It is Wednesday morning, the date is May 19th, and the year is 1999. What is your hype level?

[Jakenbakin]

My friend Paul and I were at the Grapevine Mills mall in Texas. We'd heard about people living up all night on the news to see the new Star Wars, but we didn't really care. While at the mall we went to the movies theater, where it turned out nobody was watching the new Star Wars, so we went and watched in a theater half empty. I still don't understand all these years later.

 

[Holograms]

Those of us that were in our late teens may have looked upon your hype and scoffed, but for me, I saw child-like wonder that had been lost to some of us after a few years of acne and angst. It was great to see the youth participate in the hype, and to this day when I see that magical sparkle of innocence, it does not offend me. It gives me hope that there can still be a world where someone can allow imagination to make things better. Thanks for sharing.

Click to shrink...

I could not have said it better myself. Thanks for your optimistic outlook and for the life affirming thread.

 

[Orayn]

I don't think I actually saw it until June, I was 8 and didn't know enough to get very hyped. I had only seen the original trilogy once or twice before that.

 

[Patriiick]

I don't think I gave much of a shit. I was 16 and had other things on my mind.

 

[RedVejigante]

I was 17 years old, and a lifelong Star Wars fanatic. This was the movie I had been waiting my whole life for. My hype was so overwhelming that I was somehow able to convince my parents to break their strict rule of not going to the theaters. It was literally my first big-screen experience.

 

[Ottaro]

I was the exact perfect age for this movie and I loved it. I was so hyped up. The pod race and light saber duel were cool as all hell, maul was terrifying looking, the soundtrack was incredible, and I really liked Ewan Mcgregor's look. I still stand by all of that, although I find the duel much more boring now.
This movie occupied my brain for a WHILE that year, and I played the N64 pod racer game nonstop. It was also the first movie soundtrack CD I ever had.

It's a really boring movie for me to watch now, but I still like it more than the two follow ups.

 

[Swiggins]

I remember the Pod-Race Pepsi machines.

 

[Darknight]

Where did you see it?

Click to shrink...

At the time, the best and most popular theater in the area with the largest screen, Century 21.

Did you have advance tickets or did you purchase at the theatre?

Click to shrink...

I bought tickets in advance.

Was it a long wait to get into the theatre and could you cut the hype with a knife?

Click to shrink...

Depends how you quantify this. I camped out for the first time in line. So I guess it was a long wait?

Was it a full house and were your seats any good?

Click to shrink...

Full house, perfect seats in the middle.

Did the theatre clap after the movie?

Click to shrink...

I think they cheered rather than clapped.

 

[Auros01]

One other thing is that Episode I holds a special place as the first midnight showing I attended. So, the hype felt even bigger because it was unlike any other movie release I had gone to.

 

[Gabbo]

I was turning 14 three days later, took a bunch of friends to go see it for my birthday. was packed house and we didnt even get to sit together XD. JarJar was a lot more tolerable at 14