie ticket more or less won't make a difference in the great scheme of things, and maybe you're right; but seeing the movie in a cheaper way is not just about keeping money from Lucas, it's about keeping money in your pocket!
I have stated before that I do not intend to see the movie in theatres, and this is partly because I have no desire to see it at all; but I understand that many of you feel an obligation to see the entire series, no matter how shitty it may be. Do everyone a favor and see it cheaply. You may think you cannot wait that long to bash it once your friends already have enough information to do so. I recommend devoting yourself to charity work. The time will just fly by. Or, get a group of friends together and make a pact--you'll wait the three weeks to see it in the second-run theatre.
This summer (?), don't complain about how George Lucas kicked you in the balls after paying him twelve bucks to kick you in the balls. Take a stand!
(Also, vote. Vote for not Bush. It's time to stand up and brush aside the apathy. MTV may not want you to vote, but I want you to vote.)