Happy 30th Anniversary, ESB!

[The Craw]

so how good is this movie? i've seen the other 5 SW movies but never got around to watching ESB. is it worth watching? i was kinda confused during ROTJ. did i miss some important stuff? why was Luke trying to help Vader? was that explained in ESB?

 

[cedric72]

so how good is this movie? i've seen the other 5 SW movies but never got around to watching ESB. is it worth watching? i was kinda confused during ROTJ. did i miss some important stuff? why was Luke trying to help Vader? was that explained in ESB?

You've haven't watched the best science fiction movie of all time?
The Vader/Luke relationship unfolds in ESB. I won't give anything away, it's a big surprise.
WATCH IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!

 

[the dude person]

why was Luke trying to help Vader? was that explained in ESB?

The Vader/Luke relationship unfolds in ESB. I won't give anything away, it's a big surprise.
WATCH IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!

wow....

 

[devilof76]

I saw Star Wars in the theater when I was 4 in 1979. Just about one year later, I got to see Empire Strikes Back. We were visiting my dad's parents in New York, and my mom took my brother and I out for a 'surprise'. We were both pretty sure she was going to take us to get 'figures', but we ended up at a supermarket instead of a toy store. She took us to a candy aisle and told us to pick out whatever we wanted (I picked burnt peanuts; no idea why; I'd never had them, or seen them, but they were great, and now forever connected to ESB). That seemed cool enough, but when we asked her if this was the surprise, she wouldn't answer.

Then we ended up in a movie theater. When she told us what we were going to see, the two of us just about lost our minds. I can't remember being that excited for anything ever again (until I lost my virginity). We even knew the spoilers. Didn't matter one bit. Afterwards, we did end up at a toy store, and we got the Hoth Han and Luke figures.

I said once on another forum that when I die, in those last minutes of electrical activity left in my brain, I am certain that heaven will begin with reliving that day. It is still my favorite movie and I see nothing ever changing that.

Thank you Irvin, Lawrence and George.

 

[Balsquat]

I think u did, seeing these movies on the big screen for the first time & not knowing the story was absolutely incredible, todays movies would have a lot more impact without all the spoilers & books before hand. arghh back when employees could be trusted to keep secrets

To be honest. I caught a piece of that when the Original series came back to theather for THX. My dad brought me to all 3 when they were rereleased in 97. I was only 12 and it has left a special memory for which I am grateful

 

[firefly2121]

so how good is this movie? i've seen the other 5 SW movies but never got around to watching ESB. is it worth watching? i was kinda confused during ROTJ. did i miss some important stuff? why was Luke trying to help Vader? was that explained in ESB?

EPIC FAIL! I hope your playing.

 

[firefly2121]

ESB is still my favorite movie of all time...One shade above Godfather 1 & 2.

 

[Vivisect]

When I saw ANH in 1979 and ESB in 1980 my parents snuck me (I was 5-6 years old) and my younger brother into the drive-in, in the trunk of our car so they wouldn't have to pay for us to see it.

My parent were so cheap, I had a lot of trips (almost every Friday) in that car trunk to see all kinds of movies when I was a kid, and at the time I hated hiding in that trunk even if was only for about 5-10 min to get past the admission gate, but after seeing movies like Indiana Jones, a bunch of Godzilla movies and many others I forgive them.

The Dark Crystal in '82 and ROTJ in '83 were the first 2 movies I ever saw the didnt require some sort of covert transportation as I saw them with my grandmother in a normal theater. Though that had a trade off, you didn't have to worry about rain but snacks were a rip off, and you could only sneak in so much. At the drive in you could bring coolers and grills and have party if you wanted too, I miss drive-ins.

It really is nice to have been able to see these movies the first time with out a clue about what gonna happen and have to wait to actually see it happen on screen.

 

[monkeydad16]

This is my favorite film of the Saga now. But as a kid, it gave me my first case of anxiety. Luke gets a lightsaber amputation by his dad, and the fate of Han Solo was unknown. The wait between ESB and ROTJ were tough.

 

[Jaymas]

The wait between ESB and ROTJ were tough.

I was 10 when it came out (best one in my mind by the way), and the three year wait for ROTJ, while tough, were also fertile ground for my imagination as I explored the possibilities of what might happen next.

I think it was a fun time even though the wait for resolution was long. If anything I think the hardest thing was the bit of a let down with ROTJ when the wait was finally over. After three years of working out how it might go expectations were through the roof.

 

[Puay]

I was very young then. I remember how depressed I was after the movie, seeing the good guys going throught all the mishaps.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I was 7 at the time and I remember going on the Friday afternoon of the week when it opened (it opened on a Wednesday). I went with my Mom and I remember thinking that Vader was lying to Luke. So for three years I always thought it was a trick from Vader and that Luke was too quick to believe him. Even watching ROTJ for the first time in '83 (saw that opening night), I still thought, "when is Luke going to realize it's a trick?!?" And of course I was distraught by Han's unknown fate. I was fully expecting another half hour of them going to rescue Han. I couldn't believe they would end the movie that way!

I also remember that someone in my school bus had a few of the ESB action figures well before the movie came out. I remember vividly he had Hoth Han and it was a good few months before the movie! I remember being so jealous, but he was in like 4th or 5th grade and I was only in 1st grade so I was very intimidated by him (he was a bit of a trouble maker) and didn't want to ask where he got the figures!

I even remember the teaser they showed of ESB when they did a re-release of SW in 1979. At the time it was a complete surprise that there was going to be a new SW film!

 

[LOTRFan]

I remember being scared of Empire, specifically the cave sequence with Vader and Luke; I was only 4 the first time I watched it.

 

[FLOSI]

I always flip back and forth between ESB and ANH as my all time favorite but I'd say ESB has been the front runner for most of my life.

I can still remember seeing it when I was 6. I was with my mom and dad and we weren't at a local theatre but one about 25 minutes away. They had people dressed as Chewbacca, Darth Vader and C3-PO out front and the place was packed. I still remember thinking that Chewie looked too short . I had no clue Vader was Luke's father going in... I was young and the plot twist had me in disbelief... The whole way home I kept telling my dad "there's no way he's Luke's father. It's a lie. He's lying to Luke."

 

[FLOSI]

I was 7 at the time and I remember going on the Friday afternoon of the week when it opened (it opened on a Wednesday). I went with my Mom and I remember thinking that Vader was lying to Luke. So for three years I always thought it was a trick from Vader and that Luke was too quick to believe him. Even watching ROTJ for the first time in '83 (saw that opening night), I still thought, "when is Luke going to realize it's a trick?!?" And of course I was distraught by Han's unknown fate. I was fully expecting another half hour of them going to rescue Han. I couldn't believe they would end the movie that way!

I also remember that someone in my school bus had a few of the ESB action figures well before the movie came out. I remember vividly he had Hoth Han and it was a good few months before the movie! I remember being so jealous, but he was in like 4th or 5th grade and I was only in 1st grade so I was very intimidated by him (he was a bit of a trouble maker) and didn't want to ask where he got the figures!

I even remember the teaser they showed of ESB when they did a re-release of SW in 1979. At the time it was a complete surprise that there was going to be a new SW film!

Read this after I posted, Jim. I felt the same way. When ROTJ came out I was waiting for Luke to prove Vader wrong, showing that he wasn't his son. Great memories.... Nothing can take that magic away from us.

 

[Lordscum]

I remember feeling cheated when I walked out of the theatre after the first time seeing it. I was pissed Luke got his ass kicked and was left to wonder about what Vader said about him being his father , I was mad at Luke for being a whiney punk and not taking too heart Yodas lessons, I thought Lando was a scumbag , was angry that Solo was left in the carbonite block and lastly Boba Fett was a letdown after the huge build up Kenner did on him. I thought for sure Boba would have his day in ROTJ but it wasn't meant too be. After the intial ill feelings wore off I was left totally stoked for part 3.

ESB is probably the best set up film ever done, which in a way is kind of a bad thing since ROTJ didn't live up too what ESB set up for the final installment.

 

[jkno]

I watched both ANH and ESB on cinema but back then the Communist Emperor (Ceausescu) didn't allow ROTJ on cinemas in Romania so I watched it on VHS tape at a friend. I remember going with my dad at the cinema and watching ESB, it was kind of scary when Vader had the helmet off in his meditation chamber, but loved the AT-AT's and Bespin. Good ol' memories.

 

[6Series]

I was 10 at that time! Couldn't believed they froze Han. I love that Vader's helmet is glossy in this episode and he spoke in a more sinister tone. Love about every single moment in ESB and yes, the Falcon looks prettier too!

 

[Darth Waller]

I was 12 when ESB came out. I remember going to my dad's work in the morning and we caught a lunchtime showing at the Alabama Theater here in Houston. Good times!