09:43 AM EDT on Thursday, May 19, 2005

BY ELIZABETH GUDRAIS
Journal Staff Writer

SWANSEA -- Anne Diffily saw the original Star Wars movie at the Hope Street Cinerama, in the building that now houses CVS, when she was 25.

Journal photo / Ruben W. Perez

Anne Diffily, of Providence, arrives three hours early at Regal Swansea Stadium 12 cinemas, and is happy to get a poster, too, for last night's midnight opening of the latest Star Wars saga, Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith. The film opens nationwide this morning.

Mike Dennis saw it when he was 3, with his parents, at the Swansea Drive-In.

Nikolas Johnston saw it on video, because it came out 14 years before he was born.

But all three of them lined up at the Regal Swansea Stadium 12 cinemas last night to catch Revenge of the Sith, the sixth and final Star Wars movie, when it opened at the stroke of midnight.

Diffily, a Brown University public relations officer and mother of three teenagers, left the kids at home with her husband. "It's a school night," Diffily, of Providence, said. She planned to return with them this weekend, she said, then revealed the real reason she was there with a coworker instead: "My kids are so embarrassed because I'm 53 years old and I'm the Star Wars fanatic." She bought her tickets online as soon as she returned from the Star Wars Celebration convention in Indianapolis last month. She took half a vacation day so she could go in late to work this morning.

Nikolas Johnston was also looking forward to sleeping in. The 14-year-old Fall River resident went to the theater with his older brother and friends, including Tiverton resident Artie Tripp, also 14.

Nikolas is home-schooled. Artie is not. Asked whether he would be in school this morning, Artie said, "I'm supposed to be."

It was the first time the friends had seen a Star Wars movie at a midnight premiere. They weren't even alive for the premieres of the first three.

But they made up for lost time. "I've seen Return of the Jedi, like, 16 times," said Artie, who brought a Darth Vader helmet made from a flower pot.

Nikolas dressed in a Jedi cape and belt. He held an Anakin Skywalker mask. "They wouldn't let me wear it for security reasons," he said.

A little farther back in line, Mike Dennis stood with his friends. The 30-year-old Fall River resident planned to return to the theater today with his 8-year-old nephew. John "Rocky" Pimental, 29, of Warren, planned to go back today with his 13-year-old nephew. But they wouldn't have missed last night's showing for anything.

"The thing about seeing it at midnight -- the crowd gets more into it," Pimental said. "You can hear a pin drop. There's definitely more energy, seeing it at midnight."

Pimental's coworker, Carl Naylor, 37, of Portsmouth, confessed he was "kinda bummed out" at the prospect of no more Star Wars. "I had Star Wars wallpaper until I was 16," he confessed.

Behind them, a few people sat on the floor and played cards. It was still two hours before the opening credits would roll, and the theater still had plenty of tickets left. The 12-screen theater had four copies of the movie, but had sold only enough tickets to fill two 250-seat theaters and was working on filling a third.

Dennis, Pimental, Naylor, and Diffily were there at 9. So were Nikolas and Artie.

They'd seen parts four, five and six long ago -- some longer ago than others. They'd seen parts one and two. Now, they didn't want to miss completing the circle and learning how and why Anakin Skywalker went over to the dark side and became Darth Vader.

"I think a lot of it has to do with childhood," Naylor said. "This story started 28 years ago."

Digital Extra: Share your review of the latest Star Wars movie, upload your fan photos, view the movie trailer, check local movie listings, and more, at:

http://projo.com/movies/