How did you first watch The Transformers The Movie?

[GoktimusPrime]

How/where did you watch The Transformers: The Movie (1986) for the first time? ;) I watched it in the cinema. George St. Hoyts to be precise.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Famous%20Covers/tftm_us.jpg

[M-bot]

Cinema - I *think* - when I was a boy. Saw it heeeeeaps more often after that on video cassette, my Dad used to let me hire it from the local video store regularly.

I think the cinema I used to frequent most often was Waverley Gardens in Mulgrave, Victoria. My first definite memory of going to that cinema was seeing the Tim Burton Batman film in 1990, only 4 years after TF:TM, so while I don't have a specific memory of which cinema I went to, that's the most likely.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Other..........
On the TV. I grew up in an area with only two channels, ABC and a regional version of Nine.
We happened to be holidaying at a place called Lake Boga in Victoria over the school holidays, either summer or easter because we went there to water ski.
Lake Boga I think had the regional version of 10 (iirc) and low and behold they had the movie on!!

[GoktimusPrime]

Was it on New Year's Day? I remember when they used to play TFTM every year on NYD. :)

[Bidoofdude]

Dvd and/or vhs rental sometime in mid 2000s, but it kept bugging out at the Quintesson execution scenes. I was huge into the G1 cartoon from about 2003 to 2007, when they played it all the time on Boomerang. I eventually gravitated a little more to Cybertron in 2005-6 and the movies thereafter, but I'd always go back to the G1 cartoon.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Was it on New Year's Day? I remember when they used to play TFTM every year on NYD. :)

Quite possiby, thinking back now it was quite hot so it would have been summer school holidays. definitely pre 1990 too.

[VERT]

Saw it at the Entrance Cinema on Boxing day. Even made off with the movie poster.

[ZoonMaster5000]

I watched it at a hoyts 8 in Karratha as we only had a drive in cinema where I lived. I cried so much when op died that mum took me home and we had to go back the next weekend and try again.

[CBratron]

Definitely video. Probably VHS (was it ever on beta?)

[tinyJazz]

Bought a $14 DVD at Brisbane supanova in early 2007, watched it on a laptop.

[FatalityPitt]

Saw it when I was about 6 or 7 on a VHS tape bought from Ampang Park Shopping Centre.

[CHILENO20]

I remember watching the final 5 minutes in tv when i was about 8. A few weeks later I found it at the video store and borrowed it.

[BigTransformerTrev]

How did you watch The Transformers: The Movie (1986) for the first time?

Light from the projected movie images passed through my cornea, the outermost part of my eyeball, where it began to be focused. Then it entered my pupil, a small opening that leads to my lens. Once the light from the movie made it past the pupil, it hits the lens, a surface where it was further focused through a process called accommodation. Finally, the light hit my retina, a layer of tissue that lines the inner part of my eye. The retina began the process of turning the light into an image.

I thought it was quite good.

[griffin]

I'm surprised that there was such a high percentage who saw it in theatres... 30 years ago.
Makes you feel old to realise it's been over 30 years since you first got into this hobby.


Laserdisc is an option, but not TV???

Did anyone here even own laserdiscs back then (to use, not as souvenirs)?

Hands up those who have the Transformers Movie on laserdisc, but have never used it, or ever will?

(not that I'm making fun of it, as I almost bought the recent Vinyl edition of the Movie Soundtrack, as a souvenir, because I would probably never be able to use it)

[GoktimusPrime]

Laserdisc is an option, but not TV???

Did anyone here even own laserdiscs back then (to use, not as souvenirs)?
The TV option slipped my mind. People will just to vote "Other" and specify it. :p
We didn't get LD until the 90s, and we never had TFTM although a friend of mine did.

[Paulbot]

Hoyts cinemas at Chadstone sometime in the summer holidays. I was eight years old. Bought issues #78 and #83 of the UK comic from the newsagents there on the same day. Pretty solid outing!


I'm surprised that there was such a high percentage who saw it in theatres... 30 years ago.
Makes you feel old to realise it's been over 30 years since you first got into this hobby.

TFTM doesn't do that for me, I feel older when I remember that there are 18 year olds out there who were just 8 year old kids when the first Bay film came out... :eek:

[Demonac]

I first watched it on VHS at my cousins place back in '87 (probably easter holidays). They had already started watching it by the time I got there, so I got to watch the last 3rd first, then we rewound & watched it again.

[Megatran]

Where's the option: Not even interested.

[Jellico]

Saw the trailer before Gods Must Be Crazy in the cinema. Note only trip to the movies for another 5 years. Movies happen to people with money in cities. Fast food too for that matter.

Saw the movie a few years later on holiday at Caloundra. Morning TV, I believe the local version of 7. 15" CRT TV with rabbit ears. It still made me cry.

[GoktimusPrime]

I never saw the trailer in cinemas but I did see ads on TV. :D I only went to the movies 3 times in the 1980s:
* 1985 = Enemy Mine
* 1986 = The Transformers: The Movie
* 1987= The Living Daylights
Otherwise the only movies I ever watched were either on VHS or TV. :o

[ampoldj]

I remember we rented a betamax tape, this and G.I.Joe Movie. Me and my cousins watched them back to back, Transformers first then I remember clearly when already watching G.I.Joe I shouted crying "don't you dare kill Duke, Prime just died a few hours ago!!!" :p

[M-bot]

I'm a little bit awestruck at the depth and clarity of people's recollections here... I only sort of remember that's I saw it in the cinema, and even that fact is a hazy one. I'm reduced to making a "best guess". I would have been about 8 or 9, and while I'm no genius, I'm not a dunce either... All very curious.

I only have a handful of specific and clear recollections of Transformers growing up, buying Sludge and buying Blades (both would have been circa 1985), and holding a tape recorder up to the TV in my Dad's caravan recording the audio of TF:TM off a VHS, to listen to later.

Anyway, keep the memories coming, I'm enjoying them vicariously.


Where's the option: Not even interested.

C'mon then, I'll fight ya...:eek:

[Trent]

TV I think :confused:

[FatalityPitt]

I'm a little bit awestruck at the depth and clarity of people's recollections here... I only sort of remember that's I saw it in the cinema, and even that fact is a hazy one. I'm reduced to making a "best guess". I would have been about 8 or 9, and while I'm no genius, I'm not a dunce either... All very curious.


I think I remember the experience clearly because it left a very strong impression on me. It's the first cartoon I ever watched where major characters died on screen.

[Paulbot]

I think I remember the experience clearly because it left a very strong impression on me. It's the first cartoon I ever watched where major characters died on screen.

For me it was because it was Transformers! On the big screen! Unforgettable :D

For nearly all of my G1 (and later) toys and comics I can remember where or how I got them. (Big reason why I can't see my self parting with them).

[Jellico]

I think I remember the experience clearly because it left a very strong impression on me. It's the first cartoon I ever watched where major characters died on screen.

Roy Focker.

No wait. I lie. I watched Star Blazers first. That and Battle of the Planets were well camouflaged blood baths.

[CHILENO20]

I think I remember the experience clearly because it left a very strong impression on me. It's the first cartoon I ever watched where major characters died on screen.

Yep, major impression on me. Taught me that heroes die :( But it also taught me that inspite of that, that you should never give up. Fight for what is right and for what you believe in. Roy Folker in Robotech/Macross taught me that as well.

[FatalityPitt]

Yep, major impression on me. Taught me that heroes die :( But it also taught me that inspite of that, that you should never give up. Fight for what is right and for what you believe in. Roy Folker in Robotech/Macross taught me that as well.

Amen Brother! In the movie, before Optimus Prime's big fight with Megatron, he says "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost". Unfortunately, his own life was factored into that cost... G1 Optimus Prime was the sort of person who'd sacrifice his life to save his friends. That's why, in my mind, he's one of the greatest heroes in fiction. Like Jesus, he didn't pass the risk or responsibility onto others, but took it on himself. His other most heroic act was in the season 3 episode "Dark Awakening (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Dark_Awakening_(episode))"; which showed that even after death and brief resurrection, he'd still do it the same all over again.


Roy Focker.

No wait. I lie. I watched Star Blazers first. That and Battle of the Planets were well camouflaged blood baths.

Yeah, Japanese animes man.. They're traps, particularly if you're a parent who lived outside Japan in the 1980-90s. You see the video cover in the shop, and you think "Oh that looks like a fun sci-fi adventure cartoon. My son/daughter would love this!", only to realise later that you've exposed your child to scenes of violent death and murder.

I remember when my dad brought home a copy of Guyver from the video shop, and it wasn't long after I first saw TFTM. Man, the imagery from that anime disturbed the heck out of me.

[Omega Metro]

I honestly can't remember. Though I think my dad took me to watch it at Cinema City in Perth. It obviously didn't leave much of an impression on me. Never really liked it to be honest. Too many silly characters started appearing with Cybertronian modes instead of Earth vehicles and well loved characters dying or dead.

[Skullcruncher]

I saw it on VHS in 2002 - bought the VHS over the internet with my girlfriends credit card. I actually forgot I bought it and was surprised when it turned up 6 weeks later.

After I watched it I went around the local video stores and purchased some more VHS episodes - they all had the G2 Space Cube which was so horrid they got put right into storage until 2007.

[Megatran]

C'mon then, I'll fight ya...:eek:
Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Rock, Paper, Scissors.

[GoktimusPrime]

I saw it on VHS in 2002 - bought the VHS over the internet with my girlfriends credit card. I actually forgot I bought it and was surprised when it turned up 6 weeks later.
I'm surprised that you waited 16 years to watch TFTM given that you're such massive collector of all things G1. :eek:

Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Rock, Paper, Scissors.
You mean Fist, Sword, Blaster (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Bot_Shots_(toyline)). ;)

[The_Damned]

cant remember how i saw but i know i did see it back in the day

[High_Q]

I first watched the movie on a really small TV in a Sogo department store on a Satuday. I also remembered trying to describe Unicron's transformation to my classmates on Monday. :D

[liegeprime]

other.... Black and White TV back in the day when I was still liing in Philippines... it was promoted heavily as back to back with the GiJoe movie.. they broke it into two parts so for the first hour or so, its TFs then next one is Gi Joe, continued next week...

[Raider]

I have no recollection but i will guess VHS as i was likely too young when it had the theatrical release. I spent so much time going to the local video hire store and hiring the movie, the return of optimus prime episodes and golden lagoon.