First Cinematic Experience

[vin_petrol]

On Bank Holiday Monday afternoon I did watch some of Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I have a soft spot for this film, as it was the first ever film I saw at the cinema. My dad took me to see it when I was about 5 years old. I have vague recollections of the experience: the huge expanse of the darkened cinema, the vastness of the screen, the swirls of cigarette smoke (hey, it was the 70s) curling in the projected light and not being able to see that well 'cos I was tiny :-)

Older readers, even if they haven't seen the film, will recall the cartoon soccer match in it being a staple of Bank Holiday Disney Time for many years.

So, what was the first film you saw at the cinema?

Comments

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

So, what was the first film you saw at the cinema?

Bedknobs and Broomsticks. =:-)

But the skellingtons sewn from the teeth of dragons in Jason & the Argonauts left more of an impression. Or was that the Golden fleece? I don't know - skellingtons, harpies, it was all a bit horrible.

[vin_petrol]

But the skellingtons sewn from the teeth of dragons in Jason & the Argonauts left more of an impression.

Oooh yes, I remember that too. I first saw that on television. Those skellingtons were pretty scary. I'm pretty sure it was in the Easter holidays when I was about 6. I seem to recall annoying my parents a lot by continually going "which one's Jason?" for the first half hour :-)

[everild.livejournal.com]

Jason & the Argonauts left more of an impression. Or was that the Golden fleece?

The film's actually known as both Jason & the Argonauts and Jason & the Golden Fleece - but this is definitely the one with the skeleton army, created by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. In an earlier film 7th Voyage of Sinbad he had created just one skeleon for Sinbad to fight against - doing a whole army must have been far more complicated!! I'm a huge Harryhausen fan and actually got to hear him give a lecture several years ago, at which I was able to hold the model of the Medusa from another of his films, Clash of the Titans - a very exciting moment!

[adamw]

First film I saw? Not sure.

The first I remember seeing at the cinema was A View To A Kill, back in 1985. When I was 7...

[vin_petrol]

Thinking about it, I haven't actually seen many Bond films at the cinema. In an odd way, in my head they're a 'television' film, so be seen on Christmas Day or a Bank Holiday afternoon. For my birthday treat on my 10th birthday (1977) I was able to take a car full of friends to see The Spy Who Loved Me. I'll never forget the ski-jump off the cliff to Union flag parachute sequence near the start - that was well whizzy for 1977! :-)

[tomb-bat.livejournal.com]

First film, hummm.....
....well I think it could have been Flash Gordon.
Some years later I dated Tim Dalton's (y'know prince something in flash) little brother Mark (003 & a half), who it has to be said was better looking than Tim. Never did get to meet Tim tho. ;)

[childeric.livejournal.com]

Can't remember, but possibly Bugsy Malone? When did that come out? 1976 or so? Actually, probably it was something else if that's when it came out. I can't really recall. It will have been at Richmond Odeon or Kingston Granada though. I do recall seeing Star Wars seven times at the cinema in its first year of release, which would be, what, 1977?

[childeric.livejournal.com]

Yes, Bugsy Malone was 1976. I was five. Wow, that's such a long time ago...

[everild.livejournal.com]

My first film at the cinema was Mary Poppins, but as I wasn't born when it was originally released (early to mid 1960s I think) it must have been a re-release, or a special showing or something. Anyway, I would have been about 3-4 (so we're talking around 1974) because I remember that my sister was still pretty much a baby at the time.

[sarcaustik.livejournal.com]

There were several re-releases of it around Christmas. I remember seeing it at the cinema when I was about eight, so in the early 80s.

[sarcaustik.livejournal.com]

I think the first film I saw at the cinema was a Disney cartoon - possibly a re-release of 'Cinderella' when I was about five. Whatever it was, it had cartoons and the Disney animal feature thing before hand.

I remember going to see 'Star Wars' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' back to back when Empire came out in 1980. I fell asleep not long after the start of the second film, insisted on going home and didn't see any of the Star Wars films again until they were reissued in 1997. My dad and brother never forgave me. ;-)

[vin_petrol]

Whatever it was, it had cartoons and the Disney animal feature thing before hand.

Disney films seem to be *very* common. D'ya think they've found a niche here? :-)

I fell asleep not long after the start of the second film, insisted on going home and didn't see any of the Star Wars films again until they were reissued in 1997.

But did anyone tell you who Luke's father was in the meantime?

[miss-dark.livejournal.com]

The first flim I saw at the cinema was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and I was sooo scared I buried my face in my mum's lap and wouldn't come out *eek*

...decided to look up what year it was (as I think I was probably about four years old).. and it was made in 1937!!! *gulp* I didn't think I was that old!!! *grin*

[vin_petrol]

IIRC, back in those pre-video/DVD days, Disney re-released all their classic animated films every 7 years(?), so that there was a new audience for them. I went to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when it was re-released in about 1987. I can safely say I didn't bury my face in my mum's lap due to fear, what with being about 20 years old...

[nim.livejournal.com]

care bears the movie.

[vin_petrol]

care bears

Ah - I'm so much older than you that the Care Bears mean almost nothing to me. Was it a good film?

[steer.livejournal.com]

Apparently I had to be removed from "Tales of Beatrix Potter" for being a disruptive influence -- but really, ballet dancing hedgehogs, who wants that shit in their head at an impressionable age. And Wayne Sleep as a giant squirrel -- that would give you nightmares. The film was released in 1971 so I guess this was a reshowing. The first films I can remember are "The Rescuers" and "Star Wars" (both 1977). I particularly remember that we were late for the start of "Star Wars" and I never found out how come they were on Tatooine for years.

I can also remember seeing Mary Poppins and coming in part way through and sitting round again until "this si where we came in" which we used to do sometimes. Weird when you think of it -- I think this is why a generation of modern authors produce modern novels with fractured narrative and why I enjoy reading that.

I also used to get taken to a lot of tremendously worthy wildlife films with names like Brock the Badger and Tarka the Otter. Never did go to the pictures much though.

[everild.livejournal.com]

worthy wildlife films with names like Brock the Badger and Tarka the Otter

I wouldn't put Tarka quite into the worthy wildlife film bracket - it's quite horrible and frightening in places. My grandmother took me and lady_strange to see it when we were quite young, and then let slip afterwards that she used to go on otter hunts in her youth, which made the whole thing even more traumatic.

[cyberspice.livejournal.com]

My slightly barking parents took me to The Ten Commandments. The plague of death scared the shit out of me and I wouldn't sleep with the light off for a while. The first proper film was Disney's The Jungle Book.

I also saw Bednobs and Broomsticks at the cinema (and over the weekend) as well as Escape to Witch Mountain. I remember being very miffed that as I was ill my sister was taken to see Snow White. Then as I got older I saw Close Encounters and Star Wars as well as Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun.

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

It was the film Them that had me unable to sleep for weeks.

[ant-girl.livejournal.com]

So, what was the first film you saw at the cinema?

I can remember my first trip to the cinema very vividly, but unfortunately have no idea *what* it was.

What I do remember was that it was in the days where they used to have "intervals" at the cinema, and that there was a short "trailer" film before the main feature. This was actually much better than the film we'd gone to see. It involved hot-air balloons and a spooky wood where some people got lost. I think it has continued to influence my taste in films to this day. ;-)

[vin_petrol]

there was a short "trailer" film before the main feature

It's only thinking about this today that I've recalled this (IMHO) dreadful aspect of 70s cinema going. What was the point of these? I seem to recall seeing some awful films:

* How Whisky is made (mebbe interesting now, but not when I was 10) whilst waiting for The Spy Who Loved Me to start at the Rex in Coalville.
* Something about a Maori war canoe (before Watership Down at the Curzon in Loughborough).

These memories are very thorough, aren't they? :-)

I have this vague recollection that some of these were made and shown to cope with some form of quota mechanism? Some limit on how many American films could be made or shown?

I bet there's a web site about it somewhere! I shall look forthwith.

[a-crow.livejournal.com]

It would have been either E.T or one of the first starwars movies .. not sure which though.

[vin_petrol]

E.T

I've never seen E.T. I was going to go, but a male friend of mine went, and came back saying he laughed at the crying children all the way through, and seriously recommended I didn't bother.

So I never have.

[sunflowerinrain.livejournal.com]

I don't remember which was the first film (I was about 3) but it would have been a Disney because the club my parents belonged to showed Disney films every Friday evening.

I loved the Bedknobs and Broomsticks book.

[jozafeen.livejournal.com]

I know my first film was a disney cartoon but the first one I remember was Bedknobs and Broomsticks, partly because the cinema was so full there was no room to sit with my parents and I was rubbish and got scared when the armour came to life!

Watching it on Monday made me a little sad as me and one of my colleagues who I really get on with often sing 'Bobbing Along' across the office and i get made redundant next week. :-(

[andyguest.livejournal.com]

Dunno if it was the first I was at but the earliest one I remember is Star Wars, which is a pretty cool film to be my first I suppose. The only other film it could've been is Pete's Dragon, both came out about the same time. Think I'll stick with Star Wars :-)

[ex-wendles389.livejournal.com]

I'm still thinking about this one (Herbie, Bambi, Witch Mountain and a few others are springing to mind). IIRC I had a record of Bedknobs & Broomsticks.

[andyd.livejournal.com]

I can't remember the first, the cinema was not a regular 'thing' to do in grimsby. I remember going to see Beavis and Butthead do America for a pound on one of those National Cinema days, and the first thing I took a girl to was Independence Day.

[scatterbeetle.livejournal.com]

The first film I remember seeing at the cinema was ET.

[wendles]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I was 3. But I think it had been out 2 years at the time, so I'm not quite that old.

[pelicanzed.livejournal.com]

That I remember: Back To The Future II. I feel so young. Apparently my parents took me to see something when I was younger, but I fell asleep in it; a habit that would stay with me for life, as I've yet to actually see the latter 2/3 of The Holy Trilogy due to falling asleep in it on more than one occasion.

Is Bedknobs and Broomsticks totally messed up? I watched it on video when I was about seven or so, and my impression of it was that it was mayhem or pandemonium in film format.

[vin_petrol]

Is Bedknobs and Broomsticks totally messed up?

Not that I recall. They travel around a lot (on the bed) so it jumps from place to place, but the characters are the same throughout. I don't recall the narrative structure being particularly problematic, and I was 5 when I first saw it!