By Kathryn Skelton,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Two hundred-plus fans, 20 minutes to showtime. No one knew how much Chewbacca’s costume weighed.

Number of people on the Jedi Council? Easy.

“Twelve!” shouted a man in the back of Theater 10. “Hey, about time this stuff’s paid off.”

More than 460 people bought every ticket for two midnight screenings of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” at Flagship Cinemas Thursday. Some were punchy from the hour and anticipation of the last film in the epic adventure.

Assistant Manager Diane Harriman entertained the waiting crowd in one theater by shouting trivia questions.

Her staff popped popcorn all day to be ready, and even as she worked the last details for the very first screening, Harriman was prepared for a busy weekend.

“It’s going to be crazy; we’re expecting mad business,” she said. “Yesterday (Wednesday) we made more money in advance sales than regular business.”

First in line Wednesday night: Matt Davis and Catherine Rak from Jefferson, N.H.

The couple said they couldn’t find a sizable movie theater closer to home. By 7 p.m., they were sitting in their truck in the parking lot, listening to “Star Wars” music on an iPod, watching traffic and waiting for someone to make a move for the door.

They finally stood outside in the rain, under cover of an awning, at 8 p.m. and started the line.

“I’ve never been beaten in Star Wars’ Trivial Pursuit by anyone,” said Davis, 31. He returned from a year in Iraq with the New Hampshire National Guard in March and said he was elated when he learned overseas that he wouldn’t miss opening night.

“I’m a fan, but not like him,” said Rak, his fiancee.

“You will be a fan,” he laughed, trying the ol’ Jedi mind trick.

Seth Chabot of Auburn was among a group of 10 co-workers at CitiStreet who decided last Friday, payday, to buy advance tickets for the early, early show.

They’d all promised to show up to work on time in the morning.

“We’ve been threatened to within an inch of our lives by our managers,” Chabot said. At work, where he gives advice on 401(k) accounts, he said he’s decorated his desk with “Star Wars” knickknacks like Darth Tater (a new Darth Vader-Mr. Potato Head cross) and the Jabba the Hutt water squirter from Burger King.

Joseph Graham of Lewiston had a friend spend 90 minutes applying black and red Halloween paint to his face to look like Darth Maul before coming out to the movie. He lamented his lack of horns – couldn’t find any on short notice.

“I got action figures everywhere. I’ve been collecting for years. I’ve been waiting for this to end. I love Star Wars,'” Graham said.

His review, after the two-hour-plus film: “I loved that movie with all my heart. I’m happy.”

Although the film opened and closed to audience applause, that sentiment wasn’t unanimous.

“We were grousing a bit,” Dustin Drury said after the movie, chatting with friends in the parking lot at 2:30 a.m.

He and John Mulligan, both Bates seniors this fall, said they were disappointed. It left some holes, like – minor spoiler – how Princess Leia could claim to remember her mother in the original trilogy when it’s revealed in this movie that she is raised by someone else.

“How’s that explained?” asked Mulligan, adding, “I’m still going to say this is the best of the three in the new trilogy.”

And Chewbacca’s costume: eight pounds.