Who was surprised by "No Luke, I am your father"--?

[Utoo]

Having been born in 1980, and having watched Star Wars religiously through my childhood, I have no idea when I first saw any of the original trilogy. (My mom says I was brought to the theater as an infant to see Empire, but that doesn't count!) For me, the fact that Vader is Luke's father has always been just the way things are. Of course, over the years, I've been able to reflect on what it means--for the characters, the story, etc. But as far back as I can remember, there never was an "ah-ha," never a precise moment of realization....

....which has always led me to wonder what it must've been like for people to find out for the very first time.

 

[corianderstem]

OMG spoiler in the title!



I think the first one I saw in the theater during its initial run was ROTJ - I remember walking from my house with my older step-brother, and running to keep up with his long legs as we walked. I was so excited to see it!

Did they re-release the first two movies before ROTJ came out or something? I remember seeing Empire with my aunt but don't remember if it was before or after ROTJ. It wouldn't have been during its intial run - I doubt I would have gone when I was 7.

Anyway, I'm sure I was surprised by the big reveal but don't remember how shocked I was. Or how much it even registered, really.

 

[No spoken words]

I was 9, I of course had no idea and I was truly fucking shocked.

These were the days when most theaters were single screen...there was a theater in Yonkers called "Movieland" that had 4 theaters at the time, I think....maybe Empire was on two of them? Anyway, the lines were around the block, around the corner, across the street, etc....it was mayhem.....but, there was no internet, there were no spoilers, and I saw it the first weekend so there was no time to accidentally find out.

So, yeah, it was easily the biggest movie event of my young life, and it blew my mind.

 

[beegee]

He doesn't actually say "Luke"



I will never forget my uncle coming over to our house super excited about a movie he had just seen called Star Wars. He stood in our family room describing the scene in the Mos Eisley Cantina with the band playing the instruments and everything. We went to see it the next day.

Like NSW, I was nine when Empire was released. I remember being surprised by the fact that Vader was Luke's father but I also remember that as a nine year old girl I didn't really give a rat's ass.

 

[waynetravis]

We saw it in 97.
I think me mum told us about this part on way to the cinema

 

[europop2005]

I saw star wars for the first time in 1995

i swore vader was lying and obi wan was his father

 

[Utoo]

He doesn't actually say "Luke"

I know, but he says it in the radio production.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

I saw star wars for the first time in 1995

i swore vader was lying and obi wan was his father

hey, no need to be all ... i just saw it for the first time this summer!

 

[Zoots]

I'm waiting for somebody to say "I still haven't seen it! Thanks for spoiling it, you fuckers!"

 

[phanan]

I was 9, I of course had no idea and I was truly fucking shocked.

These were the days when most theaters were single screen...there was a theater in Yonkers called "Movieland" that had 4 theaters at the time, I think....maybe Empire was on two of them? Anyway, the lines were around the block, around the corner, across the street, etc....it was mayhem.....but, there was no internet, there were no spoilers, and I saw it the first weekend so there was no time to accidentally find out.

So, yeah, it was easily the biggest movie event of my young life, and it blew my mind.

Same here, although I was 10.

The weekend it came out, I begged my mother to take me. She said we had no chance of getting a seat, but I pleaded with her to try. So we went, and they were down to single seats, and luckily someone moved so we could sit together.

I remember being so transfixed by the whole movie, having seen the original numerous times by then. I was a die hard Star Wars fan. I had all the toys, books, poster, you name it. When Empire came out, I was totally blown away.

 

[No spoken words]

I should have mentioned that, like Phanan, at that time, I had seen Star Wars in the movies 5x, which was unheard of....and owned shirts, action figures, lunch boxes, etc....for a while, it eclipsed the Yankees as my #1 interest......

 

[phanan]

Fuck, wait a minute. I was 9, too. It came out in the summer, obviously, and I didn't turn 10 until October.

 

[bono_212]

No, because my dad let me watch ROTJ first, so it's just something I always knew if only I could go back somehow.

 

[~BrightestStar~]

"I still haven't seen it! Thanks for spoiling it, you fuckers!"

.

 

[Muldfeld]

I'm waiting for somebody to say "I still haven't seen it! Thanks for spoiling it, you fuckers!"

I guess that's the problem with stories being so huge in pop culture; no opportunities for others to discover them spoiler-free. I had the same problem trying to watch "Planet of the Apes", I think.

 

[bono_212]

I guess that's the problem with stories being so huge in pop culture; no opportunities for others to discover them spoiler-free. I had the same problem trying to watch "Planet of the Apes", I think.

Oh man, me too. My step dad told me while we were watching it, so when it got to the end I was like "What's he freaking out about?"

 

[bonocomet]

It was awesome being blown away by the big reveal. I still remember it as probably the most amazing "movie moment" I ever got to experience first hand.

(When the first movie came out I was a huge fan, we didn't even know there would ever be a 2nd movie. There was no internet or anything back then that could possibly create any type of spoilers or even much speculation with other fans, I didn't even know any other fans. The best I could do was hang out at my local comic store and hope to hear any news on the chalkboard message board. )

 

[Dalton]

I still haven't seen these yet. Thanks for spoiling it fucker.

 

[No spoken words]

I still haven't seen these yet. Thanks for spoiling it fucker.

Dalton, were you surprised when you heard Chet Lemon say "No, Dalton, I am your Father"?

 

[Dalton]

Dalton, were you surprised when you heard Chet Lemon say "No, Dalton, I am your Father"?

Surprised? I was fucking elated. The only way I could have been happier is if Tom Brookens would have said it.

 

[No spoken words]

 

[Dalton]

 

[UberBeaver]

It was shocking, yes. There were no internets with the IMDBs and their wacky spoilers. We would get a line in a magazine and read it over and over and pray for more info next month.

lol, it seems silly now. Does this sort of "shock" still happen in movies and TV shows? Or was it just cause I was a kid? The only show I can think of that had a similar air about it - like "WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?" - was The Sopranos (for the record "I am your father" >>>>>>>> Onion Rings). I guess LOTR was big, but there were those book things that told you what was going to happen.

I remember a big debate on whether it was going to be called "Return of the Jedi" or "Revenge of the Jedi" and my geeked out cousin telling me that Jedi's don't get revenge, so it had to be Return of the Jedi. Apparently, he was right - and all these years later it still stings cause "revenge" is way more badass than "return".

 

[No spoken words]

It was shocking, yes. There were no internets with the IMDBs and their wacky spoilers. We would get a line in a magazine and read it over and over and pray for more info next month.

lol, it seems silly now. Does this sort of "shock" still happen in movies and TV shows? Or was it just cause I was a kid? The only show I can think of that had a similar air about it - like "WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?" - was The Sopranos (for the record "I am your father" >>>>>>>> Onion Rings). I guess LOTR was big, but there were those book things that told you what was going to happen.

I remember a big debate on whether it was going to be called "Return of the Jedi" or "Revenge of the Jedi" and my geeked out cousin telling me that Jedi's don't get revenge, so it had to be Return of the Jedi. Apparently, he was right - and all these years later it still stings cause "revenge" is way more badass than "return".

JR getting shot in Dallas was a big deal. The TV series the Fugitive's last episode had people riveted. Then there was Ross/Rachel. That last one was a joke.

I remember the Revenge/Return thing, too, but I never did talk to your idiot cousin. I think there were printed materials with "Revenge" in there, but, as you say, Lucas decided that Revenge, while best erved cold, is not to be served by the Jedi.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

?

 

[No spoken words]

?

You finally made yourself useful.

 

[UberBeaver]

JR getting shot in Dallas was a big deal. The TV series the Fugitive's last episode had people riveted. Then there was Ross/Rachel. That last one was a joke.

I remember the Revenge/Return thing, too, but I never did talk to your idiot cousin. I think there were printed materials with "Revenge" in there, but, as you say, Lucas decided that Revenge, while best erved cold, is not to be served by the Jedi.

Yes, I didn't phrase that right. I meant recently have there been any shows that riveted a large amount of people. Lost and Heroes are pretty big, but not like those examples you mentioned above. I guess there's more choices nowadays. I have like 500 channels or someshit.

 

[No spoken words]

Yes, I didn't phrase that right. I meant recently have there been any shows that riveted a large amount of people. Lost and Heroes are pretty big, but not like those examples you mentioned above. I guess there's more choices nowadays. I have like 500 channels or someshit.

Part of it is definitely the plethora of options you have, so much fragmentation and channels directly aimed at specific demos.....

Who shot Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks was semi-recent and had a lot of people watching....but not like the above examples, or the last episode of M*A*S*H......

 

[LMP]

Dallas completely reversed karma'd itself with this twist though:

I wish I was around when the original trilogy came out, but I was part of the generation that caught it on VHS. I remember owning the '90s box set of the original releases, with the cheesy Leonard Maltin/George Lucas interviews, then seeing the special editions in theaters (although I don't remember much from them), owning the special edition VHS tapes, and now owning the 2004 DVDs.

I guess the next frontier for these is Blu Ray and eventual 3D re-release... which is totally fucking stellar. My jealousy for guys like NSW and Phanan will know no bounds; they got Lando, the badass black dude, and I got fucking Watto, the stingy Jewish stereotype - that may say it all right there.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I remember owning the '90s box set of the original releases, with the cheesy Leonard Maltin/George Lucas interviews

Oh god, I remember those interviews very well. Lucas seemed thoroughly bored and Maltin had that cheesetastic grin plastered on his face the whole time. Wow. That brings me back.