Discussion Generation gaps among the fans

I hear you on the obsession bit! I obsess ad nauseum when I'm into something, and my wife is always commenting on my extremeism. I tell her, I'll never get as bad as some fans.
My discovery on the EU was about the same time, though I have been a fan of SW since 77. Eventually. I plan to read the entire EU in order.. ( " I'll take "Hopeless causes for a hundred", Alex.")... if I do, I probably won't finish before I die, lol!
I'm trying to get my wife into the saga, and all I'm really doing is managing to drive her crazy, and no doubt inspire some nice little homicidal thoughts... because I'm giving her synopsis of everything I read, with reviews thrown in... wether she wants to hear them or not. She is being considerately listening, and sometimes IS interested.. but I don't think I'll ever change her mind. Since some stories really add depth to the characters, they'll make me want to re-watch the movies again.. (and the Clone Wars series), because I'll get a new perspective. That's when I really hear the sighs of exasperation. If we didn't have a substantial life beyond Star Wars, I probably would have been killed by now, Lol!

 

I was born in 1979 so I arrived on this Earth in-between the trilogies. However, I identify most closely with the ANH/ESB/ROTJ. I lived a sheltered life and actually read the books first. I found them in my elementary school library. I didn't know there were Star Wars movies. This was roughly around 1988.

I loved the books and noticed that they had pictures from what appeared to be movies. I believe I read the ROTJ novelization first. I asked my mother if she would rent the movies for me since I loved the book(s) so much. I showed her the pictures. She took one look at Salacious Crumb and said no way. ha ha.

I eventually discovered the movies on my own, at around 10. ANH was being broadcasted. I believe this was 1989. I was hooked and soon watched ESB and ROTJ. ESB has always been my favorite.

Everyone of us had a unique path toward finding/discovering/falling in love with Star Wars. I guess it's kind of like life when you find that special someone or uncover that calling in your life. How you got there is a beautiful story in its own right, even if it came with loss. It's your story. Embrace it.

 

.[/quote] Eventually. I plan to read the entire EU in order.. ( " I'll take "Hopeless causes for a hundred", Alex.")... if I do, I probably won't finish before I die, lol![/quote]

Interesting. What else is on your bucket list? "Eat every type of pizza at California Pizza Kitchen"? "Compile a nickel for every time I say, 'if I had a nickel for every time I've said that.'"

We could have a LOT of fun compiling your bucket list....

 

I once thought like you do.

Boy did I change my mind on that.

 

I was born in 1970, I love the OT, but Star Wars is universal and for all ages.

 

I'm from 1972.

 

'71 REPRESENT

 

86.

Original era. Saw the movies for the first time around 91 I think, and watched them a couple hundred times. Still have the OT VHS set, the boxes are basically destroyed from use. No longer have a VCR so I watch the OOT from the 2005 DVD release.

Hate the SE.

Was 13 when I went to see TPM, it was alright, which is disappointing for a Star Wars movie. I don't even remember AOTC being released, was my own version of a crazy teenager at the time and didn't see it. I vaguely remember getting excited by the ROTS trailers, but I had more important stuff to do at the time and didn't see it, either.

 

'94?
As I've posted earlier, I had seen TPM before, but it was the OT that got me into Star Wars. But had it not been for AotC and RotS I would have never gone to Celebration III and I would have never had the wonderful experiences I've had with the Star Wars universe. Like sitting in the same room as George Lucas at the age of eleven.

Star Wars was my comfort when things happened with my college roommate. Towards the end of last year, I would simply just sit in my room and read the comics or the books, or watch the movies and keep to myself. If I still lived on campus, I suspect that is how it would be now.

 

im from the "special edition era", because i was born in 1988, BUT, my brother was a SW collector before i was born, so i was raised among stormtroopers and rebels.

 

Eventually. I plan to read the entire EU in order.. ( " I'll take "Hopeless causes for a hundred", Alex.")... if I do, I probably won't finish before I die, lol![/quote]

Interesting. What else is on your bucket list? "Eat every type of pizza at California Pizza Kitchen"? "Compile a nickel for every time I say, 'if I had a nickel for every time I've said that.'"

We could have a LOT of fun compiling your bucket list....[/quote]
Well, that's why I put the "Hopeless causes" joke in there. I'm not foolish enough to think I'll be able to do it. But it's something that would be fun trying. Believe me, I have important things on my bucket list, THAT is not one of them.

 

Holy crap! That's ironic. I love irony.

Glad to have you in the family; your brother is missing out.

 

I was born in 69 in Finland. My cousins and my best friend saw ANH but there was an age limit of 12 so my mom wouldn't let me see it - its just picked my imagination wildly! Then ESB came when I was 11 and I was allowed to go - and it changed my life. So I felt anyway. In fact it didn't change anything; I was still a nerdy girl in a society and time when girls weren't allowed to be nerds. I lived on the Marvels, SOTME and what else SW I could find for the next three years (sat in the bookshop for hours, just regarding the glossy pictures of the english edition of the novels), then ROTJ came and I was wildly disappointed (second seath star, Luke didn't get the girl. Ewoks etc. etc) I told myself SW was just crap and I was a sane person who liked quality films. I grew up, convincing myself my fling was over. That didn't stop me from go ballistic of excitement when a friend bought the VHS editions (I plagued him to wathc them again and again when I was over) or when SW was first time show on TV. Then one day my fiance gave me ESB as VHS in birthday present - and without further argument I realized he was the man in my life as he knew me and accepted me as I was! (and on 21st year together I guess I can say I was right ) I bought all VHS's but that was all I could get my hands on and I knew of nothing else. At one point, visiting London, I realized there were more novels - but I just couldn't bring myself to pick one up. I swear, I had it like some people do when they're supposed to buy their first condoms! Years went by. The PT came; I watched Ep I and II - dropped III as I didn't like them. More years went by. Thne one day in 2006 I saw a SW Insider magazine and finally mature enough to stand by my own cravings, I picked it up - and read about the EU. Then it boomed; I bought all six movies on DVD, started to read the novels, started to write fanfic... I await the ST with mixed feelings. I hope the ST will be great, in line with the OT - and that it will perspectivate the PT into better light - but less will do. I'm sure I'll end up embracing it just as I've eventually embraced all the other pudu. SW is a hunk of junk, but it's got it where it counts. What can I say? I love this stuff!

 

Going to Toys 'R Us was the best. I remember with my very first allowance I bought a Darth Vader and Stormtrooper action figure.

How many people remember the Burger Chef posters? There were four in all but these two were my favorites...






Those four posters were the only posters that I've ever had on the walls of my room.

Anyway, I'm an Original Trilogy fan. My cousin and I saw Star Wars in theaters in '77 when I seven.

I guess three of my strongest Star Wars memories (outside of seeing it the first time) are...

1) Waiting in line outside the theater with my father in 1980 for The Empire Strikes Back.

I remember it was incredibly hot outside in line, and then when we went in we had the air condition and then Hoth up on the screen. That was fun. And I remember the crowd cheering like mad when one of the At-Ats was destroyed.

2) The release of the VHS tapes in 1995.

I remember I was in a store in the Village (Greenwich Village), and I was downstairs where the music and videos were. They had the displays up with Vader and everything, and had the movies playing on all the screens down there. It was so cool, because I hadn't thought about Star Wars in years, and here it all was just surrounding me. It was great.

3) And oddly enough, being an Original Trilogy fan and all, going to a midnight showing of The Phantom Menace.

I remember back in '99 watching the first trailer premier on Entertainment Tonight and obviously loving it, but I didn't really follow any of the Star Wars news after that. I'd check out starwars.com from time to time, but it was nothing obsessive.

Anyway, flash forward to opening day and I remember I was on vacation that week, and that morning when I woke up I turned on CNN and they were interviewing people coming out of theaters after early morning showings. It was at that moment that I first truly got excited about seeing Episode I. So I got up, showered and everything, and went by myself to I guess it was probably the 9:30 or 10:00 showing. It was funny, after weeks of seeing people camping out and everything I just walked up to the window and got my ticket and walked in in a matter of minutes. After it was over I remember walking out of the theater thinking that this was the best, most fun science fiction movie that I had ever seen.

Later that day me and a few friends went to the 5:00 showing, and once that was over we decided to see it again and immediately got back in line and caught the 7:45 showing. The crowds at these showings were more into it than the morning crowd, so that added something to the movie. And plus I had already seen it earlier so I had that over my friends. After that we hung out for awhile, got something to eat, and said, you wanna go to the midnight showing?

The midnight showing was the best. It was a blast. People outside the theater were rowdy and it was just a big party-like atmosphere. Inside the theater it was even better. Everyone did the usual cheer when "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... " came up. And the crowd literally erupted with the John Williams Main Title. And we were off to the races.

After it was all over, I have to say that that was by far the most fun I had ever had at a movie theater. And it was one of the best days of my life, just hanging out with friends and watching Star Wars. It was also the only time that I had ever seen the same movie more than once at the theater (and I saw it one more time after that a couple weeks later). I've decided that I'll see Episode VII seven times, and VIII eight and so on. And I know I won't be able to recapture the magic of that day, because it was all totally unplanned, but we'll see what happens...

 

One of my earliest memories ever is seeing Return of the Jedi in theatres. I would have been 2 years old when that happened, and there's a ton of pics with me on my 3rd birthday getting ROTJ toys. The rancor scene freaked me out and my moms says I was telling her I shouldn't see this movie cuz it was scary. So going to theatres to see the Special Editions would be a highlight, but I had seen in tons of times on VHS & TV by then. I even sent in a membership letter for Bantha Tracks probably in the late 80s but they sent me a note saying they didn't publish it anymore.

 

I was born in 1990 so the 1997 special editions were my thing. My Dad was a SW fan and the first one I actually saw was Empire Strikes Back in '96 (in a movie theatre, not sure why they were showing it). After that we got the special editions on VHS.

 

I can still recall looking at the Sunday paper - we kind of "family read it", everyone grabbing sections! - and seeing a two page ad/spread for STAR WARS and being blown away. What the younger folks may have a hard time imagining is how things could surprise you, before the internet/spoiler era. Now, we know about movies years before their release, we get all kinds of hints and news and updates, and those making and promoting the movies are conscious of that and feed that with teasers and hints and promotions designed to hype interest. There was much less of that "back in the day". So that ad was a revelation - it blew me away.

But I love that "STAR WARS" is something that encompasses young and ..er..older , that we all discovered the SW universe at different times and in different ways, each special and unique to us. I love that when the "new" movie comes out you are going to have grandparents and parents and teens and younger there, all eager. It is hard for me to explain, and I worry that trying tends to lead to statements that sound overly sentimental, but when something brings that much fun to that many people over that much time and distance, you know it is a very good thing, to be appreciated and savored.

Shadow -

PS - Even if it is blasphemy, I even look forward to the marketing hype. I loved walking through Walmart, just before the release of ROTS, and seeing the SW cereal tie ins, the zillions of promo items everywhere!

 

Okay I did grow up with the prequels but I will always say that A New Hope is my favorite star wars movie. I saw the original trilogy when I was a toddler so I don't remember the first time I saw any of those, I do remember seeing the prequels though. I do not entirely hate the prequels, but I will say I would rather have the original over the prequels any day! Born in 1997 if you really need to know.

 

I do not come from a Star Wars family and I got into it on my own initiative. Knew a good chunk of post-RotJ NJO EU (thanks, starwars.com database!) before I had seen RotJ or any of the movies at all.

 

I was born in 1991 and man I'm surprised at how many older people are here! I thought the boomer generation was slow when it came to technology lol! That's stereotypes for ya, guess you learn something every day!

In any case I remember watching parts of the older movies and was just mesmerized! Luckily, my uncle let me borrow his vhs set of the special editions of the OT. And man did I watch the hell out of those! I swear I watched them over and over and over again in the summer. I swear I would go on nonstop Star Wars marathons back when I was a wee little thing. It was just so magical!

I very much enjoyed the PT as well, seeing as I was the perfect age to see those films! Between the OT and the PT, you could say that I grew up on Star Wars. Well, I also grew up on Nintendo and Lord of the Rings also, but hey, Star Wars undoubtedly had the biggest impact on me here!