Flash back to 1977. I was 12 years old, living in Houston, Texas. What we know as Episode IV now opened in July. Since it was summer vacation, I think I was able to see it the opening day Friday. It was at the Galleria I theater. Yes Virginia, there was a movie theater in the Galleria back then.
I recall that summer was when I was able to go to movies by myself. I don't remember seeing it with anyone else. I remember that I liked it of course, and that I saw it a total of 3 times in the theater.
In retrospect, there was some anticipation of this new movie. The budget was supposed to be big and it was expected to be a success- maybe not number 1 of all time as it turned out (at the time) but big. The biggest grossing movies to that date were Jaws and Gone with the Wind, if you can believe that.
What marks the enduring nature of this universe? Perhaps it's because of the carefully crafted universe with lots of attention to not only the worlds but also the varied characters which have had a lot of continuity.
Some things I will expect - A hero will emerge to fight a dark enemy, with a determinative light sabre duel. There will be a lot of quirky evil aliens, and there will be cute non-human characters (robots, trolls). Sounds like some later classics made into movies: Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings.
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