MovieChat Forums > Star Trek: First Contact (1996) Discussion > Who saw this in cinemas back in 96?

Who saw this in cinemas back in 96?

posted 11 years ago by bozo_500
33 replies | jump to latest

Who saw this back in the day? What were your memories - the anticipation of seeing it in the weeks/days before, the actually seeing it and how much a big deal was it where you were back then, the crowds, audience etc and after coming out of the cinema what were your thoughts and in the days/weeks that followed….

Remember reading rumours in magazines and on this new thing called 'surfing the internet' (I remember seeing the FC one sheet movie poster for the first time slowly taking form on the net) that it would be set in the Renaissance and would be called Star Trek 'Resurrection' and would feature the Borg which made all kinds of sense. was obviously a step up from VII and felt epic and exciting action packed with a Wrath of Khany type feel (2nd improved film, sequel to an ep featuring popular villain, Moby Dick, revenge theme, more militaristic tone) and also felt like part of the Alien invasion genre that was in full flow in 96 (ID4, XFiles), with the added bonus of a new more Enterprise looking like Enterprise, cool new uniforms (again like II) and redesigned Gigeresque Borg.. In many ways FC was sort of the 'TMP' of the TNG movies - TNG re-imagined for the big screen like the way TOS was for TMP (and again for TWOK). remember being abit underwhelmed by the ending of Data making out he was on borg side, then switching. i dunno what i was expecting (Ent destruction again?) but it just felt like abit of a cop out to me back then (nothing wrong with it though really).

as usual I bought all the memorabilia – official magazine (titan not starlog now), Marvel comic (not DC now), novel, poster, making of book and other stuff. There were even First Contact chocolate bars! and I bought a few! (and ate them. Caramel inside, hey they wernt bad!)

[–] Protozoid 11 years ago

I saw it in the cinemas. I was eleven at the time, and saw it with my large family of Trekkies, who all loved it. This was the fourth Trek I'd seen in the theaters (I saw The Final Frontier when I was four). I don't remember anything about the audience, but I do distinctly remember getting a headache from the opening credits and still enjoying the movie immensely despite the headache.

As for anticipation: this was the first Trek I'd seen since I got an internet connection, making First Contact the first movie that I ever followed the production of online. It started as an obsessive search for rumors about the next film, whatever it might be. I remember lots of "leaked" synopsis that were probably bogus, but at the time I found them thrilling to read. When the film finally came out, I didn't even see a trailer and knew nothing about what might happen beyond what the poster outside of the theater showed (BIG-SCREEN BORG!).

Good times.

[–] mwalton-4 11 years ago

I saw it opening night, November 22, 1996. This was the culmination of the 30th anniversary of Star Trek. At the time DS9 had really started coming into its own with the addition of Worf and The Klingon conflict. Voyager was in its 3rd season really coming into its own, the two-parter "Future's End" end has just air, and it was a great episode. It was an exciting time for Star Trek. I was 13 at the time just starting 8th grade at the Jr. High School and First Contact was what my friends and I were all talking about. I remember wondering what the score and theme music was going to be, not knowing Jerry Goldsmith was the composer or even who he really was. I saw it that might with my friend, his dad, and my sister. I know my friend and I walked out that theater loving it. We both had just thought it was awesome. I saw it again the next night with my family. Star Trek: First Contact has always been a favorite of mine, and I still love it to this day.

Extra Tibit: I still remember the three trailers that played before it: Star Wars Trilogy - Special Edition, Mars Attacks, and The Relic.
I also used to call it the second in the Aliens Invading Earth Trilogy of '96, (Independence Day, Star Trek: First Contact, and Mars Attacks)

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] LukeLovesFilm28 11 years ago

I saw it in the theater in '96. It was awesome then and it's awesome now. I really don't understand this backlash.

I think the audience LOVED Cochran and how the crew was trying to deal with him. I think they were on board with the captain and his journey from hating the Borg.

[–] azzajones1 11 years ago

My one memory is of the audience laughing at the line "You do remember how to fire phasers?"

[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

"You do remember how to fire phasers?"

Great line and the look Worf gives Ryker is priceless.

I saw it in the cinemas and remember that I really enjoyed it and was pleased to see that it worked so well without any of the original characters in it. I loved the fact they included the Borg, time travel and the whole First Contact thing with the Vulcans, which IMO was so very appropriate.

I love the dialogue free final scene with the "oh so logical" Vulcans sharing tequila shots with Cochran (a wonderful James Cromwell), as his music plays in the background. There's some great action and suspense in this film, but also some terrific injections of humour.

[–] Swissangel4616 11 years ago

Me, i was 20 at this time and loved it and I had "crush" to Lt. Hawk (Neal McDonough) :-D

[–] DarkReviewer2013 10 years ago

I remember when it was released and regret not going to see it in the cinema. I was 12 at the time.

[–] Sobbsy 10 years ago

Saw it at the cinemas twice when it was released - I was 10 at the time. I can't quite remember much, but I do recall that the second time I went I took my brother, and I wouldn't shut up to the guy in front of turned around and shooshed me haha. I was so damn excited...

Man what a time. Voyager, DS9, TNG... I miss those days so, so much. I remember going to this fancy library about an hour away in the city (I live in QLD, Australia) to watch the final few voyager episodes up until Endgame, which we got to watch live via satellite). The whole train ride down we were all going nuts haha.

Ahhhhhhh, good old trek. Never going to get that kind of experience again sadly :(