Here's your initial reaction to the title Phantom Menace:

First- Thanks for a wonderful site! I absolutely love it!! Second- At the Starwars.com site they have released the name of Episode 1. But with so much false information floating around, I am waiting for your confirmation. As Always MTFBWY!!! (Source: Terracide) (SuperShadow: The Phantom Menace (TPM) is the official title for now. But it is a safe bet that the word "Menace" will be dropped from the title and replaced with some other word. No one could have suspected that George had TPM us his sleeve!)

Phantam Menace! It's neat and original. One unreliable source on another prequel site claimed that the title was going to be Guardians of the Force. He was wrong yet again. Can I trust any of these unofficial sources? (Source: Phillips) (SuperShadow: No, you can't trust any unofficial sources. Sometimes it's difficult to trust even starwars.com cause you never know when they're going to pull another "Plot Does Matter" stunt!)

I agree, it doesn't sound catchy, at all. (Source: Lisa M) (SuperShadow: Yeah, it's not what the fans were expecting. Kind of ironic. The fans have been begging George to title the film for months and when he finally does many fans criticize his choice. But remember this-- Revenge of the Jedi . . . George gets criticized for holding back the title and gets criticized for his choice of title. He can't win! . . . George is making the kind of Star Wars film that he wants to see. Believe me, your going to love it!)

Great title....heck I'm just glad the master finally gave us one. Now, if only he would make the prequel trailer available on starwars.com for download ;) (Source: Ken Williams) (SuperShadow: The title is kind of hard to get use to cause it's not anything like the title we were expecting to get.)

I can't believe this is the real name for the movie. I pray he changes it and soon. Sometimes with so much hype that this film has gotten that it could only disapoint fans. What made Star Wars so great was that it came out of nowhere and surprised everybody. "The Phantom Menace" sounds too much marvel super-hero-ish. Mabe it's a teaser title. Love our site. (Source: Phil-Florida) (SuperShadow: George could title the film: "Richard Simmon's Gets Naked" and we would ALL still see the film a zillion times . . . I'm glad you consider this site to be a communal experience. Without our great readers, this site is just another ho-hum prequel site. We thrive on reader email. Your opinion is VERY VERY important to Lucasfilm.)

I could care less what Lucas calls the prequels. I just want a time machine so it can already be here already. The wait is killing me! (Source: Tiny Tim) (SuperShadow: 8 months = Eternity.)

What page is the title on cause I'm not finding it? (Source: LukeJedi)(SuperShadow: For your convenience I'm going to repost what you can find on starwars.com in its entirety:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR WWW.STARWARS.COM FANS -- STAR WARS: EPISODE I TITLE

September 25, 1998 -- One of the most common questions fans have been asking is, "What is the title of the new Star Wars movie?" We're happy to report that George Lucas has decided to name the new movie "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace." As announced earlier, the new movie will appear in theaters in the United States and Canada on May 21st, 1999. (Source: http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/news/))

I agree, SuperShadow, Hopefully, it is only a preliminary title. My choice, Star Wars Episode I: Dark Force Rising. (Source: David) (SuperShadow: Yeah, it's weird that many of the SW novels (which a few fans criticize) have better titles than Ep. 1 . . . ooops, I mean TPM.)

Assuming that "The Phantom Menace" remains the title, why are people getting so bent out of shape over it? I happen to think it's very cool-and very mysterious- just like I assume the film will be. It's a lot better than some lame titles that people have floated about (i.e. "Guardians of the Force" and the infamous "Fall of the Republic"). It would seem to have been inspired by an old movie serial title, as the saga is, in part. Once we see the movie, the title will most likely seem like an apt choice-just like the other film's titles... (Source: David G.) (SuperShadow: I agree with you that GOTF and FOFR are atrocious title ideas . . . However, George is bringing all the criticism on himself because for a while Lucasfilm was unofficially calling the film, Balance of the Force). This made most of the fans assume that the title would be _________ of the Force. If George does stick with TPM, it will be no different than A New Hope, which isn't exactly the greatest film title of all time. The film title is secondary to the film quality. Maybe, George is planning to call Ep. 2 The Way of the Force or Crusaders of the Force, etc.)

Shadow, you ought to voice your opinion to Lucas about the title. You could influence him if you really wanted. (Source: Ferrin V.) (SuperShadow: I wish I were that important, but I'm just an ILM grunt. I have very, very, very, very little influence on the prequels. I have a little creative freedom with the FX sequences that my team is working on, but only if George agrees to our ideas. This film is going to be 100% George Lucas. Remember, it's not a Lucasfilm/SuperShadow co-production.)

Just wondering why you edited out those RFLMAO's and the jabs and Marc Hedlund (the head of Lucasfilm's internet operations) ... (what ever the h*ll his name is). I'm thinking this Phantom thing is just another joke, similar to "Plot Does Matter." But now that you have changed your message from the one filled with satire to the new one I wonder if you now have proof that this title is for real. (Source: John M) (SuperShadow: I halfway, sort-of, kinda thought it was a joke until I called someone associated with starwars.com on Saturday and they confirmed to me that it was ABSOLUTELY NO JOKE. I also caught some heat for my jabs at Marc so I took down the ROTFLMAO, etc. . . . They don't think I take anything serious and believe DSPR jokes around too much about a production "as serious and monumental as this one" and they threatened to tell the man himself about my poking fun at the title. George himself has stated that he can change this title whenever he wants, but the more we criticize him the more adamanant he will be in keeping the title TPM. You ask why? Well, when George was making the first Star Wars film he was criticized by everybody. His friends and business associates all thought that Star Wars was the dumbest idea in the history of Hollywood. George stuck to his guns, made Star Wars his way (regardless of the criticism) and is now THE richest person in the motion picture business. Who are we to criticize George Lucas? This is the man who created both Star Wars AND Indiana Jones.)

WHAT FREAKIN' STUFF IS THAT GUY ON ???????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I just saw that Whit Stillman film "The Last Days of Disco" where they showed news footage from this 1980 baseball game where they blew up a crate of disco records on the field at half time and the crowd went wild. That is the kind of reaction that title is going to get, man! It sounds like one of the cheesier episodes from Lost in Space or a friggin Ed Wood movie for Chrissake!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR GODS SAKE TALK TO THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Source: Mike D.) (SuperShadow: LOL, that's hilarious! But as I stated above I'm just an ILM peon and who are we to criticize the greatest story teller of our time? [And I'm not just saying that cause I'm scared George will start making me work on weekends :) ])

Knowing that George Lucas is a fan of and, modled star wars after early Sci-Fi serials such as Flash Gordon, it seems to me that the tiltle "The Phantom Menace" is clearly reminicent of a strange Westen/Sci-Fi/Musical serial staring Gene Autry entitled "The Phantom Empire." Note The "empire" in the title. I dont Know what it means but I pesonally Like it. (Source: Zack) (SuperShadow: Phantom Empire does sound cool. I guess I just don't like the word "menace." Anyway, I would bet with 90% certainty that the film will end up being The Phantom ______. Who out there can guess what word George will use to fill in the blank?)

"The Phantom Menace"?!!.........What the h*ll!......that title is horrible, while I'm sure the movie will be great the title does not do it justice!........R5 Wars Chapter 3 will be in tomorrow. (Source: Barry) (SuperShadow: Actually, I'd prefer the title, R5-D4 Wars over TPM . . . I'll post Chapter 3 as soon as you get to me. Thanx, Barry.)

I cannot get into too much detail, but i have a friend who works as an intern at Lucasfilm and she tells me that one day while delivering breakfast, she obtained through some information about the REAL title of the movie. Apparently, it is called "The Inner Force" (Source: Zmudus) (SuperShadow: You're telling me that an LFL intern, making minimum wage, knows the "real title" while someone at ILM (even if I am just a grunt) has never even heard whisper of "The Inner Force." Give me a break, please! George, why has thou foresaken me! ROTFL.)

Do you think this is the real title? On the one hand, I think it fits George's thinking in that it describes the film, but leaves things open and it also sounds very much like a title from an old movie or radio show from the 40's and 50's that he has always had a soft spot in his heart for and helped motivate him to do a space opera like Star Wars.

On the other hand, just giving out a title solves many problems:

1. It keeps the press off his back. (SuperShadow: Good point.)

2. He can use it as a trial balloon to see how the public likes it. (SuperShadow: True.)

and

3. He can benefit financially by revealing the real title later it would protect him from pirated merchandise and he could make a killing by selling stuff with two titles. (SuperShadow: Today, George hinted at the pirated merchandise problem.)

What do you think? Keep up the good work! (Source: Phil-Florida) (SuperShadow: For now, this is the real title. It may change prior to May 21, but I can't guarantee that. I'm not in on the "high-up" Star Wars decisions.)

Shadow, how on earth can you bite the hand that feeds you? If I were you I would be kissing Lucas' butt, your lucky he keeps you hanging around! The title is OK. (Source: Terrence J.) (SuperShadow: Hey, believe me -- I do kiss back-side like its going out of style! .) )

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