May 25th is the 40th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars. I'm thinking about doing something to mark the occasion, although I really don't have any ideas, yet...
Star Wars really did have an inordinately profound effect on my life.
I was the perfect age of 11, when I saw Star Wars, in 1977. I had been a Science-Fiction lover literally all of my life, starting with watching the first series of Star Trek, on my dad's lap. So it's pretty easy to see how something like Star Wars, would inspire my imagination, like nothing before.
Empire Strikes Back was pretty wonderful too. But by the time Return of the Jedi came out, I had a girlfriend, and a severe case of Christianity. So I didn't see that one until later.
Prequels were disappointing, but not so much as others seem to have found them. Rogue One seemed to me to recapture the flavor.
Maybe, on the 25th, I'll try to get a few people together, and watch Rogue One, butted up against the beginning of Star Wars.
I was 21, going to see if with my BMF. Got off to a bad start ... we went to supper after we got our tickets (the line was horribly long but we got there early, only had to wait an hour in line). There was a seafood restaurant nearby (don't tell Admiral Akbar). My friend had clams, but they were full of sand, his teeth made grinding noises ... I was ugly enough to laugh at his bad luck, but he tried to persevere rather than sending it back. My dinner was OK. We were both bowled over when we saw it, not long after opening day. It was so good, he convinced me to sneak around and see it a second time, right afterward, without paying for another ticket. Only time I ever did that.
In 1977 I was in my eight year in the USN, and just returning from a three year tour in Europe. My BIL picked me up at the airport and took me straight to a theater. We stood in line for half an hour waiting for seating (this was a "one out/one in" theater, so we came in in the middle.) I was duly impressed with it. First space oater that was horribly stupid.
I was 15 and saw Star Wars the first time with my brother (12) and sister (11). I thought it was great, but it didn't have the impact on me it did on them. The two of them would see the movie in the theater about a dozen times that summer. When Rouge One came out the three of us went to see it together. It was our Star Wars 40th anniversary celebration.
The summer of 77 I read the Lord of the Rings for the first couple of times. That had more of an impact on me than seeing Star Wars. Reading LOTR led to a nearly total switch in my reading habits from science fiction to fantasy for the next few years.
Star Wars was the first sci-fi movie I ever saw.
I was too young to understand almost anything about it, but the one thing I remember with crystal clarity was the jump to hyperspace. The idea of traveling to another planet in the blink of an eye blew my little mind.
The impact was wide-spread. I saw previews for Star Wars in a tiny little theater on the slopes of Mt. Etna. I remember seeing a spaceship and thinking "That's a big ship!" and then a star destroyer hove into view. When I got the chance I called my BIL and asked if was playing in the States. He laughed way too much.
I may watch the original Episode IV (which confused the hell out of me when I saw that go scrolling up the screen, I wondered how I'd missed the previous three movies not knowing they hadn't been made yet).
I loved it, but let's be honest, it's not really science fiction. You could tell that exact same story in almost any other setting -- although I'm an old SF nerd whose first movie was '2001: A Space Odyssey' in Cinerama when I was three or four, so I'm known to be damaged goods. :D
Quote from: trdsf on May 17, 2017, 03:30:34 PM
I may watch the original Episode IV (which confused the hell out of me when I saw that go scrolling up the screen, I wondered how I'd missed the previous three movies not knowing they hadn't been made yet).
I loved it, but let's be honest, it's not really science fiction. You could tell that exact same story in almost any other setting -- although I'm an old SF nerd whose first movie was '2001: A Space Odyssey' in Cinerama when I was three or four, so I'm known to be damaged goods. :D
It's often said that there are only seven (or is it five? (or is it nine? (or is it six?))) plots.
The only one of the series I ever saw in theaters was Jedi. I was too young for the first two films, the prequels didn't have the best reputation, and I was done with the franchise by the latest film.
I was too young to see any of the original trilogy in theaters, but I've bought tickets to every Star Wars movie since. It paid off eventually.
Quote from: Hydra009 on May 17, 2017, 10:06:17 PM
I was too young to see any of the original trilogy in theaters, but I've bought tickets to every Star Wars movie since. It paid off eventually.
Paid off? You were gambling on if the Jedi won or not?
In 1976, I was more or less the "teachers pet," in my 5th grade class. Early in the year, she showed me a book, that her husband had just bought: the Starfleet Technical Manual.
(http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/startrek/images/8/8e/Star_fleet_technical_manual.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20060326155447)
So I remember 1976, as my first real in-depth interest in Star Trek.
But very near the end of that school-year, I bought a paperback, that had this awesome Ralph Mcquarrie cover:
(http://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/01/01-SW-Cover.jpg)
I confess, I only read the first few pages. But on the back cover, was a profound statement, that would change cinema forever: "Soon to be a spectacular motion picture from 20th Century Fox..."
It was a considerable time later, that I was in a drug store, with my mom and my sister. On the comic-book rack was the first-issue of the Marvel Star Wars comic-book.
(https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/5/58/Mswc1cover.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130921231532)
I said, "Mom! That comic-book is from a book, that I have!"
My sister made a big fuss, about me always getting whatever I asked for, and for some reason, my mom caved, and wouldn't buy it for me. It was 30 cents.
It was 1977. I was 27 and the eldest of 4 children. I brought my youngest sister (11) to the movie (with parental permission, of course). I liked it, she LOVED it. I'm not sure if it was the movie or that she got to ride in my fancy used Monte Carlo Coupe and go to a movie with me, but who cares?
The beginning, with the fading overlay words, was great. Her eyes were saucer-wide the whole movie. She was Princess Leia. I think she ate the entire bowl of popcorn herself. She glowed coming out of the movie theater. I think she remembered that her entire life.
Maybe the best thing I ever did...