Hothlanta Question of the Week: First Time

Since this is our very first Hothlanta Question of the Week, it's probably fitting that we ask you about YOUR first time...seeing Star Wars, that is.

When and where was the first time you saw Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope?

[If you have a question you'd like to see as a Question of the Week, please send them to Minacia.]

 

As I recall -- and remember, this was well over 20 years ago -- I saw Star Wars at the no-longer-existant Westgate Cinemas on PioNono Ave, at the Westgate Mall. This is in Macon, GA, a wretched hive of scum and villiany (remind me to tell you sometime about our crazy mayor, Ronnie Thompson). Actually, it's one of the first movies I remember seeing (although the remake of King Kong at the drive-in that used to be up the street from my grandmother's house on Recreation Road lingers at the edges of my memory). Raiders of the Lost Ark is the first movie I remember with absolute clarity. And ESB is the first one that I have real clear memories of... That and E.T.... I guess I was destined to be a sci-fi/adventure freak... Or just a freak, depending on who you ask...

 

first saw ANH in 1977. I was either 3 or 4 years old. I don't remember exactly. It was at a movie theater in New Hampshire. I remember one of the trailers was for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The trailer was a fast trip down a dark highway and then you fly up over the creepy Devil's Mountain or whatever. Scared the heck out of me (remember, I was only about 4). I do remember climbing into my dad's lap because I was so scared. I stayed there througout the entire movie. I vividly remember the Star Destroyer flying overhead. I think my mouth hung open for the entire movie after that scene and didn't shut once.

 

Terrific first question, Paula!

It was a long time ago, in a Louisiana town far, far away...

It was late summer of 1977, and I had just passed my 4th birhtday. My mother drove us to a very small theater in the town where I grew up. It was called the Dixie Theater, and it was very old-fashioned and quaint, as I recall.

I remember walking into the theater, holding my mother's hand and staring down at the red checkered carpet of the lobby. (Yes, I remember the color and pattern of the carpet. ) We got some popcorn and entered the theater. I can remember, almost as if it were only yesterday, sitting in my mother's lap, enthralled by all the creatures, droids, Darth Vader, and Han Solo. Yes, as a 4 year-old I thought Vader was cool, and Han Solo was better than Luke because he didn't whine so much.

I also remember my mother hanging on to my arm as she let me stand out in the aisle, so I could see the screen better (The tall guy in front of us was rather difficult to see around).

It still amazing me that I remember that day so well. I guess I can say that Star Wars impacted my life at a very early age.

Ah, this brings back wonderful memories.

 

I saw Star Wars: A New Hope sometime during the summer of 1977 in a theater somewhere in Portsmouth Ohio. I was seven years old and my family had just returned from Okinawa Japan, where we had been living for the last three years (My dad was in the Army at the time - as he was for my entire childhood.).
I knew nothing of the movie beforehand. We had missed all the hype from being out of the country. I thought it was probably a war movie of some sorts. War movies were pretty popular around my house.
The opening crawl appeared on the screen and Dad leaned over to read it to me. I was a pretty good reader at the time and could keep up just fine on my own, but if I had taken a moment to tell Dad to stop reading to me, I would have surely lost my place.
As the screen panned down to show the planet of Tatooine and the Blockade Runner streaked across the screen, my excitement grew with each laser blast. The huge Star Destroyer started to scroll across the picture. As the glowing engines appeared I heard Dad say out loud (and mind you, Dad doesn't talk during movies), "ALL RIGHT!!" The rest is, as they say, history...

Chris (starwars1138)

 

I saw it in 1977 in Dublin Ga with my Mother asnd my best friend.

 

I don't actually remember seeing it. But according to my older sister, my mom took the two of us to see it at the local movie theater in Lewisville, Texas (it had TWO screens!). I ate too much popcorn and threw up.

I'm not sure if that really happened. You know how older sisters are. Anything to make us younger rugrats look bad--and pukey.

Carol

 

This is going to be a long one. I saw it in August of 1977 in downtown San Antonio. (I was also an Army brat, Chris.)

Initially, my parents wouldn't let me see it because they'd heard it was violent. (I was nine years old and had an older brother. I knew about violence...geez!)

But my neighborhood friends and I had spent the entire summer doing chores so we could walk two miles to the convenience store and 5&dime to get action figures and trading cards. (Our neighborhood was never so clean again, as it was in 1977.) They knew I was a bit obsessed with it.

But the kicker was when my mom discovered the novelization that I'd paid a friend to get me. It had been read so many times that it barely held together. They finally caved.

I just remember being immediately overwhelmed by the Star Destroyer. And by the time we got to the double sunsets, I remember thinking, "I SO understand why Luke's upset."

After the movie ended, I was unable to speak for about four hours. I was that blown away by it.

 

It is really neat to hear everyone's stories about their first time seeing Star Wars.

Paula, it is amusing, especially in light of the kinds of things you see on TV and in movies now, that some people thought that Star Wars was violent.

 

It's even more surprising when you look at the majority of movies that were coming out around that time.

Okay. There's a bit of gun-play. There's a self-defense murder. There's someone getting sliced in half. But none of it's graphic. And, quite frankly, I don't remember really noticing it as being violent when I was nine.

 

Neither do I. Looking back, I'm sure most people were delighted to have an honest to God fantasy adventure coming out -- the trend in the 70's was gritty realism and urban anger (the Dirty Harry movies, Shaft, The French Connection, The Godfather, The Seven-ups, etc.) or horror of the darkest kind (The Exorcist, The Omen, etc...) I'm sure that Star Wars was a welcome relief.

 

It was at the old 85 drive in movie theatre and is one of the earlier events in my life that I remember so clearly. I went with a friend and his parents and we sat on the hood of the car with the speaker between us.

I've seen it many times since, in home theatres, in brand new theatres with amazing sound, but I'll tell you none have ever compared to that moment. Eighty feet of StarDestroyer blazing overhead, it was a very impressionable moment for me.

 

I wish that I would have had the chance to see Star Wars at a drive-in theater.

By the way, I always love your signatures, Jimmy.

 

I never actually saw the first movie in the theatres until 1997. My first time was when over at a friends house he made reference to the original Star Wars and I said, "You mean there are three movies?" My favortie had been Jedi until I was 12, and then Empire for the coolness. Imagine, an avid SW fan who had never seen the original!

Dave

 

i was 8 years old i tought i was going to see a startrek rip off i disliked startrek
very very much as a kid but when that 20th centrey
fox music hit my eyes widened and i was glud to my seat,got real still,and stared at the
screen until chewbacca gave the last call.
i remember the next words out of my mouth to my mother
were "can i see it again" needless to say i couldn't sleep that night and when i saw the
figures well that is anther story i think i saw it 3 more times until a friend of mine
got one of the first vcrs made and yes the first movie they got was starwars watching it became a every saturday ritual.

 

Wow...I can remember begging my parents for a VCR. And I only wanted one because I knew they were putting Star Wars out on video.

Yes, there WAS a time when there weren't VCRs in every home and we lived for things like "The Holiday Special" ::shudder:: so we could just glimpse our heroes. [face_shocked]

 

I can't believe you went there with the Holiday Special Rosiewook! That thing is sooo horrible. But it is so much fun to watch just for the cheese factor.

And Minacia, I too got to see Star Wars at a drive-in theater. I remember it was a double feature of Star Wars and the first Superman movie. My mom filled a clean trash bag up with popcorn and I went with my best friend, Ryan. I remember we wore our pajamas and brought sleeping bags and pillows. Of course, we had our toys to play with too. That was definitely a fun time as a kid. It's a shame that there aren't any good drive-ins left. I understand there is one in downtown Atlanta (why there, I don't know). Maybe the Hothlanta Rebels can go see AOTC there this summer if they show it? Of course, I won't be wearing my pajamas for that outing

 

i remember i think those vcrs were about $ 1,000 and they were about 1' wide
and 3'long or that was how i saw it at 9 or 10 years old.

 

A Hothlanta Rebels Drive-In theater outing sounds fun!

I remember when my parents bought us our first VCR. I think I was in fifth or sixth grade. I thought we were on the cutting edge. That VCR was pretty big, but my church had one of the very first ones made and it was huge!

It's sad that I'm old enough to remember when there were no VCRs or CD players.

 

hey brightstar do you remember vinal records and 8 track taps first 8 track i owned was kiss' love gun huge kiss fan

 

Oh yes, I remember vinyl record quite well. I still have tons of old 45's.

The very first cassette tape my mom ever bought me was "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.

Dang...I've been around a little while, haven't I?

 

That's funny NOOM, my first vinyl record was Love Gun & Destroyer. I loved KISS. Now, I just think they're nostalgically cool.

 

KISS will always be my favorite even after
they do the last show to thier farewell
tour if it ever comes to an end ?
it is good to know there is a kiss &
starwars fan out there.

NOOM

 

For our first VCR, you had to press a heavy button and a carrel would pop up where you would put the tape in. Then you had to push the thing down to play iut. And forget about fast forward. BTW Mandy, I don't remember Thriller but I did have a copy of BAD on a single (first tape I ever got)

Dave

 

My first time was in California in 1977. I was 3. It was a couple weeks after it came out. We waited in line forever. I honestly can't remember much about the experiance but knew only that I loved it and had to own all the toys. I have so far seen all the movies in the theater each (including the Special Edition set). Very happy about that.

So far my oldest Daughter has seen TPM in the theater and I plan for her to see all three movies in the theater as they go through. My youngest was still in the womb during TPM...but it was at TPM that she first moved or kicked and my wife was so happy.