RetroBlasting takes the DeLorean back to early 1999 to show you an interview Michael did about being a Star Wars fan while he was a sophomore in college! retroblasting retroblasting www.retroblasting.com #RetroBlasting #MichaelFrench
Star Wars blew my mind as a kid. I was lucky enough to see it in the theater several times. I remember standing in very long lines at the local 3 screen theater. Star Wars was playing on 2 of the 3 screens. The films were big but the merchandising was even bigger. Almost every kid in school had the T Shirts, Metal Lunchboxes (I still have mine, minus the Thermos), Action Figures, and Playsets.
You were supposed to destroy the prequel lovers, not join them! Okay, in all seriousness, that is awesome. I discovered the films...out of order. Phantom Menace was my introduction to the series back in '99, then some years later I watched Return Of The Jedi while some relatives were visiting. By the time Revenge Of The Sith came out in '05, I was a fan.
@@tyrannozilla Man, I had to find that old post again just to see what you were referring to, pretty much completely forgotten about it. With that said though, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. I've quite enjoyed some of the recent stuff (especially Kenobi, Andor and currently Ahsoka.) The Last Jedi, even though its not perfect, has for awhile been my third favourite of the films after Empire and Return of the Jedi. Even the entries I didn't care for like Rise of Skywalker and Book of Boba Fett still had some proper highlights now and then, and that's to say nothing of the Star Wars Jedi games, which feel like spiritual successors to the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series. Its fine not to like a show or film, we do have different tastes after all, but I think, unlike the Star Trek fanbase, Star Wars fans still have yet to stop taking a work of fiction far too seriously.
How rad is this!?! I completely identify with your perspective and love seeing your commentary from ‘99. As someone born in 1977, these films were always so much more than just movies to me. Although almost everyone liked Star Wars and played with the toys when we were kids, most kids grew up and moved onto other things. Although my horizons certainly expanded and my interests grew as I entered adolescence and into early adulthood, my friend group was small and mainly compromised of a couple other guys who loved the trilogies (Indy included) as something more than just a few cool movies and some toys from their childhood. This video of you could very well have been one of us at that age. This is why I love Retroblasting. This is why I love Stan Solo, Analog Toys, and All things 80’s. You guys are my contemporaries who revere these franchises as something transcendent in the same way I do. Star Wars is so much more than just a collection of sequenced celluloid frames and some tiny plastic toys. You get it. We get it. The Force is real and it is certainly strong with some of us. Thank you for your channel and for all that you and Melinda do for the Star Wars and toy collecting communities. May the force be with you. Always.
Man, to go back to the void (1983-1999) back when Boba Fett was whatever you wanted him to be. I recently watched ANH on VHS, on a rear projection big screen TV at my parents house after my dad had passed away. Even in all it's blurry non letter box format it was great. I started reciting the lines. Not unlike what you said about it being there after a bad day at school, it was there for me. I wasn't distracted by a handful of edits and new scenes I just watched it, and enjoyed it.
Oh man I can relate so much to how Star Wars was my escape as a child. I grew up in the 90s and my dad collected Star Wars from yard sales and markets and had display cabinets of it. To keep me from playing with the displays he gave me a Darth Vader case full of random figures nothing rare and he gave me the Cardboard Death Star play set. (The European release death star) I would come home and play and play. I was bullied heavily in school too but I had my starwars it was a great distraction. Then my parents split up but I still had Star Wars. We had all 3 movies on VHS but I loved watching the SPFX VHS tape of the making if Empire Strikes Back. I would make tie fighters and x wings out of cardboard. The adventures I had! That case of figures sits on top of my wardrobe staying safe to this day! Oh and R5D4 was always with 3PO and R2, they were a trio
Thanks for sharing this. That looks like the SW Behind the Magic CD rom on your computer screen. I remember going to work at night and looking at mine because I didn't have a computer at home yet. You just jogged a 1990's memory out of me.
I was born just before the phantom menace came out but was aggressively an original trilogy guy, especially in my college days. Watching this, I see a lot of myself in it. Feels very nostalgic
So.......what happened to you at school that you turned to Star Wars to escape from ? I'm sure a lot of RetroBlasting fans can relate and would enjoy hearing about how their own beloved characters helped you in unpleasant times.
***** Honestly I'm a lot like you. Probably near the exact same age. I was in college from 98-02. Anyway, I was the 19 -22 year old with posters of my favorite shows/movies on the wall etc. I was buying the merchandise and hanging it all over my walls. My bedroom at home was a shrine to all things Star Wars. Wished I would have taken some pictures back then. Would have been nice knowing you back then. I couldn't find anyone like myself. School was a nightmare as well. Had trouble with one teacher, but mainly it was the bullies my age that gave me grief. Anyway, just wanted to share.
Its amazingly brave to share your past like this both in the video and in this reply. I caught one of your recent videoes and now I'm working my way from the oldest to current and enjoying every part. I just wanted to let you know that your love of the material and willingness to take the time to share that passion is appreciated. Great stuff from both of you and once again, thanks!
+retroblasting Nuns and I don't mix well too. Catholic school is a special kind of ordeal that for better or worse I happened to went through as well... So I can relate to it, totally.
This popped up in my feed today for some reason. . .and I loved it. Not only us the interview before the prequels, but the introduction was recorded before the sequels. I'd say that's a kind of double purity!
To me, the real draw of Star Wars was that it wasn't a new story. It was just a classic story told in an exciting new way. Your basic "Young boy's journey to become a hero, and save the princess from the dark knight and evil wizard." plot that's been passed down from ancient stories of Hercules, The Odyssey, King Arthur, Robin Hood, The Hobbit, and countless other legends, books, and myths. Hard to say how far back it really goes, as the plot seems as old as time. Only the classic orcs, monsters, dragons, thieves, etc. that we grew up with, were replaced with alien races, storm troopers, bounty hunters, and so on. Without that familiar undertone, I doubt it would've had one percent of the impact it did. And, because it's set in space, the possability for new adventures never has to end, making it the ultimate fairytale. :D
Thanks for sharing this interview before the internet us star wars and star trek fans had no realm or place to chat and share ideas, happy new year mike and family
I stumbled upon this video after seeing some of your other fine work and I have to say that line about school being Hell for you really resonated with me. I think it is awesome that you survived that time by immersing yourself in something that you found comforting and awesome like Star Wars. I felt the same about my youth and remember finding solace in my room in the form of comic books and totally relate. Really nice to be able to look back at you being level headed and introspective about that time as kids continue to go through this all over the place and sometimes don't find that outlet and hurt themselves as a way of escaping instead. I see this a bunch in my behavioral therapy work with kids. Thanks for sharing!
+Retroblasting, Wow Mike, I now know I can identify with you more than I previously thought. I, too, used star wars and transformers to comfort me when getting home from school. I'm 41, and grew up in the burbs of Baton Rouge Louisiana. Never fit in. Never was accepted by the cool majority. So...I lived, encased and protected, within the cocoon of this imaginary multiverse.
Great vid Michael, looks like you stayed true to your roots, alot of people change their personalties or go through "phases" but you kept it "real". Nice to see that in people still keep the vids coming waiting on part 3 of your resto vid for the snowspeeder
I’d say was more of a casual fan as child. I saw return of the Jedi in theater but was pretty young. The only Star Wars figures we ever had were a few Ewoks and Royal Guard. But there was definitely something special about Star Wars. Every time it came on TV we had to watch it. For longest time I though the fox opening was the beginning of Star Wars as a child.
Great video. Listening to you talk about early SW memories reminds me of my own childhood. It really is more than just a movie, Luke was also my hero growing up.
I’m not sure if you’ll every see this, but I do want to thank you sir, this really does help me to define why I love Star Wars when others ask, as someone nearing the same age as yourself in the video from 1999, this really is guide to someone like me who deals with those awful days at school and uses these characters as role models, again, thank you for releasing this video for us, Michael
Totally relate to tough times at school. But every school day would end, and all of my loyal friends were waiting for me in my room. All I had to do was snap the 3 latches of my Darth Vader Collectors Case.
That was fun to watch. I have always felt that connection with Star Wars as well. I had a terrible childhood school experience, so this was a big escape for me too. I always had my books and toys to go home to. Your teachers were probably threatened by a student who was more intelligent and articulate than they were!
Well spoken in that interview sir it reminded me how i used comic books to escape to troubles of school and bullies as a young boy. Thank you for sharing this.
Really Nice & thanks for sharing. First, Syarcuse?!? LOL I'm from Buffalo, and know the area. Actually went to Cazenovia College for a year. Nice area.But to the point, I think you hit the nail on the head in many regards for fans of any genres/series. I understand what you meant about escaping into Star Wars after school. For me it was comic books which I collected since I was 5 or 6. Many of the smae things you found in SW re: good & evil I found in the Justice League, Legion of Super Heroes, & other DC titles. But like you when I became a teenager I discovered the X-Men & Wolverine.
My Grandma got me started, when she said how my dad had some classics from the 1940s she threw out. OUCH!My Mom wasn't thrilled at first. LOL Due to financial reasons I had to sell off most of my collection, except for the books I'm emotionally connected to & the bound editions which are easier to collect these days.
If only Michael of 1999 had seen The Force Awakens back then seeing the prequels later he would have been okay with, probably would have seen those films as masterpieces compared to what Disney and Lucasfilm have done.
Yes I remember when liking Star Wars could get you beat up in school. When knowing how computers worked, and playing video games meant the cool kids wouldn't talk to you. I got so used to hiding my geek side, most people didn't know. joined sports and did cool kid stuff. I was popular in high school.
Man, if only you'd gone to UNO back then, the RetroBlasting and Clobberin' Time gangs would've met "before they became Legends." Another GREAT video, Bro, and you spoke the gospel for ALL of us!
Seeing that brought back my own memories of the era before the Prequels. IMO the 90s were a golden age for star wars fans, great expanded universe books, dark horse comics, and lucasarts games, as well as the micro-machines, and other new-er toys... then 1999 happened. (Are you going to do a show on the SW micro-machine collection?)
The days before Star Wars being renamed into Star Wars:episode 4,A new hope.i like the prequels,but shame they had to rename the film into a new hope.Nice video :).
I love this, Micheal! Luke Skywalker was my role model too! I also wanted to be him....by the female version. Hahaha. I had a Luke Skywalker poster in my room - not some band member guy but Luke.
It absolutely ridiculous how many of the contemporary Star Wars "fans" even dare to question Michael's love of Star Wars simply because he doesn't like the Disney films. It's clear that his love of Star Wars goes beyond the spectacle on the screen.
Star Wars as an escape ? Well I'm not sure personally I was a Star Wars fan I was about 5-6 so no not really an escape but I can relate as a kid I was the ONLY person who knew about doctor who other than my foreign language teacher but as doctor who got a larger popularity in America around the sixth season a few more people knew about it and I taught them more especially about the old stuff Now you can just walk into a barns and noble and find all sorts of merchandise not sure how I feel about that So I think doctor who was my escape when younger so I guess I can relate I haven't ever really done this so I will now I want to thank you somehow I came across the yellow light saber vid and have fallen in love with Kenneth Star Wars I also what to thank you because you are the reason I found out about the real ghostbusters a property I now love Thanks 😄
I really enjoyed this and probably shows us all a little of ourselves, good to know your conviction stayed true. Question is there anything from the interview then that your opinion now has changed? Very cool to see, finally a new vid has arrived on my channel if you get a spare moment! ;@) Enjoy the weekend. Cheers Fuzz.
That's interesting you say that, people often ask me about how I got into figure collecting, my reply is always I never really have, figures for me are representations of stories I love more than anything else and it's feeling that Star Wars gave me as a kid that I fell in love with. I sincerely believe the story among others taught me some of my 'life lessons' I realize some ppl will think I've 'lost the plot' in that statement but true none the less. So in summary the Magic was is and should always be preserved because there lies it's and others value.........
What's a laserdisc? LOL. A great trip through the wayback machine! Star Wars has become a part of human society and culture, I am sure anthropologists of the future will find recordings such as these very enlightening!
At school these days,some of the people try to be role models.The people who play role models at my school are trouble making athletic jerks.i wish if they want to show us what a role model is supposed to be like,we should just watch the original trilogy,and look at luke!What is up with the school,if they wanna know who a good role model is,don't give us some 3 year old baby panda lizard thing we need something that will interest us,and seem like there really doing good!You can't get the message from some squid puppy hydro thing dropping a pencil and a fadooldle cat picking it up.Nice video!
Did I just watch an interview with you or 90s Tom Cruise :D ah before the dark times, before the prequels. I grew up with them and even I have grown to dislike them! As a side note, now you have me wondering what it'll be like watching my own RU-vid videos say fifteen years down the line when I'll potentially be married and even a father. Anyway, great video man and quite the trip back in time!
Hey retroblasting, are you from Mobile? I saw that you had some video of this years 'Mobicon' which I attended. I live close to there and I am a HUGE Star Wars fan and collector as well and I'd love to talk to you sometime if you'd like!
This is a great interview. I wonder if your opinion of the prequels has now been softened by the sequels? Poorly executed movies, but the story was there (as evidenced in the novels) - something the sequels sorely lack. Finally, I am sorry you had a rough time in school. You didn't deserve that.
Great video Micheal, While the prequels tainted the movies, those muscle bound POTF figures tainted the action figures for just a lil while...hahaha, I hope Disney thinks like Hasbro and fixes it. My local Chik-Fil-A has a annual Star Wars Vs Trek Day...you dress like a character and get a free sandwich...it's like a holiday for me =)
Ah, geez, 1999 shouldn't seem so ancient. At least the clothes and haircut don't particularly scream "yester-year" like clips of the early 80s now do...
I felt the same way growing up. Starwars was definitely my escape from anything bad that was happening to me when I was a youth. I watched the film whenever something messed up happened in my life as my way of taking my mind off anything bad. I see from the date of the video we arent that far apart in age either. Thanks for sharing this cool old interview! I love the stained glass lamp at the beginning with Boba Fett and Bespin Luke on it. Where did you get that?
