'Star Wars' Marathon Lures Fans
"Star Wars" fever is taking hold as the final installment, "Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" hits theaters this week in the U.S.
In London Monday, reports CBS News Correspondent Mark Phillips, fans lined up for an unprecedented, all-day event, a marathon screening of all six Star Wars episodes, including "Episode III."
Early it was, and dedicated, the fans were, Phillips says.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," noticed one Star Wars fan.
"It's like a religion," said another.
"This is great. Can't wait," said yet another.
They had come from long, long ago and some from a galaxy far, far away. Well, Germany, anyway, Phillips notes.
"It's the biggest thing ever," a German fan observes. "Seeing all six movies together. It's just awesome."
All five of the "Star Wars" movies are being screened back-to-back throughout the day in London.
This was "Star Wars, the Revenge of the PR Flacks." No gimmick left unturned, such as theater workers dressed in Star wars costumes.
But still, the fans came and, says Phillips, many more would have. The $100 tickets for the "Star Wars Times Five" screening were going for more than 20 times that on Web auction sites.
And the fans came filled with expectations. This is all in advance of the premiere of the final film Monday night.
"I think it's the whole experience, you know? And the final film coming out tonight. Just the whole thing, I think," one fan told Phillips.
It's been a three-decade, six-film journey to get where? Back to the beginning. The last in the series, as everybody knows, takes us back to where it began. Older we are, wiser, we aren't, Phillips remarks.
"People who saw 'Star Wars' the first time, when they were growing up, have passed on the 'Star Wars' gene to their kids," says Steve Sansweet, head of fan relations for Lucasfilm, Ltd.
A waiting fan commented, "The film's gonna be good, obviously, and obviously seeing all six of them again will refresh everything, and the atmosphere today with everyone all dressed up, and the actually vibe here today, is really good."
In the U.S., "Episode III" hits screens Thursday.