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When did you first see the original Star Wars?

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  • 24-11-2009 12:31pm
    #1
    johnnyivan
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭


    Hi All,
    Less specific question this time:
    When did you first see the original Star Wars? - and where?

    I saw it in the small Dara Cinema in Naas Co.Kildare, I think around December 1977. My dad drove me in and it was my first solo trip to the cinema, aged 9.

    "Why don't you come in too dad, it's supposed to be brilliant."
    "Nah, I'll just wait for it to come on the telly."

    I think he went off for a walk along the local canal and when he came back I was probably a changed boy. I got home, grabbed paper and pencils and quickly drew everything I remembered from it. A childhood obsession was born. I didn't see it agian until the re-release in 1981 - I think it was.
    Tagged:


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    #2
    smooch71
    Registered Users Posts: 1,096 ✭✭✭smooch71


    I saw it in the Adelphi (I think) in 1977.

    I was 5 years old and it was my friend's birthday party. People always talk now about the effect seeing the Star Destroyer had on them for the first time but I think I was too young to appreciate it. I kind of wish I had been older.

    But in spite of that, it triggered a life long obsession with Star Wars that's showing no signs of abaiting.

    The next time I saw it in the flicks was in the Metropole in 1984 when they showed all three movies back to back. And most recently was in the UCI for the remastered version in 1997.


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    #3
    johnnyivan
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭johnnyivan


    Hi Smooch, nice to hear from you.

    The Adelphi, that would have been a reasonably good venue for the time in Ireland. The Savoy would have been amazing. Yep, when the destroyer flew in overhead it was mind-blasting. I still even get goose-bumps thinking of the 20th C Fox logo and music coming up full blast.


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    #4
    stone roses
    Registered Users Posts: 423 ✭✭stone roses


    adelphi 1978 now your bring me back!

    i was 6 with me brothers! well i can tell ya when i seen the destroyer on the sceen i near **** meself with fright and joy!!

    i was hooked! when i got home i remember saying "ma i want star wars for xmas"

    toys didnt come out till 78 i got them and that was that!
    i was in me element

    so many years later house , wife , kids , i now have my toys up safe
    and the memorys of a time when i had no worries or cares, a time when all that seem to matter was star wars, star wars, star wars! great days :-)


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    #5
    johnnyivan
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭johnnyivan


    So it was before Xmas '77. I knew it.

    You were only 6! Must have been quite something. Yes, I can't believe that I had to wait a whole year 'til Xmas '08 to get my three Star Wars figures. During '78 I converted a 'Maskatron' (from $6 Million Dollar Man) into Han Solo in desperation, read the comics and started drawing a comic adaptation of my own. Which I completed and still have - happily!

    I said to my best friend "My New Year's resolution is to be even madder about Star Wars next year then I am now." With that, we made a solemn pact.


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    #6
    irishthump
    Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭irishthump


    johnnyivan wrote: »
    So it was before Xmas '77. I knew it.

    You were only 6! Must have been quite something. Yes, I can't believe that I had to wait a whole year 'til Xmas '08 to get my three Star Wars figures. During '78 I converted a 'Maskatron' (from $6 Million Dollar Man) into Han Solo in desperation, read the comics and started drawing a comic adaptation of my own. Which I completed and still have - happily!

    I said to my best friend "My New Year's resolution is to be even madder about Star Wars next year then I am now." With that, we made a solemn pact.

    Believe it or not I was only 4! My Dad brought me to see it as he had "heard it was really good", which I now realise was Parent-Speak for "I really want to see this movie, and YOU'RE my excuse for going to see it!" The first time I had to be removed for the cinema as soon as Darth Vader appeared. I imagine he's a frighteneing image for a 4 year old!
    After a week or two I had calmed down sufficiently to be taken to see it again. (My old man was pretty p*ssed off at missing it the first time!).
    Apparently after that (full) viewing I did'nt stop talking about until... well actually, I've never stopped talking about it to be honest!

    Did'nt see it again until it was shown on TV years later. Being a bit older the movie seemed different as there were lots of details that had gone over my head, but it's impact was not lessened one bit.


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    #7
    johnnyivan
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭johnnyivan


    Hi Thump!
    That's a great story. Yes, I can imagine your dad using that excuse alright - I'm guilty of it myself.

    So you left within 5 minutes?

    The first time I went the pictures was in England. My big sister brought me to Jungle Book. Some kid ran down the central-aisle with an ice lolly, it slapped into the back of my 4 year-old neck and ran down my back. She brought me outside crying: she was furious! Apparently I never wanted to go again after that!


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    #8
    irishthump
    Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭irishthump


    johnnyivan wrote: »
    So you left within 5 minutes?

    Pretty much...

    As soon as Vader set foot on the Tantive IV, that was it!

    Like I said though. I had calmed down eoungh after a week to watch the whole thing.


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    #9
    johnnyivan
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭johnnyivan


    Hey Thump!
    Good thing it didn't look like THIS when you went to see it first:

    Star Wars age 9

    Not for the squeamish!


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    #10
    Little Alex
    Registered Users Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭Little Alex


    It was so long ago that I can't remember...

    ... but I do know that I had A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi on VHS in 1983... my God, those tapes were worn thin from watching. :)


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    #11
    robby^5
    Registered Users Posts: 1,969 ✭✭✭robby^5


    Saw Empire when I was like 4 or 5 on TV, scared the crap out of me so I never watched the rest. I then saw all three of the special edition films in 1997, my fondest cinema experiences to date. The whole cinema was decked out with Star Wars posters, was literally obsessed with the films for the next few years.

    My dad always wrecks my head telling me the story of when he first saw the star wars. It was the first week of its release in '77 and he was in Canada at the time, saw it in a brand new state of the art cinema. He came home wearing a "may the force be with you" badge, preaching about how this was the next big thing in cinema...to which he received blank stares and some puzzled looks as it wasnt out here yet.


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    #12
    bonerm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,595 ✭✭✭bonerm


    October 23rd 1982. Yeah I'm weird for knowing that , lol!

    It was on ITV (apparently it was the Irish tv premiere of it). I had never heard of the movies and had no desire to watch it, but the ma told me to sit down and watch it. The rest is history!

    Thanks ma. :)


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    #13
    DazMarz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,493 ✭✭✭DazMarz


    I was about 6 or so. My cousins showed me the original films on VHS.

    I was 8 years old the summer the Special Edition was released in 1997.

    Such epic movies, my fragile child mind was completely blown away!


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    #14
    horizon26
    Closed Accounts Posts: 174 ✭✭horizon26


    I saw it in Sutton in England in 197* can't remember the year.A neighbour took us there.We arrived late and missed the first 20 mins or so.

    In the old day's you could wait until the end and it would start again.We stayed and watched the start again I was about 10 I think.It was very confusing when you miss the start,and you are 10 years old.

    Hang on it was not that confusing,I remembered when Ben kenobe choped off someon'e arm.I thought it was gross at the time.:P


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    #15
    mikhail
    Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    I first saw it when it was rereleased in 1997. I was about 14. I was already a fan though, having read and loved Timothy Zahn's trilogy of sequels beforehand. We were late and had to sit in the front row, but that seemed to work out fine for me - that giant screen seemed the right place to watch the X-wings race down the trench run on the Death Star.

    I think I'd seen a few scenes on TV as a small child. I have a dim recollection seeing some scenes from the jailbreak of Princess Leia, but being young and knowning no better, I found something shiny to play with and saw no more.


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