Star Wars Group Therapy - Share your story, before the first taste of Episode VII

43 years old

Saw Star Wars in the theater in 1977. Dont remember much as I was only 5 years old, and had to wait 6 LONG years for it to come to HBO!

That first time it came on HBO in 1983. I always knew I loved it from 1977, but this was the first time I saw it when I was old enough to enjoy it. The next day after it premiered it snowed and we had off from school and HBO showed it in the morning, afternoon, and at night and I watched it everytime. It solidified my love for the movie and eventually the trilogy when Return of the Jedi came out.

My friends and I will see it opening weekend (not opening night), as we did that for all 3 PT movies.

 

1 - turning 40 this March
2 - I did see ANH in the Theaters, back in the day. But it must be at a re-run around when Empirer came out. I did never see Empire in the theaters but I did see Return with my uncle and cousin when in came out.
3 - I have some many good memories from when I grow up and not just the movies but also toys, read alongs and much more. In my adult life I have been to toy fairs and stuff like that.
4 - I will see at the movie at the opening night with my friends.

 

i really dont know yet if they want me to stay in.

 

It was a brisk November morning. I scurried through the interwebs in search of a nearby theatre that would allow me the greatest chance to see but a glimpse of the 7th Episode… to no avail. Stuck in the Arkansas wilderness, armed only with an iphone and 71% battery…I returned to the normalcies of my life and decided to battle the dark side on my own. Wal Mart. Upon entering, the masses of Black Friday patrons scrambled for discount toasters and DVDs that were teetering on the edge of joining the ranks of Netflix. My girlfriend stood in line awaiting the $100 iPhone 6 in Gold only, because …gold. I trod through the store and searched high and low for something to take my mind off the fact that no theatre would show me the excellence of the TFA teaser. That’s when I began to succumb to the dark side. I decided it was futile and that my only option was to sit on a bench near the Vision Center of Walmart and read Marvel Superhero and Star Wars forums until I had nothing left in me. Suddenly…something in me felt a little different… I randomly went to iTunes to look through trailers. There it was. There was no wait for a theatrical viewing. It was only there awaiting my touch screen primed index finger to tap the acute triangle known only as “play”. I watched…with no one around to share the glory… 88 seconds of a helmetless stormtrooper, a girl in a turban riding a bar of soap, a soccer ball that beeps, and a very skinny stick man lightsaber from the middle ages…then the nostalgic Millenium Falcon appeared, TIE fighters in hot pursuit. I held in my orange juice a little, battled some acid reflux due to the screen twisting…and after seeing some Xwing awesomeness… I had seen it. I felt so fresh, so alive. I bought random DVDs for no reason, like the Star Wars Rebels “Spark of Rebellion” 43 minute Blu Ray that cost me $15 though I knew it was free on my Disney XD app. I bought Maleficent…because Disney. I bought Super 8…because JJ. I bought The Purge: Anarchy…because it was $3. I got a waffle Iron. I even grabbed a small bag of those white chocolate covered honey pretzel sticks…because I didn’t know Rold Gold made those little suckers. I was at peace and my own Force was balanced…my checkbook too after all the purchases. My girlfriend had her new gold iPhone…looked less like a “Hey wake up early as Hell and go to Walmart with me” phone and more like a “C3PO” phone. She agreed then put a cover over it that she also bought…so wait…why wait on a gold colored one then? No matter. I had seen the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer…and awaited a family destruction of Thanksgiving leftovers.
The End

 

1- 21

2- I had really been getting into the Special Editions when I was 5, (unfortunately I have no memory of watching for the first time), so I was hooked early. But seeing TPM it in the theater was something different all together. As a 5 year old I was the perfect demographic, but even still Episode 1 holds a special place in my heart, (My PT views have evolved from my youngling days, but I'll stay on topic for fear of DarthDwight). I would've listed that as my answer for #3, with the ROTS midnight premiere coming in right behind it, but...

3- Star Wars is in a lot of my memories, and as a kid my Dad enabled/facilitated/took part in my love of it, so of course I was all over TFA's teaser upon it's glorious late november arrival, viewing it hundreds of times in the passing weeks. But when I went to see Interstellar with my Dad for my birthday in December, to my great surprise, my theater played the teaser. The same theater I saw TPM in, With the same person I saw it with, with the same shaking excitement I had as kid. The music and the Falcon put a tear in my eye on the big screen.

4- No clue, but I'm sure I'll be with friends gawking like the men-children we are at heart. I'll probably take the 15,16,&17th for some OT loving.

 

I am 44 years old

My first in-theater experience was seeing just "STAR WARS" in 1977 in an iconic theater in my hometown that has since been torn down. I vaguely recall the ridiculously long lines and feeling the buzz even at only 7 years old. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew something BIG was about to happen.

My best memory is probably still the feeling of awe seeing that Star Destroyer enter from overhead at the top of the oversized screen in that theater. There is still really no comparable moment or feeling. In second place was the Christmas morning my younger brother and I each opened a gift containing the full sized Millenneum Falcon for our 3 3/4 inch figures. We WORE. THOSE. TOYS. OUT.

My only plan for Episode VII is to see it alone (since my wife has NO interest) in advance to make sure it will be okay to take my then five year old for his first in theater experience with Star Wars, unless they (hopefully) re-release the OT in theaters beforehand.

Great thread BTW.

 

1. 33
2. Return of the Jedi on a second-run in 1984. Jabba the Hurt scared the piss out of me but once the lightsabers and speeder biked showed up all was well.
3. I worked as a projectionist at the local theater part time while in high school. My theater was behind the times as far as midnight showings went, so the morning of the day Phantom Menace premiered my friends and I cut class and had our own private showing. Not the greatest entry in the saga, but that is always a great memory for me with just five of my friends in an empty theater while the whole town was lined up outside.
4. Possibly a midnight showing, but unlikely. Planning on taking my kids to a mid-morning matinee. I prefer a less crowded theater and those tend to be the empty ones.

 

I am 37 years old.

My first episode in a theater was ESB. I was only 3 so I really don't remember. I do remember seeing ROTJ though. VIVIDLY! I begged my parents every day to take me to see it again and again.

My most memorable Star Wars moment used to be when my parents put up ESB wallpaper in my room! I had so many nights staring at it and having my own adventures with Han and Chewie on the Falcon, and training to become a Jedi on Degobah with Luke and Master Yoda. But now I have to say my all-time favorite Star Wars memories are watching and re-watching all 6 episodes with my 11 year-old son and seeing him just as mesmerized and excited as I was a long time ago...

My plan is to see TFA with my son at a midnight showing in a theater packed with fans geeking out as much as we will surely be!

 

Opening weekend will be a madhouse so I'll stay home I'm sure. But maybe the Tues or Wed after it comes out, I'll most likely see it two or three times. On your #3 item: we saw Star Wars Live with Anthony Daniels hosting. They had a nice display of SW stuff as well.....good stuff outside of the films yo.

 

1-31

2- return of the jedi, when i was a month old. my parents are huge star wars fans, so they had to go see the movie on opening day, but couldn't get a babysitter, so they took me with. they said i sat there staring wide-eyed at the screen the whole movie.

3- meeting my wife at my best friend's,(her cousin's) star wars themed 16th birthday party, she had just moved to town and the only reason she was at at our nerd party was because she didn't know anyone else.; and when i told my daughter, who is as big a fan as her father and grandparents, that princess leia is now considered a disney princess

4- i'll be standing in the 1/2 mile long line, dressed as a jedi, with the rest of the weirdos for the midnight showing and than will most likely watch it 3 or 4 more times,

 

There's a thread for Viewing Parties.

 

I remember that exhibit at the Smithsonian! That used to be insane!

1 - 22 years old
2 - First episode I saw in theatres was Phantom Menace. At the time, I couldn't tell how bad the CGI was in the movie. And I must say it really captivated me as a kid.
3 - Going to FAO Schwartz in Central Park, NYC and seeing the Star Wars display room as a kid. The whole room was constructed like the movies and had some of the craziest Star Wars merchandise out there. You would walk under an AT-AT!!! How cool?
4 - I plan to go to the midnight release with my girlfriend and friends and get decked out in some costume to embarrass my girlfriend!

 

1. 19

2. The Phantom Menace, I believe. I remember it vaguely. I can still see images of Qui-Gon and looking at the poster as I exited the theatre.

3. My Dad's friend making me VHS copies of the original unaltered trilogy. I have fond memories of watching them and thinking Han was a jerk towards Leia. Oh how that has changed. Haha .. Remember being Darth Maul and Darth Vader for Halloween. I also remember and one of the most important experiences is actively having lightsaber fights (I was always Anakin or Luke) with my friends and us creating what has become ideas for my own action adventure through these battles and reenactments. Years have passed and now I am slowly finding the will to write this story through childhood memories and writing something I hope to get a chance to inspire many with.

4. Don't know yet but, I really hope the midnight premiere.

Star Wars means so much to me. It sparks my imagination and gives me hope for a better tomorrow ....

 

But.... Dude, it's fracking Star Wars! What about what you want?

 

I love Star Wars. More than than most things actually lol. I'm not sure if you read my post before the last one, basically i don't know where i will be. either in DC or Oklahoma....but if i had to choose id rather see the new movie with a bunch of super fans over my homies back home because they don't respect Star Wars the way it deserves. to them its just another movie. on the day it comes out i want to be surrounded by people who have as much love for the OT as i do.

 

Its been a while since this thread had some attention, so in hopes of reviving it for our newer members i would like to share a story from a facebook friend of mine.

From Paul

1977!!! I remember that I wanted to see it in a deluxe theater with first-rate Dolby sound. So my not-yet-wife and I traipsed to one of the movie palaces that still existed in Manhattan, the Loews Astor Plaza, one of those huge single movie theaters that don't exist anymore. it was July 1, and this is what I wrote in my movie log at the time: "Tops visually. Stereo sound in city. Flash Gordon, Errol Flynn, comics and westerns all together but top-notch. Music great." But---there was one glitch. Just when they got to the scene where the hologram of Princess Leia explains what is going on--the sound, all glorious surround that it was, went--dead! The movie played on for a few minutes with no sound at all. No marching music, explosions and most of all, no exposition of the plot! Oh well. Eventually it came back and we figured it out, and I've seen the movie several times since..so I guess I know what went on!

great story though unfortunate luck.

 

how could you allow this to happen! lol. i hope you learned your lesson.