Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler The First Movie you ever saw at the Cinema

Micah's thread about preferring his HT to the cinema(don't we all!) got me thinking about not only the last time I saw a movie at the local Odeon, but also the first movie I recall seeing at the cinema.

What was the first movie you remember seeing at the Cinema? mine was "Fantastic Voyage" with Raquel Welch in the late 60's, when me and my brother were little tots. I think it cost either $.50 or $.75! I remember being creeped out a bit by the special effects of that movie . Also remember seeing "Planet of the Apes" in the early 70's.

If memory serves me correctly, it was either Bambi or Grizzly Adams in the early 70's.

I remember Planet of the Apes at the drive in.

I think my first actual theater experience (outside of "kid movies" and some Disney stuff, was "Midway" in Sensurround. My mom let me see it by myself at eight because everyone else wanted to see a different movie.

I'm still waiting for that one to come out in some special edition Blu-Ray with "added subwoofer effects" to let me feel each explosion the way I remember feeling them that day.

For me, it was either a re-release of Fantasia or ET.

The first recollection I can think of now is Logan's Run at the drive-in. It was a double feature with, I think, Rollerball. Must have been some movies before then, though. Of course, there were kids' movies before then, but I'm excluding those.

The first one that I "remember" seeing was "The Blob". I had to keep my feet in the seat because I was too scared to put my feet down near the floor where the blob might get me.

Funny how kids think.

The earliest non-kid movie I can remember was Midway as well. I am sure there were a few others before but Midway is the only one I can remember.

First I saw was a kid's movie like Jungle Book (I think that was it). Don't remember though. First one I remember seeing...

Star Wars. It was at a drive in though (remember those?). Don't know if that still counts.

That's hilarious! I envy you for having seen such an iconic movie like that, when it was released.

The first I can remember is Return of the Jedi, but I'm sure the first I actually saw was a Disney movie.

I'm having a hard time remembering the first movie I saw in a theater... Lots of drive-in movies as a kid... I'll have to ask Mom and Dad.

The movie in a theater that I remember the most was "Midway" presented in Sensurround. The theater had speakers in each seat - I guess something akin to Buttkickers - every time a bomb went off you felt it in the seat. I remember thinking, as a kid, I gotta get me one of these when I grow up... Thirty odd years later I've got a really great HT.

Scott

I honestly don't remember for sure... I do recall seeing Spaceballs thou.

So far......I have everyone beat. I remember seeing Goldfinger and Thunderball at the Drive-In Theater. I saw the Sound of Music at the old Carolina Theater in Winston. I could name off several other mid 60's like Mary Poppins and the double feature "Charlie the Lonesome Cougar" combined with Jungle Book. Who could forget the classic Gnomemobile with Walter Brennan.

One other thing. I was working at University Cinema 1&2 When Midway was released. There were always patrons that came out of the opposite theater when the surround effects went off asking if there were severe thunderstorms in the ares. Same timeframe movies - Mandingo, Happy Hooker, The Wind and the Lion (a personal favorite).

My first movie was star wars as a kindergartner. Then, about two weeks ago for my 40th birthday, my wife rented out an entire theater and watched it again, this time with my two children. !

Wow... three "Midways" out of the few responses so far!

It wasn't buttkickers that were used... I remember seeing a row of subs, each the size of refrigerators, along the front wall under the screen.... which is why I think they could reproduce it in a special edition as long as a person had an adequate sub at home!

I really can't remember my first theater experience, or even experiences. I've never been good at placing memories in a timeline.

You're such a kid... was it Avatar?

Reportedly, my Dad took me to Star Wars when it first came out. I was 2. Apprently, I stood on the seat, holding the chair in front of me and I just kept whispering "Star Wars" through the whole movie.

And now I'm a geek with a HomeTheatre "too big" for the room its in. Thanks Dad!

Snazzed

I can't remember if it was 2001 or Planet of the Apes. I also remember seeing Jaws. I was real hesitant to get in the water the next time I went to the beach!

Since I worked at the theater - we were in there in the light the Subs were the size of fridges and they were spaced about every 5 rows. I watched the movie maybe 10 times.....

Ha ha. I still haven't seen that. Will I regret not making it to the theater for that?

Would you watch the entire Buffy series at the theater if they, for some strange reason, started showing TV series on the big screen?

Jesus, I didn't even like being in our backyard pool at night!

I dunno. I haven't seen Avatar.

I wouldn't really go to a theater for anything...including my beloved Buffy series... unless it was something I wanted to see AND the theater offered something I can't get at home...like sex a 3D experience.

I also was afraid of the water for quite a while after seeing Jaws. I have never been real comfortable in the ocean, and that movie only increased my apprehensions. I have a recollection of my fears extending to pools as well. Probably one of my more irrational fears. At least in theory a witch could have gotten in my house and under my bed. Not sure how a shark could get in a swimming pool, or how could I have missed it before jumping in.

Disney's Sword in the Stone at a drive in was the first movie I saw. Apparently it scared the bjesus out of me at the time...

Back in the early 80's when the 'Friday the 13th' franchise was starting(watched at the drive-in), a group of us teenagers used to hang out at one of our friends who's parents owned a century old schoolhouse surrounded by trees with a cabin on a large U-shaped pond. Years beforehand, a boy had drowned up the end of one of the 'legs' of the pond(they had to drag the pond). Generally we avoided swimming in that end, the one and only time I swam up that end, something bumped my foot, probably a submerged tree branch...but I never went up that end again!

When I was about 11 or 12, a friend and I went to a local small town theater to watch this movie. It had 2 showings and when you were supposed to leave after the 1st one, we stayed and watched both of them. This is the only time I remember doing that.

I had very few movie experiences prior to high school. I think I can recall each of them:

The first one was 1776. My elementary school rented out a theater for a showing. I think it was during the bicentennial, because I was only 4 when the movie originally came out. I remember Thomas Jefferson seeming to be a dashing character. He's been my favorite president ever since.

Next was The Muppet Movie in 1979. I was 11 and went with my mom and brother (6 at the time).

In 1981, my grandfather took me and his three other grandkids (my brother and our cousins) to see The Private Eyes with Tim Conway and Don Knotts. I've always wanted to watch it again to see if it seems as funny now as it did then.

Then, in the summer of 1982, I saw E.T. with my mom and brother. I think that was it until high school and the freedom that a car brings.

I can recall seeing the Apple Dumpling gang in a theater, another Tim Conway/Don Knotts movie. I still do not recall my first movie, most likely, as many have stated a Disney film of some sort, possibly the Aristocats?

The Longest Day.

Like many, I'm certain that the first would've been a Disney feature, but outside of that, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad left a solid memory as a grade school teacher took a few of us to a Saturday afternoon showing.

I don't know if it's the 1st one I ever saw in the theater, but it is the 1st one I remember.

My 'cool' aunt took me to see Star Wars in its 1st run in the theaters in her 1969 red Camaro. Back then it was just an 8 year old car. Who knew both the movie and the car would be so iconic today?

I can't remember the name but I think it was a Disney movey and it involved an old fashioned flying car. After that, I can't remember anything except Star Wars.

Chitty Bang Bang!!

Adrian, you omitted a Chitty.

By Ian Fleming, incidentally.

I don't give two Chits!!

That's a Chitty attitude.

That's the problem with you Canadians, you don't care about important details. (Hold it, wrong thread to be yelling at Canadians. Never mind.)

Edited to note that I missed the total humor in Adrian's response. I picked up on the Chits pun, but just got the two part. Very good!

This first I went to a movie theater, they were playing a special two movies 1) Star Wars 2) The Empire Strikes Back. The main "coming attraction" was the upcoming Blade Runner!

I remember that the other movie playing when I saw E.T. was Firefox, with Clint Eastwood.

The earliest movie I remember watching in a cinema theater was 'The Blob', which had to have been very early 60's in Oklahoma City. I also remember cutting out and redeeming the Meadow Gold labels from the half-gallon carton of milk to get in to the theater.

Vivid.

June 6, 1944.... We read Cornelius Ryan's book in AP History and watched the movie from a 16mm projector in the classroom.

I think I just gave away my age.... a movie projector - talk about old school

LOL

Scott

Possibly Fred Macmurrey in one of the Blubber movies called "The Absent Minded Professor". But seeing you only remember Star Wars, I doubt if it was what I was thinking.

First movie I saw in a theatre was Star Wars. I liked it, but was too young to enjoy it as much as I did when I got a bit older.

My very first theater experience was when my older brother took me and another brother to go see Mary Poppins, 1964 was the year.

It was already mentioned, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Back in 1972, my dad took me to see Jeremiah Johnson on the big screen. Still one of my all time favorites.

Nope Adrian definitely named it with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I looked up the name and the poster matched my memories.

The one I vividly remember was Jaws; I was 4 or 5 years old… I know my folks are weird. It scared the bejezzus at out me; even going to the bathroom was terrifying :-)
If that fake looking shark did such an impression on me I can’t even fathom a kid today watching a well produced horror movie in 3D. yikes

We lived in the water when we were kids so the fear of looking silly in front of your friends overcame the fear of giant sharks, but I do remember being uncomfortable in the water after that movie. Especially when we would go down and swim off the wharf at night when it was particularly hot.

Truly, the constant jellyfish were our only real danger. I was stung so much by them that by the age of 13 I was almost completely immune to their fiery stings unless I got it on the face.

I didn't see jaws until they put it on TV, but I have too admit, whenever I see large cheezy rubber sharks swimming around the boat when I'm out fishing, it gives me the Hee-Bee-Gee-Bees.

This Joe Walsh interview was posted here on the boards not too long ago but Murph your 'poster' comment right away reminded me of this interview ... 'I remember the posters'

"Just because you wrote it, doesn't mean you can play it!"

I remember my daughters first movie was "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" at a drive-in.

I remember the opening night of "Star Wars" ( I was on a traveling crew in Saginaw, Michigan).

My first movie don't recall ....

but I do remember in high school setting up a youth fund raiser with the owner of the local drive-in, I wanted the film, The Monterey International Pop Music Festival with CSN, and got it, plus some other low budget film of the day.... I showed up with my GF and beer, it all went downhill from there.

















at the Drive in

That was FUNNY!!!

We need more Drive-ins. Those were good times.


Except the time it rained and the window came out of it's track on my '69 Mustang.

For the past 10 years, there were 3 within 45 minutes of where I live. We are now down to one. My wife keeps saying if somebody would open one up, they would make a fortune......

Rob, we used to have loads of them in Southern Ontario as well but they all got swallowed up by the developers. Now there's homes and business parks built on all of them. I can't say I blame the drive-in owners for selling and making good money, but it's sad to see something disappear that so many enjoyed and grew up with. I suppose if someone were to build a drive-in, it would have to be pretty far from any city, otherwise the cost of the land would be prohibitive.

There may be one or two left in Ontario(not sure), but you don't really hear much about them anymore. Up North towards cottage country I recall seeing an overgrown drive-in still in it's pastel paint colours with weeds growing through the pavement, billboard display still up...I guess the owner hadn't run it for years and was just sitting on the property, waiting for the right offer from a land developer.

I just read the "Let's take a trip to California and fire one up" thread. Back in the day, right after the drive in movie started - that wonderful smell of burning oregeno would waft across the parking lot.....aaaahhhh. The last times that I went, if you wanted to stay in your car, they were transimitting on a FM channel so the sound was pretty good too. But, there is something to be said for dragging out the cooler and lawn chairs and listening on those crappy, tinny sounding speakers too..

Can't say, for sure, what was the first movie I saw. We got our first TV in 1950 and I probably saw a movie or two on TV, and maybe even a few in a theater by that time. However, I can tell you the first movie I REMEMBER seeing in a theater. It was The Thing (now known as The Thing From Another World). It scared me to the point that, to this day, generally speaking, I do not enjoy the Science Fiction/Fantasy and Suspense/Horror genres. There are, of course, notable exceptions. I was probably 5 years old when I saw this movie.



I also remember being taken, a few years later, to the see The Creature From The Black Lagoon. If there was any hope of enjoying the Science Fiction/Fantasy and Suspense/Horror genres after seeing The Thing, seeing The Creature From The Black Lagoon, murdered it.

Funny how the thread on volume levels is now the "Let's take a trip to California and fire one up" thread.

I used to LOVE the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I only saw it on TV, but that really was one of my favorites when I was young. In fact, I'm going to search and see if I can find it on DVD. I recently found on DVD, in a store going out of business, one of my other long-time favorites--I Spit on Your Grave. It was actually pretty cheap, so I grabbed it! (Another of my all-time favorites, Bikini Car Wash Factory, is unbelievably expensive on DVD!)

Hey, I think this is my 100th post.