Return of the Jedi review - "At the Movies" 1983

[@SouthEndDoom]

I remember when this originally aired on TV. Would be nice to go back to those times now.

[@Slythe01]

It certainly would.

[@Dominic-ul9xw]

Wouldn't it though

[@brettk9316]

Not sure I'd want to be 1 years old again lol

[@kenkno803]

I agree and I remember this airing too!

[@nathandi_maggio8297]

i would of been 10 when this came out and yeah id rather be back in those days anyday, i really am not liking the future

[@cchavezjr7]

I love Siskel's enthusiasm. He's usually so reserved and sometimes pretentious. It was great seeing him having fun talking about this movie and seemingly being a kid again.

[@m4ttyp4nts]

According to Siskel & Ebert, the secret of Star Wars is the combination of old mythology and new special effects. I doubt that this would happen today, but, back then, they forgot to include a John Williams score in that list of necessary ingredients. Near the top of the show, they display a list of the top 5 box office hits as of 1/12/1983: 1. Star Wars 2. E.T. 3. Empire 4. Jaws 5. Raiders John Williams is the common denominator across these five Lucas and/or Spielberg films.

[@majomaja5646]

Amen!

[@kelownatechkid]

Forgetting John Williams is practically a crime! haha

[@MuddywatermultimediaGroup]

i honestly love stars wars more for the music than the actual story, your right, John Williams is the GOAT when it comes to movie scores for me.

[@majomaja5646]

Hey, if you wouldn't mind, could you round out your top 5 or 10 list, please. I'm just curious that way, don't mean to offend.@@MuddywatermultimediaGroup

[@EdsterIII]

Well said. Perfect comment! John Williams IS the best all-time favorite to score a movie. His unique ability to know exactly how a scene should "sound" musically is incredible. His talents are unmatched. I was born in 1967, so I got to see Jaws, Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and E.T. in theaters and the music was a character itself. I also remember a Field Trip my 6th or 7th grade class took. We went to see the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra play, and they were doing a tribute to John Williams. Now here's me, a kid, sitting in the balcony of this Orchestra house, completely enthralled with this music 🎼🎶🎵🎶🎶🎵🎶🎵 🎷🎺🎹🎺🎻🥁 and it blew me away. I became a huge fan of Symphonic music even though my knowledge of it was non-existent. His individual character "tunes" fit so well. Princess Leia's soft, beautiful, elegant, yet fearless, and tough notes were perfect for her. The Imperial March was very powerful as well. It was all perfectly suited for every character and every scene. The Jaws theme was another perfectly suited musical style. The anticipation or the musical level starting slowly, progressing, louder, louder, and faster. Almost as if it was getting closer and closer just like the 🦈🦈Jaws🦈Shark🦈🦈. As I said or mentioned above, John Williams music is itself a very important character in all of these movies, and George Lucas said it perfectly, John KNOWS how scenes need to sound, and he does it better than anyone.

[@davidjoe3368]

1983 was a great year! And ROTJ was one of the great movies of that year! I saw this movie that year with my Mom and my younger brother. My mom passed away many years ago now, but I have the memories of this time period that I will never forget!

[@Wallyworld30]

ROTJ was the first Star Wars movie I saw in theaters I was Six years old and loved it! I have faint memories of seeing Empire Strikes back at the Drive in but other than the Image of the ATAT Walkers stuck into my mind I was too young to understand the movie.

[@MindBodySoulOk]

I saw the first one in theaters and when Hans made the jump to lightspeed, the world changed.

[@boneseyyl1060]

@@MindBodySoulOk That's an interesting way of looking at it. And I agree. The wonder we all experienced back then, just can't be replicated today. Glad I was there to experience it firsthand. Yea, I'll never forget those words. "Punch it Chewie!!"

[@mm860]

I was born in 83 😁

[@eoinMB3949]

Dang! I saw Jedi at the cinema in 1983. Time is crazy, it literally just feels like yesterday. It was a double bill of Empire strikes back and return of the jedi. Good times

[@Kylopod]

I remember my mother taking my brother and me to the theater to see it when we were small children, but it was raining and the line was tapering around the block, so she just gave up and took us home. I later saw a bootleg copy of it at camp. I didn't get to see a quality version of it until it was taped from cable, and the first time I saw it in the theater was the (slightly modified) Special Edition in 1997. I did see the original film (the one that was later titled "A New Hope") in a drive-in theater when it first came out, but I was only 6 months old.

[@Kelnx]

@@Kylopod bootleg movies at summer camps. I remember those days.

[@AdmiralJamesTKirk]

Same here. Saw it opening night in 1983. I’m that old.

[@robwebnoid5763]

Same. I even remember a little further back as a kid seeing IV in theaters during its debut in 1977.

[@thehouse3501]

News flash. Was 40 years ago. Must me old timers disease.

[@boomieboo]

That was way more than just a review of ROTJ and I loved every second. You even threw in some ads from the 80s to complete the effect. An entire half hour of the best reviewers of all time Siskel & Ebert talking about my favorite film franchise of all time. It doesn't get much better.

[@jamescarter3196]

"you even threw in some ads" you mean there were ads on television which got recorded. It's not like people were doing heavy editing on their VHS tapes to INCLUDE more ads.

[@matthewpaul6904]

"The secret to Star Wars is quality control." Oh Gene, things have changed.

[@sexobscura]

(except when you decide to tamper with it in order to 'gild the lily')

[@jewsco]

George was the first one to mess with quality control . With the special editions and his constant tinkering with the OT and then his prequels

[@Johnsmith-1224]

Now it’s nothing but poorly written woke propaganda.

[@jamescarter3196]

@@jewsco Exactly, people get this weird idea that George has been 'held back creatively' or some crap and it's like no, he became rich and ran out of good ideas and got stupidly full of himself instead of realizing how the best films 'he' made were hugely collaborative efforts and not just his specific vision, so he ended up making these hard/soft stories with massive tonal shifts and childish crap mixed haphazardly with big boomin' explosions and spaceships and blah blah blah. I honestly think George became a pill-head at some point, like addicted to tranquilizers, and he got this soft-and-childish aesthetic that he wanted to cram into Star Wars that absolutely doesn't work and makes it stupid. This is what Gary Kurtz tried warning us about. Nobody 'Disneyfied' Star Wars more than George did, but lots of child-minded adults are still drinking the GL-is-god Kool-ade.

[@jewsco]

@@jamescarter3196 I agree 100% with you

[@danarrington2224]

I was 10 years old when Jedi came out. I was so impatient waiting to see it that I got the book and read it. Plus, I got the movie sound track record set with the follow-along book. I listened to it so many times that I had most of the lines memorized by the time I saw the movie.

[@terrondt]

I was 13 in ‘83 and I loved it also

[@jewsco]

I was 10 too in 83 and did all of that too . Man did I love the OT

[@jedijones]

LOL, that's why they don't release that stuff in advance of the movie anymore. Spoilers!

[@xtraplayer7281]

The line was so long for this movie, i think im still standing in it !

[@walterszewczyk9024]

What about waiting in line for 'Empire' back then in a huge long line suffering through the wait for only some numbskull coming out of that movie only to spill the beans on Darth Vader,s connection to Luke Skywalker, Aaauugghh!!!! Happened on the Simpsons, lol 😂.

[@ColumbusGuy77]

This is amazing. I absolutely loved how it even had bits of retro commercials. Young kids today can't understand how powerful Star Wars was back then. There was no internet & many didn't even have cable yet. You didn't have the constant choice of viewing anything at any time. How much things have changed in 30 yrs.

[@samslick9000]

I like the state-of-the-art video disc

[@cruzcamel]

I wasn’t around back in ‘83 but even growing up in the 90s there really was nothing that felt as Huge as Star Wars. It felt like a demonstration of how large in scope movies were capable of being.

[@Lordmij]

40 now lol

[@dlh7989]

D:

[@alfredooliva5175]

Same. Mom took me and my brother to watch the double feature Empire and Jedi at $.50 Tuesday movie theatre, $2.75 special popcorn and Large drink. Miss her....

[@SuperBoomshack]

At around 17:40 Ebert said there would be six more movies that would include different casts but the same 2 droids...he was pretty much correct😂

[@jedijones]

There's a 2-hour press conference for ESB on KZbin now and that was really being all laid out in the run-up to ESB. Gary Kurtz was making it clear that there were plans for three trilogies, even though it was no guarantee that Lucas would follow through and make them. The Episode 4 and 5 numbering had been introduced around that time, which created all the questions about the future of the series, and introduced the idea of prequels. Gary also insisted the "other" was NOT a character we had already seen in the movies though. Oops!

[@jamescarter3196]

@@jedijones What is 'oops' supposed to mean? Either that's really where the story was at the time or he was trying to make sure there were still going to be surprises. It wouldn't make sense that he'd actually say every single spoiler he could come up with at the time.

[@LH74]

Saw Return of the Jedi twice when I was 9 years old in 1983. To go to the movies was unheard of, in my family. To go twice? That was just something special and unique.

[@jewsco]

As a kid my parents took me and my brother and sister on our birthdays to see movies 1983 was the only time we saw one movie on all of our birthdays as we all choose Return of the Jedi . It’s still the only movie I have seen 3 times in a theater

[@ernestabrogar4658]

Return of the Jedi was the first movie I saw in the theaters twice. Only 6 or so more movies can claim that distinction with me. Saw Force Awakens and Rogue One three times each.

[@thejamesbondshow9754]

Even Star Wars could turn Gene Siskel into a giddy happy school.kid 😁

[@henn863]

Check out his reviews of Babe and Babe: Pig in the City. Same vibe.

[@nickperkins8477]

Return of the Jedi is the only original Star Wars movie I saw in theaters on first release. I LOVED IT, then and to this day it is my second favorite movie of the entire series.

[@ernestabrogar4658]

I hope more Star Wars fans see this. Once upon a time, watching Star Wars was an entertainment to enjoy, not a dissertation you have to attack.

[@buckaroobanzai7063]

Every word Mr. Plinkett said was true!

[@theunknowncommenter725]

@@buckaroobanzai7063 Every word that loser said is FALSE. It's because of him that George Lucas sold off to Disney, and Star Wars has suffered since.

[@thejoshman3843]

once upon a time, star wars was an entertainment to enjoy, not a radical political dogma that attacks its audience.

[@ernestabrogar4658]

@@thejoshman3843 Rooting for light side of humanity, and for the unempowered, is not attacking the audience. Those are universal themes. How is it attacking you?

[@pk6546]

@@ernestabrogar4658 Right then finn drinks at the water throught for animals, hes the first janitor introduced in star wars despite them having protocol droids even in poor regions.. Then they ditched his asian love interest because the audience cried about it so he had to end up with a black girl to not shock the viewers...

[@8BitLatinGamer]

I saw this episode when it aired! I was so pumped up! Finally got to see it with my Dad and Sister because my Mom had to stay at home with my newborn baby brother then a few days later My Dad stayed with the baby and My Mom, my sister, our next door neighbor and her kids and I went to see it again! When Roger Ebert says Goerge Lucas plans to make 6 movies. He eventually did them many years later! I feel so sorry he could not see them. Rest In Peace...

[@davejorgenson2]

I'm so glad I grew up when I did. Watching these guys review the movies was gold. Back when we actually enjoyed movies for what they are.

[@heroinmom153]

Back before they were created as an activists agenda to admonish the audience, or just recycled garbage.

[@jedijones]

They knew how to trash the bad, cheap and cynical movies too. That's what we need more of in this current cinematic wasteland.

[@jamescarter3196]

@@heroinmom153 LMAO there's always gotta be some crybaby blubbering about 'activists, woke, waaah' and saying the dumbest shit in the room out of childish ignorance. Cry about it, stupid.

[@jamescarter3196]

"Back when we actually enjoyed movies for what they are"---- LMAOOOO, WTF is that even supposed to mean? You're coming up with this goofy convoluted crap argument out of some sad-old-prick mentality. Sounds like you're doing a 'mad at woke' argument but you don't have the balls or brains to even say what you mean, so you're saying something laughably pointless instead.

[@brianlogan4243]

Awe the Lucas magic. Entertained the kids, the teens liked the battles, yet it still was able to thrill the adults. This is a lost art.

[@jamescarter3196]

No, it's still being done to this day but you're just not looking for it. Lots of family films are still being made and they're great, but lots of dudes get locked into only liking one thing and pretending 'nothing else is like this, never again, lost art' blah blah blah. It's pretty silly.

[@justcallmesando]

I watched this one at the movies when I was a kid. I remember my reaction when Luke was walking the plank and R2 throws his lightsaber in the air for him to catch it and save the day. I literally jumped out of my seat.

[@amind1317]

And it was green!

[@justcallmesando]

@@amind1317 Exactly 💚

[@DamageInc86]

I cant believe kill 'em all came out the same year ROTJ did. What a time to be alive. I was too young to see it in the movie in theaters, but caught it and the rest on TV reruns a few years later.

[@cheeseandpickles4506]

That trailer gave me serious goosebumps. I want to see Return of the Jedi so bad!

[@owen-trombone]

ROTJ would be ok but the Ewoks are awful.

[@DayTripperrr]

@@owen-trombone return of the Jedi is a masterpiece, and also irevenge of the Sith. You clearly don’t know much.

[@owen-trombone]

@@DayTripperrr You are a MAGAT which means you breathe through your mouth and your knuckles drag on the ground when you walk. Also, the 3 prequels are trash and the Ewoks suck. You have chosen to be wrong about literally everything in this life. LOL. LMAO. What a loser.

[@bigwillietheb]

the Empire Strikes Back is still my favorite of all of them

[@treystephens6166]

George Lucas lost his way after 1980.

[@bigwillietheb]

@@treystephens6166 NO HE GODDAMN DID NOT

[@treystephens6166]

@@bigwillietheb he became more concerned about merchandise sales then the final movie.

[@robertwilson214]

And....repeat.

[@theunknowncommenter725]

@@bigwillietheb I hate morons who say that.

[@philly799]

Back then, there were no arguments about Star Wars being good or bad. Prequel lovers and sequel haters didn't exist back then. In 1983, everybody loved Star Wars. Everybody.

[@chandlerwhite8302]

Disney and their crew of idiots like Kathleen Kennedy, Jar Jar Abrams, and Rian Johnson didn’t have control of Star Wars then.

[@aldunlop4622]

No way, I was 17 when Jedi came out and I can guarantee everyone hated the Ewoks, and that Han’s rescue dragged on far too long. But they loved everything else, especially the editing with 3 separate fights going on.

[@DouglasLippi]

​​@@aldunlop4622chicks of all ages and prepubescent boys loved the Ewoks. Lucas knew what he was doing. Same with Jar Jar. Prepubescent boys all loved goddamn Jar Jar. #1 Halloween costume for like 10 years.

[@aldunlop4622]

@@DouglasLippi I must admit I wasn’t hanging out with too many prepubescent boys at the time, and trying to pick up girls by talking about Star Wars was a real conversation killer…

[@owen-trombone]

I hated the Ewoks even as a little kid. They were too cute to fit properly in the SW stories. And Jar Jar was just annoying, what an awful character. R2 remains my favorite character of all.

[@savethezombies]

One of the most impressive pieces of storytelling: do you remember how sad you were when you first saw main villain of the series die. That's a jedi mind trick right there.

[@Whtxombi]

It was family tradition that on the last day before summer vacation, mom would pick us kids up from school, get dad from work and take in the latest Lucas/Spielberg opus at the huge Century Theater in San Jose. Great childhood memories.

[@TOPHER142]

Duuude!! That where I watch Star Wars the first time in 77.. ;)

[@Whtxombi]

TOPHER142 LOL! Yup, it was the only place to watch them. Last I heard they split it up into smaller screens.

[@moonglow630]

My parents picked my brother and I from school to go see the Empire strikes Back at a matinee. Good times back then

[@lunarmodule6419]

I remember people were super tough with it. But i just loved it. Had to be seen in theater.

[@DouglasLippi]

I was 12 at the time and every kid in the entire universe frickin loved it.

[@paulhong6419]

1. Empire Strikes Back 2. Return of the Jedi 3. Episode 4: Star Wars. 80s the best decade ever!

[@lowlifeangler]

I don't disagree but Star wars Episode 4 was in 1977 lol😂. I was born in 1974 so I saw them all several times in the theater. Love everything Star wars

[@JoeBlow-fp5ng]

I love their enthusiams for this film series. I loved those 3 movies too as a kid of age 9, 12, and 15. The world seemed so much more innocent and wholesome back then. It's was a different world than we have in 2024...and not different in a good way.

[@joehenry9546]

This was one of my favorite shows to watch as a kid. Loved it,

[@jedijones]

What put the original trilogy above the later movies is that you truly did feel like the characters were your friends, as well as friends with each other. That's a big difference from the prequels, where the characters seem to be performing their roles as a duty, rather than out of heartfelt emotion, and the Disney sequels, where the characters seem very cold, distant and detached from one another. We just don't have enough movies anymore that capture a true spirit of friendship on screen.

[@Ruleof2Review]

Jesus..this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. And I was even alive when this aired!

[@darthstroyer]

This is great! I was thinking to myself "this isn't the review", I remember the guy with the glasses was bickering during the review with the Chase scene asking why they don't fly above the trees😂 I've never seen this episode of their show and this is so nostalgic! Thank you very much for sharing

[@thomasjones4570]

Oh man, Siskel and Ebert, muh childhood memories...

[@FuzzyGlowCar]

What an treasure this clip is. I've seen these films literally hundreds of times but this is one of the few times I felt transported back to when these films were first released. When Star Wars was released we all played together acting out our favorite chatacters. Well, I have a cousin from the Middle East who had not yet seen the film so, of course, we made him play as "Prince Leia."

[@tonyhill1264]

I was 14 and loved seeing this in 83!!!

[@soujourne]

I saw the first ever Star Wars in the theatres one of the best times of my life. I was a Star Trek fan and thought I would go see this scifi movie, I loved it.

[@comiccrazy3]

This is what we need to return to....two PROFESSIONALS giving their opinion and setting the stage for our decision-making. There are TOO MANY critics and everyones opinion is mashed. An era BEFORE Social Media.

[@jamescarter3196]

OK, so go find professional film reviewers to follow so you don't have to cling to the past and pretend like 'nobody ever does this anymore' because that's ridiculous. It's so weird how the internet is this thing where you can do research to find what you want, but instead you just use it to whine about stuff like you're going to bring back the past instead of doing anything to make the present better.

[@comiccrazy3]

@@jamescarter3196 Nobody does this anymore. All you have are KZbinrs/InstaClowns and FacePunchers launching nonsense about any movie- nothing in the way of professional opinion; as most reviews today are backed by hate comments and false "takes"- as in the case of review bombing, etc. Go do your homework as I'm not clinging to the past but embracing a style that was legitimate- unlike the fake reviews and hype today from so many.

[@MrMmnngghh]

Every time I see that intro and hear that theme, I'm thinking of the Sneakin' In The Movies sketch in "Hollywood Shuffle".

[@charlesmccall6142]

Wow! Forty years ago, I was first in line to watch this movie that stretched a mile long on Hollywood Blvd. Seems like yesterday. 😂 That was when Star Wars was synonymous with grand events like the Super Bowl, the Olympic games, Presidential elections. But now its painful, humiliating and pathetic. Oh well, I still have my memories of the glory days.

[@josebro352]

Only the sequels are painful and humiliating. The prequels have nothing to do with Disney and are actually pretty good in comparison.

[@owen-trombone]

No sorry but the prequels are just hot garbage. Boring, incoherent, wooden, and no style.

[@brianh3253]

I wonder if we were in the same line? I remember seeing it at the Egyptian theater 😄

[@charlesmccall6142]

@brianh3253 Yep! I was, too. Me, my fiance, and a few of my best friends. We were like the first 10. What a small world!! 😆

[@brianh3253]

@@charlesmccall6142 yep! 😄

[@SuperVstech]

I completely remember this episode. I was at the front of the line to see rotj, and anticipated in advance, and ANYTHING talking about Star Wars I had to watch it, and this was well advertised. Good show.

[@darkglass1]

I was 13 when this movie came out. I saw all three multiple times in the theater when first released. So long ago now.

[@maryh3470]

Me too! And dang, how did x fly by so fast? Crazy.

[@oldcreamy]

Star wars as a brand name of quality!! It's amazing how far that's fallen.

[@vanillajack5925]

Now it's guaranteed to be garbage.

[@PunaSquirrel]

Thanks Disney 😂

[@ThriftShopHustler]

I remember seeing these shows in the early 80s when I was a kid. I was young but able to pick up on their two distinct personalities. I thought Siskel came off as a school teacher and Ebert as a dork lol. RIP miss these guys.

[@machineofadream]

This is great, though it's too bad the video is stretched to widescreen when it's not a widescreen broadcast.

[@marctessier5798]

They forgot John Williams' score.

[@DP-hy4vh]

5:40 - RCA Video Disc. Predecessor of the DVD which debuted 14 years later.

[@todd8781]

Actually, the laserdisc is the predecessor to the DVD. RCA video disc is slightly different than laserdisc

[@Bornstandingup]

RCA/Maganox invented the tech for the Laserdisc

[@todd8781]

@@Bornstandingup but what is shown there is not a “laserdisc”. It’s dn RCA video disc. Comes in a plastic cover. Laserdiscs wouldn’t play in that machine and those discs r were oils that play on a laserdisc machine They aren’t the same

[@JAFOpty]

@21:25 Is that Dr Silberman from The Terminator?

[@brianlogan4243]

Both really loved the series. They were like kids talking about it. Its rare to see them both giddy like that.

[@winstonho0805c]

Ebert makes an interesting point. Darth Vader's obsessive search for his son in "Empire," is parallel to Ethan's search for his niece, Debbie, from "The Searchers." Like Vader, Ethan is an aging warrior with a shadowy background, ruthless and single-minded in his mission. He is motivated by rage and his hatred for the Commanche Indians. As the story progresses, we realize that Ethan intends to kill Debbie rather than allow her to become "one of them." And when Ethan finally finds her, Debbie flees with the enemy rather than escape with him. It's too bad we never see Vader's inner turmoil in "Empire" over whether to kill the only family he has left. Otherwise, Vader's decision to save his son and kill the emperor instead wouldn't be so out of character. In "Searchers," the character Martin serves as a stand-in for Ethan's conscience, although I think we all expect Ethan to really kill Debbie by the end of the film.

[@ChrisShelby]

The commercials are absolute gold, time travel is amazing

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Roger Ebert mentions John Wayne and believe it or not, John Wayne is actually IN Star Wars! Yes, it later was revealed by Ben Burtt the sound designer on Star Wars that the alien spy that follows Luke and Ben through the streets of Mos Eisley with the long elephant-like nose uses a highly sped-up voice clip of John Wayne as his voice! I was there on opening night for every Star Wars movie. Yes, even the sequel trilogy! The fandom present at those events is palpable.

[@scottyjretrogeek5612]

My Dad and my cousin spent the night in front of the Coronet theater in San Francisco for Return of the Jedi. I was 5 years old at the time and was too young to be with them but my Mom dropped me off the next day and remembering that I was just in awe of how long the line was and just being apart of something something special that was fandom of Star Wars at that time.

[@retrogamingnmore2513]

Always lived watching these guys

[@BobCat-n7p]

17:48 if only we could have warned George about the mouse lol

[@jamescarter3196]

LMAO, if only we could have warned him they'd pay a billion dollars? WTF do you think you're saying? George had the opportunity to guide the films but he wanted the money instead. You've got nobody to blame but him. Luckily, the Disney films turned out better than whatever soft-little-kid crap he was likely to make. Funny as hell how so many of you little guys think the prequels are good but the sequels suck. Other way around, kid. Those prequels are like the fucking Teletubbies of Star Wars.

[@BobCat-n7p]

wow dude😂 you woke up with a hard-on for Kathleen Kennedy? You're wrong as hell. All of the sequels except Force Awakens were box office flops whereas all of the prequels continued to shatter Lucas' own records. Without the prequels there'd be no Clone Wars, no Dave Filoni, and let's not forget the expanded universe in the books. No Lucas didn't have any opportunity to save the sequels and we all saw what a piece of woke trash they were.

[@ChrisinOSMS]

My parents managed to get 8 tickets for opening weekend so I could take my friends out for my 12th birthday. Best birthday ever.

[@voxpathfinder15r]

I still remember going to France in the summer of ‘83 and seeing this movie with my sister and cousins. Good times. Grew up on Siskel & Ebert movie reviews. Now a days I don’t even know what’s in the theaters anymore? Seemed like pop culture just surrounded you back then and you picked up on things back then like what movies are playing even if you didn’t pay attention.

[@codyt.9122]

I vow to buy everything RCA after that advertisement!

[@rictor]

I remember I saw this in 1983. So much nostalgia. 😀

[@phenomeninja1855]

Born when Empire came out. 5/21/1980! Star Wars kid for life !

[@lowlifeangler]

I was 6yrs old... Saw Empire and after the movie I was like WTF? 😂

[@phenomeninja1855]

@@lowlifeangler Yes! I found it easier to be born into Star Wars mania already ready on VHS and cable by Kindergarten because having to wait for it must have been maddening at times !

[@lowlifeangler]

@@phenomeninja1855 Watch Kevin Smith's " Clerks 2" Movie for the Lord of the Rings / Star Wars comparison at the Mooby fast food restaurant , it's awesome

[@lowlifeangler]

@@phenomeninja1855 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpXCoIaNfZmjg7Msi=ZgKhCeITKdxeM4yT

[@MarsMellow84]

I wasn't even born yet when this came out. It must have been magical to see this in theaters

[@MrMittens1974]

It was. The audience were buzzing. Good times indeed.

[@toybugcarl]

“Star Wars became a brand name as a guarantee of quality.” What an awesome thing to hear then and sad to hear it again today.

[@fixipszikon6670]

Absolutely.

[@byoceanandearth]

The joy of watching this old broadcast on a IPad in 2023 🙌

[@EdsterIII]

When Star Wars came out in the theater, I was 9 years old. I remember waiting in line to see it. It became a Summer thing. On Saturdays my Mom, Dad, or my Grandparents would drop me off at the Southgate theater, the Point Loomis Cinema, Skyway Cinema, or the Spring Mall Theater. When it was at the one of the last three theaters I'd see my showing, then I'd sneak into another movie, or the 🚹🚻🚽🚻🚹and wait. When the next showing of Star Wars began I'd buy some candy or popcorn, and I'd head back to watch Star Wars again. I did the same for Empire and Return of the Jedi as well. These movies captivated me. I would get lost in these fantastical 🌎🌎Worlds🌎Planets🌎🌎 all of the 👽👽aliens👽👽, the wild ships and technology was amazing to me. The Lightsaber was one of the "coolest" weapons I had ever seen. The blasters, the Tie Fighters, the X-Wing fighters, all were like nothing else that we had ever seen or even dreamt of. Then when you added the MUSIC of John Williams. That beautiful, powerful, Symphonic, adrenaline pumping music just took you away. It was breaktaking. I was so lucky. I was able to see Jaws, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, E.T., and some other iconic 70's and 80's movies. In the 70's and 80's, the movies were so much better compared to nowadays. Those were some extremely special times.

[@fortybreath]

The narrator for all of the trailers for the first three "Star Wars" films was actor Malachi Throne

[@msh6865]

Forget Star Wars...tell me more about that RCA video disc player. Sounds like a sure winner! 😁

[@trevorlambert4226]

I'm glad we have records of things like the trailer at the beginning of this. It immediately puts to bed any debate that these were always considered parts 4 through 6. No, that is a a massive ret-con.

[@Lance37a]

You can thank the prequels for that.

[@JamieEvansBooks]

watching this made me feel like I was 9 years old again! :)

[@nicklengyel356]

Saw this film 9 times in the theater

[@mendezrey]

"I love those walkers, Metal Elephants" @4:10 , Love it!

[@NormalDennis]

These guys are the coolest. They have cogent, well-informed opinions, ('opinions' being the operative word), and they are passionate and articulate in their critical assessments. They disagree with each other on certain points, but they know that their subjective taste comes from a considered understanding of art, an appreciation of the craft of movies, and context via familiarity with film history. Their opinion is valuable because it's not arbitrary, and it challenges us to understand what we love about movies. Film critics aren't everyone's cup of tea; George Lucas himself calls them destroyers of art, which is probably true, but I love movie reviews.

[@DGemme1000]

Ebert said that there was a plan for 6 more. I think we’d all say 3.

[@jamescarter3196]

Yeah those prequels were real pieces of shit and shouldn't be considered part of the series. They're little-kid crap. You can tell by all the adult babies who are bellyaching their asses off about 'me want George Lucas or me gonna cry WAAAAHHH'. It's pathetic.

[@whatutalkinboutwillis6122]

Saw it in the theater On opening weekend. Was an experience

[@leafyutube]

Return of the Jedi is a true story.

[@fixipszikon6670]

I can confirm. I saw it with my own eyes.

[@jschizoid]

I watched Star Wars on one of those video discs when I was young

[@sauronthegreat5799]

Damn, that year had some of the great classics in sci fi. It was a great time to be alive.

[@gpwerner]

Nobody's going to talk about the real scene-stealer of this video: Paul Snyder Pontiac/Mazda at 17:30.

[@jamielancaster01]

@ 5:40 That $299 RCA video disc player in today’s (Nov 2023) money would be $927.

[@henn863]

It's funny that Gene loved the Imperial Walkers and Ebert said that they were "the most impractical weapons of war ever created".

[@billballoo7881]

I can see how the discussion went for that intro. Roger saying, Oh yeah ho ho ho very funny, a fat guy going to the candy machine. Then someone interjects, 'yeah but you don't get candy, you get a reporters notes pad instead'!

[@certainly2509]

This should be mandatory viewing for the Disney executives. They need to know what makes a great movie including a SW movie.

[@sentino68]

This is great. I just wish that you’d fix the horizontal aspect ratio. It’s too stretched out and forced to fit the wide screen.

[@stevenwilliams2617]

i saw star wars the return of the jedi as a teen at a cheap theater with my brother . during yodas death scene the lights came on and the curtain closed my brother was so pissed off he complained and wanted his money back lol they fixed the problem but we missed one of the most iconic scenes but they said we can come back and see it for free. and we did. mistakes happen. i love the star wars movies especially when darth vader says oh sister luke is like oh no you didnt, and whoops his ass. lol

[@n.w.1803]

At 10:42 !! I finally found a replay of this scene where they haven't f@#ked up the sound effect with the wrong lightsaber..!

[@jefferee2002]

Thanks for this, Travis!

[@alitlweird]

I wish movie theaters still had balcony seating.

[@jond1965]

I remember watching this when it aired. Fun times

[@clockingthet4827]

Hmm, tell me more about the used car for under $3,000 dollars...

[@bossfan49]

conversely...the RCA laserdisc player for $300 even NOW is overpriced.

[@JoseyWales44s]

No shit. That's the tax and registration you have to pay on a used car these days.

[@davidzeto2446]

Woah. Totally caught off guard by the commercial with John Bolton selling cars 17:32

[@forcedadventure]

RESPECT TO YOU ALL.....................STAR WARS GUYS !!!

[@PJKP82]

Back then, people were people and movies were movies.

[@jamescarter3196]

That is a meaningless so-what comment that says nothing at all. Big zero for you.

[@sauronthegreat5799]

They're both gone now. RIP

[@jamielancaster01]

@ 2:27 Funny I remember seeing all 5 of those movies with my girlfriend in college (my wife for the last 38 yrs).

[@jamielancaster01]

We still love going to the movie 3 or 4 times a month.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

One thing that has never been explained, to my knowledge, is why in "The Empire Strikes back" Luke says "There's something familiar about this place". Was he there at some point in the past? And if so, when? If they do a season two of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series I hope they explore this question. It would could explain this* and it would also explain why Uncle Owen dislikes Ben so much. * Perhaps Ben had to hide Luke on Degobah briefly when he was very young, against the wishes of Uncle Owen. I'd also like to know why Luke calls the only parents he's ever known, since infancy, "uncle" and "aunt" instead of dad and mom.

[@Lordmij]

They should have added that in kenobi

[@itsd0nk]

It’s not literal. It’s because he felt a strong connection with the force there, due to Yoda being nearby and such. He was still very new to the force and that was his way of explaining the spidey senses he had tingling.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@itsd0nkThat's one way it could be explained, yes. But wouldn't it be cool to find out that Luke had actually been there once before as a baby?

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@LordmijThey faked us all out in the trailers, making us think the story was going to heavily involved Luke instead of Leia. For a season two - which Ewan said he would be up for - they could shift it to Luke and explain some things.

[@itsd0nk]

@@JustWasted3HoursHere No lol. That would be even more of the stuff that made the prequels and sequel trilogy such crap. Everybody knows everyone and has been everywhere. It makes a big galaxy seem small when they keep doing that.

[@chandlerwhite8302]

Gene’s monologue about Quality Control at 3:15 could be the eulogy of Disney Star Wars. The first three Star Wars films (and to al lesser extent the prequels) had a mystified air about them, an exclusive aura of absolute top notch quality. Disney has turned out films and tv shows with the quality control of a cheap sausage factory, destroying the image and mystique of the brand. So sad.

[@Kelnx]

Yeah, Disney ran on the brand but forgot what made the brand. Lucas should never have given up the franchise. For all his faults and all our complaints, he still tried hard every time he did something.

[@fixipszikon6670]

Totally what I was thinking when hearing that sentence, that disney managed to destroy that brand name that represented that certain quality that meant Star Wars.

[@itsd0nk]

Disney put Star Wars in a skimpy tight dress and sent her out to the street corner 7 nights a week until she turned into a crack whore.

[@DoctorRevers]

The prequels have absolutely nothing on these original three.

[@jewsco]

George messed with quality control first with his special editions and constant tinkering with the OT. Then his prequels were bad and a mess. Just because the sequels are worse doesn’t mean the prequels were good

[@qbchadp]

All the movie previews spoiled questions about Han Solos fate.

[@jayvansickle7607]

I like how they introduce each other, as opposed to themselves

[@stevetseitz]

It’s funny how they completely missed that the original “Star Wars” was, in many ways almost a remake of Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress”. They talk about the space epics being similar to Westerns, but many great westerns are based on Samurai pictures. Especially Kurosawa’s.

[@jamescarter3196]

LMAO, "they completely missed"? No, that's something you know about but if you'd ever seen that film you'd realize Star Wars isn't just 'a remake of the Hidden Fortress', but good for you knowing it was one of many influences. You don't need to exaggerate the importance of something just to brag about knowing it.

[@stevetseitz]

One would think Siskel and Ebert would have been aware of the influences and previous iterations of a Master like Kuroawa. Not “bragging”LOL Everyone should be aware of World Cinema. ESPECIALLY if they are “Film Critics”.

[@thebriantrevorshow7124]

Seen every Star Wars film when it came out, Including Star Trek. Crazy best times!😊

[@BarzOnTheWindow1]

Okay, it was the Video Disc commercial that got me.

[@DangerAce]

No mention of Kurosawa.