What Was It Like First Watching It?

[High Lord Tolkien]

I was 9 and it was the first PG movie I was allowed to see much to the distress of my older siblings who always thought that I was spoiled because THEY didn't get to see PG movies until they were teenagers.
Hahaha... suckers!

I remember that the theatre was full.
I remember the excitement.
I remember the awe I felt with the Star cruiser coming down the screen and the sound of the engines.
I remember the music that thrilled me.
I remember the smell of the popcorn (I'm not kidding. Popcorn now reminds me of StarWars)
I remember wondering if the Empire was the Earth of the future or someplace else.
I remember thinking that lightsabers MUST be real and that I wanted one.
I remember that stupid song from the bar, it's playing in my head right now!
I remember shoplifting SW toys from a Zayers department store.
I remember thinking that I could fly the M Falcon better than H Solo.
I remember, after the movie, trying unsuccesfully to move objects with my mind using the force.
I remember chess being extremely BORING after the movie too.

It was really amazing.
No other movie has ever come close to hitting me as much as this one did.

I liked all the other SW movies too.
I'm not a big fan of Han Solo though (he was too much of a comic relief.
I always wanted to see what Luke was doing.
Luke had my main focus.
I remember thinking in Return that Solo's/Ewoks parts could be deleted and I'd be happy.

Phantom Menace was cool too.
I like it all I guess.

[Savor Dam]

Was 19 in spring of 1977. Saw SW:ANH on opening night in Seattle at the old Cinerama. Lines like others have described. Ended up sitting in the last available seat, extreme left end of the front row. Great movie. Next one was a little better, although it was not New anymore...and it has all been downhill from there.

Yes, I remember the original claims that there would be nine films in the cycle. Awaiting with a mix of optimism and trepidation to see what the House of Mouse does.

[Cornaquious]

15 going on 16. I saw it at least twice a week from June 18th until school started.

Do you believe in love at first sight? I remember my first glimpse of the trailer almost as much as the first time I saw Star Wars. Christmas of 1976. The Star Wars ("Coming to your galaxy this summer!") trailer was attached to Silver Streak.

I remember the next six months feeling like the longest 6 months of my life. I remember at the end of May that Time and Newsweek magazines were proclaiming Star Wars as the best picture of the year.

I remember the agony of having to wait until the middle of June before I could see the movie, along with the horrible realization I may have to wait another week because I wouldn't be able to get my driver's license until a week after it opened in Iowa - Thank God for older friends!

I remember standing in line for over an hour before being able to purchase my ticket seconds after the doors closed on the start of the early showing. Then waiting in the lobby for the duration of the previous show.

I remember that once I had my driver's license that I took as many "girl friends" as I could find and a few girls that didn't even know they were my girlfriends. When girl friends weren't available I took each of my 3 brothers and cousins to see it, one-at-a-time!

I remember my favorite "girlfriend's" laugh when the alien's head poped on the screen at the beginning of the cantina scene. No clue at the time that she would later become my wife (28 years and counting).

Ah! Sweet times!

THEN I remember earlier this year when my wife and I watched all six films with our exchange student. He assured us that he had seen, "at least parts of the original trilogy." When we got to the end of RotJ the startled exchange student gasped and proclaimed, "WAIT! What? You mean she has TWINS?!?!" Yes! I had indeed found that rarest of all gifts. 36 years after the opening of one of the most widely seen movies of all time. A Star Wars virgin.

[Savor Dam]

I remember earlier this year when my wife and I watched all six films with our exchange student. He assured us that he had seen, "at least parts of the original trilogy." When we got to the end of RotJ the startled exchange student gasped and proclaimed, "WAIT! What? You mean she has TWINS?!?!" Yes! I had indeed found that rarest of all gifts. 36 years after the opening of one of the most widely seen movies of all time. A Star Wars virgin.

The end of RotJ...or of RotS?

Either way, it is wonderful to have you back, Cornaquious. May you thrive here and continue to contribute.

[Zarathustra]

Ha, even better the 2nd time, Cornaquious.

I was only 5 when SW first came out. My memories of seeing the movie itself are vague, but the excitement surrounding it was unforgettable. I remember a trailer coming on TV while my parents had friends over. All of a sudden, the adults were very excited, so I stopped playing to see what was going on. I remember seeing Tie Fighters and a space battle, and it seems like we all jumped in the car and went right away to the theater, but I'm not sure if that's how it happened, or if my memory has compressed those into consecutive events. My memories of the movie are all C3PO, R2D2, and the Cantina scene. A lot of talking that I didn't understand, and wonderful music.

However, it was after the movie was over that I realized what a big deal it was. The world had changed overnight. For kids, that summer was a Star Wars summer. We lived and breathed every moment of the movie with toys, cards, and even paper mache Death Stars. I lived in an apartment complex, and every kid I knew was obsessed with this movie. Between us, we had it all: toys, figures, ships, necklaces, socks, T-shirts, and those horrible light sabers that were nothing more than inflatable tubes you attach to your flashlight (about as useful for a saber battle as a limp d*** is for screwing, but we were young and had no idea that such comparisons were even possible ).

It was all so magical and wonderful until my Christian fundamentalist parents heard a rumor that Lucas got the idea in a seance. After that, they made us throw away all our SW toys. I never saw another SW movie until many years later. For one of my most favorite things to be arbitrarily declared "Evil," to be cut-off from a communal sharing of joy with my friends, to learn about, "Luke, I am your father!" second-hand ... it's one of my formative atheist moments.

[Cagliostro]

I must have been 7 when I saw it. I wasn't immediately blown away. I remember my eldest sister being pretty excited and bought the soundtrack that came with a t-shirt (that I still have). But I remember leaving the theater not really sure what to think about it. Then some kids in school said that it was the coolest thing ever, and I feigned excitement as well, but then came to love it. I was known as "The Star Wars Freak" for a little while in school. I bought up everything I was able, and even worked a job for $1 an hour handing out flyers to buy more action figures. And I got the Story of Star Wars album at some point to re-enact the movie with the figures.
When Empire came out, I started reading the book. I ran out of time before seeing the movie to finish the book, and was just about at the point where Luke and Darth Vader start the lightsabre duel when I saw it. I knew they fought, but didn't get to the classic declaration from Darth Vader. I remember having to restrain myself from standing up and yelling, "no...that can't be true."
When Return of the Jedi came out, I didn't go see it right away, so I had things spoiled for me, such as that Darth was indeed Luke's father, which I was disappointed with, and that Leia was Luke's sister, which pretty much broke my fan worship of Star Wars. At that point, it became a soap opera, and I didn't really care much anymore. I honestly didn't mind the Ewoks. For me, they were a brighter spot in the movie than the overuse of Muppetry at the beginning and that Harrison Ford was phoning in his performance. And that Boba Fett died like a bitch (to quote Samuel L Jackson). And that Luke didn't go back to Dagobah to continue his training. Instead he just went back to watch Yoda die. It just seemed like they took so much of what was awesome about the first two and cheesed it up and made it dumb.
So much of the movies were the mood in the first two, and something that was pretty much missing from any of the subsequent movies, with some minor exceptions.

[SoulBiter]

I was 14 when this came out... I remember that I watched it, and that I loved it... other than that I have dim recollections of this..


I remember watching planet of the Apes and Hang em High in 68 (ish)
I remember watching Grease when it came out a year later.
I remember Willy Wonka distinctly in 71
Heck, I have more memories from a few years before that watching Godzilla and the Smog monster and I would have only been about 9 or 10 then.
I remember everything about watching Star Trek the Motion Picture in 79

Funny.... how memories are.

[Rawedge Rim]

I was 14 when this came out... I remember that I watched it, and that I loved it... other than that I have dim recollections of this..


I remember watching planet of the Apes and Hang em High in 68 (ish)
I remember watching Grease when it came out a year later.
I remember Willy Wonka distinctly in 71
Heck, I have more memories from a few years before that watching Godzilla and the Smog monster and I would have only been about 9 or 10 then.
I remember everything about watching Star Trek the Motion Picture in 79

Funny.... how memories are.

Grease came out about 10 years laters

Other than that I was and am still with you. Course I remember Star Wars a bit more clearly than that.

Apes and Hang'em...... drive in.

[SoulBiter]

I was 14 when this came out... I remember that I watched it, and that I loved it... other than that I have dim recollections of this..


I remember watching planet of the Apes and Hang em High in 68 (ish)
I remember watching Grease when it came out a year later.
I remember Willy Wonka distinctly in 71
Heck, I have more memories from a few years before that watching Godzilla and the Smog monster and I would have only been about 9 or 10 then.
I remember everything about watching Star Trek the Motion Picture in 79

Funny.... how memories are.

Grease came out about 10 years laters

When I wrote that I should have been more clear. So not the year after Apes and Hang em, but a year after Star Wars.

Other than that I was and am still with you. Course I remember Star Wars a bit more clearly than that.

Apes and Hang'em...... drive in.

Loved those 2 for ones at the drive in!!

[Cail]

Loved those 2 for ones at the drive in!!

I miss the drive in. We've got one about 70 miles north of us we keep talking about doing an overnight to.....

Maybe this spring.

[ItisWritten]

There was an episode of That 70's Show, when the gang went to see Star Wars for the first time. Picture me as Kelso.

[sgt.null]

I really miss drive-ins.

saw all the first Star Wars trilogy at the theater, loved them. remember liking Empire the best.

[JIkj fjds j]

Empire was the first one I saw.

I remember the opening scenes, watching Han on his tauntaun and thinking to myself - it's a plastic toy on an animated Harryhausen thingamy! what I'm doing here!!!
Then, when Han gets spotted by the jet fighter and the music kicks in, dintindintin dintindintin, and we get to see this from the inside of the cockpit - wow. From then on the movie got better and better and better.

[sgt.null]

I can remember as a kid wanting more of the cool characters like Boba Fett and the other bounty hunters. and hating the Ewoks.

[SoulBiter]

Loved those 2 for ones at the drive in!!

I miss the drive in. We've got one about 70 miles north of us we keep talking about doing an overnight to.....

Maybe this spring.

Did you ever make it to the drive in?

Nothing beats the drive in...regardless if the speaker was that big thing you hung in the window or weather it came over your radio. There is something about getting together with your friends or having a date and sitting in the comfort of your car and watching that extremely large screen in front of you. Kids are really missing out these days.

[Cail]

Loved those 2 for ones at the drive in!!

I miss the drive in. We've got one about 70 miles north of us we keep talking about doing an overnight to.....

Maybe this spring.

Did you ever make it to the drive in?

Nothing beats the drive in...regardless if the speaker was that big thing you hung in the window or weather it came over your radio. There is something about getting together with your friends or having a date and sitting in the comfort of your car and watching that extremely large screen in front of you. Kids are really missing out these days.

No, with the career change and everything, I didn't get out much this summer. Next year.

[SantaKlavis]

I admired all moments. Especially the part which came out the first. this has been invested an enormous amount of labor and effort. Each detail is was created with love and the desire to make this film interesting. I like it so much just for the painstaking work on it.. <3

[dANdeLION]

I was 12. My family vacation started 2 days before the school year ended, and I had to stay for 7th grade finals. So, my family went to Texas , and I stayed with my aunt. I am a comic collector, and had bought Star Wars #1, but didn't really understand that the words"Official Movie Adaptation" meant that there was a new movie coming out; I assumed it had already come out, and it was probably crap like most Sci-fi was back then. Anyway, my aunt took me to a comic store and I got Star Wars #2, and several other comics. So, there I was in her living room reading SW #2 with the TV on, when I looked up to see the Star Wars commercial. I went 110% ape shit! I was yelling her name, pointing at my comic and yelling" THIS IS A MOVIE! we have to go see it!! " She took me to the next showing (probably the first showing; hardly anybody was there), and it was awesome. My aunt and I still talk about it.

[aTOMiC]

I was 12. My family vacation started 2 days before the school year ended, and I had to stay for 7th grade finals. So, my family went to Texas , and I stayed with my aunt. I am a comic collector, and had bought Star Wars #1, but didn't really understand that the words"Official Movie Adaptation" meant that there was a new movie coming out; I assumed it had already come out, and it was probably crap like most Sci-fi was back then. Anyway, my aunt took me to a comic store and I got Star Wars #2, and several other comics. So, there I was in her living room reading SW #2 with the TV on, when I looked up to see the Star Wars commercial. I went 110% ape shit! I was yelling her name, pointing at my comic and yelling" THIS IS A MOVIE! we have to go see it!! " She took me to the next showing (probably the first showing; hardly anybody was there), and it was awesome. My aunt and I still talk about it.

I remember Dan coming back home and telling me about it. I thought it sounded cool however nothing he could say prepared me for what I experienced when I finally got to the theater. I was absolutely gobsmacked.

[Avatar]

Ah, nostalgia.

I was 1 month old when it was released.

--A