Camping out for the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Footage from eager moviegoers patiently awaiting the release of the Star Wars sequel "Return of the Jedi" for May 25.
Shots of the various customers at this theater in California, some dressed up as characters and people playing games to pass the time.
Also, an LSD trip in the middle of some very busy traffic!
This video last almost 5 minutes.
#returnofthejedi
the thing that interests me here is how Star Wars was already a cultural phenomenon even without decades of pop culture influence, hundreds of books, video games, sequels, tv series, etc. geek culture as it exists today wasn't even a thing yet. these were just people here 100% out of sincere hype.
Arguably, Star Wars was the blueprint for that form of fandom. They put "Star Wars" on everything. Posters, toys, actions figures, topps cards, comic books, happy meal prize glasses, records, models. We even had Star Wars pillow cases. When you think of huge hits of the 1970s, like Jaws, none of them had retail tie-ins remotely close to the scale of Star Wars. Space Balls even joked about it.
@@jonnyo2121 yeah I guess that's kind of what I was getting at..these people were the beginning of something that would forever alter film, hype, pop culture, and they really had no idea.
Right, because they wanted to see what happened in the movie and seeing it in theaters was the only way. Back then VCRs/tapes were new and expensive, releases were not great and took a LOONG time to come out after the theatrical run. It also didn't air on TV for years either, like many movies. These people were so eager to see the conclusion. So cool.
@@j-555now we live on a time if you wait less than a month after a theatrical release you can get just about any movie streaming. Endless convenience, but there is something sad that people will never get to experience a lot of these things. Having to work to see the things you loved did kind of add something. Even when Netflix was still a mail service I remember getting excited to see which movie had arrived. Things have changed so rapidly through the past few decades.
@@ataridc yes. Something like a movie used to exist as a single thing, which is what made it special. People would see advertisements or read about movies in the paper or magazines, anticipate them without knowing much at all, find the showtimes in the paper or at the theater, set aside time and made a date out of it and traveled lol and whatever they saw had to be remembered. which is why we would see good movies multiple times in theaters. and it was truly the best way to see it. once the event was over, it was gone and the home release that came out much later was more like a poor man's version.
From a time when Star Wars was worth camping out for
No ya think😂
THANK YOU. It breaks my heart.
From a time when people didn't complain about movies like they could do any better 😂we enjoyed movies good and bad
Well before they went woke. The first three ever made are the only ones worth watching.
@@dougr.6734 Compared to the recent stuff, even the Jar Jar years look like masterpieces!
There is something really special about the togetherness of this. Seeing good friends just being social and enjoying the company of a crowd is awesome. I hope the guys playing Risk are alive and well, still occasionally enjoying board games together.
These vids really are a time capsule to the past.
That's why I come here. It's interesting to see the people and what they were getting up to. I think people were probably better then.
This appears to be filmed in Los Angeles, CA. In those days there were no smartphones & no social media. This is s relic of an era when people were actually sociable. I so miss those days.
Mfers literally playing RISK in line!!
If there were of course we would have them!🙄
Looks so different back then! I always wanted to see something like this. Thanks!
I was 8....saw it in theatre. I miss my childhood in the 80s everyday! So sick of today's culture. People were more normal back then.
The waiting and anticipation was the best part for everything back then!
And it rarely disappointed unlike today where everything is a flop.
The good old days . When everyone was happier and liked to have fun .
Who remembers camping out for concert tickets??? I remember that for nkotb in 1990
Step by step 😂
I was in line like that in Grand Rapids for Jedi. Dad brought a ball glove and we played catch in the parking lot while our stuff held our space. Later, Dad would get motion sickness in the speeder bike sequence. Had excerpts from the movie on cassette long before it was available on VHS. There was just no way to own the movie back then, so we made up endless scenarios with action figures. It was a different world.
People used to be social before social media.
Yet here you are on social media commenting about social media 🙄 😂😂😂.
@@alangray9117 They probably mean mingling with strangers in your age bracket, who also have the same interests as you in real life, and potentially making real friends and/or creating memories. Chatting with random people that you can't see, or hear their voice, are practically meaningless in terms of making a connection for most people.
@@alangray9117 This is not being "social".
@@redleader7988 sure it is. We can comment back and forth. Maybe not like Facebook but it still is.
@@alangray9117 This is how far we have fallen.
1983, age 11. I had a HUGE collection of Star Wars figures and ships. I even built my own ships and playsets. But Mom didn't take me to see ANY of the Trilogy films until Return of the Jedi was re-released in the 80s (thank goodness HBO aired the 1st 2 movies). I did see the Trilogy re-release in 1997 (20th anniversary of Star Wars).
Family and I saw Return of the Jedi at our local mall at movie theaters in summer of 1983. I remember this very well when I was 10 years old and Annie Lennox song Sweet Dreams are made of These always made me think of Return of the Jedi then because of always hearing that song at the time family and I saw the movie then. And this Annie Lennox song still makes me think of Return of the Jedi as well because of these memories. May the 4th was a PERFECT day to post this hence May the 4th be with you! Thank you and I have always have and still am a Star Wars fan and seen all the Star Wars movies!
I was there opening day & was interviewed by a local Fresno California TV News outfit, as I was in the first 20 people lining up for the premiere!
I also was at the opening day release of "The Empire Strikes Back" which had huge lines as well, but not as bad as the 3rd film! The best times I've ever had waiting for a big movie event!
We had a huge line when I went to see Die Hard 2 in the theater. I loved those times
Wow, games and talking and interaction ……and………no phones! No heads bent. Love it!
And not one person is getting angry for being filmed.
because cameras weren't as widespread as it is today.
Saw Star Wars in the theater 1977. MISSED Empire Strikes Back in the theater 1980 (can't remember how that happened). Saw Return of the Jedi in the theater 1983. Finally saw Empire on video in 1984. Watched it twice before I had to return it the next day. That was rare for me to watch a video rented overnight more than once.
I remember knowing about the big "spoiler" from Empire somehow and it not really ruining the experience of watching either film for the first time, but I wonder sometimes how I might've reacted NOT knowing it had I saw it in the theater.
Just an awesome channel!
No handheld device to be seen. It was the good old days back then.
Omg I couldn't wait for this to come out back in 1983 I think it was may of 83 so awesome watching this in the theaters return of the Jedi
May 25th 1983..
Thank you.
I remember waiting 2 hours to get a ticket. Then we waited another hour before they opened the theater so we could find a seat.
Never saw anything like this again until Independence Day came out in 1996.
Phantom Menace lines were like this in 1999
My mom was 11 and my dad was about 14 when this was filmed. Thank you for another cool look into the past, Vampire Robot!
Return of the Jedi was my first introduction to Star Wars when I was 6.
Star Wars back in it's glory days way back before the prequels and Disney. Good old 1983. May the 4th be with you. The original trilogy is the best. Disney definitely ruined the Star Wars franchise.
Modern Disney will NEVER EVER create this kind of excitement and experience. They think everything is better now without understanding the magic that's been lost.
Disney ruined the Star Wars franchise.
Disney ruined its own magic. I actually wanted to see Wish, but I didn’t want to go opening week. But I didn’t want to see it a few weeks later, and have them put it on their streaming platform the following week. Going to the movies is just so expensive these days, and the theater hardly makes anything off ticket sales. But too many times we paid the small fortune, only for Disney to immediately release their movies to streaming a few weeks later.
This fear of streaming was so strong that it kept me from watching it in theaters for five months!!! The longer we waited the more likely it was going to be released to home video. I think they made us wait this long as a way of telling consumers that they no longer plan on doing this, but we’ll see with Inside Out 2, since it’s Pixar, and they treat those films differently.
But back to Star Wars, I think Disney helped make May the Fourth and Revenge of the Fifth a thing. Mainstream is good not just for nerds, but also marketing. There would be no Galaxy’s Edge or Galactic Starcruiser if not for Disney. Definitely not Star Wars themed cruises.
@@UmmYeahOk Star Wars was so much better without Disney. The prequels where good enough.
I agree. But, you have to keep in mind that there weren’t many theaters back then, like there are now
@@Dman425 Movies where low budget back then.
Risk. The official time killer game when waiting for a Star Wars sequel or on a subway on Seinfeld. By Parker brothers
If only I never opened the figures and toys and collectibles back then that we all want and love today from the star wars series my god I wish i could go back
Exactly. I'm in that same boat. I recently saw an unopened Millennium Falcon from 1979 sealed and in the original box for like $2,000 online. Ugh!
Oh wow! Are they listening to Moose Turd Pie? Man, I haven't heard that probably since 1983, but I recognized it immediately. I was always listening to the Dr. Demento show growing up in Southern California. It didn't take much to make us happy back then did it?
Man, really wish I was able to experience something like this, not just for movies but for games too. By the time I was allowed to stay up late enough for a midnight release, there were no more midnight releases .
I was 4 at the time. Seeing ROTJ in the theater is literally my earliest memory. Jabba scared the crap out of me. lol
Happy Star Wars Day everyone! May the Fourth be with you, always!
Who can forget that style of metal folding chairs!
This was awesome! Happy May the 4th!
They did it all for the Wookie
God these are awesome
Happy star wars day!!!!!
May the 4th be with you.
We didnt camp out but waited outside in the long long a very long line just to get into the lobby of the movie theater buy tickets, get popcorn, candy and drinks. It was totally awesome! Thanks for uploading this!
Thx for this. I was one of these morons camped out for this movie in my city way back when.
So freaking cool. I love this channel so much.
Omg this was a few months before i was even alive on earth. Its so interesting how young folks were like before.
I was 14 and was so amped up for the 3rd one. Great memories. Pioneer Chicken brings back memories as well.
Seeing those lawn chairs, I sure miss 'em. You don't see those kinds of lawn chairs anymore lol
Thank you so much for this! This could have been me + 3 older brothers + dad. He had to work all week, so took to at 11 am on Saturday, for the 12 noon showing. It was sold out...duh! lol I'll never forget: Bought tickets (50 cents) for all of us, then waited in the lobby for THREE HOURS lol for the 2pm showing. It was TORTURE..listening to the crowd screaming and cheering and applauding...we played pac man and donkey kong and ate popcorn. We were the first ones in...what a wonderful day.
I ended up getting at job at that same theater 5 years later....best job ever! "Oh you're pay me to watch movies and girls and eat popcorn? i'll try to manage."
Happy you enjoyed it! That's a great story too btw.
this was fun and interesting. 1:12 he had a gun. 3:42 dude bumps his shoulder. 4:27 That dude was pissed he turned to the dark side of the force. Cool video. ^_^
I turned 9 years old in 1983. To this day Return of The Jedi was longest line I ever stood in to wait for a movie -half a city block long.
In defense, it’s not like home video was a thing. You either saw it in theaters, or prayed that they’d rerelease it back into theaters sometime in your lifetime. If you missed opening weekend, everyone you knew was going to be talking about it at work or school and spoil it.
In defense of what?
@@rogertoaster9385in defense for camping overnight to see some space western film. I mean, it does sound kinda silly, especially in modern times.
Home video started being a thing the year the first Star Wars was released.
@@MrLyosearight. Sure it did. And when did YOUR family get a VCR? Betamax? Where did you go to rent such movies? Or to purchase? Just because the technology existed, doesn’t mean the masses had it. And even then, owning a physical copy of it was super expensive. They actually had to pass new laws because you were only intended to record things on television, meaning if Star Wars aired on television, you could record it, but it might’ve not been legal to do so depending on year. That’s how I ended up watching Disney classics. They weren’t available to purchase, but they would air on the Magical World of Disney, and my parents would record it for me. I think when they first started releasing movies to home video, they were insanely expensive, hence the need for video store rentals. And it was only their old stuff, never anything recent, till maybe Roger Rabbit or Little Mermaid. Oliver & Co. and other 80s Disney films didn’t get a home video release until the late 90s, and only after they were released to theaters. And then once they started, you were waiting a year or two before finally being able to purchase. I remember it taking forever. Some movies, like Universal films, would keep movies for that long, pulling it from theaters, and then rereleasing a year later, telling customers to “see it again.”
@@UmmYeahOk I'm not saying the masses had it. I simply said that's when it first became commercially as an option. I'm aware only about 0.3% of americans had a vcr/betamax in 1977. And it was actually 1976.
still geekin like this 40 yrs later
Neeeeerrrrrrddddd!!
May the 4th be with all those people
I remember Return Of The Jedi was the very first film I went by myself at 8 years old love that film especially Princess Leia.
Strange, am I seeing police officers?
Reminded me a bit like Wilhuff Tarkin from behind lol
They're comparing "schwartz"
Off duty rent a cops for crowd control.
Happy Star Wars Day
May the 4th be With you
Was just finishing up high school that year. Never camped out for any movie but the first 3 films were great.
The ironic thing is that Hollywood Blvd still looks exactly like this.
Only now with homeless and crackheads.
I was just over 3 years old 🙂
I Wasn't Even Born In In The 80s
@@LeteizJordan317 2000 baby, right?
@@Marstepolovsky You Are Correct
@@Marstepolovsky And I'm In My Early 20s
@@LeteizJordan317 I know 😆😆
This was the first movie I ever saw in a theatre. Magic!
Everyone... stop screaming at your screens trying to warn them about Disney. It's not gonna work.
😂
This song always reminds of the scene on Dumb & Dumber when Lloyd makes the hairdresser faint with a packet of Ketchup 😂
Just imagine. None of these people have ever heard of Jar Jar, Rey, or Kathleen Kennedy. It's mind boggling.
I almost forget that "Star Wars" made its pay cable debut on HBO just a few months before "Return of the Jedi" opened.
04:27 listen carefully to the guy in the bowtie and suspenders, he says " please leave, your already causing enough trouble" what a rude jerk lol.
Robert Smigel showed up later with Triumph to goof on the nerds. Happy 4th to the OGs.
“Which one of these buttons calls your parents to come pick you up?” Absolute classic.
0:16 cops giving directives to law abiding citizens even back then.
Bet they ain’t camping out for new Star Wars movies 😂😂
I was 5 years old. My older brother I'm sure went to see this.
Playing Risk while waiting to see ROTJ 😂
The cops like put your joint back in your pocket do it around the corner
Look how people are interacting…these days it’s all about phones/tablets/chargers/selfies…sad times now
Yep😢
Today people camping out for fentanyl and hamas...
Wut is hamas? Whut?? 😜 lol...funniest comment I've read in a long time too btw.
@@vampirerobot whut $19.83 mena?
Back when Star Wars movies were worth the wait! Oh look, Pioneer Chicken!
Two years after Return of Jedi all the royal could be bought for a quarter at discount dept stores.
The more things change ..
Must have been great
These pasts really should be available in capsules.
Hank hill was right about hippies
IF I HAD A TIME MACHINE ..I BRING THE VHS COLLECTION UPTHERE .. N SELL IT FOR 2 MILL
Ahh when Star Wars was enjoyable to watch. Disney has ruined everything and over saturated it.
Exactly. Disney's philosophy is "people didn't like our crap? We need to increase the amount of crap we shovel down their throats until they like it!"
@@3Storms Some Disney content is good though. Rogue One, Solo, and The Mandalorian are great. It's just the damn sequels that are terrible. They should've never been made.
Summer 83 memory: Grandma took me and my cousins to see rerelease of Snow White & the other screen was showing Jedi. I was 7 and asked could we see it instead. NO Grandma said. So Mom took us not long after.
My Mom Was 8 Years Old In 1983
I was 3 months old lol
@@Marstepolovsky My Mom Was Born In 1975
I was 4 years 11 months old. 😄 I was not allowed to see any Star Wars movie. Come to think of it, I still haven't seen any Star Wars movie!
@@bamboosho0t I Was 4 Months Old Back In 2000
@@bamboosho0t I bet you preferred the 80's and 90's?
Vampire Robot also caught Jedi on FX this afternoon.
That's cool McFly! 😎
I remember my father took to see in theater.
He was in his 30s, I singe digits. No camp out. Just bought tickets and proceeded to sit.
On one hand this must have been so great - waiting with anticipation to see the end of the greatest trilogy of all time. At the same time it must have been so agonizing. I'm lucky that, despite seeing all subsequent Star Wars films in theaters, pretty much all of them were simple "walk up and buy the ticket" affairs.
Exactly! I haven't been to the movies in years. It seems so complicated now. You have assigned seats? What if you don't like who you're sitting next to? Or the seats you chose? The person too tall in front of you? Can you get up and move into another seat? What if someone comes up to you and says, "hey, that's my seat!"
I always liked sticking my coat next to me, so someone doesn't just randomly sit next to me in an empty theater.
Have had that happen a few awkward times.
It seems like they took the freedom away from the once simplest of simple pleasure.
It just seems so complicated! Or maybe, I'm overthinking it Mike.
Maybe, I misread your comment. But I do agree with you.
1. Walk up
2. Buy a ticket
3. Find a seat.
I never really had to stand in line either
@@vampirerobot Oh god, thankfully I never had assigned seats. Yeah, I meant I'm lucky that I never had any big waits for a Star Wars movie. Even The Phantom Menace, which I look back at with great surprise. I was very apprehensive about that movie so I waited until literally the last hour or so to go see it. I'd heard that it was sold out everywhere, so I decided to try a small theater the next town over. Sure enough I just bought the ticket and walked in.
My only real wait was for The Force Awakens but that's because I wanted to be the very first in line. Just for my own future memories. I went like five hours early and did, in fact, get the very first spot. But looking back the Disney trilogy sucked so who cares, lol.
@MiketheratguyMultimedia Super smart thinking on the Phantom!
@@vampirerobot I'd say thanks but it was probably more that I just got lucky due to my lack of enthusiasm, lol.
Funny to think that all these young fans are now senior citizens
Really? Most of them are in their late 40's or 50's
@@bardo0007I'd say more than half are early 60s.
@@kjk7611 If they are under the age of 20, they would be in their late 50's. 40 years ago . A 10 year old kid would be close to 50 today.
@@bardo0007 late 40s? I don't see any 8 years olds there. They all look about 20 to 25, some older. They'd be about 60 to 70 right now.
@@bardo0007 41yrs ago. Almost.
Wonder where these people are now
This is so cool!!!!
Dang, my year of birth.
Back when star wars fans weren't awkward manbabies that had full blown meltdowns and sent death threats to the writers because they got some obscure character like gulp shitto's birthday wrong or sent death threats to some actor/actress because they didnt like their character in the movie.
I know everyone and their sister think ESB rocks, but ROTJ will always be my favorite (I’m from 1986 Everyone things ESB rocks, but ROTJ will always be my favorite (I’m from 1986 and discovered SW from Shadows of the Empire on N64 + the Special Editions).
I remember playing with legos (and inventing new V-Wings and other ships) while listening to the OST. and discovered SW from Shadows of the Empire on N64 + the Special Editions).
I remember playing with legos (and inventing new V-Wings and other ships) while listening to the Special Edition Extended OST. Return of the Jedi (can’t stop thinking about the Family Guy parody with the staring), Into the Trap, Luke and Leia, Forest Battle and the Ending will always pull at my heartstrings.
I saw the first one seven times in the theater when I was 10
I would like to tell them, "Yeah, Leia is Luke's brother, Han gets rescued, Yoda dies, Darth Vader becomes good then dies immediately. Oh and Lucas changes the wookie planet in the story to little teddy bears to sell more stuff." JK I saw them all back then too. Love them except this one a little less.
Normal people:
BO2 zombies gamers: 😨 2:25
All n all this looks amazing!
I would a wanted to see it for the first time like this too!
May, 1983. As far as I know, this is the last Star Wars thing that will ever be. What am I, as a nerd, to do? For the past 6 years it finally felt like I had this huge thing for me and my people.
Before this thing is over for good, I scour the crowd for a girl who will date me. For without Star Wars, I have no community. I have to make all my friends and lovers tonight.
"Hey your cute" Does that even happen anymore? I doubt it.
Star Wars deserves better.
Definitely not for the new iPhone 😅
RETRO GOLD!🤘🏻👍🏻🇺🇲
So they were camping out for a midnight show? Or waiting until they opened in the afternoon? 😆
man where are you finding these treasures?
His Time Machine
😊😊😊
_May The fourth Be With You_
Wait what? You.. You know it will play tomorrow many times as well as the entire month. This is sad. I lined up for tickets for a movie very early the day of but then went home. Came back a few hours before the show. Got to see it. Whats the point of camping? Lame.