The Return of the Jedi

Because we were four boys and one girl, growing up, we didn't really have much in the way of entertainment money. Imagine going to elementary school and being the only kid to have missed Star Wars -- the biggest blockbuster movie of all time. And this was back when movies were the only entertainment outside of TV, and you missed it. And not just Star Wars Episode IV, but two years or so later, the Empire Strikes Back as well.

So yeah, I was that weird kid who never watched Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back for a very long time. I had to wait for VHS tapes to catch up and find out for myself what was all the fuss about -- that would be almost 10 years after the original release.

So it was a real big surprise then, I remember it being a Christmas gift to us siblings, 100 peso premiere tickets for The Return of the Jedi. Back when regular movie tickets was 7.50 or something, we had 100 peso guaranteed seating for the advanced special screening of The Return of the Jedi at the Manila Film Center.

Watching the new trailers of Star Wars and I am reminded of that gesture from my father. He was always big like that, very generous with surprises. And so after all the pain and suffering, Darth Vader did come through in the end