everybody else is blogging it, so why can't I? ESB Edition

[orangerful]

So, May 21 is the 30th Anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back. This io9 article is making the rounds on my friends list and it made me think I should post a bit about ESB, being that I am a huge Star Wars fan.

Now, ESB came out the year before I was born. So by the time I saw it and understood it (I have no idea when I first watched Star Wars, but it was probably at least 5 years later) I only knew one thing: I didn't want to watch it after they left Hoth. As a kid, Luke's face during the "I am your father" scene REALLY upset me. Mark Hamill acts his ass off in that scene, and the emotion that came across was just too much for little me to handle. So for a long time ESB was ignored,while I watched the first 30 minutes of RotJ (look, when you're 5, the Rancor trumps everything) and then dragged my toys out into the living room to play with until the Ewoks showed up (shut up, I was FIVE!).

So, of all the Star Wars movies, I'd have to say it is clearly the most mature, because even mini-me knew that this was not for kids. Of course, now I can appreciate it a lot more. It's the best Star Wars movie (even Lucas can't deny it - I think it was the one least frakked up after his "Special Edition" makeovers). The dialogue is sharper, with less techno-babble. The relationships between the characters actualy grows. It is the peak of the Han/Leia romantic storyline and the "my hands are dirty" sequence is the sexiest moment in the Star Wars films. PERIOD.

It's funny but because of my age and the fact that I don't remember the first time I saw Star Wars, I don't ever remember being surprised to find out that Vader was Luke's father. I wish I could dig into the recesses of my memories and find that day, that moment when I understood the impact of that scene...but it's just always been with me. I've watched all three movies countless times, I know them by heart (well the ORIGINAL edits at least - GIVE ME BACK MY YUB-NUB LUCAS!) so I envy those of you that saw it in the theater and got to say "WOW!" when Vader confessed Luke's lineage.

Now the line is cliche, like "ROSEBUD!" - it's hard to not know the twist to Star Wars. But I do look forward to showing the movies to my nephew and seeing his reaction (plus, I want to make sure he watches them in the correct order: IV, V, VI, I, II, III).

So, what about you? Do you remember Empire Strikes Back in the theater? Do you remember what it felt like to find out the Villian and the Hero were linked forever? Or has it always been that way for you, just the way stories should be?

Comments

[vertigozooropa.livejournal.com]

I'm only a little bit older than you, so it was the same for me. I was playing with the toys long before I was to truly process a linear narrative as complex as the Star Wars trilogy. A friend told me that Vader was Luke's father, and it would be years before I found out that I wasn't supposed to know that until the second movie.

The only, "first moments," I can remember from the original trilogy are Han's triumphant return to save the the day in ANH, to which I rejoiced, the awards at the end of that film, and oddly, the revelation that Boussh was really Princess Leia (I'd never understood why she came with that outfit). Everything else is a blur. I don't even remember the first time I watched the whole trilogy in order with a firm grasp of the thing. I remember the first time I really paid attention to ANH, and also to the Jabba's palace scenes. I don't remember the first anything about ESB.

I haven't decided if I'm going to let my future children know that the prequels exist.

[colls]

- OMG! Vader is Luke's father?!!?!!?!!?? STFU! No Way!
- But how can Vader be his father? Luke doesn't breathe funny.

I saw both SW and ESB at a drive-in theater in Nebraska. My parents and neighbors would take us kids, all dressed up in pajamas. Kinda like a slumber party in the station wagon.

They had to take us back 3 or 4 times for ESB - WE WERE IN LOVE!!! I don't think the neighborhood kids ever played cops-n-robbers after that, we all wielded light sabers. :)

For ROJ we drove into the next town and left the lights on in the car - had to get a jump. I think the drive-in had been torn down in '82? And it was just us girls - the boys had developed cooties.

I mostly remember that not knowing Han's fate KILLED me!!

[stinabug87.livejournal.com]

ESB was my parent's first date movie so it holds some significance in the scheme of my life. And I do remember Star Wars being a major part of my life growing up. When we wanted to spend some family time watching movies we always pulled out our VHS tapes and watched them all in a row. Star Wars always fascinated me and I'm still a huge fan of it today.

[ekaterin24.livejournal.com]

Now I feel old. I remember waiting to go see ESB and knowing there was some kind of secret. One night I was babysitting (yeah, I was in high school already, babysitting kids a little older than you were then) and the kids kept saying spoilers while I covered my ears. I finally uncovered them and one of the girls yelled, "And Darth Vader is Luke's father!"

My college roommate, who was more of a Star Wars fan than I was, firmly believed that ESB was the best of the three original films and would be seen as such in the future (which I guess is now).

[jellibean.livejournal.com]

Like you, I always knew that Vader was Luke's father. It was just something that was common knowledge to me, like 1+1=2--and nearly as fundamental for me haha.

I don't remember the first time I saw Star Wars, but I remember checking out the ROTJ book from the library in Kindergarten, so it was sometime before I was 5. I hated ESB as a kid. I loved Yoda, but everything else was too dark and sad. And there wasn't NEARLY enough Leia in there for me. But Empire has definitely grown on me as I've gotten older; it has so many great (and now classic) characters jam-packed in there, and it's just so good.

Man, now I might have to watch it this weekend. :)

[starbuck92.livejournal.com]

First off, thanks for the link to the article. I hadn't seen it and will go read after I finish commenting.

Second, Yub nub eee chop yub nub. :D

And lastly, Empire is the very best. I made my own post late last night. I had everything ready to go but sorta immersed myself in Lost (it IS the final weekend, so...) and forgot to post it until it was almost to late to get it in on the official release date.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

serious voide: If you don't talk to your children about the prequels, someone else will.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Clearly I should have put "Spoiler Alert" in the entry title, huh? ;-)

Wow, a drive-in, that is so cool! I think there is one surviving drive-in around here...somewhere...not close by.

I think when I did watch ESB as a kid, I had to immediately watch the first 30 minutes of RotJ to make sure Han was okay.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

When I told my mom about this post she said "I think you might have seen it in the womb" LOL! We had it on BETA, then upgraded to VHS, now I have it on DVD and I'm sure the blu-rays are right around the corner.

[colls]

Yes, you should've warned me! :)

http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/mdtbela
It's up in Harford County. I have to admit that I haven't gone - I keep meaning to.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it would be fun to go. Why do I feel like they did a triple feature with Star Wars a few years back? We'll have to watch for some good movies there, maybe we can meet up!