Star Wars is an old movie

[Yaworski]

I know that most of us think of Star Wars as a contemporary movie because we saw it in the theater and also because they keep cranking out Stars Wars stuff.

Star Wars was released almost fifty years ago, in 1977.

Movies that were 50 in 1977 are Metropolis, Wings, and The Jazz Singer.

We oldsters often say things like "You've never seen The Sting?" Heck no, that's an OOOOLD movie. Andromeda Strain? Old. Mister Roberts? Really old.

Now movies are mostly special effects or sex or sex with special effects and not very memorable for this old guy.

 

[Wvfarrier]

Everything in "entertainment" these days is sex and vulgarity. Its sad

 

[eveled]

Amazing what they did with very low technology. Superglue was about as high tech as they got.

 

[Ordguy]

Star Wars was a double bill with Top Secret when I saw it at a drive-in outside Ft. Leonard Wood Mo.

 

[Wvfarrier]

Star Wars was a double bill with Top Secret when I saw it at a drive-in outside Ft. Leonard Wood Mo.

Man alive, I hated Fort Lost-in-the-woods

 

[GasGuzzler]

A New Hope was the first movie I remember seeing in the theater and even more odd, one of the only movies I ever remember my Dad going with us to see. The bar scene on Los Isley (sp?) freaked me out as a three year old.

 

[vito]

I know that I am old and have old tastes, but I just watched the movie that won this year's academy award as the best picture of 2024, "Anora". Mediocre film at best, and not anything that I ever would have imagined would be nominated for, let alone win the award as "Best Picture". Lots of gratuitous sex, and a few modestly humorous moments. I guess this is what has become of a once impressive industry. Pathetic.

 

[coach]

The first movie I ever saw was Pinocchio at an after school matinee. I remember being very excited all day to go with my mother. The next I remember seeing was Patton. My father thought it was important to see it. In between time I soaked up lots of sci fi on TV.

 

[Yaworski]

Lots of gratuitous sex, and a few modestly humorous moments.

My excessively liberal sister in law once told me that not liking sex scenes in movies is a sign of immaturity. I replied that I've had sex and really have no desire to watch other people have sex. Sex scenes never advance the plot, they are there to titillate the audience.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I recall seeing The Robe as a youngster. Really got my attention.

Also recall the movie version of Dragnet. The opening scene was attention-getting.

There have been a few more.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Sex scenes never advance the plot, they are there to titillate the audience.

. . . and sell tickets, once the word gets out. ;)

 

[KIR]

If some think that movies mentioned are old, they probably have never watched a silent movie. I have watched quite a few and they are wonderful. The actors had to act using their eyes, facial expressions, arm and hand gestures. I think some here would they they were ancient and nor worthy of their attention. They have no idea what they are missing!
Naturally the comedic movies are best.

 

[Yaworski]

Also recall the movie version of Dragnet. The opening scene was attention-getting.

The one with Dan Akroyd?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

No, the one from 1954 with Jack Webb.

 

[eveled]

I know that I am old and have old tastes, but I just watched the movie that won this year's academy award as the best picture of 2024, "Anora". Mediocre film at best, and not anything that I ever would have imagined would be nominated for, let alone win the award as "Best Picture". Lots of gratuitous sex, and a few modestly humorous moments. I guess this is what has become of a once impressive industry. Pathetic.

That industry used to have quality classy people involved. Many who served in the military.

 

[Yaworski]

No, the one from 1954 with Jack Webb.

Never saw it. I'll have to dig it up.

 

[Byron Bay]

Hollywood is a bit of a joke these days.
Being used as a political platform by dumb actors most of whom would not know up from down.
Older movies had class.
One that I watched recently was from 1965 on YouTube called ship of fools.
Vivien Leigh , Lee Marvin, George Segal.
Really well acted.
Star Wars i remember watching with my dad a no nonsense ww2 vet. I still think of him calling it a load of nonsense even though I was thrilled by it as a kid.

 

[Fox Mike]

Star Wars was a double bill with Top Secret when I saw it at a drive-in outside Ft. Leonard Wood Mo.

Don't remember if there was a second movie but saw the first Star Wars at a drive-in in Auburn Massachusetts in '77 . Visiting my future in-laws for the first time ... with a taped up broken nose.

 

[Hankus]

Man alive, I hated Fort Lost-in-the-woods

I lived there on and off during my youth. I was born in early ‘64 during my dad’s first tour in Vietnam. My mother and I stayed with my paternal grandmother in Sarasota during dad’s tours overseas, but when he was stateside we lived on base. He was a combat engineer and served as a drill sergeant, senior DS and 1SG in between tours later in his career. We left for the final time in ‘73 when he retired. I went back there for BCT in ‘86.

 

[Kevin]

I was 8 when Star Wars came out. I remember going to see it. We were on vacation and it was raining, so the whole family went to the movies.

 

[Hertervillian]

I saw it, enjoyed it, but didn’t get the Star Wars virus somehow. Pretty sure I saw the next 2 sequels, took the cure at #3.

Somewhere along the line I gained an appreciation of StarTrek again never infected with the virus, but I do keep up with them better.

 

[GasGuzzler]

I was 8 when Star Wars came out. I remember going to see it. We were on vacation and it was raining, so the whole family went to the movies.

Would have guessed you're younger than me but I guess not...

 

[ProfessorWes]

I can count on the fingers of one hand how many movies I've seen in the theater in the past five years, and I won't need all those fingers.

I think the last time I actually went to the movies rather than wait for them to show up on video or cable, was for John Wick III. Also the second John Wick film. The turbo murder is awesome on the big screen, in full Dolby Surround or whatever the modern equivalent is.

Can't actually recall any other movies but those two, come to think of it.

The modern movie experience in the theater is just awful, and I find fewer and fewer modern actors I actually care to watch (Keanu Reeves being a notable exception, as he seems to be a great human being in addition to being a fine actor.)

 

[GasGuzzler]

My dad watched Raising Arizona standing up in my aunt's living room. So there's that. I haven't seen more than two movies in the theater in 20 years but that's okay too.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Star Wars was a double bill with Top Secret when I saw it at a drive-in outside Ft. Leonard Wood Mo.

If you are speaking of the first Star Wars you saw it a bit late? Top Secret I saw in the theaters summer of '84 which I think Ghostbusters was also out at same time.

In '77 I was 13.....we stood in line to see Star Wars the night it opened. Church Lane Cinema Cockeysville MD. It was the "Channel Fever" movie on CV64 Constellation. The night before coming home after WESTPAC deployments they played on a loop over and over.

 

[peachhead]

I remember going to see Star Wars with my older brother. I was 10. It was probably the first movie that just made me go, Wow! I was hooked. I saw the first three in theaters several times. Saw the last three in theater also but I was not that impressed.
He also took me to see the Pink Panther movies.
Later he introduced me to Animal House and the Blues Brothers, Josey Wales and Patton.
I don't go to the movies much anymore though, I wait until they come out on Netflix.

 

[Hertervillian]

State of the theater business is a damn shame.

The theater houses are as nice as they could be. Lounge seats, great sound systems, plenty of leg room. Plenty of snack choices, albeit pretty expensive, but was it ever reasonable?

The studios seem hell bent on teaching me some sort of progressive agenda. If not that I’ve got guts landing in my lap, or as graphic a sex scene as can be shown.

It might well be old age, though I don’t think that’s it. I just have a hard time believing I’m going to be told a $50 story that’s worth $50. Fine, I’m old.

 

[Armybrat]

My kids were big Star Wars fans, but it was just light entertainment with fancy special effects, in my opinion. Nothing particularly new about the story.

I was really entralled by the the classic Humphrey Bogart/Katherine Hepburn film "The African Queen" when it debuted in 1951.
That was quality Hollywood.
We saw it at the outdoor post theater at Fort Brooke in Puerto Rico (see below in the Now & Then photo):

 

[Skeet 028]

Star Wars wasone of the most innovative movies of it' s time...Special effects sure took off afterwards. Was sure a lot more realistic than Ray Harryhausen's special effects. The last movie I saw in a theater was the Star Wars where they killed off Harrison Ford. I must admit I do like Sex...well I used to...but not in movies so much. Always was a waste of time filling in for more important scenes the actors don't know how to do

 

[ArizonaTea123]

What blows me away is pulling up to a pickup truck and there's an old bearded biker-looking dude with a cowboy hat listening to really loud vulgar rap music.

But yes, I was 17 when Star Wars opened in theaters.
Some of you really old bastages probably saw Stanley Kubrics Space Odyssey in 1968.