I saw the first one back in the 1980s and that was it; thought it was mediocre, don’t understand the fan devotion to this claptrap. Now, The Thing (original), Alien I, and Them were scifi movies to remember but they had a plot, good acting and a theme.
“thought it was mediocre, don’t understand the fan devotion to this claptrap”
I thought the first three (Ep IV-VI) were a bit more than “mediocre”, but I certainly see your point. As a kid I thought they were amazing. As an adult, I still love them, but can clearly see why they don’t appeal to everyone.
The latest one wasn’t a disappointment to me and I really don’t get why everyone is freaking out over this particular episode. If anything, I’d be demanding that they make those prequels a “Prologue” of sorts and make new episodes I-III seeing that those three are ridiculously terrible (though I’m sure Disney would have a field day politicking the hell out of that story).
When it comes to the crazed fans, you have to remember that they’ve made these movies into a religion of sorts ... any deviation from what they perceive as truth will cause backlash. I enjoy them for what they are ... two hour escapes from reality with a bit of nostalgia thrown in and nothing more :-).
On a final note, Alien is right up there with Star Wars on my all time favorite list. That movie is incredible and holds up well today (i.e. the horror doesn’t depend on special effects ... it is a well crafted film). I really want to see that on a big screen.
Now, The Thing (original)