Your First Contact with the Original Star Wars Trilogy - Blu-ray Forum

BladeRunner2007 · 05-30-2018, 05:28 PM

How old were you?
What version did you watch?
What did you think of it?
Which of the 3 films did you like best?
What's your favorite version now?
Which of the 3 films do you like best now?

kylor · 05-30-2018, 05:32 PM

Yet another SW thread.

[Show spoiler]

How old were you? Teenage years.
What version did you watch? Original.
What did you think of it? Awesome.
Which of the 3 films did you like best? ROTJ.
What's your favorite version now? Original.
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? ROTJ.

dgoswald · 05-30-2018, 05:33 PM

How old were you? 22.

What version did you watch? The 2004 DVD boxset.

What did you think of it? I finally understood why it entranced generations of movie-goers.

Which of the 3 films did you like best? At the time, Empire.

What's your favorite version now? Edit: Apologies, I misread the question. The 2004 is decent I suppose. Not perfect but then I haven't seen the earlier versions.

Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Now, I'd put ANH on par with ESB for various reasons. There's moments in RotJ that are as good as anything in the earlier two films albeit very brief moments.

Moviefan2k4 · 05-30-2018, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BladeRunner2007

How old were you?
What version did you watch?
What did you think of it?
Which of the 3 films did you like best?
What's your favorite version now?
Which of the 3 films do you like best now?

I was five years old, and it was the theatrical version of A New Hope recorded from TV onto a VHS tape in the mid-'80s. At first, I think it was just an excuse to hang out with my older cousin, who was more of a surrogate brother to me at the time...but after a while, I became hooked on the story itself. I could never bring myself to think of the trilogy as separate parts, since I saw it so close together at such a young age, having no concept of sequels or anything like that. On the whole, I like the Special Editions more now, except for the cringe-inducing "Jedi Rocks" at Jabba's Palace. You could cut that whole sequence out, replace it with footage from the theatrical version, and there would be zero loss in storytelling...none. Everything else is pretty much perfect: entrance into Mos Eisley, Cloud City windows, Sarclaac being more alive, more realistic Rancor fight...I even like Hayden Christensen as Anakin's ghost. But that one musical number - argh! Nails on a chalkboard are truly more tolerable.

BladeRunner2007 · 05-30-2018, 05:41 PM

How old were you? 7 years old
What version did you watch? 1997 Special Editions on VHS
What did you think of it? Amazing!
Which of the 3 films did you like best? The Empire Strikes Back
What's your favorite version now? Original Theatrical Version
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Star Wars

Mandalorian · 05-30-2018, 06:06 PM

We had a taped from tv VHS copy of A New Hope when I was a kid, but I never watched it. I think the first one I saw from beginning to end was The Phantom Menace (yeah yeah, poor me) when I was 10. My uncle showed it to me before we went to see Spider-Man and Attack of the Clones on the same day for my 11th birthday. He gave me his VHS copy of APM and later my sister's boyfriend's dad bought me a DVD copy of AOTC, both of which I watched a handful of times until Revenge of the Sith came out. To my knowledge, I didn't see the originals all the way through until one year when Costco had the DVDs on sale and my mom bought me the entire set. From then on it was nerdvana.

At this point I'm a huge fan of the franchise, and I don't engage with the endless arguments over which movies suck and what cuts of the originals you have to watch. I just enjoy the films, tv shows, etc, and keep my opinions to myself.

How old were you? Let's say 15-16 y.o., since it would have been after ROTS was on DVD long enough for Costco to have it on sale.
What version did you watch? I've only seen the DVD and Blu-ray cuts.
What did you think of it? I liked them a lot, but they had to grow on me with age before becoming some of my favorite films.
Which of the 3 films did you like best? I don't think I had a favorite, but ANH and TESB were pretty much tied.
What's your favorite version now? Still don't have a preference, since I've only seen the DVD and Blu-ray cuts.
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? TESB

Cremildo · 05-30-2018, 06:09 PM

How old were you? 11, I think.
What version did you watch? The 1997 Special Editions, on VHS.
What did you think of it? They were okay.
Which of the 3 films did you like best? TESB.
What's your favorite version now? I've never seen the UOT.
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? TESB.

mwynn · 05-30-2018, 06:10 PM

How old were you? 6
What version did you watch? Before A New Hope.
What did you think of it? Love them
Which of the 3 films did you like best? Episode 4
What's your favorite version now? Original version, I have no problem with the updates though.
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Episode 4

SarahS · 05-30-2018, 06:13 PM

How old were you? 13
What version did you watch? Original 1977. Saw June 1977 in theater
What did you think of it? Awesome
Which of the 3 films did you like best? Tie SW/TESB
What's your favorite version now? UOT/ Despecialized
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Star Wars by just a tad but TESB right there neck and neck.

Michael24 · 05-30-2018, 06:11 PM

How old were you? 3-4 years old. I saw ROTJ in the theater when I was 4, so I was already familiar with the previous two by then.
What version did you watch? The originals (the first two being on CED; not even VHS!)
What did you think of it? Loved it!
Which of the 3 films did you like best? "Star Wars" (I watched our CED copy so much it literally wore out and stopped working.)
What's your favorite version now? Original version.
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? "The Empire Strikes Back"

stvn1974 · 05-30-2018, 06:11 PM

How old were you? Kid
What version did you watch? Theatrical
What did you think of it? Loved it.
Which of the 3 films did you like best? Star Wars
What's your favorite version now? Theatrical (despecialized)
Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Star Wars

drush9999 · 05-30-2018, 06:14 PM

How old were you?
7, when Star Wars was first shown on UK TV in 1982, was taped as well

What version did you watch?
The original theatrical cut (with mono soundtrack)

What did you think of it?
It was everything I thought it would be. Fantastic space adventure.

Which of the 3 films did you like best?
I've alternated between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back over the years. At the time, definitely Star Wars

What's your favorite version now?
The Original Theatrical Cuts

Which of the 3 films do you like best now?
Still Star Wars

Monterey Jack · 05-30-2018, 06:15 PM

My Dad took me to see The Empire Strikes Back when I was just about to turn six in the summer of 1980. I don't actually remember that much about the experience, aside from the audience laughing at the appearance of the "chicken walker" during the battle of Hoth and grossing out my mom at the dinner table that night describing the "worms" that came out of the TaunTaun's stomach when Han sliced it open with Luke's lightsaber (I believe we had spaghetti that night

). Return Of The Jedi hit the summer I turned nine, and I vividly remember seeing that at least five or six times.

Lord Method Man · 05-30-2018, 06:16 PM

I watched them on CED. I wonder how many people here know what CED is.

Michael24 · 05-30-2018, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Method Man

I watched them on CED. I wonder how many people here know what CED is.

CED was the first home video format my family had. We had tons of movies on it. It was my introduction to a lot of early childhood favorites and seems pretty obscure now, so I always get a little excited when somebody else remembers it.

Josep5349 · 05-30-2018, 06:21 PM

7, in 1978
Original version at the cinema
Overwhelming
ROTJ
Original
ROTJ

Todd Tomorrow · 05-30-2018, 06:44 PM

How old were you?
What version did you watch?

I was 14 when the original Star Wars was released in Germany in 1978. There was a delay because apparently the original dubbed version was not up to scratch and had to be redone. Then they had to wait again till they could book all the cinemas. That’s why Star Wars came out ten months after its US release in Germany.

What did you think of it?

I honestly didn’t get what the fuss was about. It didn’t help that I was coming down with a flu and had a fever. Close Encounters, which got released a few months later, did everything for me Star Wars did for other kids. I went to see it eight times during its original release. It’s still one of my favourite movies.

Which of the 3 films did you like best?
Which of the 3 films do you like best now?

If I’m honest, it was Return of the Jedi. I was blown away by the final space battle. Later I saw the error of my ways and realised the The Empire Strikes Back is the best.

What's your favorite version now?

I don’t mind whatever the latest CGI enhanced versions are. I’m still not that invested in the original Star Wars films. I actually prefer the new Star Wars trilogy so far.

Josep5349 · 05-30-2018, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

I was 14 when the original Star Wars was released in Germany in 1978. There was a delay because apparently the original dubbed version was not up to scratch and had to be redone. Then they had to wait again till they could book all the cinemas. That’s why Star Wars came out ten months after its US release in Germany.

It may have been delayed slightly, if at all, because of that, but certainly not the full 9 months. It was released in West Germany February 1978, around the same time as other European countries - late 1977 / early 1978. In the UK for example, it was realeased in late December 1977 in London only. It only went on general release across the UK late January 1978.

Todd Tomorrow · 05-30-2018, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josep5349

It may have been delayed slightly, if at all, because of that, but certainly not the full 9 months. It was released in West Germany February 1978, around the same time as other European countries - late 1977 / early 1978. In the UK for example, it was realeased in late December 1977 in London only. It only went on general release across the UK late January 1978.

I may be wrong, I just remember reading that at the time. Maybe one reason why I felt so underwhelmed by Star Wars was because it was preceded by ten months of hype before it got released ten months after its US release in Europe. Usually the major Hollywood movies came out one to three months later back then, not nearly a year later.

Stray Cat 13 · 05-30-2018, 08:08 PM

How old were you? 10 or 11

What version did you watch? I have no idea

What did you think of it? I loved it

Which of the 3 films did you like best? Return of the Jedi

What's your favorite version now? No idea

Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Empire Strikes Back

05-30-2018, 05:28 PM	#1
BladeRunner2007 Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Oct 2009 Location:Germany 4K collection:58 Blu-ray collection:1031 Blu-ray reviews:3	Your First Contact with the Original Star Wars Trilogy How old were you? What version did you watch? What did you think of it? Which of the 3 films did you like best? What's your favorite version now? Which of the 3 films do you like best now?

05-30-2018, 05:32 PM	#2
kylor Blu-ray Prince Member since:Jul 2015 Location:The past.. or the future. 4K collection:696 Blu-ray collection:7101 DVD collection:620 MA collection:1030 Digital collection:2058 Trading Score:3	Yet another SW thread. [Show spoiler] I love it! How old were you? Teenage years. What version did you watch? Original. What did you think of it? Awesome. Which of the 3 films did you like best? ROTJ. What's your favorite version now? Original. Which of the 3 films do you like best now? ROTJ.

05-30-2018, 05:33 PM	#3
dgoswald Blu-ray Knight Member since:May 2015 Location:Erath Blu-ray collection:61	*How old were you?* 22. *What version did you watch?* The 2004 DVD boxset. *What did you think of it?* I finally understood why it entranced generations of movie-goers. *Which of the 3 films did you like best?* At the time, Empire. *What's your favorite version now?* Edit: Apologies, I misread the question. The 2004 is decent I suppose. Not perfect but then I haven't seen the earlier versions. *Which of the 3 films do you like best now?* Now, I'd put ANH on par with ESB for various reasons. There's moments in RotJ that are as good as anything in the earlier two films albeit very brief moments. Last edited by dgoswald; 05-30-2018 at 05:49 PM.

05-30-2018, 05:41 PM	#5
BladeRunner2007 Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Oct 2009 Location:Germany 4K collection:58 Blu-ray collection:1031 Blu-ray reviews:3	How old were you? 7 years old What version did you watch? 1997 Special Editions on VHS What did you think of it? Amazing! Which of the 3 films did you like best? The Empire Strikes Back What's your favorite version now? Original Theatrical Version Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Star Wars

05-30-2018, 06:06 PM	#6
Mandalorian Blu-ray Grand Duke Top contributor Member since:Sep 2010 4K collection:1138 Blu-ray collection:2791 Trading Score:252	We had a taped from tv VHS copy of A New Hope when I was a kid, but I never watched it. I think the first one I saw from beginning to end was The Phantom Menace (yeah yeah, poor me) when I was 10. My uncle showed it to me before we went to see Spider-Man and Attack of the Clones on the same day for my 11th birthday. He gave me his VHS copy of APM and later my sister's boyfriend's dad bought me a DVD copy of AOTC, both of which I watched a handful of times until Revenge of the Sith came out. To my knowledge, I didn't see the originals all the way through until one year when Costco had the DVDs on sale and my mom bought me the entire set. From then on it was nerdvana. At this point I'm a huge fan of the franchise, and I don't engage with the endless arguments over which movies suck and what cuts of the originals you have to watch. I just enjoy the films, tv shows, etc, and keep my opinions to myself. How old were you? Let's say 15-16 y.o., since it would have been after ROTS was on DVD long enough for Costco to have it on sale. What version did you watch? I've only seen the DVD and Blu-ray cuts. What did you think of it? I liked them a lot, but they had to grow on me with age before becoming some of my favorite films. Which of the 3 films did you like best? I don't think I had a favorite, but ANH and TESB were pretty much tied. What's your favorite version now? Still don't have a preference, since I've only seen the DVD and Blu-ray cuts. Which of the 3 films do you like best now? TESB

05-30-2018, 06:09 PM	#7
Cremildo Blu-ray Archduke Member since:Jul 2011 Location:Brazil 4K collection:165 Blu-ray collection:1051 Trading Score:51	How old were you? 11, I think. What version did you watch? The 1997 Special Editions, on VHS. What did you think of it? They were okay. Which of the 3 films did you like best? TESB. What's your favorite version now? I've never seen the UOT. Which of the 3 films do you like best now? TESB.

05-30-2018, 06:10 PM	#8
mwynn Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Mar 2008 Blu-ray collection:- Trading Score:2	How old were you? 6 What version did you watch? Before A New Hope. What did you think of it? Love them Which of the 3 films did you like best? Episode 4 What's your favorite version now? Original version, I have no problem with the updates though. Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Episode 4

05-30-2018, 06:13 PM	#9
SarahS Power Member Member since:Aug 2016 Blu-ray collection:7 DVD collection:7 Digital collection:1274 Trading Score:97	How old were you? 13 What version did you watch? Original 1977. Saw June 1977 in theater What did you think of it? Awesome Which of the 3 films did you like best? Tie SW/TESB What's your favorite version now? UOT/ Despecialized Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Star Wars by just a tad but TESB right there neck and neck.

05-30-2018, 06:11 PM	#10
Michael24 Blu-ray Champion Top contributor Member since:Nov 2009 Location:California 4K collection:11 Blu-ray collection:559 DVD collection:164 Trading Score:2	How old were you? 3-4 years old. I saw ROTJ in the theater when I was 4, so I was already familiar with the previous two by then. What version did you watch? The originals (the first two being on CED; not even VHS!) What did you think of it? Loved it! Which of the 3 films did you like best? "Star Wars" (I watched our CED copy so much it literally wore out and stopped working.) What's your favorite version now? Original version. Which of the 3 films do you like best now? "The Empire Strikes Back"

05-30-2018, 06:11 PM	#11
stvn1974 Banned Member since:Jan 2012 Location:Earth Trading Score:18	How old were you? Kid What version did you watch? Theatrical What did you think of it? Loved it. Which of the 3 films did you like best? Star Wars What's your favorite version now? Theatrical (despecialized) Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Star Wars

05-30-2018, 06:14 PM	#12
drush9999 Blu-ray Baron Top contributor Member since:Nov 2016 Location:Sutton Coldfield, England 4K collection:566 Blu-ray collection:6093 DVD collection:488 Trading Score:1	How old were you? 7, when Star Wars was first shown on UK TV in 1982, was taped as well What version did you watch? The original theatrical cut (with mono soundtrack) What did you think of it? It was everything I thought it would be. Fantastic space adventure. Which of the 3 films did you like best? I've alternated between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back over the years. At the time, definitely Star Wars What's your favorite version now? The Original Theatrical Cuts Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Still Star Wars

05-30-2018, 06:15 PM	#13
Monterey Jack Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Oct 2011 Trading Score:710	My Dad took me to see The Empire Strikes Back when I was just about to turn six in the summer of 1980. I don't actually remember that much about the experience, aside from the audience laughing at the appearance of the "chicken walker" during the battle of Hoth and grossing out my mom at the dinner table that night describing the "worms" that came out of the TaunTaun's stomach when Han sliced it open with Luke's lightsaber (I believe we had spaghetti that night ). Return Of The Jedi hit the summer I turned nine, and I vividly remember seeing that at least five or six times.

05-30-2018, 06:16 PM	#14
Lord Method Man Special Member Member since:Apr 2014 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:4	I watched them on CED. I wonder how many people here know what CED is.

05-30-2018, 06:21 PM	#16
Josep5349 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2013	7, in 1978 Original version at the cinema Overwhelming ROTJ Original ROTJ

05-30-2018, 06:44 PM	#17
Todd Tomorrow Blu-ray Knight Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Berlin, Germany Blu-ray reviews:1	How old were you? What version did you watch? I was 14 when the original Star Wars was released in Germany in 1978. There was a delay because apparently the original dubbed version was not up to scratch and had to be redone. Then they had to wait again till they could book all the cinemas. That’s why Star Wars came out ten months after its US release in Germany. What did you think of it? I honestly didn’t get what the fuss was about. It didn’t help that I was coming down with a flu and had a fever. Close Encounters, which got released a few months later, did everything for me Star Wars did for other kids. I went to see it eight times during its original release. It’s still one of my favourite movies. Which of the 3 films did you like best? Which of the 3 films do you like best now? If I’m honest, it was Return of the Jedi. I was blown away by the final space battle. Later I saw the error of my ways and realised the The Empire Strikes Back is the best. What's your favorite version now? I don’t mind whatever the latest CGI enhanced versions are. I’m still not that invested in the original Star Wars films. I actually prefer the new Star Wars trilogy so far.

05-30-2018, 08:08 PM	#20
Stray Cat 13 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jan 2016	How old were you? 10 or 11 What version did you watch? I have no idea What did you think of it? I loved it Which of the 3 films did you like best? Return of the Jedi What's your favorite version now? No idea Which of the 3 films do you like best now? Empire Strikes Back

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