Star Wars: Episode III is currently in principal photography and is scheduled to wrap in September. Pickups and effects work will continue for about a year-and-a-half after that. As we go about our daily lives for the next several months, a team of highly trained, highly talented professionals is hunkered down in Australia making Star Wars. After that, all eyes will be on ILM in California, where the movie will take shape for its May 2005 release. This should be EXTREMELY exciting.

Too bad it's not. It's a shame that this whole process is being directed by a man who has, for some reason, completely lost whatever magic he once had (and he had a LOT), and is now systematically destroying everything that I loved about Star Wars.

The day before Episode I came out in 1999, I was "good old Jeff, the dreamer." After seeing what happened to George, and what he's done to Star Wars, I have become bitter and depressed.

There was a spirit that permeated the original Star Wars movies- something wonderful that a generation of people latched on to and loved dearly- that is so blatantly absent from the new ones. The "prequels" sadden me not because they're horrible movies, but because they've got no magic, no soul.

GEORGE L. RAPED AND MURDERED MY DREAMS.