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I attended Star Wars Celebration IV over Memorial Day weekend in the hopes of finding a few people in costume to take photos of. I had no idea that I'd be running into squadrons of Stormtroopers, legions of Leias, and more Jedis than you could shake a lightsaber at. Of course, there were a few Darth Vaders, and even an Emperor to boot. No Yodas, sadly ... although we did see a few Jawas with R2D2 in tow.

The tried and true stormtrooper from Star Wars: A New Hope was easily the most popular costume, but we also encountered a lot of Boba and Jango Fetts in full armor as well. For the ladies, you would think that Princess Leia would be one of the obvious choices (after all, she had several costume changes), but there were also plenty of Amidalas, female Imperial officers, and even several stormtroopers of the opposite sex. We even managed to hang out with a female Han Solo who had it going on. Maybe she was Hannah Solo?

Darth Vader marched out before the show opened with a squad of stormtroopers who helped form a ring around the front entrance. We weren't sure if they were going to line dance or what, so imagine how surprised we were when a loud blasting noise brought in Boba Fett ... flying on a very real jetpack. He landed in the middle of the circle to thunderous applause.

However, the most popular moment by far was the Slave Girl Leia photo shoot at 2pm. Imagine more than 30 Leias in the classic metal bikini posing on an enormous Jabba the Hutt prop. Then imagine a herd of fanboys taking as many pictures of their digital cards would hold. It got so popular that the fire marshal had to shut things down. The Force was definitely with him.

There were a lot of photos I could've chosen to represent Star Wars on the film's 30th anniversary of its original release in theaters. Which, in case you haven't noticed, is today. But this pic -- featuring Princess Leia sending a message to Obi-Wan Kenobi through a tin can named R2-D2 in a last ditch effort to save herself and her people -- sparked a series of events which ultimately led to, what some say, is the greatest franchise in movie history. Seeing as I was born 16 days before Star Wars hit theaters, I never had a chance to be part of the hype -- to be among the first to lay eyes upon a film that would change our world forever. Say what you want about where George Lucas took the series in the thirty years since its debut, but you can't argue the fact that this little sci-fi flick had an enormous impact on the lives of so many people.

In celebration of this glorious time in movie history, we here at Cinematical have a number of things to keep you busy. First off, our own Kevin Kelly is on the ground at Celebration IV (that big Star Wars convention in Los Angeles), and he'll be bringing us all kinds of tasty nuggets; including pics, interviews, etc ... throughout the weekend. Apart from that, our friends at Moviefone have compiled a number of similarities between the Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises, as well as a special tribute that asks: Star Wars: Where Are They Now? (Hmm, I think I know what Han Solo is up to ... ) For you fanatics out there, feel free to use this space in any way you see fit. How has Star Wars had an impact on your life? Where were you when the film first arrived in theaters? In your opinion, what would you like to see from this franchise in the future? Remember, stay positive -- last thing you want is to get caught up in this kind of negativity. We're here to party! We're here to celebrate! Happy Birthday Star Wars -- your next drink is on us.

Poor Jake Lloyd. In April, I posted that the Phantom Menace star was going to headline Celebration IV, a big Star Wars Convention in Los Angeles starting this Thursday. Not any more! Well, not headlining that is. Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher, has taken over the honor. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who is more intrigued by the event with her name on the roster. Lloyd's name isn't even mentioned in the special appearance highlights over at Deadline Hollywood Daily. He's really not getting an easy time as of late, is he? Hopefully we won't see him on Entertainment Tonight one of these days with an eating disorder or drug problem.

As for Ms. Fisher, she has been making quite a career out of guest spots. She's been a nun in both Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Charlie's Angels 3, and has recently lent her voice to Family Guy. This, of course, leaves her totally open to make fanboy and fangirl dreams come true. If you're looking to get face-to-face with Fisher, or even Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), both will be signing autographs and making stage appearances during the convention. It sounds like a pretty big event for the 30th Star Wars anniversary (the first was released on May 25, 1977). In the ultimate show of geek, the convention is kicking off with a 17-hour screening event -- Episode I through Episode VI -- which kicks off Wednesday, at 9 a.m. Those that are still lucid after seeing Anakin whine, Luke lust and Ewoks dance, will then see live entertainment, celebs from all the movies, presentations, props, exhibits, contests and just about anything else a fanatic could dream of. Well, except Fisher donning that famous outfit again. Methinks that's out of the question.