Is there any audience recording of Phantom Menace? Or does anyone who saw it in theaters remember the experience? When were the big ‘ooh’ or ‘ahh’ moments? Any cheering?
I saw it opening night. I was 19. I had waited my entire life for this thing.
Here are some highlights:
-Had a blast hanging out at the theater all day a month prior to buy tickets.
It was a full-on all day party. I could talk about that day at length. Wonderful.
-Indescribable excitement waiting in line. Lots of laughs and everyone was in top mood.
-HUGE cheer at the logo/fanfare which quickly faded to reverent silence as we began to read
-“OOH” when Maul appeared in the hologram
-Dumbstruck silence during many should-be “exciting” or “funny” moments (Jar-Jar, underwater city & escape, Naboo rescue & escape)
-Cheer when R2-D2 appears
-Off-put snickering at “YIPEE!”
-long stretches of what I call Dumbstruck Silence
-Excitement during the big lightsaber duel
-Literal groans, sighs and looks of gob-smacked disappointment on the way out
I clearly remember overhearing a guy in the parking lot say to his friend “well, it’s new. Maybe we just gotta, like, let it sink in, get used to it…”