Scribbles & Munch

      Everyone has their favorite way to issue out the calendar and welcome in the new!  While I'm a social creature in general, I must confess New Year's Eve parties aren't always my favorite.  A lot of them seem to depend on people drinking for enjoyment rather than providing games or other activities, which won't keep me entertained through midnight.  Plus, I'm often just returned home from long stretches of socializing with family, and my energy reserves are low.  And finally, people drive like morons on New Years.  For these reasons, I prefer to relax at home on December 31st.
      My tradition is to stay in, make homemade pizza, and watch a movie marathon.  We like to do trilogies and time them so the last film wraps up about 10 minutes to midnight.  This year?  Oh yeah, you guessed it: Star Wars.
      But not just any Star Wars!  We're starting with "A New Hope," the "Despecialized Edition."  This is a version cobbled together and edited by the geekiest-geek fans ever (read: sincerely awesome people) to be as close to the original theater release as can be.  Why?  Because the original theater version won multiple Academy Awards, and a place in the Library of Congresses' American Film Collection.
      Then we're watching "Empire Strikes Back."  But then we're veering off course and checking out this crazy fan edit of the prequels, entitled "Star Wars: The Black Mantle."  Haven't watched it yet, so I can't speak to how good it is, but I am VERY intrigued by the concept!  Because the dialogue in the original films was so wooden, they actually used the Japanese dubbed release, then created their own subtitles to re-write the script!  Now that's creativity, ladies and gentlemen.  I will be sure to let you know what I think.
      Obviously we'll finish with "Return of the Jedi."  And then a few minutes to find out mistletoe and welcome in the new year!
      And as for the pizza?  Here's the crust, here's the sauce.  This year I'm topping mine with gourmet salami and pepperoni, fresh mozzerella and ages parmesan, crimini mushrooms, arugula, dry brined Greek olives, and fresh basil.  Finish it up with some good cocktails and the remainder of the holiday cookies and that's a contented farewell to 2015.