25 years since SW Special Edition

[JediMichael]

I read that it was January 31 that the Star Wars ANH Special Edition first hit theaters.
Day is almost over, and for some, probably is....but still....can't believe its already been 25 years. I'm sure plenty are saying the same thing with it about to be truly 45 years this May.
I remember being SO hyped to see it in theaters, a teacher I had was like, I also can't wait for you to watch this so maybe then you might actually pay attention in class.
This was all before we knew what George was going to do and change.
This, and those months leading up to Episode I were some of the best and most exciting.....just don't think of the thoughts of leaving the theater afterwards....

 

[Halliwax]

I skipped school for it

 

[JediMichael]

I skipped school for it

I never skipped, ither than just being "sick". But than I wouldnt have neen able to see it.

 

[Halliwax]

I was home schooled, it wasn’t too difficult lol

 

[JediMichael]

I was home schooled, it wasn’t too difficult lol

Thats just cheating.

 

[Elevader]

I read that it was January 31 that the Star Wars ANH Special Edition first hit theaters.
Day is almost over, and for some, probably is....but still....can't believe its already been 25 years. I'm sure plenty are saying the same thing with it about to be truly 45 years this May.
I remember being SO hyped to see it in theaters, a teacher I had was like, I also can't wait for you to watch this so maybe then you might actually pay attention in class.
This was all before we knew what George was going to do and change.
This, and those months leading up to Episode I were some of the best and most exciting.....just don't think of the thoughts of leaving the theater afterwards....

This and Episode I didn’t fully register as being bad right away. I was still too excited to have new Star Wars.

 

[Halliwax]

Thats just cheating.

Lol!! I was involved in a private home school group.. there might have been 15 family involved.

We would meet once a week and have a field trip. This time we went to see Star Wars

 

[Eruonen]

Lol!! I was involved in a private home school group.. there might have been 15 family involved.

We would meet once a week and have a field trip. This time we went to see Star Wars

A fellow home schooler! Haha sounds like a brilliant field trip!

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I believe that Star Wars: The Special Edition actually premiered on February 14th, 1997?

I remember seeing this trailer on November 22nd, 1996, at the beginning of Star Trek: First Contact…

 

[Eruonen]

Huh. Both IMDb and Wookiepedia list three separate release dates. Jan 31 for Star Wars , Feb 21 for Empire, and Mar 14 for Jedi. But that trailer makes it sound like they all came out at the same time…

 

[JediMichael]

Had my picture of all my old ticket stubs, as I didn't want to go through them again and find these 3.
So yep, Jan 31st, Feb 21st and March 14th.
My friend and I were hoping there might be a short Ep. I teaser.
Even Samuel L. Jackson in normal clothes saying something like, "Star Wars Episode I, May 1999. Come see it."

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Well, there it is.

 

[JediMichael]

These 25 years went faster than todays work shift.

 

[Halliwax]

Had my picture of all my old ticket stubs, as I didn't want to go through them again and find these 3.
So yep, Jan 31st, Feb 21st and March 14th.
My friend and I were hoping there might be a short Ep. I teaser.
Even Samuel L. Jackson in normal clothes saying something like, "Star Wars Episode I, May 1999. Come see it."
View attachment 1540865

So freakn cool you have the stubs..

If my memory serves me correct.. wasn’t it difficult for theaters to get the special edition

Only certain theaters in my area had it.. I remember driving out to the theater father away because it was basically brand new at the time and when we got there they didn’t have it..

They told us they were trying to get it but haven’t had any luck and hoping to get it with in 2 weeks..

Don’t know if there was any actual truth to it

 

[Psab keel]

As much as I hate the changes it was the first time I was able to see the OT on the big screen so it's still a very special memory for me. I haven't been able to see any of them in theaters since.

 

[masterjedi322]

I was born in the middle of the OT’s release, so I never got to see Star Wars on the screen as a kid. I was in high school when the Special Edition came out in theaters. My mom let me skip school to go see it. I remember waking up early because I was so freaking excited. While I wasn’t entirely thrilled with all the “improvements” that were made, I loved seeing the trilogy in a theater. Ah, good times…

Sean

 

[batguy]

I knew the SE changes were a mixed bag at the time. (I still feel that way. They aren't all bad.) But it was so much fun seeing the movie with fresh eyes in the theaters.

We were wowed by the promise of the CGI tech. We were so eager to see what George was gonna do with the prequels. We knew the next few decades of movies were gonna be wild (and they were).

 

[Laspector]

I remember me and some friends leaving work to go see the first one. I was the only one going "Ooo, that's new! Ooo, that's new! Ooo, that's new!"

 

[russellsch]

For Star Wars, I called out “sick” from work. When I was 9, my dad took me to see ROTJ when it first came out in ‘83 & a re-release of Star Wars before Jedi. I never SAW ESB until I bought the trilogy on VHS with lawn mowing money, years later, but our library had the paperback comic book of it that I fell in love with. Al Williams is still one of my favorite comic artists because of that book.
Anyway, it was still magical seeing it (& all of them) on the big screen in a packed auditorium. I far prefer watching the Despecialized versions now… but I would still go see these in the theater today, just to see them on the big screen again. I’m tempted to rent a theater.

 

[Halliwax]

As much as I hate the changes it was the first time I was able to see the OT on the big screen so it's still a very special memory for me. I haven't been able to see any of them in theaters since.

I as well, first time getting to see it in a theater

I’ll never forget it

Then once rotj came out, you could watch all 3 back to back at a cheaper price