Old Heads, what was it like watching The Matrix for the first time in '99?

[Change]

I was in my 20's. I remember thinking it was a good movie and had bugged special effects. I can't remember really knowing anything about it going in outside of the preview.

I just know if my man Ted Theodore Logan was in it, then I was bout it. I think I thought it was like Johnny Mnemonic part 2.

It's bugged looking at this list of movie released that year. Matrix was in March. It had the big movie schedule to itself. Then Mummy came out and in a few months, the big dog Star Wars was released.
The Numbers - Movies Released in 1999

I sort of remember Matrix vs Star Wars in a new vs old sci type of way.

 

[DA_LURKA]

That shyt melted my mind.

 

[KalKal]

I was in my 20's. I remember thinking it was a good movie and had bugged special effects. I can't remember really knowing anything about it going in outside of the preview.

I just know if my man Ted Theodore Logan was in it, then I was bout it. I think I thought it was like Johnny Mnemonic part 2.

It's bugged looking at this list of movie released that year. Matrix was in March. It had the big movie schedule to itself. Then Mummy came out and in a few months, the big dog Star Wars was released.
The Numbers - Movies Released in 1999

I sort of remember Matrix vs Star Wars in a new vs old sci type of way.

Scrolled through that list. A LOT of good movies that year. I can't believe all those movies came out the same year.

 

[pete clemenza]

It was stunning and groundbreaking. The movie literally came outta left field and blindsided everyone. Soon as you saw that intro with Trinity running from the cops and the agents you knew you were in the mist of something special And around this time all the hype was about the new Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace that was about to drop. The Matrix came before it and crushed the buildings so much that when TPM dropped everybody was

The Matrix bodied everything in its path when it dropped

 

[Playaz Eyez]

It was some wild shyt

 

[BulletProof]

It was definitely ground breaking.

 

[choc_cardigan]

I was in my 20's. I remember thinking it was a good movie and had bugged special effects. I can't remember really knowing anything about it going in outside of the preview.

I just know if my man Ted Theodore Logan was in it, then I was bout it. I think I thought it was like Johnny Mnemonic part 2.

It's bugged looking at this list of movie released that year. Matrix was in March. It had the big movie schedule to itself. Then Mummy came out and in a few months, the big dog Star Wars was released.
The Numbers - Movies Released in 1999

I sort of remember Matrix vs Star Wars in a new vs old sci type of way.

99 was insane

 

[Change]

99 was insane

In what way? What jumps out at you?

 

[KalKal]

In what way? What jumps out at you?

A lot of massively influential movies that year. Maybe not all of them held up, but look at, e.g.:

[URL='https://www.the-numbers.com/on-this-day/3/31']March 31 The Matrix[/URL] Action Theatrical $465,421,959
May 19 Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace Adventure Theatrical $1,027,044,677
June 10 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
June 30 South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
July 9 American Pie Comedy Theatrical $234,723,148
July 14 The Blair Witch Project Horror Theatrical $248,300,000
August 6 The Sixth Sense Thriller/Suspense Theatrical $672,806,292
October 15 Fight Club Drama Theatrical $100,841,550
October 29 Mononoke-hime Action Theatrical $150,345,863
December 10 The Green Mile Drama Theatrical $290,701,374
December 24 Galaxy Quest Adventure Theatrical $90,523,726

I don't even think that all of the above movies are necessarily good (Blair Witch )
But the the movies in the above list were mostly MASSIVELY influential on entire genres of movies for years and years to come.
How many "Matrix" ripoffs were there? How many "Austin Powers" ripoffs? "Blair Witch" kicked off the whole Found Footage genre, which I don't like but is still ongoing. "Fight Club" will probably go down as the defining movie of its time. etc. etc.

I'm not even mentioning:
Life Comedy Theatrical $73,521,587
Which was a great movie, but kind of forgotten at the time.

 

[Kimo_bud]

Loved this movie

 

[StatUS]

Ironically the same hype as John Wick times 10. Movie came out of nowhere. Saw it opening week with my pops and was blown away. I don't think it became huge until it hit DVD and it was a must cop.

 

[Creepn]

Same here. I was a kid but I remember at the time my sister worked at the movies and I use to watch everything for free. T2 blew my fukkin mind as a kid. That liquid T1000 Terminator chasing John out of the mall had my anxiety high as hell I was legit scared for that nikka John.

Yup. This movie will always bee special to me. I

Same here. I was a kid but I remember at the time my sister worked at the movies and I use to watch everything for free. T2 blew my fukkin mind as a kid. That liquid T1000 Terminator chasing John out of the mall had my anxiety high as hell I was legit scared for that nikka John.

Yup. This movie will always be special to me. I don't know if it's because I was a kid or what but movies rarely leave an impact like this movie did.

Jurassic Park is another one that restored the feeling as well. Amazing experience.

 

[Niggthaniel Essex]

Y'all nikkas saying you was 7 and 13 years old when it came out making a nikka feel ancient


What got me was that every single part of the movie before he took the pill was just a simulation, which in turn made you question existence itself....man...

And when Neo was dodging the bullets...

Neo realizing his power and blocking Smiths attacks with one hand without even looking....

Neo stopping the bullets in midair...

That movie had it all.

 

[Barbados Slim]

I was 15 and this movie changed my perception of films and also as someone else mentioned, made me think seriously for the first time about philosophy.

I remember couple of my boys saw it and were trying to explain the concept of Bullet Time to me during class:

My homie: "So sometimes you see them moving really slow, but it means they're moving really fast"

Me:

Like the tag line said, "No one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself". And you really did.

I walked out of that film and genuinely started to question the real possibility of The Matrix. There are a handful of films that have had me questioning my concept of reality/time after watching them: The Matrix, Inception and Interstellar.

Also, back then they used to have a lot more of those behind-the-scenes shows of how they make the films and shoot certain scenes, on TV; I remember watching one later that broke down the concept of Bullet Time and how they set up the camera angles.

Maybe to some younger heads the shyt you see in an action film is just par for the course but The Matrix broke new ground and changed film making forever.

 

[Barbados Slim]

Neo realizing his power and blocking Smiths attacks with one hand without even looking....