The Phantom Menace Teaser: A Recollections thread
 

This is a thread to recollect old feelings, not to bitch about the end product. We've had six years to do that!


You know, it's hard to believe, but it was seven years ago this week when we got our first look at the new Star Wars trilogy with the teaser for Phantom Menace. I remember trying to get it on the PCs at my college's computer labs but none of them were really up to par for it, so I couldn't form much of an opinion. Later that day I caught it, by surprise, on MTV. I remember seeing Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul and getting giddy with anticipation, like I was six years old again. Everything was quite amazing and met my expectations, and I had chills the whole time watching it. I got to see it on the big screen the next night as well, and I could tell it was the first time they were showing it to a major audience as the theater ushers were checking tickets at the door and then proceeded to take seats with the audience to view the preview. After it was over, a man in the audience yelled: "Rewind that!", which was followed by a major applause. The movie that followed (Enemy of the State) was good, but everyone knew they had seen the highlight of their movie night already.
Anyone else remember the first time they saw it and the circumstances? I think it's neat to look back on this now that many of us now have all six eps. in our possession now and the PT has come and gone.

I remember enjoying TPM immensely when it came out. It's only in hindsight that I start to pick things apart in the film. But that's been discussed beyond death.

Yep, that teaser, and the subsequent trailer, had me the most excited I'd ever been for a movie.

Like danicus007, I loved it initially. But, while I still enjoy it, I'm not nearly as giddy over it with repeated viewings over the years.

I will not promote a course of action that will lead us to memories of watching Wing Commander.

Actually that was the actual trailer, not the teaser.

I believe I, at least initially viewed (and reviewed) the trailer via Quicktime. I don't believe I ever saw it in the theater. I remember thinking "why is she talking so funny? is she slow or something?" ;)

I remember how badass it was when they showed Maul and that snazzy lightsaber of his..

Still in my opinion the single best teaser made. The shots were constructed beautifully, and the scenes and the edits matched the music perfectly, building excitement until the end of the trailer. So did the trailer for that matter. Excitement just heightened that feeling. TPM teaser and trailer were better than AOTC's trailers, by far, and even ROTS. AOTC's trailers were the worst though.

I thought the two preliminary teasers were okay. However, the major one that emphasized the love story had me wishing Lucas would pull the plug on the whole thing!

the TPM bootleg trailer with bad lighting and applause was THE best. I really believe it kicked off the internet trailer trend. I'm pretty sure i have it somewhere on disc still :)

I still remember almost dying in anticipation waiting forever for that sucker to finish downloading on my comp at work. And then watching it over and over.

For the SW series, agreed.

Thankfully the days of having to watch ET and Access Hollywood for trailers are over.

But ET and Access Hollywood like to talk through half of the trailers. That gives you the in-theater experience. :)

i remember watching it at someone's pc at work and the very first image of the gungans on those huge creatures was chilling.

I remember paying to see The Waterboy just to see the trailer before & after the film

Here a link to the trailer: http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/re...er/teaser.html

I was so excited after seeing it.

The Episode II Braveheart trailer was the best! ;)

My personal favorite is still the T2 teaser that shows Ahnuld being constructed. But TPM's is a close second.

The first time I saw it was the day it premiered in front of(and after) a bunch of different movies on that Tuesday. I went to a mid-afternoon showing of Meet Joe Black, caught the teaser, watched the movie for about 30 minutes, and then snuck into another auditorium showing The What-A-Bore and saw the teaser again at the end of that flick.

I was completely blown away by it. And a little overwhelmed, especially since at that point, I knew nothing about the plot aside from Qui-Gon dying(and that was only because of Fox's dumbass Episode II press release that conspicuously left off Liam Neeson's name on the cast list). I got lucky and downloaded the teaser off of StarWars.com that night before the site crashed due to all the traffic.

Now as for the movie itself.....let's just say the DVD is in my collection strictly for the demo material.

I remember laughing out loud at how Yoda looked when I saw this in a theater.

Maul igniting the 2nd blade of his saber and Obi Wan doing that flip over the chasm still gives me goosebumps to this day.

I remember waiting for that file to download....I was late to class just to get to watch it.

When I got to class, which was in a computer lab, someone was trying to download it, so or prof set up the projector in the class, so we could all watch it.

Regardless of the end products...that is probably the most effective, oh-shit, I need to see that now, feeling warm inside trailer I've ever seen.

The best teaser/trailer from the prequels is for Ep III with Alec Guiness voice over from when he is telling Luke about the old republic in Ep IV.

I saw it about about 50 times on my computer before seeing on the big screen before The Matrix.

I have to agree with others that Maul igniting the light staff was by far one of the coolest things ever. (Still is. Too bad it only lasts a second.)

My hopes were seriously high at that point, and I had no reason to question them but the Ewoks. Unfortunately I had forgotten the lesson of the Ewoks.

We need a small video capture of Maul igniting his saber, for old times sake! :D

Man, watching that trailer again brings me back, but I can't believe I forgot there is actually stupid Jar Jar shit in there. You'd think we would have had some warning.

Funny how young Obi Wan looks and how bad Yoda looks. I love the ESB puppet the best but the CGI version is a definite improvement over the Ep I Yoda.

The full trailer was about 50 times better than the teaser.

http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/re...r/trailer.html

I remember setting it to download, going off to chemistry lab, then coming back to watch it right before my parents picked me up to go home for Thanksgiving break. My dad and I just sat there and watched it like 3 times on my computer. I saw it on the big screen on Thanksgiving when I went to see Enemy of the State.