"Star Wars" popping off the screen -- and into Danvers

February 09, 2012|Tom Russo, Globe Staff

This weekend’s “Star Wars” 3-D re-release is getting still another added dimension at the AMC Liberty Tree Mall multiplex in Danvers, as the theater is hosting an event screening with activities and giveaways. (The theater is one of just ten around the country being tapped to do the whole value-added bit.) The event runs this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and includes character photo ops, Darth Maul face painting, LEGO displays, and demonstrations of the upcoming “Star Wars” game for Xbox Kinect. The theater will also be including a fighter pod toy with 3-D ticket purchases all weekend, and podracer-style 3-D glasses on Saturday. Be warned, though: the giveaway info includes the usual while-supplies-last disclaimer. Mention the freebies to the kids prematurely, and you might find yourself schlepping over to the food court McDonald’s for a Happy Meal.

For grown-up fans, meanwhile, there’s a “Star Wars”-related bookful-of-coolness that we’ve been meaning to recommend for a while now: Titan’s “Drew Struzan: Oeuvre,” a coffee table tome showcasing the work of George Lucas’s longtime movie poster artist of choice. (Spielberg, Zemeckis, and Frank Darabont are also fans and frequent clients.) The book is a significantly expanded, more widely available update of a 2004 edition effectively kiboshed by another publisher’s untimely demise. The abundant imagery includes Struzan’s “Circus” poster for “Star Wars” (below), his teaser for “Revenge [sic] of the Jedi,” his various Harrison-as-Indy pieces, and even his postage-stamp portraits of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart for the USPS. Just the thing for the eternal fanboy who’s had that Amazon gift card burning a hole in his pocket since the holidays.