I agree about that opening scene with the Star Cruiser. When my wife and I saw it in the theater on it's opening weekend in 1977, I always remember my wife saying, out loud at that opening scene "Oh My!"
America was in a bad financial crisis and Vietnam was over a couple of years already. America needed something to energize it. Star Wars did just that, there was nothing like it at the time. Most of America was blown away by what they viewed on the movie screen 1977-1978 when Star Wars began its dominance. I myself was completely immersed in the spectacle that become the Star Wars phenomenon. Star Wars took America out of its then current slump and gave Americans something to be happy about it.
I saw it twice in '77 and thought it was very fun! But a few years later could not remember what happened in the film, only some characters were memorable. So for me it just did not stick as a concept I wanted to spend more money on. But the original film did not feel like a waste of time or money at that time. I've never watched it on home video in any format. I feel like I have been there and done that. Then again, I have not watched many films again that I enjoyed once. I rarely go back to films a second time unless they have deeper plots, and richer acting, or more depth to the characters, and that means not a Star wars type of film, nor Indiana Jones which was also enjoyable, thrillingly fun, but I don't need to see it again really.
I went with a friend and his dad. We waited in line as people from the last showing exited the theater and the excitement from everyone who had just seen it was something I'd never seen before. A man walked up to my friend's dad and said one word to him. I can't remember it but it was something like "fantastic". But my small town theater? Ugh. As usual we watched Star Wars like everyone other blockbuster: with distorted audio coming out of one ancient monophonic speaker behind the screen and the edges of the widescreen image projected onto the curtains next to the screen. And that was the better theater in town! People talk about the luxury of seeing movies in the theater but I mostly remember people struggling to understand the dialog. I would bet a lot of America had theaters like this back then.
I've read that while making it many of the actors didn't think the film was going to be much of a success, the story they were acting out seemed nothing particularly special, maybe even cliched (saving princesses and good vs. evil). Add the effects (the large ships or the death star not being something they would've really seen while filming, nor Darth's voice which was added after) and especially the John Williams music, topped with a Laurel and Hardy droid pair... Cinema gold! American Graffiti was also a sensation earlier so someone might've known Lucas knew what he was doing. I think the designs by Ralph McQuarrie provided the best foundation anyone could hope for; in and of themselves they are stand outs, interesting and memorable!
I ended up seeing it later in the year. I had already been aware of it but for some reason wasn't interested in it initially, though when I finally did see it (8 years old) I really enjoyed it. It was kind of overwhelming, really. I'd never seen anything with such spirit and momentum and there was so much to take in. It was a whole universe packed into two hours. (I have the Despecialized editions of the trilogy, very curious about the 4K77 version)
I was seven or eight when it came out and I saw it over and over again. There was nothing else like it.
That and the soundtrack, special effects and the design. Alec Guinness and Pete Cushing give it a little bit of substance, but the three leads weren't about to win any awards, and the dialogue is often very bad. Empire is a much better film in every way and makes Star Wars seem quaint by comparison.
Empire is an infinitely better-looking film, as well, thanks to Irving Kershner and Peter Suschitzky (the cinematographer). There is a story, though I don't know if it's true, of Lucas getting upset at how much time Kershner and Suschitzky were taking shooting the film, even though the results are right there on the screen. I'll throw in that Harrison Ford's charm in Star Wars was also a benefit. He was like a cool older brother, easy to relate to, for many of the kids who loved the movie.
Came out before I was born but I vividly remember my parents watching and taping it off network TV in the mid-80s and seeing the white of the storm troopers against hte white hallways of the rebel ship which looked like the brightest white things I'd ever seen on TV.
I'm sorry to be the party-pooper with my impressions, but I was sorely disappointed with it when it came out. I was 17 and a big science fiction fan, so I was hoping for something thought provoking in terms of plot, but felt what we got was a WWII movie set in space. I also didn't really think the fx were really any better than those in 2001 A Space Odyssey from ten year prior. Of course the friend I saw it with went apesh*t over it and saw it several times. Once was enough for me. In retrospect I'm not as harsh on it now as I was then. It takes iconic, mythological characters, particularly the 'hero' and sets them in a classic good vs. evil play. Joseph Campbell seemed impressed with it:
I was nine years old and with my family in Germany when the film came out. I recall reading about it in Time Magazine and wondering what on Earth the story could be; I thought C-3PO was an alien race, not a machine. A race of golden metal people I guess. When we got home around mid-August I ended up seeing it four or five times. I was obsessed with it. My hometown had a chat forum even in the late 70s (yes, they are not a new phenomenon!) and my geeky name for that was 'Jabba' (I had the Marvel comics version of the film that contained a whole bunch of crap that was cut from the film, including lengthy bits with Jabba, whom I recall as a human and not a slug creature, at least in that comic). I also recall writing a Star Wars quiz for my 6th grade school newspaper which I'm guessing I would totally fail to pass now if I still had a copy. My interest in the films had considerably waned by the time Empire came out. In fact, I was pretty annoyed by that film -- "To be Continued? In THREE YEARS?" At least the first film had a legit beginning, middle and end! My dad's company provided some lighting equipment for the third film, and Lucas in turn sent us interesting swag branded 'Revenge of the Jedi'. Yeah, my mom threw it all out... I've always wondered how much that stuff would be worth today?
I was 9 when it came out. I sat through 2 and a half screenings at my local theatre. I bought my ticket and sat through the other showings. I don’t know why the ushers didn’t make me leave. From the text crawl on, I was transfixed. When the imperial ship first appears and keeps coming into the frame for what seems like a minute, it was an awesome sight.
The Varsity Theatre in downtown Toronto, June, 1977. I was 11, I went with my older brother - I remember sitting against the wall as part of long line snaking around the theatre, waiting to get in. That slow opening shot of the seemingly endless Imperial Star Destroyer pursuing that rustbucket rebel ship is absolutely burned into me - still THE most exciting moment of my movie life - like it was for a lot of kids, I suspect.
Saw it when it opened in NYC at the Astor Plaza, the only place it was playing at that time May 1977. So we were among the first to experience it before all the buzz hit and it was wonderful, my all time favorite movie experience! The Astor Plaza was located in Times Square and that was back when it was bad so that audeince wasn't nerds but the usual street people you'd find in NYC back then. So when the movie started everyone was talking but as soon as the two ships passed by and Darth Vader arrived they all shut up and we were off.
Oh, I know this one from the retro gaming community. That's Star Hawk. Funny how the manual of this game says "defending the sovereignty of your planet."
Saw it in a theater in TJ when I was five years old. Someone had recommended it to my dad suggesting it was a great movie to get high to, which wasn't going to work for me, lol. Walked in to the theater during the attack on the Death Star and was struck by how loud the Tie fighters were. Ushers allowed us to sit in for the beginning which we did and it blew my little mind. BTW I didn't know a lick of English. Never going to forget my dad explaining Obi Wan's sacrifice to my mom and me sitting attentively listening to every word. Following day I did a show and tell but not knowing the plot I tried to explain the visuals...and that soundtrack. Changed my life.
I seen it twice that I can remember-Once with my family, and once as part of the neighbor kid's birthday party. I don't recall which viewing was first, but I do remember that the birthday party viewing was thrown off course, by that I mean we were late; we didn't get there until around when Luke was being beaten by the Tusken Raider/ "Sand People". I'm pretty sure the viewing with the family was at the drive-in theater. I would have just turned six at the time, so things are a little foggy
I remember seeing it when it came out, and was just blown away as a teenager, there was nothing like it...
I’m not sure about that lol. Back then there was Spaceballs and many people watched it and claimed it Star Wars.
