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Star Wars Fans 'Use The Fourth' To Celebrate

Today is May 4, unofficially known as Star Wars Day — seemingly for the lone reason that it presents an opportunity for people to tell one another, "May the Fourth be with you." But fans of the George Lucas films are also using the day as an excuse to break out costumes and photos, and generally let their Jedi flag fly.

You can find "full coverage" of the day over at the Star Wars website, which has launched a "microsite" to commemorate May 4. Back in February, the Walt Disney Corp. said it plans to release several new films in the franchise in the coming years, beginning with director J.J. Abrams' Episode VII in 2015.

If you're hankering to dive into the world of Star Wars all over again, you might like to check out the work of Jamie Benning, who has spent years compiling background information and alternative takes into compelling "filmumentaries" based on the original trilogy.

Released under the pseudonym Jambe Davdar, the videos contain "DVD Extra" material such as behind-the-scenes stories and outtakes. But they are decidedly "unofficial," and that means they're routinely deleted from YouTube and other sites. One of them, "Building Empire," is on Vimeo.

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Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.