In 1977 I went to the cinema with my girlfriends to see the movie everyone was talking about. A little known George Lucas had made this space adventure, and because I always loved science fiction shows I wanted to see this Star Wars too. I wasn’t disappointed: we swooned at Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, and their daring tale of a fight against evil. I bought the book based on the movie, it had some movie pictures in it that we could obsess over. (You can even see the book is much used!) And we devoured all the stories in the teenage magazines about the actors and the movie.
Now it’s 38 years later and while in London, we decided to go and see The Force Awakens in the Odeon Theater at Leicester Square. A big blockbuster movie, one that seems to break all sales records in the past weeks. I didn’t know what to expect, hadn’t read anything about it. Not because I wanted to be surprised and spoiler free, but simply because Star Wars 1,2 and 3, that told us the story of Darth Vader didn’t appeal to me. As a mother, all I could think was how sad it was that this little sweet boy had to go through such hardship, made such foolish choices and turned evil.
Again, this new movie was a pleasant surprise. Nice to see the familiar faces again, and to see some good new actors. It did feel as if they took the inspiration for the storyline from movie 4, but still, an entertaining movie. What I was unprepared for was the merchandise machine, that has been working overtime ever since the release of the movie on …The Disney Store in Covent Garden had a large selection of dolls and clothes, movie merchandise store Forbidden Planet had lots of items of course, restaurants sported Star Wars inspired food and I even saw Star Wars makeup in stores. What a difference to all those years ago, when you felt so very lucky to find a few images of your favorite actors.
What an amazing time to be a fan, what riches in choices! At the same time, I can imagine the strain on the wallet!
Thank you so much for being one of my top supporters in 2015. I love your new look. Happy New Year!
Watching Star Wars back in 1977 must have been something quite special. I am glad you liked the new one. It is a great movie.
Lol, I do realize it must sound ancient to a lot of people.
That ball shaped droid is doing well in terms of merchandise sales.
Yes he is, he seem to be very popular everywhere!
It’s really cool hearing the thoughts of someone who was around to see the 1977 premiere of the original Star Wars. I saw the original trilogy on videotape in the mid-nineties when I was five or six. My experience with Empire Strikes Back was the very first instance of me getting my mind blown by a plot twist.
I remember seeing kids in the theater when I went to see The Force Awakens. I think we’re looking at a story that’s destined to transcend generations. It’s awesome; it’s like seeing kids with classic rock T-shirts.
Thank you! This is a movie experience that spans all ages, much like my beloved Star Trek. I watched the Original Series with my dad when it was shown on television when I was 7, and now I watch the newer movies with my daughter!