Memories of the first time you saw Indiana Jones

Hey, I'm pretty new here. I've looked through the forums and haven't come across a topic like this, at least not recently.

Anyway, what was your first experience of Indiana Jones like? Do you have a good story about that moment where you first saw the man in the hat?

My first experience of each of the first two movies was a negative one.

I went with my parents to see Raiders when it was re-released in the theater at a drive in. I had it in my mind that it was not going to be a good movie, that I would be scared by it. My parents knew I'd love it (being, even at an early age, interested in Biblical history). I didn't want to watch it. There was a kung-fu movie playing on the screen facing the other direction that had subtitles so I watched that while my family watched Raiders.

When the Ark made its first appearance my parents tried to get me to turn around and see it. I refused. They kept on bugging me about it and I finally turned around. Of course, the Ark was no longer showing. Instead, Marion was screaming as she was surrounded by skeletons. The worst part of the movie for a little kid like I was.

I turned around in disgust, thinking that my parents were truly horrible people for trying to get me to see such an evil movie.

The sad thing is that my parents were right. If I'd watched the whole movie, I'd have loved it (even at a young age). When I saw it later, on video, I truly loved everything about it.

So my first experience with Raiders was a bad one. My first experience with Temple of Doom was even worse and kept me from watching it again for over 20 years. But my first experience with Last Crusade was wonderful.

If others share their stories about their first experiences with Indy, I'll tell my Temple of Doom story later.

I went to see Raiders as a brash and confident ten year old. The movie was the most exhilarating experience I had had at the cinema. I loved every minute of it ( except the kissing scene, but that's normal for young boys). I was glued to the screen for ninety minutes until THAT ending... I didn't get to see the horrors that were taking place on the screen as I had my eyes closed. So much for the brashness! To this day, my father teases me about his 'brave' boy and the terror of Raiders. I have one question: Is the ending scary? I'm still too traumatised to look.

Y'see, one of the things that sucks about growing up in the '90s is that I can't remember a time when I'd never seen Indiana Jones. Or Star Wars, for that matter. They simply always were. I can't remember a time when I hadn't seen them.

I am unbelievably envious of all of you who got to see Raiders in theaters. Back when it was new and you weren't sure what to expect from it. That must have been AWESOME. (Why couldn't I have been born in '78 instead of '88?!)

Anywhoo, one of my earliest Indy memories is being scared of Toht during the bar brawl scene. When he reaches for the staff piece and gets burned. There's something about his scream and his face that gave me nightmares that night. Weird, eh?

According to my parents, they took me see RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK when it first came out. Unfortunately, I was born in 1978, so I would have only been about two-and-a-half years old. As such, I have no memory of seeing it on the big screen. But oddly enough, I do remember the time when it was brand new. There used to be a drive-in near the overpass we would take to visit my grandparents, and one night as we were driving over it, RAIDERS was playing. The screen was visible from the road, and as we arched the overpass, I distinctly recall the shot of Indy landing infront of the cobra in the Well of Souls. (I also remember the day my parents bought the VHS, and my grandparents came over to watch it. I was excited to see the teaser announcing that a second film was already in production.)

In 1984, I saw TEMPLE OF DOOM in the theater, and my memory of that one is a little more clear. I remember the "Anything Goes" sequence, and I remember smiling and getting antsy in my seat from excitement as a man in a white dinner jacket walked down the stairs. Even without seeing his face, I just knew that was Indiana Jones. I also remember the excitement of the mine car chase and the bridge sequence. I assume my parents might have covered my eyes during the "pulling out the heart" sequence, but otherwise I remember having a lot of fun watching the movie.

THE LAST CRUSADE is the one I remember seeing the best. I can still recall the sight of many scenes on the big screen, and I remember the excitement during the motorcycle chase and the tank sequence. This was also the first Indy movie to come out while I was in school (4th grade), and I remember it was the talk of the playground when it came out. You were nobody if you hadn't seen it by Monday morning after opening weekend. Haha!!

Well since i was born after all the movies were already made i had to watch them at home,i remember my cousin telling me how great the Indy movies were so i bought them, no i didnt even rent them i just straight up bought them with no hesitation.I guess i just had a good feeling about em',so i watched ROTLA and TOD over and over again (since my cousin was borowing LC)I was in love with them.I finally got to see LC about a month afterward because my movie wasnt given back to me ,it was also worth the wait.