The Empire Strikes Back turns 30!

If you have no idea what this is, run, run as fast as you can for your nearest Blockbuster store and tell them that you are woefully ignorant of one of the greatest movies in cinematic history. You can tell them that Ramona Shelton diagnosed you as such.

This movie literally changed my life. It is the very first movie that I ever saw at the movie theaters, just a wee little lass of 7. I thought that it was the most amazing thing that I had ever seen. I wanted to be Princess Leia. I wanted my own Han Solo to face death and say "I know" when I told him I loved him. Still do.

Seriously, Star Wars put the franchise on the map, but Empire made it a phenomenon. Quintessential heroes vs. villians, good vs. evil, romance, revelations, war, OMG what happens next kind of stuff.

Everybody join me in singing a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" to the movie and let's pop the DVD into the player and celebrate the monumentous occasion by watching it (for about the millionth time for me!)