Thought I'd have a quick go at these for you.
When did you first learn about Star Wars?
I don't really remember ever hearing of star wars I just seemed to know about it for some reason and then bugged my Father endlessly to take me to see it probably from late 77 until around late Jan/early Feb 78 when he finally gave in.
Do you remember any of the build up to the release of the Star Wars films such as radio or television adverts, TV and press reports etc?
None I can recall.
When and where did you first see each of the Star Wars films at the cinema and what did you think of them? (Please write two paragraphs on each).
Star Wars (ANH) around late Jan/early Feb 78 at the Odeon cinema Bristol. I remember it was cold and there was a huge cue going around the corner of the cinema that my father and I waited in. We just made it into the showing we queued for and I'm not sure if my father would have waited any longer so it was a good job we made it. I don't really remember much from that first viewing other than walking in just after the crawl at the start and seeing the star destroyer flying over my head! The other thing was the sound coming from that space vessel almost knocking me over. The only other thing that stays with me was seeing C-3PO and R2-D2 lost on Tatooine, classic images with them separating and C-3PO walking past that huge skeleton.
After the film had finished I just remember feeling so excited about the whole thing and strangely that the new adventures of Batman series was on when I returned back home (it was Saturday night around 5.30).
ESB I watched in 1980 at the ABC cinema Whiteladies Road Bristol (where I also saw Supermen). I really can't remember any details about seeing it but I do remember a child at my school telling me the Luke father reveal before seeing it and that pretty much ruined my chance of finding that out as the film played :evil: I do remember feeling quite shocked at the time I was told though and didn't quite believe it (I also never hung out with that kid again!).
ROTJ was back at the Odeon Bristol and it was my friends birthday treat who was trying to decide if he wanted to see that or For your eyes only. He was quite into Bond and it was his birthday but I still didn't feel too bad about persuading him to see Jedi…..well maybe a little once those Ewoks turned up! It was defiantly my least favourite of the three and maybe this was because ESB really is such a superior film and as I was getting older and out of my toy playing faze.
Do you have memories of any merchandise that you had in the 70s and 80s? Is there one particular item that you have fond memories of?
See my post above this one but I do remember also seeing the adverts for the toys on T.V. and in fact making a point of waiting for the adverts on saturday morning just in case they came on.
Did you own any of the "cash in" Star Wars soundtrack albums?
This beauty -
http://www.depthoffieldmagazine.com/2012/07/29/starwarsploitation-sounds-star-wars-on-record-1977-1979/glaho/
Also my first 7" I ever asked for and owned was this -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Tkx6BgRFE&feature=kp
:lol:
Star Wars was re-released at the cinema in 1979 and 1980. The Empire Strikes Back was re-released in 1981. Any memories?
I never remember either of these being re-released.
What was your experience of watching Star Wars on television for the first time?
It seemed to take so long for Star Wars to make it to T.V. (and an eternity for it on VHS), but I had my brand new Betamax tape waiting and ended up watching it endlessly. My next-door neighbours boys who were younger than me and had never seen it had missed it on T.V. and were very happy to hear I had a copy of it. I remember it disappearing into their house for quite a while after (always a good feeling to spread the joy though and I got to play with their He-man figures).
Did you attend the Star Wars cinema Double Bill when it showed around the U.K in 1982?
Never knew of it at the time.
What was your experience of watching the Star Wars cinema triple bill and when and where was your first one?
Now this cinema experience I do remember going to although i'm not 100% where. I always thought it was in a cinema around Nelson street in Bristol but can't seem to find any mention of it. I'm sure one of my old friends will be able to jog my memory as to where it was exactly but I know for sure it was in the centre of Bristol somewhere.
It was my first chance to see the first two films on the big screen since watching them on their release so it was a big day for me. The two things I remember from it was that the projectionist decided that right in the middle of the speeder bike chase sequence it was a good place to freeze the film for a toilet break!! Just seeing a close up of Luke on his bike suddenly screeching to a holt with the words 'intermission' being super embossed in white over his face was really not a good way to add tension. The other thing was that it was daylight going in and darkness coming out, a very strange feeling.
Do you have any memories of the Star Wars spinoffs such as the novels, radio drama and weekly comic?
The weekly comic was a big thing for me and I know I stuck with it until ESB and may well have had some of the Jedi ones as well. I'm pretty sure I remember it being advertised on T.V. although I missed getting the first issue (and more importantly the X-Wing free gift!), but made sure I didn't miss any others. I've since gone back and picked up both the Star Wars and ESB issues with the film retelling in them along with their untouched free gifts (as most of mine were cut up and pasted in my scrapbook or put up on my bedroom walls). They bought back a lot of memories looking through them again with all the other stories in there and the funny adverts and letters page. It was also so nice to finally get hold of that X-Wing (as well as the T.I.E Fighter), and I still think it's a great free gift. It was a shame that the first ESB one only had transfers that you could get with Dairylea ( I think they're the same transfers?), and no other comic from that run had anything (I'm not counting those so called posters as a free gift really).
The other thing I was into in a big way was the Blue and Red boarder cards we had in the UK with a stick of bubble gum and the FKS ESB stickers and Panini Jedi ones. The Star Wars cards were affordable for a small child's pocket money and I managed to put both sets together (which I still have), and the FKS stickers were pretty low grade in all fairness and there were just too many to complete although I did fill out the back of my sticker album to send off for the missing ones but never sent it off. I'm glad I kept it though as I actually managed to complete it about a month ago - an ebay success story!!
. The jedi set was easier to complete for some reason (probably as there were less to get and I remember other children in the playground having stacks of swaps). These are much better quality than the Empire ones and slightly bigger as well. I managed to get an Empire FKS empty box when I was collecting them which I kept my action figures in as well as an ESB chewy bar box which was more sturdy and held up until I sold all my figures as a job lot to my mates brother for a fiver……sad days, especially as my Vinyl Cape Jawa was in there and I almost kept it as I had a strange attachment to it
The other things I remember from that time period was the shreddies with transfers and 4 different Star Wars backgrounds on the back of the box that I still own and the ESB biscuits and Jedi yogurts. We had our fair share of Star Wars related goodies with all the stationary based items and food related things, not to mention the toys. Thinking back now I also had the Stormtrooper mask that came with a lyons maid lolly and still have a few of the stickers that were packed with the ESB lollies.
Do you have memories of the Darth Vader or Boba Fett tour, or of any other Star Wars related events up until the end of 1983?
See post above.
Were you involved in or have any knowledge of Star Wars fan groups or fanzines before the end of 1983?
No, none of them.
How did you feel about the Star Wars saga at the close of 1983? Could you see it continuing or were you aware that George Lucas was taking a break from it all?[/quote]
I knew that that was going to be it although I always remembered hearing that he'd written them as a nine part saga and wondered if I'd ever see any others (you really do have to be careful what you wish for some times!).
At my age at the time it was all kind of over for me and although I was tempted to pick up some of the figures again when I noticed in a local post office in the late eighties some mint old stock 12 backs and about three sealed death star's I resisted the temptation
(one for each Death Star not to mention those figures).
Hope that's all of some help to you,
Ian