CO said:OK, this is a thread about your thoughts pre-TPM, pre-PT, so no post-TPM/PT movie remarks.
1. What were your expectations going in Episode I?
I was excited. I was a 90's kid so I got into star wars in about 94 and I was so happy to see a star wars movie for the first time in theater
2. What did you think of the trailers released in 1998/99?
When I was that age I really didn't watch TV so I didn't really know about it until a week before it came out. I was still getting over the space jam stage of my life.
3. Did you read any SW Insiders magazines, spoilers on the internet? Anything from them that stuck out to you?
My parents bought me a graphic novel of the movie. It was pretty cool. I wish I knew what happened to it. The best star wars illustrations I had seen in a graphic novel. The lightsabers just jumped out of the pages.
4. What did you think of the hype in the Spring of '99, as it seemed like every entertainment show was talking about the first SW film in 16 years?
Well I had friends all over the place with Star Wars shirts who didn't even know about the old films. I didn't know what to expect of a film like it. My cousin (who finds it necessary to spoil every movie for me) explained the movie but he was so young I didn't understand what he was talking about so Thank god he didn't ruin it for me. Everyone I knew was excited.
5. Did you collect any of the toys, or the merchandise from Taco Bell I think? or was it Burger King?
Oh yeah I got a toy of the queen amidala's ship I think it was a taco bell one. I got a whole mess of action figures. I got C-3PO (naked wire version), Darth Maul (the one that split at the torso) that came with Obi Wan. I was happy. I even got a thing that the figures stood on the extrusions and had the microchips with them that played sounds.
6. When did you finally see it, opening night? opening weekend? wait for the crowds to die down and saw it later in the summer?
I am not too sure. I really wasn't a movie kid at the time. Half of the movies I saw I didn't even know what their names were. I would have to say I probably saw it a week or 2 after release. I really liked the movie and since I was about 9 years old Jar Jar didn't bother me too much. I was awed by Darth Maul that duel is still so epic and beautiful. Best choreography. Even that year I dressed up as darth maul for Halloween. The following year I went back to Darth Vader LOL. It was a great experience. I wished the rest of the prequels would have been as good.