Reservoir Dogs

I saw Reservoir Dogs at an early evening showing somewhere in Soho and about three-fourth of the way through a fight broke out behind me. Could be a coincidence but I was certainly on edge myself by that point and interesting to speculate that a powerful movie seen in the cinema can be almost *too* emotional! panachetta

Alien

I saw Alien on first release. Publicity had already leaked out around the now famous “chest burster” scene, so we were prepared for it.

Far more shocking and kept completely quiet was the scene where Ian Holm is revealed to be an android. For me that was a huge shock and a fantastic cinematic reveal. I can’t think if any other scene in a movie that has bettered it since. Simon Rolton

I was watching Alien in a packed Southampton cinema. You could cut the tension in the theatre with a knife as the Alien was about to make its first appearance in its fully formed state. Just as it was about to appear somebody had blown up a balloon and released it into the crowd. The blubbering, farty noises it made as the air was released from the balloon had everybody laughing and immediately cut the tension, fantastic movie! nypoolie

Star Wars

I saw the first Star Wars movie (now called A New Hope) in first release. It was a revelation. I felt as if I was watching a revolution in two hours. That opening scene with the Imperial battle cruiser coming out of the top of the screen was absolutely mind-bending. The whole theater was ooohing and aaaahing over that one. It was transformational, and sci-fi would never be the same. marwil

Star Wars, at age 11, in a tiny cinema in a little known backwoods part of Yorkshire. Rumour had it the place wasn’t allowed to show it unless they got the sound updated, so as it happens they updated everything, so not only did it all look and feel new and posh as we settled in, as that huge ship entered frame the rumble from the newly installed bass box blew everyone away. For the first time ever every kid in the cinema went silent, wide-eyed and transfixed, we had literally never seen or heard anything like it before, it made a massive impression.

At school we talked of nothing more for ages afterwards, and for the next couple of months those that could afford it watched it over and over, and then, a year or two after that, the glory days of 80s cinema began! As pretty much everything else about living in Yorkshire in the 80s sucked, I spent an awful lot of time in there. granuidangle

Jurassic Park

I saw Jurassic Park in the cinema with my mom (I’m a Brummie, not American) in 1993, aged eight. I was so excited to see it but terrified at the same time.

My nine-year-old cousin, who I practically considered to be a grown-up, saw it the day before and cried so much when the man on the toilet was half eaten that he had to be taken home – but my mom had already bought the tickets – you didn’t waste that sort of money back then.

When all there was between the brother and sister and the t-rex was a loose pane of glass balancing on their feet, that was the first time I had ever felt pure terror – and I absolutely loved it. hijackt

Halloween

Saw Halloween sitting in the front row of the cinema aged eight with a bunch of similarly aged friends. We walked home in the middle of the road so nobody could surprise us from round the side of the houses we walked past. The light stayed on that night. The music can still send a shiver down me no matter where I am when I hear it. GMQ1973

I saw the first Halloween at the cinema. It was an X-rated film at the time and I sneaked in aged 14, thinking I was tough. Ninety minutes with Michael Myers sorted me out and I didn’t go back to see a horror film for 20 years. My mate who sneaked in with me said the reason Myers escapes at the end, despite being shot and stabbed multiple times, was because “the devil controls us all”. I cried all the way home. JonathanClements

Blade Runner

I saw Blade Runner at the premiere at a packed Edinburgh playhouse. An extra large screen – it’s a big theatre rather than a cinema – and Dolby surround for the magnificent Vangelis soundtrack. I went in without having heard any hype or a reading a single review – I think it was a few stills from the film that persuaded me to go.

I came out realising I’d witnessed a true classic. Apart from the stunning visuals and music, my mind was spinning with thoughts of the nature of gods, and what it is that makes us human. After that I feared the sequel could only be a letdown. It wasn’t. DeanMorrison

Saw Bladerunner in a large West End cinema in the early 80s. Visually it blew me away and remains a favourite to this day. What many people may not remember/know was that, attendance-wise, it was a flop at the time. It is only with the passing years that its status as a modern classic has been cemented. I enthused about and tried to get friends and work colleagues to go and see it but I don’t think anyone did. One of the few occasions in my cultural life when I jumped on the bandwagon when it just got rolling! outofleftfield

I watched Blade Runner on its original release in 1982. I was 16 and I hadn’t seen anything like it. I was a fan of Harrison Ford after seeing Star Wars and Indiana Jones so initially, I was disappointed that he wasn’t the wise-cracking cowboy he was in those films, but it drew me in and by the end, I was transfixed. Blade Runner is the perfect introduction to serious sci-fi. I think I must have watched it about 20 times over the years, but that first time, in the cinema was my first time a movie had made me seriously think about the themes it raised. DrinkPaint

The Exorcist

Went to see The Exorcist in 1973 with my older cousin and her college friends at the Alabama theater in downtown Birmingham. I was 16, and a long time B-movie horror flick fan. But nothing from my viewing history prepared me for what I experienced at THAT movie. At one point I found myself curled up, fetal position, in the lap of the stranger next to me. I was terrified! kanddmom

The Silence of the Lambs

Saw Silence of the Lambs at a small indie cinema in Headingley, Leeds. Walking back to my car alone in the dark, wind blowing fallen autumn leaves – scary, scary, scary!!! I’ve seen numerous other classics when first released before and since then but none have stuck in my memory quite like that longest short walk back to my car that night… Kathryn Sheard

I saw Silence of the Lambs during its original release at a packed theater in Burbank, California. A theater in Burbank would likely have a lot of film industry people in it. Best audience experience I’ve ever had. Big screams at the scares, big laughs at the jokes, and the climax with Clarice stalked with night vision goggles had the crowd going absolutely berserk. tiggertai

I saw The Silence of the Lambs on first release at a cinema in Bury. Either by accident or design the film stopped and left the room in complete darkness at the moment when Jamie Gumm is stalking Clarice wearing the night vision goggles. It was utter pandemonium in the cinema – screaming and wailing for long enough to ratchet up the tension to a level I’ve never experienced before or since whilst in a cinema. The projectionist was either incompetent or had a superb sense of drama. Hopefully it was the latter. Jonathan Heywood

Jaws

Went to see Jaws with my Uncle John and my cousins. I was aged nine but already a veteran cinemagoer having seen Watership Down and The Jungle Book! So Jaws was a bit of a shock to say the least. The eyeball scene when Richard Dreyfuss swam down to the boat had the whole cinema jumping. I remember how long the film felt but just loving the journey the film took you on, the genius of Spielberg. Needless to say I didn’t swim at my local pool for several months and even bath nights were fraught in case that shark got me! Gar0250

My parents took me to see Jaws when it first came out. I was nine, and I totally loved it. It remains one of my favourite movies. I jumped at the head appearing in the hole. I had a guilty frisson when the severed leg hit the seabed. I laughed at the three drunks comparing wounds.

Various scenes were the talk of the school for weeks. If you hadn’t seen the film you were really left out. I think this was the first situation like that for my generation. I was a strong and confident swimmer from an early age but like many people who saw Jaws, I heard that bloody music playing every time I got in the water thereafter. Arhoolie

The Sound of Music

As a very young child in the early 1960s, I had only seen movies at drive-in theatres until The Sound of Music. I remember my mother telling me I would enjoy it because it had children in it. When we entered the theatre I was amazed. I didn’t know you could watch a film indoors! And in regular clothes instead of pyjamas! We sat close to the front surrounded by all those other people. I felt like they’d all been in on a secret that was only then revealed to me. It may have been the first time I had that child’s experience of what it might be like to be an adult, sitting in those rows, hushed and listening. And my memories of the film itself? The colours. So much richer and warmer than at the drive-in. And the sound! It was so clear, also warm. I didn’t get all the nazi stuff, but I knew it was terrifying ... the big, black cars. But the part that really stuck with me was the children skipping over a little bridge while singing. I can still see that as if it were the first time. goodgolly

The Blair Witch Project

Saw The Blair Witch Project in my first year at university. The shaky camera made me so motion sick I couldn’t watch the last 10 minutes. At the time there were still some idiots who believed that the found footage was all real because there was a website on the internet that played it as factual so it had to be true. I think at the time only a couple of us had seen this alleged website due to not having internet in our accommodation, and I remember having a long argument with a girl who was convinced it was real. I guess it was the first viral film in that sense. losthighway