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I was there in 1977 man !....??

Astrotoy7

By Astrotoy7
in Yoda’s Swamp

When did you actually see Star Wars(any episode) first !?  

48 members have voted

  1. 1. When did you actually see Star Wars(any episode) first !?

    • I'm an old fart and actually saw it in the thetares in 1977 !
      6
    • I first saw Star Wars it on TV in the 80s !
      7
    • I didn't see Star Wars until the 90s
      30
    • Only after watching Episode I /or II
      4
    • I first saw Star Trek in 1965....um.....oops....sorry....
      1

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txa1265 Newbie

txa1265

Posted
Posted

I was too young to have seen Jaws in '75, so Star Wars was really my first huge movie experience. But I didn't know it at the time.

 

I heard about it, it sounded pretty cool (this was June of '77 - remember it opened slowly and increased screens ... very unlike today - it wasn't until August that it was on 1000 screens).

 

I was 11 and this was the first time that my friends and I got dropped off to see a movie on our own. I don't remember what else would have been out at this point - probably the Bad News Bears or something. Anyway ... June 1977 it came to one theater in our area. We just knew it was cool ... not much else. Stood in line on a Saturday afternoon ... this is when tiickets cost ~$2 or something - maybe less for the matinee! People will tell you the impact of the opening scene ... one ship being pursued - no big deal. Then the Star Destroyer (we didn't know what it was called!) - that thing just kept going and going. Vader enters the room, then chokes the captain ... whew.

 

I wanted a lightsaber. I wanted a blaster. I wanted an XWing. Heck, I wanted a landspeeder!

 

I wanted to see it again. And I did. several times. I estimate that over the course of summer 77 to summer 78 I saw it a dozen or so times (nothing like the kids who had seen it 25 times before school started up in the fall again).

 

Seeing Star Wars multiple times became almost competitive. Like an obsession among kids. You just can't relate in an age when I'm not too worried that my wife and I couldn't get a sitter so we could see RotK - we'll have it on DVD in 6 months, and between large screens and surround sound ...

 

Anyway ... Star Wars in 1977 changed everything - movies, TV, toys, games, video games ... just everything.

 

(BTW - Star Trek didn't come out until '66 - I saw it at some point in the 70's on TV on reruns ... they didn't call it syndication back then. But Star Wars was certainly compared to Star Trek back then.)

 

Mike

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txa1265 Newbie

txa1265

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Originally posted by IG-64

I think I was 7, I saw the 1996 special edition in theatre because my parents said that I would like it, boy were they right :D

That's how my kids have gotten into Star Wars - my oldest was 3.5 when TPM came out on video and they got it for me, and he was 5.5 and my younger son was 4 when AotC came out. Boy do they love the series now. My wife is out of town and we're having a 'movie fest' ... we'll have some Spy Kids, some superheros, and some Star Wars ...

 

Mike

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Neverhoodian Newbie

Neverhoodian

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I first saw Star Wars when I was about 7. We rented ANH. It was about 1994 or so.

 

originally posted by IG-64

I've never seen the original versions of the films.

 

You're probably lucky. You won't find yourself comparing the two versions like I sometimes do. Hmmmmmm...better space scenes or Han shooting first? Decisions, decisions.

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txa1265 Newbie

txa1265

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Originally posted by ExcelsioN

I wasn't born until 1990, so Star Wars is older than me. :)

I have a comfy LL Bean sweater that's older than you ... ;)

 

My younger son who just turned 6 thinks ANH is boring. AotC is his fave - he loves Anakin. He's very concerned about watching him turn to the dark side in EpIII.

 

Mike

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leXX Newbie

leXX

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I'm an old fart. I saw ANH in the cinema aged 6 years old. First thing I said to my mum when we got out of the cinema was "I want a lightsaber!". I played with Star Wars toys all through my childhood, and I remember my favourite toy was my Biker Scout and Bike. :)

 

Here are what's left of those much played with toys: (Vader and R2D2 are dated 1977 and the rest are 1980-85. The duplicates are my brothers, as my mum bought 2 of everything to stop us fighting.)

 

lexxswtoys.jpg

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Astrotoy7 Newbie

Astrotoy7

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Originally posted by IG-64

Nice story there, txa. :thumbsup:

 

yes. this post was almost designed just so I could get the likes of Mike and Lexx to tell us their '77 story..... :) Im often just amazed that the whole SW phenomenon started way back in 77! (when i was 2!!) Its excellent that something can still hold such mass appeal after such a long time(cinematically speaking of course)...

 

I often hear from many ppl who arent SW fans at all describing how they were amazed by the experience in '77. The only thing I think that is comparable for us that were too young to have seen SW back then, is the LOTR cinematic experience of course. 30 years and onwards from now we'll be tellin other youngsters how "we were there" ! in 2003 when ROTK came out.

 

With LOTR there is a slight difference though, as the books of course are 50 years old, so the characters and places etc were already in many ppls minds, long befor the films. SW was something new, new characters, locations etc.....so I think GL did a fine job capturing the hearts and minds of cinema goers back then....

 

MTFBWYA

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•-BLaCKouT-• Newbie

•-BLaCKouT-•

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Originally posted by Astrotoy7

yes. this post was almost designed just so I could get the likes of Mike and Lexx to tell us their '77 story..... :)

Oh right, the story, yeah :p

 

I think only the Brits may get the TV reference here, but here goes...

 

Back in 1977, Chris Kelly (later to host Food & Drink) used to present a Movie review programme called Clapperboard. I was at my grandparents house one Sunday afternoon and they showed a clip of the two droids walking through the desert.

Now bear in mind that this wasn't the lightsabers. It wasn't the aliens in the Cantina. It wasn't the trench run on DS1. It was two robots, bickering in the desert and I was instantly entranced! I remember saying at that moment "I want to see that film!" and getting the standard "Yes, alright Ian :rolleyes:" in return.

However, I persisted, and my best friend at the time also got into it, which helped my case. Movies, toys and sticker albums followed, and the rest, my friends, is history.

I was a geek. I am a geek. I will continue to be a geek. :xp:

 

 

Would anyone have believed at the time how big that film would still have been 27 years later? It's bizarre really :p

 

B.

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txa1265 Newbie

txa1265

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Posted
Originally posted by Astrotoy7

The only thing I think that is comparable for us that were too young to have seen SW back then, is the LOTR cinematic experience of course. 30 years and onwards from now we'll be tellin other youngsters how "we were there" ! in 2003 when ROTK came out.

Not to p*ss on the LOTR, which I love - but there is just plain nothing in the past 20 years of cinema that can compare with the impact of Star Wars.

 

It is not about whether or not movies are better or worse - it is about the era-altering experience. LotR is a great cinematic acheivement, no doubt, and it will have a major impact on the way films are made for years to come. But that's about it.

 

Star Wars, as I say, changed everything.

 

Mike

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