"1977 Again...considering such good memories of that date" Topic

What is the scene of your first Star War movie that has been recorded… stamped… in your memory?

I had to look deeply into those old memories … and the scenes that came to me like a flash was … at the beginning of the movie (both Spaceships) and the canteen with extraterrestrial beings and specially the musicians … (smile)

And you…?

Amicalement
Armand

The two ships at the beginning followed by the blonde beside me in the movie theater.

Being 17, the blonde was more important at the time.

The one that always looms large is Darth Vader emerging from the smoke cloud. "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore."

2nd Vader's 1st appearance

I was in Seattle WA at the big screen Cinerama movie theater, on the first Saturday after it opened, full theater. As the Star Destroyer comes on screen at the very start of the movie, I can remember the whole audience going "Whoa". And then, later when the Millennium Falcon goes to Hyper drive, the whole audience going "Wow"! Only time I can remember an audience doing that…

The free glass I got for purchasing either a Pepsi or a Coke. Then dropping and shattering it during the tie fighter attack scene.

YouTube link

The two ships at the beginning. Followed by the incredible attack on the Death Star at the end.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The ships at the beginning, Han and Greedo and Luke's Errol Flynn swing on the cable with the "kiss for luck." But the music trumped any individual scene.

I still wonder whether Leigh Brackett had an unaccredited assist. It doesn't feel like her SF, but it feels a little like some of her movie scripts in places, and the then-head of Paramount knew her from way back. That would make offering her the scripting of "Empire Strikes Back" a way of settling the debt.

The ships at the beginning

That opening scene, and the my pretty blonde girlfriend squeezing my hand as it became apparent just how huge the Imperial ship was.

Opening scene, Vader arrival, final battle.

Most everything in the movie.
Which we had to wait to appear in Finnish cinemas for quite a long while after the movie was released.

Therefore I had already read the shortened novelization published as a serial in a weekly magazine (kinda like the local Newsweek or Times). The novelization also featured loads of pics from the movie. I also had read the translated king size Marvel comic adaptation.

The movie ran in the local theatres for over a year.My family would always go to summer cottage each and every weekend and since we lived some 12-15 klicks from Helsinki there was zero possibility that I could be taken to see it during weeknights as I was too young to go to "big" city myself. So even with the long theatrical run they actually stopped showing the movie before I had a chance to see it!

Luckily after a month or two one theatre picked it up again and I begged and pleaded my parents that we'd leave the summer cottage early that Sunday so I could finally see the amazing film. And, rather to my surprise, the parents finally relented.

However the movie was rated for 12 and older and I was like 10 or 11 at the time so mom had to take one for the team and accompany me to the theatre. Which leads to my most everlasting moment during Star Wars screenings:

When the big space battle starts during the end of the film, I nudge my mom and say something along the lines of "Now it starts. This is going to be _so_ epic!" and quickly turn to her… and see her sleeping there beside me :D

Go mom!
R.I.P. <3

When the ships entered from overhead, and the size of the star destroyer, that's what changed everything for me.

It was unexpected, it was evocative, it was awesome.

So good memories… !

Thanks!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The opening scene with the star destroyer chasing the blockade runner. Absolutely amazing. In those days you could just stay in the theater and watch show after show. I'd go and watch the movie and then say: "I'll just stick around to watch that amazing opening again." And then I'd end staying for the whole movie again! :)

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Yes to all of those memories and more. Can someone say "light saber"?

When I was a kid seeing Uncle and Auntie as burning skeletons was pretty memorable.

But the thing I enjoyed the most was the trench run at the end of the movie.

In my neighborhood, the cul-de-sac had a circular gutter, and I would ride my bike in that gutter pretending to be an X-Wing. At the end of the run was the rainwater drain grate, so I would hold a walnut-sized rock in my hand, complete the run, and then try and release the rock to drop into through the grate into the drain system. Boom goes the Death Star!

I wonder how many rocks are still down there.

I think Obi-Wan Kenobi chopping the alien's arm off in the cantina deserves an honourable mention!