May 25, 1977: Star Wars released

RKMBs

Space fantasy Star Wars opens on this day in 1977.

Geez. Almost thirty years ago. I remember this like it was yesterday.

From the initial musical fanfare, the "STAR WARS" logo blasted at us with the John Williams theme music, to the scrolling intro, to the small starship escaping from the giant imperial star cruiser, it was an experience like none other I had ever seen.

And nothing since then has lived up that initial excitement (at least from a movie perspective!).

I doubt we'll ever see anything like it again.

I doubt we'll ever experience anything like STAR WARS again in our lifetimes, too.

I didn't see STAR WARS until July, 1978..I had heard how FANTASTIC it was for just over a year. At my college dorm in fall 1977, you could hear the soundtrack to STAR WARS blasting from any number of dorm rooms/windows.

My friends kept telling me to go see it because they knew how much I love science fiction. I remained skeptical, even as I watched guys in my dorm turn out the hall lights and have light saber duels, using flash lights....

I finally saw it on my 21 st birthday. I was ASTOUNDED!
Never saw anything like it before, blah blah blah... It made Close Encounters look dull, but only in comparison.... and I like that movie!

I saw Empire and Jedi on the first day of their opening...
I had NO intentions of waiting another day to see 'em!

It changed how sci fi movies were made after that..the special effects just kept getting better and better in movies from that point on..

STAR WARS is not just a movie..it has become a part of our culture..and a part of history.

I saw it at the Drive-In...whoah. I was turning 5.

I distinctly remember going to see this with my father, at the now-defunct Stoneham Cinema . . . in December.

Granted, Stoneham Cinema wasn't exactly known for being first with new movies (my sister went to see Batman the day it was released on video), but how long has it been since a movie released in May was still playing in December? These days it would long since have been released on DVD, most likely in November for the holiday season, but of course in those days there were no DVDs.

Oh, God, I'm old.

Quote:

Pig Iron said:
I saw it at the Drive-In...whoah. I was turning 5.

there is no h in whoa.

Quote:

NurikoK98 said:
I distinctly remember going to see this with my father, at the now-defunct Stoneham Cinema . . . in December.

... how long has it been since a movie released in May was still playing in December? These days it would long since have been released on DVD, most likely in November for the holiday season, but of course in those days there were no DVDs.

There were theaters in Upstate New York that played SW for well over a year, it was that popular.

I saw it about one or two weeks after it first came out.

My father took me because, frankly, he wanted to see it. He was always a big sci fi and horror fan, especially things like "Star Trek".

Before I saw it, believe it or not, I'd actually read it: I read the novelization weeks before I saw the film. In fact, I'd guess I have the first printing since, instead of the classic "movie poster" cover, its a Ralph McQuarrie concept painting of Darth Vader with tiny figures of Luke, Chewie and 3PO in the foreground

I have a framed copy of that movie poster, G Man. It's on the wall in my small bedroom, which I use for storage. A friend gave it to me. I get compliments on it. I also have about 15 - 16 four inch Star Wars figures spanning the first movie to the last.