All My Movies: The Empire Strikes Back

In 1980, Star Wars did the impossible: made a follow-up that many believe surpassed the original. But that wasn't always how people felt. I break down the genesis behind one of the greatest sequels ever, and talk to Alex and Mollie Damon from Star Wars Explained and A Certain Point of View about how the perception of this landmark film has changed for each new generation.
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0:00 - Introduction
1:29 - Crafting a sequel
5:38 - The movie
27:10 - The big reveal
31:18 - Release
34:51 - Ad break
39:01 - Alex & Mollie Damon
1:08:08 - Blu Ray special features

[@concord327]

I love when Dan covers those obscure movies.

[@chrisfoster27]

As an 8 year old in 1980, I thought Empire Strikes Back was fantastic and was not disappointed by the dark tone.

[@sincerestfall]

Saw this drop and thought "I'll watch this then get to those chores." Then saw it is 1 hour 12 minutes long and I guess those chores aren't getting done for a while.

[@jsharp3165]

I've had to just make myself do them while listening on headphones. Otherwise KZbin will turn my house into an episode of Hoarders.

[@goldenlightpictures6223]

I just listen while doing chores! 😆

[@sincerestfall]

I usually do, sometimes I like having an excuse to get out em too lol.

[@Karin-fj3eu]

It's WHAT? I can't believe I didn't notice, last episode I watched was 40 mins so I thought this was the same. I love how this comment was the only thing to make me notice it.

[@violetedge83]

I always feel smarter after watching Dan Murrell videos.

[@asm1138]

Lawrence Kasdan on Empire: 'I was delighted it was not going to be a rehash of Star Wars'. Lawrence Kasdan co-writing Force Awakens: I am rehashing Star Wars.

[@DrVernSFC]

In 1977 I was 11 years old and lived 1/2 mile from a theater. I saw Star Wars 87 times. I never knew there would be another. I saw Empire on Day One and I left Extremely pissed. Everything was blown up and they just walked away. There was no internet with fan pages. Just you and your friends talking about it and reading novels and speculating. It would be 2 1/2 years before we even heard there would be a sequel called Revenge Of The Jedi . Your discussion reminded me of that agonizing torture. ThankS For That!

[@peteblanco8195]

Dan, completely agree with the “son of Skywalker” change. To your point, it’s in the crawl that Vader is obsessed with finding Luke so the changes are odd and unnecessary(like most of the changes.)

[@agatahb]

I remember when the end of Empire was coming near and I was thinking - how are they going to save Han - there were like 5 minutes left in the film - AND THEN THE SHOCK AND HORROR!!!! I would have to wait for the conclusion for EVER!!!

[@MovieFanobi]

I love that Empire of Dreams documentary

[@jaceace8335]

The asteroid sequence with that theme is the best scene in all of Star Wars

[@wiz3404]

I was just listening to this on Spotify and the progress bar became a lightsaber!

[@may.k_me]

I'm laughing at the fact that you brought up the child psychologist bit. I watched Empire Strikes back as a kid. I was 8 or 9. And yes, I was crushed by the ending. I couldn't believe they ended it that way And Han Solo was my favourite character, and Luke hadn't saved him but instead lost his arm, and the villain was his father. Mind blowing stuff to see as a kid. And so for a long time I hated Empire Strikes Back, till I was a teen and came to appreciate it

[@dplunk13]

"Wasn't what I was hoping for" Hmm...sounds familiar. Anyway, every frame with Yoda is perfect and I'm not sure there's a better shot or moment of him raising the x-wing out of the swamp.

[@BrangeBurger]

I love these videos Dan! They are so entertaining and done in such great detail!

[@Jayk129]

Wait Dan Murrell AND Alex Damon two of the best, most knowledgeable, and most trustworthy KZbin pop culture personalities (not to mention 2 of personal favs) together in one episode? I must have been a very good boy.

[@mysticknight3302]

Great episode! As an addition, having a link in description to your guests would help finding them easier. Not that I won't look someone up, just thinking of the energy deprived out there. Also, I'm gen 2 for star wars, but saw the original trilogy on vhs as a wee kid before the prequels. Jedi is my favorite, though The Last Jedi is probably my second favorite.

[@jimhackney4727]

Dan, this was an absolutely awesome show. I especially like how you added in the behind the scenes footage. Very well done!

[@cwillism]

I didn't know the emperor had been changed! I saw the original version as a kid a few times. And then some years passed and I saw the special editions and didn't know that was one of the changes. Time to pull out my widescreen VHS XD

[@lorenzovonmatterhorn9287]

Why am I so late for this one? My three favorite movie channels all in one video! I'm absolutely loving the spotlight on not only these films, but these creators! Much love and fantastic stuff!!

[@drewjohnson1257]

Great job Dan. I have been following your channel for awhile now. You do an excellent job presenting this information in an entertaining way. Keep up the great work!

[@titanguy7316]

Agreed!

[@noellucas6421]

First time watcher of the "all my movies" very cool Dan 👍👋👋 ive been a fan of the channel since you started it and a fan before. Love me some movie fights 💯

[@ManbatDetective]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽AMAZING Commentary. Once again Mr. Murrell understands why we (Fans, and film fans!) appreciate, love and have a fondness for films 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽💯 🎥🎞

[@IcePhoenix295]

Two of my favorite KZbinrs, together at last!

[@bubbashore6450]

Great show! Really enjoyed it!

[@dghazd5862]

Aprecciate this great review and looking back to this classic from Dan as always. Not so much from 39:01 to 1:08:08, the two seemed bored about everything SW...from my certain point of view.

[@Reject101Personal]

They didn't seem to bring much to it at all really. Seemed so bored and non committal, especially Mollie

[@sinisterkiid2301]

Dan, I’m not sure if you read comments or not but I love your channel so much. It’s my favorite channel on KZbin and I’ve been following you for almost a decade now. I get so excited when I see a “all my movie” pop up on on my feed

[@DanMurrellMovies]

That's awesome! Thank. you so much - I forget sometimes that I've been doing this in some form for the better part of the decade. Glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@lifedoesntimitate000]

The brief discussion about movies that end on cliffhangers brought one particular franchise to my mind. Maybe you're specifically looking for a big budget, blockbuster sort of thing, which this certainly isn’t, but I do always think about the Before Trilogy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight) as an excellent example of intentionally leaving audiences wondering what the heck is going to happen next. So far each sequel has come out nine years after the previous installment, but it's certainly never a guarantee, and definitely audiences watching the first one when it came out would've had no idea another one would ever be made. I'm keeping details intentionally vague here because I HIGHLY recommend everyone to see these incredible films.

[@jfess1911]

I was 16 when Star Wars came out and 19 when Empire showed up. You are right that waiting three years was miserable. At least we knew that there would be a third movie, though. The LONGEST three years, however was between the first and second movies. It was quite a while before we were even certain that there would be a sequel. Sci Fi movies were pretty rare in the early-mid 1970's and sequels were not very common either, so we were left holding our breaths hoping that the saga would continue. I would throw in a "New Hope" joke here, but the truth is that nobody knew that the name of the first movie would change.

[@thunderstruck5484]

Thanks Dan! My favorite Chewbacca Roar in anger when the door opens and Vader sitting there awesome!

[@bipstern]

Favorite movie ever made. I think it’s absolutely perfect. No flaws

[@Maitch3000]

The irony for me is that while it may be the bleakest Star Wars movie, it is always my go to movie when I'm feeling down on myself. I don't know why, but I guess it is the combination of the music and the message of personal growth. I always feel a little bit better after watching Empire.

[@aprilnewell5434]

Dan I loved this so much. It was so informative as well thoughtful. I love Alex and Mollie. Good choices to talk about Star Wars. Keep up the good work. Also very interested in sponsored low carb treat. Way to sell it.☺

[@Sk8boysGirl]

I had no ideea you started a channel by yourself, but I’ve been catching up on all your videos for the last couple of days. I have been slowly losing interest in screen junkies content ever since the “fandom” era started and stopped alltogheter during the pandemic. Your channel is like a blanket in the winter times, comforting, familiar and indispensabile. Best of luck!

[@Dsisko]

Looking forward watching your Video Dan.

[@FaydOgolon]

One thing that I don't see talked about today was information regarding the planned episodes. In 1980, when "Empire" came out, it was announced that Lucas planned to have a new "Star Wars" episode come out every two years. Episode 6 was supposed to be completed in 1982, followed by Episode 1 in 1984, etc. up to Episode 9 in 1994. We wound up having to wait an extra year for "Return," and it later dawned on us that we may never see Episode 1. No one expected to have to wait 36 years to see it all come to fruition.

[@jsharp3165]

I was a 1980 viewer. That three years was excruciating. And then we got teddy bears and another exploding Death Star.

[@maztergamer1016]

I agree best star wars movie. Though the original is also really good.

[@lwaves]

I always tend to go with the original, as without that the sequel wouldn't even exist but Empire is undeniably a better film to me. So, I do what I do with LOTR and consider the OT as one single film in three parts.

[@kallewardracing]

Loved that you brought in the Damons!

[@matheuslascasas134]

Just when I though most of star wars fans were of the toxic kind here comes Alex and mollie with a great nuanced take on what Star Wars is. Really refreshing to see that.

[@sincerestfall]

The scene of the helmet dropping takes me back to the first time I watched this movie.

[@NickolasNameolas]

There’s something rare about those heroes lose movies: Rocky, Empire, Bodysnatchers, Dark Knight, Civil War and Infinity War just to name a few. They kind of have to be rare by design.

[@Chasebald]

George R.R. Martin says there is a phenomenon in the literary world called the “Boba Fett Effect” which is where you create a kind of nobody side character that for whatever reason resonates with fans and winds up becoming super popular. Like Slimer in Ghostbusters or Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.

[@may.k_me]

I remember I was so scared when Darth Vader showed up in the cave scene. And then when we see it's Luke's head I was really confused. And I always asked my big brother what it meant, but I don't think he gave me a satisfactory answer. Another traumatic scene watching this as a kid. Lol. I'm only now realising this

[@optimusprime3484]

He probably didn't understand it at the time either and was too embarrassed to admit it.

[@may.k_me]

@@optimusprime3484 probably

[@drmattconrad77]

Among my friends the debate was whether Vader was lying and how they would rescue Han. There was also debate over whether Leia should have hooked up with Luke or not.

[@trevorh3201]

54:16 Dan keeping it as professional as he can

[@robertdora7026]

9:01 = Love Carrie Fisher’s turn of phrase 😂😂 She was also a really good writer. So sad that she is no longer around 😓😓 Long live Carrie Fisher!!

[@Ready4Wednesday]

So sad this series is done. Dan please bring these back one day.

[@P0UTY1]

Great vid

[@ssjenforcer191191191]

Dan, the best example of sequel cliffhanger baiting I know recently is The Lord of the Rings. At the end of the first film you're left thinking Gandalf is dead and gone, not knowing what will happen to Frodo and Sam, as well as the other characters.

[@JoshuaStDenis]

those had source material books so it wasn't unknown that Gandalf was coming back, Infinity War is a more recent example anyway. The directors decided late that they would end on the snap when originally it was going to kick off Endgame.

[@joezagorski1507]

i am in the age group in which i was too young to see star wars and empire in the theaters, but jedi was the first movie i actually saw in theaters. but even weirder is that i had seen and loved star wars, but i had not seen empire before seeing jedi. so when luke and yoda are talking about it, i was like ‘WAIT WHAT?!?!?’

[@colinthedogfromspaced9365]

I will always miss the anger of "Bring my shuttle".

[@armandohernandez6074]

Even though I was growing up around the time of the original trilogy the prequel trilogy is what hit me hooked on Star Wars. Those movies are my favorites

[@SamuelMorales1]

the empire strikes back of star wars films

[@maztergamer1016]

I agree

[@ProuvaireJean]

The Wrath of Khan of Star Wars films.

[@JOONBUGFILMS]

Definitely the best Star Wars movie

[@zgergely]

Kevin Smith did a lot for the recognition of the Empire. As Dante Hicks says in the Clerks: "Empire had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All "Jedi" had was a bunch of Muppets." It came out in 1994 when the trilogy was hibernated for eleven years. The speciel edition hasn't been in plain sight. I remember watched it in the movie and wow he's right. Empire was the first movie I saw from the Trilogy in 1983 in Hungary (Eastern-Europe) when I was 8 yrs old. It was dark but I loved it.

[@agatahb]

very insightful :) GREAT :) I thought I knew everything there is to know about making Star Wars - go figure :)

[@gregmanca1474]

Great video Dan - ESB is my favorite SW movie and top 3 movie of all time. Appreciate your perspective on it - and your thoughts about what a fan thought about what a darker ending meant. Being born in '72 and leaving the movie theater - I was convinced Vader was lying to trap Luke. I was more worried what was going to happen to Han. But not knowing if/when the next SW movie was coming....that was the toughest part. Even though it was "darker middle chapter" - my 8 year old self loved it - for all of the reasons I think we all do still today. Mollie had a great point about Rebels- and how much better it got every season..great show. Thanks for this - really enjoyed everyones take on ESB.

[@Molson-xg9hs]

Napzok for New Hope...the Damons for Empire...great guest choices so far...hopefully you can let Mark Ellis live his dream and talk about ROTJ for six hours!

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thanks, Dan! Thanks, Alex! Thanks, Mollie! ✨ As a 12-year-old when EPISODE V was released, it initially disappointed me due to the change of tone and directorial style. Over the following 3 years, it was the one I pondered the most (and the music I enjoyed most... because it was many years before they were released on video, so the vinyl soundtrack was all I had before we managed to get a bootleg VHS). Over time and with that contemplation it has risen (and remains) among my favorites. I hope more can open their minds to such evolution.

[@sharoncaseyledwidge]

The cat ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@hazzabang17]

Hey Dan love these videos, would love you to do an episode on, In Bruges, I know you’ve expressed how much you love it in the past. I’d love to see it as it is one my fave movies ever. Could even be an episode of bunch of lesser known movies in your collection that you love.

[@KrazyKobold]

At around 33 mins in, you're talking about how "at the time it was releseasd" Empire Strikes Back was viewed as a possible failure and people couldn't reference "favorite of the trilogy" etc. I find this funny and apt in reference to another "middle child" of a Star Wars trilogy -- The Last Jedi. At the time, it was hated by many -- but of the Sequel Trilogy, it's easily my and many people's favorites as The Force Awakens was very derivative (but needed) and the finale was... whatever that was.

[@_jolie_]

I've only ever seen the oldest SW movie (I'm a 96 kid) but I still find this video interesting to watch, thanks Dan 😊

[@lydia1634]

My first Star Wars was the EU. When it got thrown out of canon I was heartbroken. Jaina Solo is so important to me. I love Force Awakens just because Rey is a Jaina character. And I am grumpy about Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker for how they failed her.

[@Mich3linM4n]

To the question of has there been another cliffhanger of this magnitude: if the movies had stayed closer to the plot of the books, LotR Two Towers would have had a similar all hope is lost cliffhanger ending.

[@teddyking6563]

Probably my most watched film of all time which is probably my favorite movie of all time, the empire strikes back is soooooo good that i challenge anyone that has never seen any star wars movie to watch this one and i guarantee they will want to see at least an additional one if it doesn't hook you completely even without seeing the first. Its soooo good

[@Obi-ThreeKenobi]

George: The kids that can handle it, will handle it; the kids that can't, will think its a lie. James E Jones: I didn't believe it. I thought he was lying. How are they gonna get around.. this LIE? 😂😂😂 - It was just too much for Vader himself lol

[@eileen_a_b]

I felt the to be continued surprise when I saw The Fellowship of the Ring because I had never read the books or knew there were 3 of them and the movie just ends with nothing resolved and I just sat in the theater like WHAT?!?!?! Of course I didn't have to worry about whether the sequel was coming because then I looked it up and found out the rest was on the way. I remember it was such a big deal how they filmed those movies without a break.

[@MovieFanobi]

Excellent choice

[@may.k_me]

I wonder if decades from now people will change their tune about The Last Jedi the way they changed their mind about Empire Strikes Back

[@titanguy7316]

I for one would be pleased to see that day arrive.

[@may.k_me]

@@titanguy7316 personally i didn't like The Last Jedi when i saw it. But since then i've come to appreciate it. I think people will come around eventually

[@Tasby12]

The Empire Strikes Back was not hated when it came out.

[@titanguy7316]

@@Tasby12 Many people liked The Last Jedi when it was released, just as many as those that didn't like it. As mentioned in the reporting from various sources, not many folks were too keen on Empire at first, despite its later success.

[@mccallosone4903]

I saw it in the theater, and it blew me away. When it ended i didnt get that it was over. I kept telling my dad we had to wait, even with the credits rolling

[@chrisolivo6591]

I saw Empire in 1980 and it was divisive like The Last Jedi, but in a different way. Empire locked up a generation of diehard fans like me as we wanted to see what came next. Empire turned off a more casual fan like my older brother who wanted Star Wars 2. So the casual moviegoers didn’t like Empire cause it was too dark and it didn’t have an ending (my brother thought it was ridiculous at that time that the movie ended on a cliffhanger). Every diehard SW fan who is over 45 years old was cemented that day in 1980. The Last Jedi divided the opposite as it alienated many diehard fans where the casual moviegoer liked it. The casual moviegoer had no attachment to Luke so it didn’t faze them. Where the diehard sees hermit Luke drinking t**ty milk along with Flying Leia and wondering if this is an alternative universe? That’s why I feel The Last Jedi won’t age as well as Empire did cause those diehards will never come around to hermit Luke. Empire aged better after Jedi because fans finally saw it as part 2 of the 3 act play.

[@titanguy7316]

Not sure I agree, but thank you for at least being respectful. 👍🏽

[@Skute]

I have to disagree partly. I was a diehard star wars fan growing up until the prequels came out which dimmed my love for it. Especially after RoTS come out when I was in my 20s. Hearing someone else was finally making the ST and seeing TFA reinvigorated my love for star wars. Now TLJ might be my favorite one, though it alternates with Empire.

[@spenzalii]

Still watch my Despecialized version of Empire on my home server from time to time.

[@may.k_me]

I think I saw the original version of Empire Strikes back And I just realized this because of what you said about the exchange between Darth Vader and the Emperor

[@Vader47000]

Vader definitely knows who Luke is earlier in the movie - he name drops him when they find the Rebel base on Hoth. “The Rebels are there and Skywalker is with them.” You overlooked a third implication of the rewritten Emperor scene, that Vader was playing dumb because he was hoping to make Luke his apprentice and overthrow the Emperor. This is the take the new extended canon has taken in comic books and such

[@Starwarsfan114]

What a great crossover

[@LouiseXSparrow]

The Empire Strikes Back was the first Star Wars film I saw, when it came out on VHS. I remember that long wait for The Return of the Jedi!

[@dlucer07]

best thing to listen to while imaging some computers at work

[@colinthedogfromspaced9365]

Please please please talk more about LOST. I know most people hate on it but I'll always love it.

[@peteescobar4054]

“I could kill Luke, I killed Obi-Wan” - George Lucas

[@loganboettcher8314]

Cue deranged Goofy "I'll f***** do it again" meme.

[@WedgeOfSpite]

Also George Lucas to Lawrence Kasdan, "I have always hated that in movies, when you go along and one of the main characters gets killed. This is a fairytale. You want everybody to live happily ever after and nothing bad happens to anybody."

[@deathsyth8888]

It would have been easy for 'Empire' to be "Star Wars again, but more". It was a massive gamble financially but great creatively for the series to further grow the story and expand the universe.

[@faithfullypatient]

I saw ESB at the movies eight times. I was a kid so I had to trick my parents to take me to see it after the second time. Loved it in 1980 and still love it today. In my opinion, it is the best of all of the Star Wars movies and made me a lifelong fan.

[@jfess1911]

I saw a documentary on David Prowse soon after his death in which he said that in the 1978 newspaper interview mentioned, he was asked about what MIGHT be in the future. At this point the script had not yet been written and Prowse was asked to speculate. Prowse supposed several potential exciting twists, one of which could possibly be that Vader was Luke's father. Notice the wording: "And he offered a possible plot for the SECOND sequel ..." Prowse claimed that he did not know that this is what would actually happen and was upset that Lucas Films retaliated to his guesses by cutting him out of the lucrative interviews and convention visits offered to the other actors. He was actually quite bitter about it.

[@billmudron9428]

A heads-up that Lucas never had much of the original trilogy (much less the prequels) planned out ahead of time - he didn't hit upon the idea of turning Vader into Luke's father until the spring of 1978 while rewriting Brackett's first draft of the script (in preparation of handing the story off to Kasdan, and the whole reason Prowse was kept out of the loop while filming Empire was because he was known to make stuff up on the convention circuit (jncluding his accidental guess about the Luke/Vader twist that Lucas had just come up with in early 1978 but hadn't told anyone but Kasdan yet).

[@Peter_Cordes]

Is there evidence of Prowse definitely making other things up, things which we can be sure aren't leaks of ideas that he may have heard a rumour of? A Q&A about Prowse not being invited to Star Wars conventions suggests that part of the rift between him and Lucas may have included other leaks, like a journalist kind of leading / tricking him into confirming a rumour that Vader would be killed off in RoTJ. scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/239892/why-did-george-lucas-ban-david-prowse-actor-of-darth-vader-from-appearing-at-s (As well as Prowse participating the the documentary "The People vs. George Lucas")

[@artboymoy]

One of the funniest things I've seen is when I went to a Star Wars in Concert, during the performance of the Imperial March, when it gets to the quiet part, you had a girl tapping the triangle get an applause and it was hard for her to keep a straight face. Not sure if it happens at every performance... TESB is such a great film.

[@luhedi6303]

There are people who grew up with the originals, those who grew up with the prequels, I grew up with the clone wars, there are now those who are growing up with the sequels.

[@gundamnmechas8518]

Favorite movie ever ❤

[@ChowDownDetroit]

Easily in my top 5 of the best movies I ever seen. Pacing is 10/10

[@ssjenforcer191191191]

Lol, with videos like this KZbin always recommends the film being discussed...it is asking me to buy or rent Independence Day with this video!

[@kiki42719]

Glad to see all of you say this movie has a lot of boring scenes too, I always thought it did.

[@WildModesty]

I think it would be hard for The Last Jedi to undergo the exact SAME kind of change as Empire did, in terms of popular opinion. I think what happened to Empire was helped by the fact that it was pre-internet. People were free to form their opinions and change them later on, because those opinions were confined to more private spaces. The problem now is that when these movies come out, people state their opinions loudly and pick sides publicly, and it's out there forever. Not just that, they're periodically drawn into the same arguments online for years, and so forced to restate whatever their stance was early on. I believe this creates a psychological urge to double down on what you've already put forward as your opinion publicly. People may not even do it consciously, but I feel it happens a lot, and not just with movie fandoms. This makes it difficult for fans to change their opinions drastically or as freely as they did pre-internet. Of course, a movie like TLJ might be seen by newer generations, in a manner unaffected by its placing right now in pop culture.

[@titanguy7316]

I hope people can try to give it another chance though, in spite of all the very accurate things you said.

[@josephfisher426]

I'm sure there are a lot of movies outside the Star Wars universe for which that comparison would be more apt. TLJ has the "big choices" that raise those opinions, and yes, those can change... but it also has the side quest that isn't going to get any less mercenary and tangential with time.

[@andreraymond6860]

20th Century Fox announced Jedi pretty immediately after Empire was a success (within weeks). We knew Jedi was on the horizon. Lucas was clear it was the second part of a trilogy. So the comparison with Infinity War is pretty accurate.

[@titanguy7316]

Although we already knew Endgame was coming - it was already baked into the plan.

[@Banquet42]

Didn't Lucas tell the press that it would be called "Revenge of the Jedi"in order to fool people making counterfeit products?

[@toeman89]

With regards to the end and talking about the Empire cliffhanger and if there are any movies brave enough to end like that now, while there were people who knew that the cliffhanger ending of Infinity War was going to be resolved with Endgame, but I remember seeing it in theaters and there were a LOT of people who were more casual about the series of movies and such who didn't not see the snap coming. There were quite a few people who had trouble accepting the ending of that movie, especially seeing so many main characters die. It really was the closest anything that has come to the Empire ending.

[@AtaTheKin]

a 3 posibilita in the change dialogue is that Vader knew as the Emperor that Luke was his son but he was playing alone, remember that his plan was to take Luke to the dark side and together destroy the Emperor and rule the galaxy as a family.

[@toniwhyte3807]

I'm one of fans that saw the original trilogy when they came out. Per the discussion of how Empire's ending felt like, for me and my friends, there was never any question about if this was the final end. We all knew that Empire was a middle chapter and the 3rd movie was coming. The big debate was whether or not Vader was lying about being Luke's father. I didn't see the first movie opening night, but soon after. We had to go into San Francisco to see it at the Coronet Theater. I remember standing in the line that wrapped around the theater. I can't adequately describe how New SWs felt, like nothing we'd ever seen before.

[@rachelkatoch2869]

Interesting conversation. As I was watching I realized… had you even seen Star Wars or Empire before you saw Jedi, because of your ages and when they came out. Were they on VHS? So that was interesting. I saw Star Wars in the theater and I remember hearing that Empire was coming and just that long wait. I’d have to put it out of my mind and the absolute thrill of the first trailer. And yeah, it was really agonizing (in a way) waiting to see what was going to happen and waiting for Jedi. Great conversation. Yep, I remember it all! I will say that, honestly, Rogue 1 is my absolute favorite. But I do love Empire 😉.

[@andre7015]

Best Movie ever! Best Score ever!

[@jameslevario2254]

Dan could recap a phone book and it would still be entertaining and informative!! It's even better when it's a great movie he's talking about

[@ntcnetwork9934]

I think that the entire Sequel Trilogy will have the same reappraisal as the Prequel Trilogy.

[@kingofthesharks]

Probably the closest we've gotten to the cultural shock/mood of Empire these days was Infinity War or certain instances of Game of Thrones (end of S3 or S5?) , especially for non-book or comic book readers.