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Movies Seen In Theaters From Before You Were Born

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 (Edited)

Inspired by my trip to the multiplex last night to see the always spectacular 1958 film Vertigo, I’m wondering who else has seen some movies in theaters that were originally released before you were born? Well, I guess it doesn’t have to be before you were born, any years later rerelease will do.

Rereleases have become fairly rare, so it can be tricky to see a classic on the big screen. Luckily I always keep an eye out for limited events (like TCM’s Big Screen Classics) and on my nearby revival houses. In my time, I’ve had the chance to see a number of my favorites (and a couple not exactly favorites):

  • Singin’ In the Rain
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark twice, first time in IMAX
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • A Hard Day’s Night
  • Ghostbusters
  • Blade Runner (The Final Cut) twice, first time 35mm, second time in Dolby Atmos
  • Jaws on 35mm
  • Back to the Future
  • Planet of the Apes
  • Casablanca
  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on 35mm
  • The three Battlestar Galactica movies that were edited together TV episodes, all on 35mm
  • Citizen Kane
  • F For Fake on 35mm
  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director’s Cut)
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey twice, once on 70mm, then in IMAX 70mm
  • Vertigo
  • E.T. The Extra Terrestrial on 35mm

Maybe another I’m forgetting too. It’s a fair amount but I honestly feel like I’m slacking.

What about you guys?

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DominicCobb said:

Inspired by my trip to the multiplex last night to see the always spectacular 1958 film Vertigo, I’m wondering who else has seen some movies in theaters that were originally released before you were born?

  • Raiders of the Lost Ark twice, first time in IMAX
  • Ghostbusters
  • Blade Runner twice, second time in Dolby Atmos
  • Jaws on 35mm
  • Back to the Future
  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on 35mm
  • The three Battlestar Galactica movies that were edited together TV episodes, all on 35mm

Fuck you.

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All at the wonderful Music Box Theater in Chicago:

  • Lawrence of Arabia (in 70mm)
  • Nosferatu (with live organ accompaniment)
  • Blade Runner (Final Cut theatrical release in 2007)
  • It’s A Wonderful Life
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ChainsawAsh said:

  • Blade Runner

I just realized that if you’re 35 you couldn’t have seen this when it was released.

Goddammit.

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I’ve gotten to see a few. It’s always great when I get the chance:

  • Gojira
  • Back to the Future
  • Blade Runner
  • Ghostbusters
  • Labyrinth
  • West Side Story

There’s probably a few I’m forgetting. But my dream theatrical experience is to see the original 3D presentation of Creature From the Black Lagoon. If I ever catch wind of them doing it again I will go out of my way to drive out to wherever it may be.

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Waiting for someone to say they saw one of the prequels during a pre-sequel theater marathon and really send Frink over the edge.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

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  • Snow White at a drive-in as a young child
  • The Kid
  • City Lights
  • The Philadelphia Story
  • Bringing Up Baby
  • Casablanca
  • It’s a Wonderful Life
  • Ghostbusters

The blue elephant in the room.

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Just remembered I saw Close Encounters this past fall. Don’t know how I could’ve forgotten that, saw it in the Cinerama Dome and cried my eyes out.

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I cried my eyes out after reading this thread.

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Warbler said:

DominicCobb said:

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on 35mm

Wait, that came out before you were born? I feel so old.

I did say “Well, I guess it doesn’t have to be before you were born, any years later rerelease will do.”

That doesn’t mean it didn’t come out before I was born. Just it might have. I’m keeping it ambiguous (no one’s guessed my age correctly yet in that thread).

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DominicCobb said:

Warbler said:

DominicCobb said:

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on 35mm

Wait, that came out before you were born? I feel so old.

I did say “Well, I guess it doesn’t have to be before you were born, any years later rerelease will do.”

Oh I missed that. This thread is suddenly less fun and less aggravating at the same time.

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DominicCobb said:

Just remembered I saw Close Encounters this past fall. Don’t know how I could’ve forgotten that, saw it in the Cinerama Dome and cried my eyes out.

This story has stuck with me since I first heard it:

In a making-of documentary commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 1977 film, [Spielberg] said, “I would never have made Close Encounters the way I made it in ‘77, because I have a family that I would never leave. That was just the privilege of youth.”

The blue elephant in the room.

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Mrebo said:

DominicCobb said:

Just remembered I saw Close Encounters this past fall. Don’t know how I could’ve forgotten that, saw it in the Cinerama Dome and cried my eyes out.

This story has stuck with me since I first heard it:

In a making-of documentary commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 1977 film, [Spielberg] said, “I would never have made Close Encounters the way I made it in ‘77, because I have a family that I would never leave. That was just the privilege of youth.”

I think about that every time I watch it. I still wonder if that would have made it better or worse. I usually just settle on different.

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TV’s Frink said:

DominicCobb said:

Warbler said:

DominicCobb said:

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on 35mm

Wait, that came out before you were born? I feel so old.

I did say “Well, I guess it doesn’t have to be before you were born, any years later rerelease will do.”

Oh I missed that. This thread is suddenly less fun and less aggravating at the same time.

In fairness, I doubt anyone’s paid attention to that part of my post.

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The only one might be The Jungle Book. My parents told me that they took me to see it as a kid, which makes sense as there was a theatrical re-release in 1993. However, I don’t really remember it, I was probably too young back then. Sorry Frink.

Ceci n’est pas une signature.

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My parents took me to a revival screening to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.

The Person in Question

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I live very close to an American Film Institute theater and they play older movies all the time. I hardly ever go, mostly out of forgetfulness and laziness.

The blue elephant in the room.