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By Dan Pacheco
WashingtonPost.com Staff
Not so long ago, in a virtual galaxy far, far away, some people with way too much time on their hands put up some Web pages about one of the most popular movies of all time.
And some of those pages were worth visiting.
If search engines are to be trusted, there are about 98,000 Web references to "Star Wars," the 1977 film that propelled George Lucas from the position of Hollywood film maker to worldwide special effects master.
As Lucasfilm prepares to release a digitally remastered Star Wars Trilogy to the big screen, catch a glimpse of the films' organic components on the Web.
Official Site
Fire up your hyperdrive (assuming R2D2 has undone Darth Vader's dirty work) and make the light jump over to starwars.com, the official Web site of the re-release and the eagerly awaited "prequel" movies that open within the next couple of years. Using the Star Wars settings of Hoth, Tatooine and the Death Star as its sections, this site is as stimulating as Dagobah is swampy.
 If you're new to the Star Wars galaxy, this is a good time to meet the cast of characters.
Go on to get a look at how special effects artists used computer animation to add new scenes to the three movies. Among the changed scenes are Luke's encounter with the "Wampa" snow creature and the Millenium Falcoln flying into Cloud City.
Fanning the Flame
Trivia question: What one phrase is repeated by three characters in two Star Wars films? Answer:  "I've got a bad feeling about this" (WAV, 157K). (To hear this sound, you may need to download some software. Get help from our Web Outfitter.)
This is the kind of fan folklore you'll find at Jason Ruspini's Star Wars Home Page, a rebel base of home-grown trivia and links. Apparently Ruspini did such a good job that he's grabbed the attention of Lucasfilm's Storm Troopers — that is, lawyers — who in defense of the mighty brand have asked him to tone down his use of Star Wars copyrights and trademarks (catch the notice posted by Lucasfilm).
Read what are purported to be scripts from the movies. Of particular note is "The Adventures of Starkiller," supposedly a 1975 working draft that Lucas rewrote into "Star Wars." Is it authentic or fan fiction? Only the lawyers know for sure.
If text is too dull, move on to Ruspini's movie sound bites page. There, you can hear everything from the droid R2D2 chirping in the cockpit to Darth Vader's labored breathing.
Decorate your desktop with one of the memorable scenes in the Star Wars picture archive. In the PC version of Netscape Navigator 2.0 or above, click an image with your right mouse button and choose "Set As Wallpaper." (My favorite is the "Weird toad thing in front of Jabba's palace", which had about 2 seconds of fame in "Return of the Jedi.")
Dying to know what Lando is talking about when he refers to the Clone Wars? Check the Star Wars timeline. George Lucas would never endorse it, which is exactly why it's so interesting. Frequenters of the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.starwars have reconciled the jumble of unofficial books, official CD-ROM games and movies into a single tapestry.
If you're new to the movies, skip this impossible Star Wars Quiz, lest you quickly become bantha fodder.
Movie Memorabilia
Star Wars' success is evidenced not just by its impact on Hollywood, but on the toy business. Star Wars movie action figures, dolls, posters, books, and just about anything else have made more money than all three films combined.
If you still have your child's (or your own) cheap plastic Jawa action figure in the attic, lock it in a safe and bury it — especially if it's still in the original packaging. According to this price guide, the toy is worth $900 in its original packaging. Once that seal is broken, the price drops to $175.
Serious collectors will get a kick out of the Action Figure Times, an entire magazine devoted to the buying and selling of rare childhood toys. One look at this collector's FAQ should convince you that these hobbyists take themselves very, very seriously.
At the Star Wars Poster Pictures page, browse through a list of rare movie ads. Among them are billboards for the made-for-TV "Jedi" sequel called "Caravan of Courage" and the extremely rare "Revenge of the Jedi". (Lucas changed the name to "Return of the Jedi" after these posters hit theaters.)
Looking Ahead
Of course, no self-respecting movie company would spend millions resurrecting a 20-year-old film without the promise of future profit. In fact, this re-release is part of a two-year build up that will culminate in the release of three new Star Wars films that take place years before the last movies.
A staggering number of rumor-mill sites have sprung up, each claiming to know the full truth of what these films will have in store. But take them with a grain of salt.
The Prequel Trilogy and Special Edition Page offers a great mix of Hollywood gossip, movie MIDI files, star interviews and previews of some of the special scenes in the re-releases.
Will a Shakespearean actor play Obi-Wan Kenobi? Does the Millennium Falcon play a major role in the prequels? While the writers of A Galaxy Far, Far Away are certainly part of the rumor mill, they're not afraid to point out that they may not have a clue.
Online Producer Dan Pacheco sold all his Star Wars action figures for $10 in 1988. What a fool.
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