Movie Man » You saw “Star Wars” how many times?

You saw “Star Wars” how many times?

January 30th, 2008 at 12:53pm Will Pfeifer

Watching “Cars” with my daughter again (it’s her current obsession, following months of nonstop “Finding Nemo”), I got to thinking about how these kids today, with their DVDs and DVRs and Netflix and Blu-Rays, they don’t know what it was like to be a kid way back in the long ago days of the 1970s, like I was. We couldn’t just watch a movie any time we wanted, then watch it again (and again and again). No, back then (and, according to the legends I’ve heard, in the years before the 197os) movies were seen in the theaters and then — if you were patient and lucky — they might show up on TV.

And, this being the early days of cable, those movies would be hacked up, censored and slapped between some commercials. Even the theaters were different. No megaplexes then, kids. My hometown had one theater with two screens. If there were more than two movies playing at the same time, you were going to miss something. You just had to hope it wasn’t something you were dying to see. Or, if something was showing that you were dying to see, that it stayed in town for as long as possible.

Which brings me to “Star Wars.”

Hitting my town like it hit the rest of the world, “Star Wars” changed snagged a spot on one of those two screens and, believe it or not, stayed there almost an entire year. During the holidays, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a Christmas-themed ad with the “Star Wars” characters because the movie was still packing houses, seven months after it hit theaters. Ten years old at the time, I loved “Star Wars” like no other movie — like no other thing– I’d yet encountered. And, because I was living in the pre-VCR age and didn’t know when — if ever — it would show up on TV, I saw it as many times as I could. I dragged mom, dad, grandparents, friends and mere acquaintances along for showing after showing, trying to commit every frame of the film to memory before it left town. After all, once it did, I might never see it again.

I’m pretty sure my final total was 10 viewings, not counting any re-releases or TV/video viewings. Three years later, I saw “Empire Strikes Back” four or five times, but by the time “Return of the Jedi” rolled around in 1983, VCRs were pretty common and though my family didn’t have one yet, I could see my dad (a movie fan himself) getting the itch to buy one. I knew my days of seeing the same movie 10 times in the theater were over.

Now on video, well, that was another story. Check this space tomorrow to read it.

In the meantime, now that I’ve confessed my “Star Wars” obsession, it’s your turn. What movie have you seen the most times in a theater (video and TV don’t count — we’ll cover them later.) Maybe it’s “Jaws” or “Titanic” or maybe even “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Whatever it is, don’t be shy. We’ve all got cinematic skeletons in our closets.

Entry Filed under: Moviegoing

8 Comments Add your own

1. Adam | January 30th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Unfortunetley I was not alive when Star Wars was originally released . Anyway the movie I saw the most times at the theaters would be Speed. I was 11 when it came out and it was the first rated R film my mom would let me see at the theatres. I think I saw it 8 times, I was really into the big blow em up action films back then, but I thought Speed was and still is a lot better than most action films. I think Fight Club would be second with 5 trips to the theaters.
2. Adam | January 30th, 2008 at 1:28 pm

I forgot about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Garden State, I saw both of those 5 times as well.
3. Johnny Bacardi | January 30th, 2008 at 3:11 pm

I’ve never been one to go and go and go again to see a film in the theatre; partly because of what you describe- when I was growing up, there was only t he local drive-in, another about 12 miles away, and a two-screen theatre about 40 miles away. Didn’t have the option of being dropped off by my folks at the local multiplex like those young whippersnappers do these days.

Star Wars I saw twice- once in the two-screen theatre (really small screens) on its initial theatrical run, and later at the drive-in (which was the best place, I think). Saw American Graffiti at that very same drive-in, which I miss a lot.

As far as the most I’ve seen in the theatre goes, I think it’s a tie between Jesus Christ Superstar and Yellow Submarine at three times each.
4. elDizzle | January 30th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

I was never big on multiple viewings, as a child I saw both ET and Ghostbusters just two times. The last movie I saw twice in the theater was LOTR Return of The King. I can’t recall any movie that I saw more than twice in the theaters. Wait… Pulp Fiction?? ummm…no I think that was just two times as well…
5. jan | January 31st, 2008 at 6:16 am

I can think of three that I saw–I’m pretty sure–seven times each in the theatre: “The Court Jester,” “The Full Monty,” and “Babe.” But two, three, or even four times is nothing for me. I think I saw “Four Weddings and a Funeral” four times, in fact. I can’t even remember all the movies I’ve seen twice in the theatre, or even more times. “The Court Jester” came back as part of a Saturday cartoon special, so those weren’t all at the same time in the theatre, but the other two I dragged everyone I could think of to see. Now the last two were definitely after videotapes if not DVD’s came into play, but you still never know what’s going to be released later. And, by the way, they all hold up after multiple viewings. After the initial viewing, I start to notice what minor characters are doing in scenes, the techniques of cinematography, the dynamics between the characters, how well drawn they all are, and how the relationship between them develops (”The Full Monty” was great in this last respect). “If it’s really worth seeing, it’s definitely worth seeing more than once”: that’s my motto. Unfortunately, some movies are only worth seeing once or not at all.
6. Pat Pfeifer | February 1st, 2008 at 8:18 am

You omitted the best part of “Star Wars”, Will. Remember that Dad and I didn’t know if it would be appropriate for you and Matt so we saw it in one of the theatreand sent you and Matt to see “The Rescuers” (I think) in the other theatre. And all the time we were watching SW, we kept saying, “Will would LOVE this!”
7. Chris Soprych | February 1st, 2008 at 10:09 am

Seeing Star Wars multiple time is a give, I’ve seen it about ten times, but the first time I saw it was at a drive in theater, what a hoot. This place still had a play ground in the grassy area in front of the screen. Good times. BTW- my dad didn’t like Star Wars, what a dope. He was more into pirate movies.

Jurassic Park was the most recent film I had to see in the theater again and again. I don’t remember the total count. But Raiders of the Lost Ark comes in a close second to SW. Actually my mother went to see it at a matinee while we were at school. She was so blown away by it that she MADE us go to see.
8. Will Pfeifer | February 1st, 2008 at 10:19 am

That’s very true. My brother (who was 6) and I had to sit through Disney’s THE RESCUERS while in the theater next to us, mom and dad watched STAR WARS. And mom’s right — I definitely did love it.