It was May in 1980 when the sequel to Star Wars was released; The Empire Strikes Back.
I remember standing in line for the theater there in Longmont with my father. The line wrapped around the front of the theater, into the alley next to it, and around into the parking lot behind the place. The theater was old, the seating was those old steel framed fold-up seats with numbers riveted to the back, and they were super close together to pack as many people as possible into that tiny 1-screen theater…
But it was worth it!
Tonight I revisited this 40 year old memory — though with no line, better popcorn, and nice comfy recliners…
But the movie really stands the test of time.
Something that really stood out to me was that the original trilogy wasn’t afraid to stop and smell the roses; there’s periods of time where nothing happens save for some cinematography.
I think this is a sin for the newer movies, which are frenetic from start to finish.
Also practical effects can often be nicer to look at and more immersive than green screen and CGI… But that might just be because I’m old. 🙂