# Am I the last person in the western world never to have seen Star Wars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994 "2005-04-12T17:21:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/21 "2005-04-12T20:14:04Z")
> [@](#): > > If you have never seen Star Wars then I suggest you watch Episodes One through Six when they are all out on DVD. Two problems with that. First, if you watch them out of order, they’d be kind of pointless, and second, the first three still haven’t been released on DVD. And **JThunder** , I thought it was blindingly obvious that Leia kisses Luke just to insult Han, Luke knows this perfectly well, and his subsequent reaction is mostly just to rub in the insult. No romantic or sexual subtext at all, between Luke and Leia. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/22 "2005-04-12T20:23:51Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > If you haven’t seen any of the Star Wars movies, I envy you. As a fan, I would love to be able to watch all six movies for the first time in one sitting, not knowing _anything_ about the Saga. If you have never seen Star Wars then I suggest you watch Episodes One through Six when they are all out on DVD. There’s no force on this Earth that could compel me to sit through episodes 1 and 2 again. Ever. I would rather watch Manos: The Hands of Fate _without_ MSt3k. (I saw them in the theater because my husband is a fan and he doesn’t like to see movies alone. Ahh, the things we do for love.) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/23 "2005-04-12T20:23:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Two problems with that. First, if you watch them out of order, they’d be kind of pointless, and second, the first three still haven’t been released on DVD. Eh? [All the Star Wars movies are out on DVD.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/102-6165174-5792903) Except the _Revenge of the Sith_, of course, which hasn’t hit the theaters yet. Unless by “first three” you mean the non-Special Edition, Han-shoots-first versions of the original trilogy, which are still unavailable, but for someone who’s never seen the movies at all, I doubt they much care about the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/24 "2005-04-12T20:36:51Z")
When we were dating, I mentioned “Obi Wan Kenobi” to my wife. She didn’t know what I was talking about. (She’s 40) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/25 "2005-04-12T20:42:18Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’m 28 years old. I know virtually nothing about Star Wars. Does this make me unique? I’m 48, meaning I would have been about 21 when _Star Wars_ came out. Never seen it or any of its sequels/prequels, and have no desire to. So how come I know that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/26 "2005-04-12T21:25:00Z")
I saw the first one when it came out (1977? I would have been 13) and I saw the second one for the first time maybe ten years ago on TV. I think I’ve seen bits and pieces of the third one. Never seen any of the others. I don’t really get the whole obssession with it. As far as other popular stuff around here: I saw part of the first LotR movie, haven’t seen the second or third movies. I got bored about halfway through the first one and wandered off to read a book. Not really sure what MSt3K means, but I see it mentioned here a lot. Same goes for Chuthlu. (sp?) I’ve never watched any episodes of any of the Star Trek shows, including the original. I saw one of the movies, the one where they went back in time (to our present) to get the whales, when it came out. The person I saw it with had to explain all the inside jokes to me. As with Star Wars, I just don’t get the obssession with it. ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/27 "2005-04-12T21:44:20Z")
Ive not seen all the Star Wars movies either, so your definately not alone! I saw bits of one of them when it was on TV one time but Ive no idea which one it was. I would like to watch them all someday, but Ive no idea what order there supposed to be watched in and if your supposed to watch the old ones and the news ones, or are the stories the same? If anyone wants to enlighten me on it, feel free! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/28 "2005-04-12T22:05:49Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Not really sure what MSt3K means, but I see it mentioned here a lot. [Mystery Science Theater 3000](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094517/) This guy and his two robot pals are forced by evil scientists to watch really awful movies from the 1950s. Naturally, they punctuate these actual theatrical releases with snarky editorial commentary. Quite a rabid following in geek circles. > [@](#): > > Same goes for Chuthlu. (sp?) Cthulhu is the ancient elder god permeating [numerous short stories](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/034542204X/qid=1113343305/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/104-1786311-9425552) by HP Lovecraft and other _Weird Tales_ authors of the 30s (most notably Frank Belknap Long, August Derleth and Robert E. Howard). Not exactly a “human-friendly” deity, Cthulhu resembles a cross between a giant malevolent octopus and storm clouds. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/29 "2005-04-12T22:07:45Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Not really sure what MSt3K means, but I see it mentioned here a lot. “Mystery Science Theater 3000” Basically this guy and his robots heckle these really bad old movies. There’s a backstory to the guy and why he’s doing it, but it’s contrived and not really relevant. > [@](#): > > Same goes for Chuthlu. (sp?) He’s a creation of early 20th century American horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Cthuhlu was a creation of Lovecraft’s that appears in a few of his stories. It’s this giant, ancient evil creature who’s worshiped as a god by evil cultists, and who, when he wakens, will devour the world. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/30 "2005-04-12T22:18:06Z")
> [@Delly](#): > > Ive not seen all the Star Wars movies either, so your definately not alone! I saw bits of one of them when it was on TV one time but Ive no idea which one it was. > > I would like to watch them all someday, but Ive no idea what order there supposed to be watched in and if your supposed to watch the old ones and the news ones, or are the stories the same? > > If anyone wants to enlighten me on it, feel free! You could certainly watch them in the order of their chapter numbers, but since Chapter One: The Phantom Menace and Chapter Two: Attack of the Clones are widely considered to be the weakest of the series, I Recommend you watch them in the order they were actually produced and released: Chapter Four: A New Hope Chapter Five: The Empire Strikes Back Chapter Six: Return of the Jedi Chapter One: The Phantom Menace Chapter Two: Attack of the Clones Chapter Three: Revenge of the Sith Lucas went back and touched up the earlier films with computer graphics. Too bad. It’s fun to look at the 1977 release of Star Wars, see the now-clunky effects, and be reminded that this was cutting-edge high tech when it was released, and as clumsy as it looks now, it really set the bar high for all subsequent SPFX. Confession: I don’t even like Star Wars all that much. I’m a Trekkie. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/31 "2005-04-12T22:37:00Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Confession: I don’t even like Star Wars all that much. I’m a Trekkie. You’re obviously not even a Star Trek fan, as _everyone_ knows that real Star Trek fans call themselves [“Trekkers.”](http://www.homestead.com/opossumsally/st77.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/32 "2005-04-12T23:04:52Z")
When George Lucas released _Star Wars_, he didn’t anticipate that it would be a huge success, let alone setting the record for the highest grossing film of all time. That it would be regarded by generations of pimply-faced teenage boys as the coolest thing in the universe, or that the marketing rights alone would make him rich enough to buy Switzerland — well he may have _dreamed_ about it, but he sure wasn’t counting on it. All Lucas wanted to do was to make a movie that paid affectionate tribute to the Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers serials that he had grown up watching on TV, with a little bit of Joseph Campbell and Japanese cinema thrown in to make it interesting. And he wanted to do it _his_ way, without studio executives breathing down his neck and making their own changes. That the film met with such huge success was astounding to everyone – to Lucas, to the critics, to the studio executives who had repeatedly tried to pull the plug, and even to the cast and crew of the film. To understand why _Star Wars_ was such a phenomenon, it had as much to do with the time it was released as with the film itself. The mid-70s was a heavily cynical age, and the popular films of the day tended to be dark and ugly in their viewpoint. _Star Wars_ was a breath of fresh air, with its clearly defined forces of good and evil. Pure escapism, but with a very polished look to it – most sci-fi films of the era aimed much lower as far as production design. Its reliance on universal themes (the Joseph Campbell element) also helped it to strike a chord with very different audiences. One didn’t have to be white, rich, or even American to find the appeal. Plus, not to be neglected is that fact that nobody had ever attempted or pulled off special effects like this before. It was great eye candy – a fast-moving roller coaster of a movie that delivered what audiences of the time hadn’t even known that they’d wanted. Taken outside of its time, a lot of _Star Wars_’s impact is softened on modern viewers. And, indeed, the film has not aged terribly well, which is why Lucas went back and tweaked bits of it here and there – much to the annoyance of many fans. I recall seeing it in a theater (well, sort of – in an auditorium classroom) back in college, long after _Empire_ and _Jedi_ had been released, but before the tweaking. Several of the kids watching had never actually seen the movie before, and one or two told me afterwards (as I was the one who had dragged them there in the first place) that it was the corniest thing they’d ever seen. Truth be told, I had a hard time defending the film. They were right, after all. It was corny. For one thing, Lucas writes terrible dialogue. Secondly, he has little patience with the acting profession, and can’t understand that actors need more than a script, blocking instructions, and fight scene choreography to put in a good performance. And third, his much-touted maverick sensibilities render him immune to critique. If he thinks it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea because dammit, it’s _his_ universe. So when all of this is put together, you get stories that are visually amazing, but which don’t have nearly the heart and soul that they should. Of course, measuring _Star Wars_ against today’s standard’s of filmmaking is probably not fair. So much of what was fresh and new in 1977 is clichéd to the extreme today. Even the special effects, so revolutionary in their day, can’t begin to compete with Peter Jackson’s flawlessly rendered Middle Earth. Not to mention that single episodes of today’s network TV programs are filmed on a bigger budget. Is _Star Wars_ a good movie? Certainly. Should a modern filmgoer expect it to have a fraction of the impact that thrilled audiences 26 years ago? No…that’s like expecting today’s verbivores to be shocked and outraged by reading Steinbeck. But taken on its own merits, it’s an enjoyable flick. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/33 "2005-04-12T23:20:20Z")
2 nitpicks: > [@rjung](#): > > You know how every summer is the season for blockbuster spectacle movies? **Star Wars** started that. Actually, **Jaws** truly began the Summer Blockbuster phenomenon, characterized by multiple viewings and an exploitation of the underestimated youth demographic. _Jaws_ quickly eclipsed _The Godfather_ to become the biggest moneymaker of all time up to that point (though that title only held for 2 years). No arguments on the other points, though. > [@](#): > > And to add to **Krokodil’s** excellent summary, it’s worth pointing out that before **Star Wars** came out, most movies tended to be depressing, “soul searching” stuff. The previous year’s Best Picture Oscar went to **One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,** for example. _SW_ came out in 1977 but the winner for Best Picture of 1976 was _Rocky_, so you already saw a trend toward the industry and the public favoring hyper-emotional feel good escapism over more serious “adult” dramas like _Network, All the President’s Men_ and _Taxi Driver_, all of which lost the Oscar to Stallone’s boxing pic. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@The\_Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hook)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/34 "2005-04-12T23:30:05Z")
Why shouldn’t the movies have any impact on today’s audiences? I watched the trilogy when I was 9/10 (in 1997) and I was blown away. Still am. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/35 "2005-04-12T23:42:25Z")
> [@Silver Fire](#): > > And I’ve only seen 1/3 of the LoTR trilogy (Two Towers). > > :runs: Well… that’s a whole third more than I have. I know I ought to watch them but I just _know_ they’ll be mind-bendingly dull, and spoil my memories of, say, _Bad Taste_😉 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/36 "2005-04-13T00:10:53Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > And, at the risk of eroding my uniqueness, can anyone give me a brief rundown of (a) what it’s about Brief summary of the plot. Farm boy discovers a strange attraction to his own sister, travels with a drug-smuggling murderer and then joins a bunch of terrorists when they attack a military installation where his father is stationed. A nice, charming film, fun for all the family. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/37 "2005-04-13T03:27:57Z")
No, you’re not alone by a long stretch. I’ve never seen any of them. It never occurred to me to go to the theater back then. Now it’s kind of amusing, but in a creepy sort of way, to read of people - thousands and thousands of people - for whom _Star Wars_ defines their formative years. I don’t get what’s been so mind-blowingly popular about it. But if you enjoy it, please feel free to continue enjoying it! ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/38 "2005-04-13T03:29:52Z")
I know a 37 year old man that has never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2bfe46/32.png) [@Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_MuD_PhuD)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/39 "2005-04-13T05:18:59Z")
I’ve never seen 'em, though I have seen \*Spaceballs \*. That’s close enough right? > [@Colophon](#): > > Well… that’s a whole third more than I have. I know I ought to watch them but I just _know_ they’ll be mind-bendingly dull, and spoil my memories of, say, _Bad Taste_😉 You have no idea. Shitting watermellons. Watching each one of those movies was like shitting a watermellon. But hey, you don’t have to take my word for it. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994/40 "2005-04-13T07:53:17Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Greedo shot first. Blasphemer! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-last-person-in-the-western-world-never-to-have-seen-star-wars/298994.md?page=3)