Everyone who loves Star Wars has a story about their first experiences with "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." For my parents, it was 1977 in theaters. They told everyone they knew to go see it. My friend Katey can't remember when she first saw it, but she has always remembered that Luke and Leia were related. I don't know if I was the only newcomer in a theater in Massachusetts in 1994, but Mom got us tickets to a Star Wars marathon, and all I knew was that it would explain why my sister dressed me as Princess Leia for a Halloween party the year before. I fell in love with the movie at the moment that Darth Vader came aboard the Tantive IV. By the time Princess Leia referred to Chewie as a big walking carpet, I was addicted.
Financebuzz.com is looking for that now-rare specimen, a person they call a "Wookiee Rookie," who will experience the entire saga for the first time on their dime. They will pay $1000 and promise to provide one hundred dollars to cover the price of watching and a few movie snacks. The Chosen One will spend a total of twenty-five hours watching the movies in order of release date. As the site says, "If you’re wondering why we didn’t start with Episode I, you’re probably the right person for our job."
In addition to envy of any person being rewarded for curiosity, I find myself jealous of this person with "fresh Padawan eyes" who will publicly share their thoughts on the movies that have been my obsession since the age of thirteen. FinanceBuzz stipulates a timeframe of a week to watch Episodes I-IX before they're asked for feedback. There is every chance this person will come away a fan for the rest of their life (applicants must be eighteen years of age and based in the United States), or they could ask for twenty-five hours of their life back. There's really no wrong way to take a chance.
Even if they never watch these movies again, FinanceBuzz's candidate will experience nine remarkable films, hear about the Force, and see apprentices grow stronger. They will see the fall of the old Jedi, the beginning of the Dark Times, and the promise of the new Order. As they catch their breath from witnessing Darth Vader's redemption, they will meet Anakin Skywalker before he was taken as Obi-Wan Kenobi's apprentice and see Ben Solo's return to the light. They will see the Empire's rise, the Alliance's victory, and the Emperor's defeat. Plot aside, they will meet characters from distant worlds whom they relate to in unexpected ways, from Ask Aak to Zam Wessel.
Applications can be submitted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 4, 2024. They will announce the contributor on the same page, but for now, "We will watch career with great interest."