Star Wars turns 30

[Easy Bakes 253]

http://www.cnn.com/exchange/ireports/topics/forms/2007/03/star.wars.html

Its hair is thiner and it got a bit of a beer gut now but dont we all

 

Friday  ( May 25) it  will be 30 years  since the release of Star Wars in 1977.

Im not old enough to answer the other significant cultural question 

( Were were you whenKennedy was shot?) So here goes I know there are a lot of youngsters here who werent even alive in 1977 much less seing movies so  I  know a lot of you would not have seen it in a theater the 1st time you saw it. 

So were did you 1st see Star Wars? How old ect

Me I was 11

Augest 1977 at a theater in Owasso, Michigan

It was phenomanal and played in packed theaters for more than 1 year.

even then that was unheard of.

[blade2k5 1,523]

My father took me to see it on my 13th B-Day in July '77 when it opened at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara Ca. Theater played to packed houses night after night for about a year before moving down the street to the Granada Theater where it played for another 6 months. I've seen all 6 episodes in theaters at least a dozen times each except for E1. Maybe in a couple of years Lucas will re-release the 3D versions he says he has finished.....now that would be cool.

[beebs 129]

I bet we're in for a 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition Box Set or some nonsense like that... How many versions has Lucas made now?

[MrCinatit 30]

Thirty years ago? Wait...that can't be right. That would mean I'm....

Seriously, I was 9 when I saw it in Dayton - my grandma took me. She fell asleep before we even got to see the Sand People.

[Mikeaut1 261]

My friend introduced me to Star Wars like 2 years ago, LOL. I've only seen Ep 1-3, and I saw 3 in theatres twice. I have yet to see 4-6.

[Voar Tok 4]

Originally posted by: Mikeaut1 My friend introduced me to Star Wars like 2 years ago, LOL. I've only seen Ep 1-3, and I saw 3 in theatres twice. I have yet to see 4-6.quote>

Just as a warning, the originals are way better than the other ones.  Now, the warning is that you should go see them before Ski comes along and whacks you with the rolling pin for not having seen the best of the series.

As for me, I've seen all six of them, but all of them on VHS or DVD, although, I got to see them because a relative let me borrow them this last summer.   The originals were awesome!

[IDS2 3,346]

W00t! Unite, Jedi! Hehehe!

[Palpatine001 57]

Yes the Originals are better than the first 3 that is for sure! My Favourite of all of them is The Empire Strikes Back - hey - The Imperial March which is very widely recognised was first introduced in that movie!

Remembering the two climatic Battles in Star Wars - Battle of Endor and Battle of Corrusant I still say Battle of Endor was better (and that is not the fact I got shafted by Darth Vader on the Death Star II! I say Lucas was trying to hard in Ep III having all those Venator Star Destroyers fighting the CIS ships - Endor with the Imperial Star Destroyers and the doomed Executor vs the Rebel Fleet was more Epic

And yes I have all 6 DVDs, some books, one of 250 Palpatine Busts and two Imperial Star Destroyers one that is 1m long!

So then here is to 30 years of Star Wars (and 40 years of Star Trek )

[Plays the Imperial March at maximum volume]

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

Im not old enough to answer the other significant cultural question 

( Were were you whenKennedy was shot?) quote>

 

aww, come on, EB.   I clearly remember when Kennedy was shot.  You aren't that much younger than I am, are you? 

Originally posted by: Voar Tok 

Originally posted by: Mikeaut1 My friend introduced me to Star Wars like 2 years ago, LOL. I've only seen Ep 1-3, and I saw 3 in theatres twice. I have yet to see 4-6.quote>

Just as a warning, the originals are way better than the other ones.  Now, the warning is that you should go see them before Ski comes along and whacks you with the rolling pin for not having seen the best of the series.   quote>

He has that right!  1-3 are piles of bleep compared to 4-6.

I still want to be a Jedi Knight when I grow up.

::: walks off, using rolling pin to practice for thwacking Mike . . . I mean, practicing light saber moves ::::

[Zelgadis 638]

Oo... 30! Proud to say I saw all of them in the theater. I was 9 months old when I saw the first one.

So, my critical analysis:

Episode I: It's actually pretty good if you take out Jar Jar. That said, would somebody please take out Jar Jar?

Episode II: Sappy, creepy, digusting... teenagers drooling on each other... Worst of the lot.

Episode III: Actually, I liked it mostly. At the very least, it's what a Star Wars movie should be.

Episode IV: Still a classic. But the Obi-wan/Darth Vader fight seems much more anemic now than back then...

Episode V: It was probably the best storyline of the lot. Though lighter on the action sequences.

Episode VI: My fav. The cinematography in that one kicked butt and so did the action sequences. At the end, when Palpatine was killing Luke, all you had to go on to judge what Darth Vader was thinking was lighting, camera angles, and a little head movement. But oh, they made it work beautifully!

ISF

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

Im not old enough to answer the other significant cultural question 

( Were were you whenKennedy was shot?) quote>

 

aww, come on, EB.   I clearly remember when Kennedy was shot.  You aren't that much younger than I am, are you? 

::: walks off, using rolling pin to practice for thwacking Mike . . . I mean, practicing light saber moves ::::quote>

 

November 22, 1963  was about a year before i was born. (Dec 64)

[hamsterTK 93]

It was Ep-1 in 1999 and I was 11 years old. Me and my best friend got to go by ourselves

I thought it was awesome

My parents had the original 3 on VHS before I was even born and I watched them lots of times, but seeing a all new one myself was really cool, even if in hindsight episode one wasnt as good, with jar-jar and all that crap

[lilred731 0]

I saw all 6 in the theater. Ep. 4, 5, and 6 are the best. ep. 3 comes a distant 4th.

Star Wars is the greatest sci-fi movie ever.

Smiles as I accept my medal from Princess Leia.

[Micah 16]

I'd have to say the originals are the best, of course. Though, I have to admit, 3 was very interesting.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

A colleague and I took an afternoon's French leave to go set it when it was released in 1977.

Easy Bakes: When Kennedy was shot, I was just coming into the computer department where I worked after lunch.  I can still remember the fluting on the glass doors like it was a photograph.  Somebody took our cookie away.  Waaaah!

Actually as a President, I don't think Kennedy was any great shakes compared to, say, FDR, Woodrow Wilson, or Harry Truman.  As a charismatic person, he was very, very fascinating.

[Barbarossa 51]

I saw the original Star Wars in theaters, but I was only 3, so I don't remember it very well. My step-father was keen towards sci-fi and would not have missed it for the world.

With regard to the series in general, I love Star Wars and The Empire Strikes back. To me, Return of the Jedi was the beginning of the end. There was just too much comedy. The newest ones, to me, were only good because they brought some completion to the series. I can only hope that the Zahn books (I'm referring to the three books 7/8/9 that take place after RotJ) are made into film... that would redeem the junk Lucas has been producing lately.

Barbarossa

[JanYpe 17]

To me, Return of the Jedi was the beginning of the end.quote>

Of course it was. It's because of those damned furry Ewok creatures. That set Lucas on the path to the dark side of cute comic relief, which resulted in the inane robots, the annoying child Anakin and, worst of all, Jar Jar Binks and his floppy eared kin.

[mayormommy 8]

Let's see, I was about 8 and my mom took me to see Star Wars a couple weeks after it came out - so pretty early, but not the opening weekend or anything. We lived in Chicago near Wrigley Field and my mother always insisted on driving out to this theater way out in the suburbs, maybe because it was cleaner or perhaps it was a good excuse to take out the car. I think we decided to see it again with my uncle and cousin a few weeks later.

While I guess I liked 4-6 better, I did appreciate the evolving style of the telling of Annakin's life's journey in 1-3 - the fairy tale like childhood, the romantic idealism of teenage years, then the Greek tragedy in his fall. Although it seemed like a lot of bother to go through to really just answer the question of why Darth Vader would save his son from the emperor.

By the way, if you are still puzzled by some of the loose ends in the series, try this explanation that probes some of the practical problems faced by the rebels:

A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

I was six years old when I first saw Star Wars: A New Hope, the special edition re-release in 1997 at the cinema. I was blown away, it introduced me to a world of far off planets and aliens - anything is possible there. It had the basic underlying theme that kids really like: good vs. evil, and of course the action sequences. It didn't matter to me that it was twenty years old, there were no outdated fashions, no old cars and nothing to give away the sense of it being old. Since then I've been a Star Wars addict, and even now, at 16 years old I can't help but spin a stick and brandish like a lightsaber whenever I get hold of one.

[ssfsx17 0]

I've come to a realization that the only reason why George Lucas had his initial success was because Harrison Ford was in six of his movies. That, and he had a bit of help on those six movies. Thus, for me, I only celebrate Star Wars as far as I celebrate the great character of Han Solo, and nothing else about it.

[Scaley McSlither 1,714]

Originally posted by: zelgadis Oo... 30! Proud to say I saw all of them in the theater. I was 9 months old when I saw the first one.

So, my critical analysis:

Episode I: It's actually pretty good if you take out Jar Jar. That said, would somebody please take out Jar Jar?

Episode II: Sappy, creepy, digusting... teenagers drooling on each other... Worst of the lot.

Episode III: Actually, I liked it mostly. At the very least, it's what a Star Wars movie should be.

Episode IV: Still a classic. But the Obi-wan/Darth Vader fight seems much more anemic now than back then...

Episode V: It was probably the best storyline of the lot. Though lighter on the action sequences.

Episode VI: My fav. The cinematography in that one kicked butt and so did the action sequences. At the end, when Palpatine was killing Luke, all you had to go on to judge what Darth Vader was thinking was lighting, camera angles, and a little head movement. But oh, they made it work beautifully!

ISF

quote>

Someone actually did take out Jar-jar. There was a fan edit called "The Phantom Edit" which got rid of as much Jar-jar as possible and also all of Anakin's "Yippee" dialogue. Maybe there's still a copy floating around somewhere.

[schm0 27]

Originally posted by: Mikeaut1 My friend introduced me to Star Wars like 2 years ago, LOL. I've only seen Ep 1-3, and I saw 3 in theatres twice. I have yet to see 4-6.quote>

Yikes! I can only imagine what it can be like to watch them "in order" for the first time. WIERD!!!

Just in case you didn't know, they are coming out with a TV series that takes place between the trilogies, due out in 2009 on Fox (duh.) I can't freakin' wait.

Originally posted by: mayormommy

By the way, if you are still puzzled by some of the loose ends in the series, try this explanation that probes some of the practical problems faced by the rebels:

A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hopequote>

What is all about Chewbacca and R2 being "agents" for the Rebellion?... I found this link to be wierd and not really make much sense. Some of what was written in there sounded nice, but the writer needs to recognize that George Lucas only intended to make one film. In fact, the reason for there being two Death Stars is the fact that he was originally forced to condense his volumnious space saga into a single movie, not an intended three. Episodes V and VI were only made a reality by the success of Episode IV. I think the reader is looking into the original trilogy too much for answers.

Originally posted by: ssfsx17 I've come to a realization that the only reason why George Lucas had his initial success was because Harrison Ford was in six of his movies. That, and he had a bit of help on those six movies. Thus, for me, I only celebrate Star Wars as far as I celebrate the great character of Han Solo, and nothing else about it.quote>

That and he wrote/produced/directed/created all of the Star Wars Trilogy and Indiana Jones movies. And it was more the likes of Alec Guiness and a science fiction movie that revolutionized special effects that propelled him into fame. Harrison Ford was a lesser known actor in 1979.  The total is 7, if you include "American Graffiti."  (Uh, all you have to say is THX or LucasArts. ) Even now, the opening scene of Episode IV on a Hi-Def screen with Surround Sound blasting is awe-inspiring.

As for the original topic, I saw Episode VI when I was 5 in 1983. I later saw the original films on cable or VHS. I have seen all six films on the big screen since their re-release and debut and have seen each of them at least 3 times each in the theater.

In total, I think I have seen the films 1,138 times.

(wink, wink)

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes 

November 22, 1963  was about a year before i was born. (Dec 64)

quote>

 

wow.  I hadn't realized you were that young.  

I got a year older recently.  My official age is now "my mom is 87".  

I loved 4 - 6.  They are among the few movies I've actually seen multiple times in a theater during their original release.  

I don't know what Lucas was thinking when he came up with the idiotic characters in episode 1.  Count me as one of the original fans who was most disappointed at the later movies.

[ccecill 52]

Well, when I was about 5 or 6, my aunt Jackie got me the vhs box set of the originals. I think it was like 97? Anyway, I watched all three in order and was in awe. My favorite then was Return of the Jedi (Now it's Empire/ROTS). I guess I liked the ewoks. But about two years later, in 99 I got some toys from some burger place, (never forgot this) and said that I wanted to see the movie. Little did I know that it was star wars until my aunt Jackie told me. We went to go see it 2 times. I loved it. (although now I see that it was infact terreble.) I never knew much about SW, but I enjoyed it soo much and was very psyched about seeing ROTS. (I did not know who palpatine turned out to be until I read the plot. )

[Palpatine001 57]

I got shafted by Darth Vader...

Well to finish off Star Wars 3 things need to happen, some one needs to do movies on the New Republic and her successor the Galactic Alliance (merging of the Empire and Republic), then and I know they are doing a filler for the 20 years between Ep III and Ep IV and the Rise of Darth Vader and the Empire followed by some brave soul to do a back story on the character that really created the entire saga - Palpatine! Remember if it wasn't for Palpatine none of the events would of happened. So someone needs to do a back story on him - how he became the most powerful Sith since Darth Bane, how he came into Politics before he was Emperor etc etc etc.

Oh while I remember - the new Galactic Alliance in the Legacy Series seems to have done a back flip! The New Republic constantly used their own "rebel" ships in campaigns, now 40 years later in the Galactic Alliance the standard naval ship of the day is you won't believe it - Imperial Class Star Destroyers! Star Destroyers often commanded by the Jedi whether light or Dark! So there you have it and as I always knew - you want some heavy versatile firepower - use a Star Destroyer - just man it with commanders who know what they are doing! And yes Jacen Solo is the Commander of the Galactic Alliance Star Destroyer - Anakin Solo.

[sithlrd98 66]

Well I was'nt even a year old when episode IV came out but my parents say they took me...I really remember later in the early 80s watching it and still love it. I have to admit though that TESB was the best of the original trilogy...I remember seeing phantom menace on opening night(and no I didnt even have to camp out) and was slightly dissapointed.But I do think that revenge of the Sith got the closest to the original trilogy............Long live the Sith

And yes if Palpatine had'nt manipulated the senate the way he had then there wouldnt have been a Vader,or the jedi witch hunt etc.  I also agree that there needs to be a back story on Darth Bane and the origins of the Sith

[Mikeaut1 261]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

Im not old enough to answer the other significant cultural question 

( Were were you whenKennedy was shot?) quote>

 

aww, come on, EB.   I clearly remember when Kennedy was shot.  You aren't that much younger than I am, are you? 

Originally posted by: Voar Tok 

Originally posted by: Mikeaut1 My friend introduced me to Star Wars like 2 years ago, LOL. I've only seen Ep 1-3, and I saw 3 in theatres twice. I have yet to see 4-6.quote>

Just as a warning, the originals are way better than the other ones.  Now, the warning is that you should go see them before Ski comes along and whacks you with the rolling pin for not having seen the best of the series.   quote>

He has that right!  1-3 are piles of bleep compared to 4-6.

I still want to be a Jedi Knight when I grow up.

::: walks off, using rolling pin to practice for thwacking Mike . . . I mean, practicing light saber moves ::::quote>

Oh no!!!

Well, from what I've heard, the 4-6 were a bit boring, and wasn't Yoda a puppet? Everything was modernized in 1-3. But I wouldn't want to argue with true Star Wars fans. I'm not a huge fan of the saga, or science fiction in general.

[hym 358]

Originally posted by: Mikeaut1

Oh no!!!

Well, from what I've heard, the 4-6 were a bit boring, and wasn't Yoda a puppet? Everything was modernized in 1-3. But I wouldn't want to argue with true Star Wars fans. I'm not a huge fan of the saga, or science fiction in general. quote>

You're going to get it now, man.  I can already hear SkiGeek coming.

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to see 4-6 in their entirety; I've seen parts of all of them though.  Yeah, the special effects and stuff weren't as good back then as they are now, but the thing that matters is the storyline, and episodes 1-3 were sort of lacking, especially compared to 4-6.

Originally posted by: SkiGeek I don't know what Lucas was thinking when he came up with the idiotic characters in episode 1.  Count me as one of the original fans who was most disappointed at the later movies.quote>

If it's any comfort to you, Lucas Arts has been blowing things for quite a while now, imo.  Jedi Academy, for example, had such great potential, but they cut it short and never let it become what it should have been.

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Mikeaut1 

Oh no!!!

Well, from what I've heard, the 4-6 were a bit boring, and wasn't Yoda a puppet? Everything was modernized in 1-3. But I wouldn't want to argue with true Star Wars fans. I'm not a huge fan of the saga, or science fiction in general. quote>

 

Dude. 

Where did I go wrong?   Ya try to raise up your cyber-kids right and this is how they turn out. 

Originally posted by: hym 

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to see 4-6 in their entirety; I've seen parts of all of them though.  Yeah, the special effects and stuff weren't as good back then as they are now, but the thing that matters is the storyline, and episodes 1-3 were sort of lacking, especially compared to 4-6.quote>

Well, it's comforting to know that at least one of them understands. 

Originally posted by: hym 

If it's any comfort to you, Lucas Arts has been blowing things for quite a while now, imo.  Jedi Academy, for example, had such great potential, but they cut it short and never let it become what it should have been.quote>

 

You do have a point there.

[beebs 129]

While the storyline lacked in 1-3, the special effects and just overall feeling of completion made up for it. And who can argue with massive lightsabre battles, anyways.