CT For those who remember the 70s/80s

The interesting thing for me is that there seemed to be very much two generations of SW fans, those who picked up on it at the cinema and those who did so with the spread of VHS/Cable in the 80's with a bit of a time divide between the two.

I do have vague memories of seeing ROTJ at the cinema aged 6-7 and had a good few toys but really it wasn't until the mid/late 80's that I became a big fan based on multiple VHS rentals and then recording it of the TV when it was finally shown. In that latter era I always felt SW fandom seemed strangely underground(in the UK at least) with very little media attention due to a lack of new releases.

 

I can recall a current affairs news TV program reporting on Return of the Jedi to be coming to theatres imminently at the time.

Had footage of the AT-ST being crushed on Endor and some other short clips from the movie,aside from that though I only recall there being a lot of merchandise at retail stores.

 

I was 5 years old when Star Wars came out in 1977, and 11 years old when ROTJ came out in 1983, so I don't have much memories of the hype leading up other then conversations with friends.

Back then before the internet, you really didn't see anything about the movie until a few weeks before it came out, so it isn't like today where you could follow every step. Sure there were magazines like Starlog, etc, but you really had to seek them out as the real diehards would.

The only thing I truly remember about the hype leading up to the OT movies was in the summer of 1982 my best friends mom told us she just heard the 3rd movie was going to be called, "Revenge of the Jedi." I don't know why this memory has always stuck with me, which is sort of ironic because Lucas ended up changing it!

 

I remember being in primary school when TESB came out and a certain rumour I heard back then on the playground....that there were going to be 12 films in the saga!
36 years for that rumour to play out

 

I never heard 12 films, but I heard 9 films right after Jedi came out. I was so juiced for the ST and more adventures of Luke, Leia and Han. Oh well, I only had to wait 32 years!

 

Yeah I remember a lot of talk about what Lucas's original plans were but I also remember that most people were actually quite happy with the trilogy as it was. That's why I never really bought into the idea of the prequels as this crushing disappointment, granted I don't find them great cinema myself but they also weren't something I was waiting on with baited breath for years. Honestly I don't really buy into one film spoiling another unless the two have a direct story link, if ROTJ for example messes up Luke's story badly that might hurt ESB but when the OT was done the story was compete enough for me and I have no problem sticking with watching those films on their own terms.

 

Yes, it was around the time of Jedi that Lucas had said that he would go with three trilogies. Early on, around the time that the first film was released, Lucas had envisioned four trilogies. He just had rough ideas about the continuation of the saga. Some of these rough ideas had Luke finding his sister who, at the time the first film was released, was not intended to be Leia and had Luke facing off against the Emperor in episode XII, the final film of the saga.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sequel_trilogy

 

I was only a wee fella of five when I saw Star Wars so it's a bit of a blur. What I do recall is that it was massive and everyone was talking about it. People at school, my parents, my parents' friends. It was a cultural phenomenon, even in 1970's New Zealand! I guess the biggest thing that sets that film apart from all the others is that upon its release there was no fanbase. It had a massive impact on a general, uninitiated audience.

The sequels were massive too, with huge queues and speculation, particularly for ROTJ after the father revelation. Without the internet there weren't the spoilers or the nitpicking or the fractures in the fandom. It was nice.

 

I remember seeing ANH during it's original theatrical run, but what I most remembered was having to go to the hospital afterwards. Why? Because I was so enamored of it, so INTO it, that even though I had to pee - badly - I wouldn't tell anyone, so I started to get a lot of pain,so they thought maybe I had appendicitis. My parents were freaking out, so I was afraid to say anything. So SW made me not pee.

ESB, I remember I was enamored of, and while it was hyped, I don't think it was AS hyped as a typical SW movie would be. I was particularly obsessed with Han in Carbonite. For some reason I had an unhealthy fascination with the floating Harrison Ford Cookie that continues to this day. Of course, everyone was talking about the Father reveal, and if it was true or not.

ROTJ was a whole different story. I don't remember if it was promoted as the "last" SW film at that time, but there were lines around the block, multiple sold out showings, and tons of news coverage.

What was interesting was what happened AFTER ROTJ. Within a year, SW became ... not a joke, but it was uncool. Didn't help that post-Jedi endeavours were the Droids and Ewoks cartoons, as well as the Ewok TV movies. Basically you were a nerd and an outcast if you liked SW. That didn't cahnge til around 1992 - 1993 with the Dark Horse comics and the Thrawn Trilogy novels.

 

It wasn't.

Only the conclusive chapter of the first (middle) trilogy.

 

Yeah, that's the way I remember it too. The other trilogies were distant, nebulous things, but I never expected to wait until 1999.

 

I just remember this cover, which made it seem like Lucas might've been done with the saga.

https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/1101830523_400.jpg?quality=75&strip=color&w=400

To be fair, like was said above, the idea of another trilogy or trilogies wasn't a sure thing, or even really talked about until the mid-90s.

 

I was 7 when RotJ came out. I don't remember hearing anyone trying to predict what was gonna happen. Everyone I knew had complete faith that it was going to be great. I actually feel like I squandered that time Leading up to it, I wish the thought had occurred to me to theorize on what would happen.
At least in my experience, it wasn't much of a thing back then, not like it is now. Now it's like the second half of movie & TV watching. Let's hear everyone's theories!

As a side note; I and everyone I knew were completely on board with Vader bieng Luke's father, no second guessing at all. I even remember watching the scene in RotJ when Luke asks Yoda and feeling like it was a slight waste of time. I love that scene and wouldn't change it, but it's funny that Lucas had to be talked into putting it in there. We got your back, George.

 

Right at the time (1983), he indeed was fade up with Star Wars, and didn't want to hear about it for a long time.

Nothing was sure a 100% of course, but a prequel trilogy, if not a sequel one, was almost a given. A couple of late eighties interviews suggested it would be made someday in the future.

The question was more when...

Neither did I...But I always kept faith.

I just couldn't believe that, at least, the first trilogy wouldn't be made someday.

 

I was born in 1982 so I never had the chance to experience A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back in theaters. I was 14 months old by the time Return of the Jedi came out but was still too young to know anything about Star Wars so i'm bummed that I didn't get to be a part of this phenomenon like everyone else. My first knowledge of the original trilogy came when I was 7 when they were being shown on the USA network channel but I was more excited for the special editions and the prequel trilogy.

 

I was born in 1972 so I was old enough to see Star Wars in 1977, but I was too young to see Jaws in 1975 and I am always bummed I missed the hype of the first true summer blockbuster. I know family members who still don't like going in the ocean after they saw that movie as it's amazing that Jaws and Star Wars still resonate 40 years later.