Nerd’s Eye View: Begun, The Merchandising Has

W. Derek Russell May 19, 1999. My sister had bought tickets for us to see “Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace” at Cinemark Movies 8 for my birthday. It was my first time seeing a new “Star Wars” film on the big screen. I had seen the re-releases of the original trilogy in January, February and March of ‘97, but this was going to be my first experience that I thought would echo the stories of all the adults and older friends who had always told me about when they saw the original trilogy when they were younger. I’m not here to criticize the prequels that were released between ‘99 and 2005 – that’s why the Internet exists.