Yossarian wrote:

I’m confused by the thought that TMNT would be an obvious frontrunner. Prince of Thieves slightly less so.

I was insanely into those turtles. Genuinely think the first film was as good as it could possibly have been for 8yr old me. I even had the Ya Kid K tape.

It has to be Jurassic Park for me. It's the first cinema trip i remember. There was a queue of people that must have gone on for 200m or so waiting outside to get tickets, but my mum had bought them by phone so we skipped all that and got straight to the front.

For a 12 year old's first cinema experience i can't think of a better film. It was awesome in the truest sense of the word. The reveal when they first saw the dinosaurs was incredible, and the effects were so much better than anything I'd seen before (magnified by the huge screen) just blew me away.

The Daddy wrote:

One of my earliest memories of cinema is BTTF2. A lot of it would’ve been over my head but I still loved it. And when they had the trailer for the sequel at the end I was so excited. Ghostbusters 2 the same year too. ‘89 was vintage!

Return of the Jedi would be the first I can remember - Except that film came out in may and I would have only been 4 and a half so its very fleeting memories.

The first proper one I can remember really well was Goonies - some kids birthday. This would have been an amazing treat back in mid-80s Ireland, certainly among my social group. But I remember the event pretty well. It really wasnt until I was about 10 that Cinema became a regular event. That summer I saw loads of films - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Licence to Kill, and of course Batman all got a visit. Now, going to the cinema can be a regular weekend thing for kids but back in the mid 80s Ireland Cinemas were still mostly small 1 or maybe 2 screen places. It was a proper event to go to see a film in the cinema.

I think my first trip to the cinema was to see The Sword in the Stone. May have been a double bill as I remember an ice cream lady coming round, although that may have been a different visit entirely. Also ice cream ladies may have been present at single showings, I have no idea, I would not steal an ice cream, don't ask me any more questions.

My first cinema experiences are mixed up so don't know what the first was. They were Disney features.

I can remember seeing Aristocats, Robin Hood and Peter Pan at quite a young age. Bedknobs and Broomsticks was another. I could check out their release dates but I suspect they may have been rereleases because I'd have been too young to remember otherwise. Aristocats was 1970 which means I'd have been 4 or 5 - that's a possibility I suppose. B & B was '71 but it's more likely Robin Hood which was '73.

But my all time cinema experience will always be Empire Strikes Back. The only thing that not only met the hype but exceeded it. And then there was the reveal. Me and my bro left the place stunned.  What a fucking ride that was. Nothing has ever come close since.

Y’know, one of my childhood cinema experiences that really stands out was because of how bad it was. Me and a couple of school pals queued outside the cinema for a couple of hours to get into the first showing of Highlander 2. The original was an all-time great, so this had to be amazing, right?

Oh how naive we were. And how shitty that film was.

First cinema trip was Return to Oz for me. The wheelers messed me up for a bit. I suppose my parents were expecting something slightly more tame, then BAM, electro shock therapy to stop Dorothy telling porkies and detachable heads in cupboards.

The one I remember most vividly was Superman 3.  Richard Pryor as a bumbling computer genius who hacks his employer's computer to artificially inflate his paycheck which leads him to a life of crime., but eventual redemption.  Superman splits, and fights with his evil twin self! Something about a giant missile! Evil villianess gets sucked into a super computer and battles Superman! And then there was that score.

LivDiv wrote:

That movie is fucked up. Doesnt she steal someone's head at one point?

She either nicks it or locks it in a cupboard, I can't remember.  I rewatched it maybe ten years ago, it's a little bit of a mess but it's a really interesting fantasy film (and not just for the curio value).

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was my first movie. Absolutely zero memory of the trip though. I do remember the next one, the OG TMNT movie. Cowabunga, homies.

Something classic Disney in the 70's I would think.

First I remember is BTTF2. That's all.

First cinema memory for me was the he-man movie. Don't really remember anything of the event other than my dad convincing us to choose he-man over something Disney out at the time, on the basis they're always rereleasing Disney films but this might be the only chance to see he-man.
Best cinema experience though is jurassic park.

Yeah, Jungle Book in the 80s was my older brother's first cinema trip.