Malcolm Fleschner: What’s wrong with this picture?

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of “Star Wars,” which is not only an important historical benchmark, but also the best excuse I could come up with for why I’m writing a column about “Star Wars.”

The film’s original theatrical release was a genuine cultural phenomenon, the likes of which I’d never seen in all my eight years of life. I recall in particular the way fans used to brag about how many times they’d seen “Star Wars.” This is not the kind of thing you ever heard about, say, “Sophie’s Choice.” In our fifth-grade class, my friend Rich Woloski was the undisputed “Star Wars” champ, having tallied 28 viewings.