We at Flixist know how important it is to send our readers into the weekend on a positive note, so here's a story which we can all get behind in shared nerd delight: courtesy of its recent 3D re-release, Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace has become the eleventh movie to pass the $1bn mark at the global box-office. Don't you just feel so good for George Lucas right now? It's wonderful when a man of such inspiring creative integrity gets a long-deserved break.

The film has reportedly earnt $74.3m since returning to cinemas, putting it only $1.5m from surpassing the global take of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, a movie so lacking in imagination and subtle characterisation it didn't have even a single racist caricature in its supporting cast. As if anyone needed another reason to hand over money to Mr. Lucas, the diminishment of that hack Nolan and his coherent dialogue and exciting narratives is surely it. Make the world a better place by supporting both George Lucas AND 3D by seeing The Phantom Menace this weekend. It's been a difficult year for the 1%, you know?

[via Cinemablend]