From the Associated Press:

Before heading to class, University of Washington history student Jacob Kenagy sets his VCR to record commercials - yes, commercials - in hopes of finding a new ad for "Star Wars." He transfers any that he finds to computer video files, which he posts online for other fans to see.

He's one of a galaxy of "Star Wars" aficionados who circulate, discuss and dissect any tidbits they can glean on "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," which opens next Thursday.

The Internet has truly changed the moviegoing experience, making it much harder for filmmakers to surprise moviegoers the way "Star Wars" creator George Lucas did back when Darth Vader revealed he was Luke Skywalker's father in "The Empire Strikes Back."

Spoiler sites have become the norm for science fiction and fantasy films with passionate fans, among them "The Lord of the Rings" and "Spider-Man." But for studios, the Internet's promotional value can also be priceless. Online buzz helped propel "The Blair Witch Project" into a surprise success; it also boosted television's "Survivor."

Lucas has selected photos each week from his upcoming movie to post on the Internet. "There's a big party on the message boards," Kenagy said. "People would just log on and analyze each picture."

Lucasfilm Ltd. has created HoloNetNews.com, a fake news site reporting from the perspective of a galaxy far, far away. The movies' main site, StarWars.com, was launched in 1996 and has theatrical trailers, short documentaries, collectibles, and details on spaceships and characters.

Deciding what to reveal is a delicate question, said Jim Ward, vice president of marketing at Lucasfilm. "We have a certain number of fans who want to know everything and a certain number who don't," Ward said. "We dole out information very sparingly to give them just enough to keep them interested but not enough to ruin the experience."

Unofficial fan sites are a different matter. Snippets of dialogue from "Attack of the Clones" have already leaked, and fans assembled them like a jigsaw puzzle into a working script. Harry Knowles at the "Ain't It Cool" site posted a review of what he claims is an early cut of the movie. Songs from the soundtrack have circulated.

Fans also got early conceptual drawings and photos from spies on the set and at manufacturers of "Star Wars" merchandise, said Gary Demirdjian, 32, an aspiring filmmaker who frequently posts as "Lord Mauly Mall" at TheForce.net.

Some Web sites coordinated the fans who lined up for weeks before tickets went on sale last Friday. At one site, visitors who find Jar Jar Binks annoying can electronically punch the character.

Hit the link above for more and thanks to Greg for the alert.