Posted on by Dunc

Anniversary! Champagne!

Ten years ago today, Greedo shot first for the first time – that is, on January 31st 1997, the A New Hope Special Edition was released, ushering us into the a new era of Star Wars fandom. A kinda scary era where it seemed everyone on the internet was obsessed with Han’s blaster and prequel spoilers and the ethics of CGIing twenty-year-old films.

Seriously though, for some of us the ANH SE was the first chance to wait in line and see (at least so we’d remember) Star Wars on the big screen. I can’t recall ever waiting in line for a movie before this – my friends and I rushed to the theater right after school to be first in line for the 6pm show, playing Egyptian Ratscrew for hours.

What’s your ANH SE story?

7 Replies to “Anniversary! Champagne!”

  1. I went to see ANH:SE at the AMC La Jolla cinemas, near UCSD with a bunch of my friends from my campus ministry at UCSD. the mall area outside the theater was all lined up mostly with college students all excited to see the movie. i had whipped up a simple ANH Luke costume by wearing khaki pants, and the top to my old gee from aikido and a belt and a hasbro lightsaber. while we hung out in line, a reporter from the san diego Union Tribune interviewed a bunch of us (and me and my friend natalie got quoted in an article a few days later). when we were in the theater, another guy with a lightsaber was also in the theater, and i challenged him to a a duel in the front of the seats, with the whole audience watching and cheering us on.

    when the movie came on, the audience went nuts again.. the biggest cheers for a character appearance was for Han in the cantina… and some big cheers for Boba Fett’s appearance in the added docking bay scene. while the previews had hinted at the expanded mos eisley (swoop and ronto, etc.), the changed sandcrawler shot blew me away.

  2. I went to see ANH:SE with my parents and best friend, who had never seen any of the SW movies. She hated it, but I had a blast. I dressed up my American Girl Doll up like Princess Leia in her Senatorial robes and pinned my Rebel Alliance pin onto her outfit and brought her with me. The theater atmosphere was pretty low-key.. I think we went a few weeks after it opened, but it’s still a nice little memory for me.

  3. I’m amazingly vague on this. Beth would probably remember best.

    I do have memories of the homeschooled kids who came to stand in line with us. And I remember trips to Pizza Hut where we had to prove to the waitress that we were indeed Star Wars geeks by overwhelming her with trivia. She did give us clean pizza boxes in payment, though!

  4. 1997 was the year my 1st marriage fell apart. I say this because I wanted to kill my ex-husband for numerous reasons already, but the fact that he was being such an ass caused me to miss the theatre releases of ESB and RotJ almost shoved me over the edge. I did manage to see ANH in the theatre, much to my x-wing loving little heart the new scenes with MORE x-wings and COOLER dog fights and Wedge flying through the fireball!!!!!!!!!

    Sorry. Pilot fangirl moment there. *clears throat* I saw it at the now demolished-replaced-by-condos Northgate Theatre which was an old fashioned one- screen theatre with a balcony.

  5. I remember, thanks to a few days where the internet was fast and the research was slow, being spoiled for every major change to the movies before I went to see them. Even then, I managed to be completely surprised when Boba Fett showed up!

    I saw the other special editions and Episode I with the same group of friends. For each screening we all went to, at least one of us was sick or injured. I had my wisdom teeth out just before we saw ESB, so when Dengar came on screen with his head bandaged up, I knew exactly why he never caught Han. You try hunting smugglers the ay after your dentist saws through your jaw to rip out those teeth that were growing sideways, see how far you get.

  6. This is for you DUNC!
    I do remember waiting in line for the Special Edition release in the theatre. I remember barganing with my mother to let me stay out later if need be. I remember Jill fawning over Andy and Ray’s friend Phil for the three hours we sat in line. I remember the dude dressed as a Storm Trooper. Also, I can’t forget the “Feel The Force” game that Taco Bell had out. The peel off’s from my large Dr. Pepper’s were all over my car for months after Jedi was released into the theatre.

    See my mind isn’t that jacked, I remember the important good.

  7. I don’t remember as I was 7 at the time, but I would like to register deep love for Egyptian Ratscrew.

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