It’s posts like this that remind me how much I don’t have in common with the generation I’m supposed to be. I wasn’t even born until ‘79.

[-]

LazarusDark@reddit

81, so nope. My dad was a Trekkie, and he didn't hate Star Wars but it was much lower on his list. Best we had was some really bad VHS recordings of them from the ABC Sunday night movie airings. And I probably saw Return of the Jedi mostly, I barely remember ever watching the others ever. So I though a major part of Star Wars was goofy Ewoks, especially since we also had the terrible Ewoks movie and the cartoons. I thought it was all about the Ewoks. I did see the Special Editions as they came out in theater and was mildly impressed, but not hugely impressed. Then Phantom Menace came out and I was all over the hype, from the TV special that aired to the Weird Al music video, all of it. Then I saw Phantom Menace in theater opening day and... It was the greatest thing I'd ever seen in my life, I immediately bought another ticket and watched again and then like ten more times over a month. As an adult, once I became more discerning, yeah I absolutely see all the flaws, I actually believe it was a total mistake to make that film, the trilogy should have split up with A full clone Wars movie in the middle, we needed more time to see Anakin turn than we needed to see him as a precocious child.

I am as mad as everyone that Lucas tried to erase the originals in favor of the Special Editions, at the time I think we all just thought the Special Editions were a novelty, something extra, an exhibition. I think if we'd known he was going to try to erase the non-specials we might not have given him the money at the time. I have since come to appreciate the originals more, and they should be preserved (yes I have the despecialized).

[-]

TalkSin_M@reddit

I saw Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi on VHS tapes my dad had recorded off TV. The reception wasnt great for all of it, and totally cut out during the Cave Scene so I missed that until I rewatched the years later. Also didnt know A New Hope existed until I found it in a Walmart $5 VHS barrel and excitedly took it home. They were still some of mt favorite movies as a kid and I watched them obsessively. Dressed up to go to the theater when Phantom Menace came out and left probably as confused as everyone else.

[-]

scattershotdreams@reddit

The first Star Wars movie I saw was on tv hosted by Sally Jesse Raphael during the commercial breaks.

[-]

Rombonius@reddit

I saw A New Hope in theaters

....during the special edition release in 1997

[-]

KerissaKenro@reddit

I am told I saw the original release, and I slept through most of it because I was an infant

[-]

Enxer@reddit

I saw all of the og Star wars 4x,

In 1997.

[-]

I_AM_DEATH-INCARNATE@reddit

I still have my ticket stub from that. $4.50 for a Friday night showing

[-]

FAHQRudy@reddit

I saw the 1980 rerelease in the theater. There were costumed characters and RC droids (remember the Coca Cola robot?) and vendors in the parking lot. It was a big deal, and that was just in small town MA.

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

As did I. And Phantom Menace opening night.

[-]

Roobix9@reddit

I remember being so soooooooo disappointed.

[-]

LatinBotPointTwo@reddit

I unironically love Phantom Menace. Loved it then, love it now. It came out during a very memorable time in my life and is connected to some very special memories.

[-]

Dimac99@reddit

A slightly older friend gave me some advice before I saw The Phantom Menace which has always stuck with me. He said it was so over hyped that it would be disappointing no matter what, but that if I went and saw it a second time, I would really enjoy it. And he was right.

Which is not to say it doesn't have it's problems, but it's not as bad as the people who only saw it once insist. It could never have lived up to the hype, but pod racing was exciting, Darth Maul was a scary bad guy, it looked incredible and has one of the single best ever pieces of soundtrack music. There's a lot to like about it, even if the midichlorian nonsense was completely eye rolling.

I still get inordinately angered by the stupid decision to turn Old Ben Kenobi's original desert garb into a Jedi uniform though.

[-]

shartoberfest@reddit

Same. I left school early with my friends to watch the matinee. Started so great, then started getting worse. Completely disappointed except for the lightsaber fights

[-]

Krystalmyth@reddit

Pod Racing and Maul was pretty cool. But damn was I disappointed by the human interactions. They didn't even feel like people. The character writing and dialogue was atrocious. The people felt more alien than the aliens did.

[-]

inghostlyjapan@reddit

I also was disappointed, but I got it see it at the Cinerama in Seattle so it wasn't all bad.

[-]

jenesia-CakeEatnNPC-@reddit

i have a brag like this also, except it was Howard the Duck in NYC!

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

Yeah. I still wanted a double bladed light saber though (yes I was a twenty year old college student, lightsabers are cool)

[-]

maceilean@reddit

And it was glorious! We watched it at the Fox in Westwood in LA before all the movie theater screens became tiny.

[-]

HomerSectual@reddit

Me too. At the former Fox Theater in Westwood. Shit was lit. A hundred plus drunk college kids waiting to see it the theater for the first time.

[-]

maceilean@reddit

Hell yeah I was one of those drunk college kids

[-]

Sirtriplenipple@reddit

I saw it in the theaters, but it was because they played all three in the theater when Return of the Jedi came out. I cried when the Jawas zapped R2…

[-]

HomerSectual@reddit

Me too. At the former Fox Theater in Westwood. Shit was lit. A hundred plus drunk college kids waiting to see it the theater for the first time.

[-]

regeya@reddit

Same, I was only 2 when Star Wars came out. I actually saw the OT in the weirdest order: ROTJ, ANH, ESB.

[-]

jokerfest@reddit

Yep, I was at that one. I just saw it tonight too!

[-]

AlmiranteCrujido@reddit

Technically, I could have seen Star Wars in its theatrical first run, but I'd have been an 18 month old toddler, and I'm quite certain it would have done nothing for me at the time. My parents knew better than to bring a toddler to the movies.

I saw New Hope in the theaters, in 1980 or 1981 during the re-release, I was somewhere between 4 1/2-6 and it's literally the earliest movie I remember seeing that I can put a date to.

It was definitely after Empire Strikes Back came out as that was also still in the box offices, and my parents decided it was too scary for me.

I saw Empire on VHS within a year or two after, and then Jedi in the theater on first run, but may have been more than a month after it came out since it was after the school year ended.

Timing of the special editions means Empire remains to this day the only mainline Star Wars film I've never seen in the theaters, but I missed the special edition of Jedi as well.

I saw Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith each on opening night. In retrospect, the lines and chaos involved with those was not worth it.

And I saw Rogue One and all of the sequel series in first run but gave them a couple of weeks to get less busy.

[-]

SpaceLemur34@reddit

The original release was the week of high school graduation.... for my dad.

[-]

OneHumanBill@reddit

I saw it in theaters. I was one month old. Dad wanted to make sure it was my first movie going experience.

I'm told I slept through the whole thing.

[-]

Cisru711@reddit

Academics don't really define generations by which movies you may have seen in the theater.

[-]

mattchewy43@reddit

I saw it last night. My local theatre had a special showing of A New Hope.

[-]

docboy-j23@reddit

I saw it from the womb. Born March ‘78.

[-]

likelikes@reddit

Same. In 1977 my older bro was being born and my dad took a break from hanging out at the hospital and went out to see Star Wars while my mom was in labor.

[-]

solemn_penguin@reddit

I vaguely remember it being re-released around the time Empire came out. I was born in 76 but saw it in the theater with my dad. I think ibasked him if Boba Fett was in it since I had that action figure.

[-]

Notchersfireroad@reddit

I hated the Star Wars movies as a kid. Thought they were so lame. I was not into fantasy and to me it wasn't sci fi it was fantasy. Only realized later they are actually decent movies.

[-]

toomanyusesforaname@reddit

79 here too. I remember growing up watching Star Wars, but I was far too young to even comprehend the plot. Something something lazer swords.

[-]

dc1999@reddit

I have a very clear memory of seeing Star Wars in the theatre. I was born in 78 but they re-released it ahead of empire and again ahead of Jedi. I must have been and it was the Jedi re-release. I also clearly remember seeing jedi in the theatre and having an ewok plushie.

[-]

Mr_SunnyBones@reddit

Yeah I saw it and Empire together when I was about 4 or 5

[-]

Iocnar@reddit

Yeah that was a very big thing back then and then it all stopped. I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1982 which I found out decades later was the next year's re-release. Which they would do one more time in 1983. So actually I don't know if it was 82 or 83.

[-]

AlmiranteCrujido@reddit

I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the theater, but have no idea whether it was first run or not - all I can tell you is that I'd already seen the re-released Star Wars when I saw it :)

[-]

AlmiranteCrujido@reddit

I'm pretty sure some second-run places had Star Wars and Empire in continual rotation between when Empire and Jedi came out.

Second run theaters were a big thing back then, and much cheaper.

[-]

Mr_SunnyBones@reddit

Yup , i felt the same I was 2 when it came out in cinemas im my country!

[-]

Last-Stop-Before-You@reddit

I love me some Star Wars but I totally missed the OT roll out. I wasn’t a thought when ANH opened, in utero for TESB and a toddler for ROTJ. I would love to relate to older Xers because that whole period sounds so cool.

My first time seeing anything SW related on the big screen were the special editions.

[-]

Helo7606@reddit

I saw Return of the Jedi in theaters on its original run. And every movie after that including the special editions in the 90s.

[-]

Quackoverride@reddit

I have vague memories of watching The Empire Strikes Back on my godfather's Betamax. The tauntaun scene terrified me. Saw The Return of the Jedi at the drive-in and was obsessed it. Ewok Halloween costume, C-3PO cereal, Star Wars bedsheets - I loved it all.

[-]

burnitdwn@reddit

I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater. But, i dont remember seeing it in the theater really since i was like 3 years old.

[-]

Insomniac_80@reddit

Same here, I have vague memories of C3PO and R2D2 everywhere, but couldn't quite understand it. I don't think I was taken to see it, because I don't remember seeing Star Wars until it got released on TV.

[-]

Jupitersd2017@reddit

I used to think that the opening for HBO was part of Star Wars from watching Star Wars on HBO when it came out, which I looked up and new hope started airing on HBO in 1983

[-]

Positron14@reddit

I remember i first saw those 2 on Sesame Street.

[-]

Iocnar@reddit

Exactly. If you saw Return of the Jedi then you're good. I was 6

[-]

this_knee@reddit

What is this archaic ui you present us with?

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

Sorry, I prefer old Reddit, lol.

[-]

canuck_in_wa@reddit

"An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age"

[-]

LibertyCash@reddit

Same. My uncle is Gen X and he’s 12 years older than me. Our childhoods had absolutely nothing in common. I will reject the Gen X label until the day I die.

[-]

Worried-Trade-6407@reddit

I was born in October 77, and I'm still rocking my Star Wars 1977 t-shirt right now!

[-]

japhia_aurantia@reddit

I was born a few weeks before star wars came out, but no, I did not see it in the theater (until 1997).

[-]

Positron14@reddit

I saw Return of the Jedi in theater. Didn't watch the other 2 movies until my parents bought the set on VHS around 1990.

[-]

geekdadchris@reddit

I understand. Born in late ‘78 myself, but my dad was a huge Star Wars fan so we had the VHS tapes.

[-]

Fabulous-South-9551@reddit

lol they’re so old!!!!

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

I’m not even calling them old, it’s just like I’m put in with a generation filled with folks who have mostly had completely different experiences than me because of the age difference. It’s silly.

[-]

Fabulous-South-9551@reddit

Oh no it’s definitely me calling them old. I need to call someone else old so I don’t feel so old.

[-]

Putrid-Art-1559@reddit

I have never seen a Star Wars movie ever. People think I’m lying when I say that.

[-]

burnitdwn@reddit

I have seen all 3 of them!

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

Episode 7, 8 and 9?

[-]

burnitdwn@reddit

I dont understand the question?

I saw Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back

The Return of the Jedi.

All three Star Wars movies.

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

I was joking. I thought you were only counting the original trilogy as the only “real” Star Wars films, so I joked that the Sequel Trilogy was the ones you meant instead.

[-]

burnitdwn@reddit

To be fair my favorite star wars movie was the original one by Kurusawa.

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

Rashomon?

[-]

burnitdwn@reddit

Hah, The Hidden Fortress.

That said Rashomon was like the 3rd Kurusawa film I ever saw and I loved it.

[-]

Skipper0463@reddit

gif

[-]

snootchiebootchie94@reddit

My brother hasn’t either, or any Marvel or Justice League movies. Not one. Zero interest..

[-]

Superiority-Qomplex@reddit

I was born in '73 so I've seen them all in the theatres. Except for Solo and the Clone Wars movie that came out as a lead in to the tv show.

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

A new one is about to come out too!

[-]

suddle@reddit

That post had me thankful for r/Xennials as well. I would have been under a year old when that movie premiered!

I just can’t relate to so many of the posts about GenX.

[-]

iammerelyhere@reddit

Just realised today that Star Wars turns 50 next year!...it came out the year I was born 😭

[-]

arrakiswitch@reddit

Saaaaaaame.

[-]

iammerelyhere@reddit

😭😭

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

Time gets us all my friend. Let’s go yell at Gen Z to get off our lawns.

[-]

Insomniac_80@reddit

Not even Gen Z, the current "get off our lawn," gen is Gen Alpha!

[-]

iammerelyhere@reddit

Punks

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

Whippersnappers.

[-]

Konnorwolf@reddit

So on the end of Gen X that I didn't get into the double single digits until 1990.

[-]

craigzilla1@reddit

Technically I was in the theater. Mom was pregnant with me and I was born in November of 77. Watched Empire but I have no memory, mom said I sat there, eyes glued on the screen while slowly eating a giant thing of popcorn. I do remember seeing Jedi in the theater with my dad. Not really sure why my mom wasn't there. They both were nerds for the time but my mother was the one who got me into fantasy and sci-fi. My name was going to be Merlin. Sisters name is Gwynne instead of Guinevere. My girlfriend in high school never saw any of the Star wars movies and My mom didn't know that. She found out as we're having a conversation as we're leaving to see a movie and me my mother were making Star wars references. Girlfriend said she didn't get any of them, my mom looks at me then points at her and says she's not allowed back in my house. My mom has a great sense of humor. Girlfriend was mortified. We all laughed afterward. My sister never got into stuff like that until her daughter started getting into stuff like that and her grandson is a big fan of it. So it's kind of a big circle.

[-]

Longjumping-Bell-762@reddit

My senior class trip included a visit to the movies to see Phantom Menace. We definitely got the crappy Star Wars releases. First time taking shrooms at the movies though so that was an experience (the carpet was mesmerizing).

[-]

Annepackrat@reddit (OP)

Best way to see those movies.

[-]