First off, Inane, congrats on the speaker contest. Very cool!
I also agree w/ the age thing. Perhaps we've all been desensitized by all the technology and CG, all of that didn't exist in the mid-70's. Back then sci fi movies were pretty crude, so the slightest technology from Radio Shack looked cool. I'm sure some of the younger kids probably like the new trilogy better than the first one, just cause it looks cooler.
Here's the worst "age" reality check that I got related to Star Wars. I was talking about Star Wars w/ some coworkers, including one who is in his mid/late 20's. It came up that the first time he watched Star Wars was on VHS at his daycare. DOH! Obviously, he was not one of the many of us in San Francisco who stood in the line around the block to watch it at the Coronet on Van Ness...
