Darth Vader’s iconic “I am your father” plot twist from The Empire Strikes Back has been named the most epic movie moment of the last 50 years, according to a poll of 2,000 film fans.
The iconic Star Wars scene narrowly beat Jack’s “I’m king of the world!” moment from Titanic for the top spot. Rounding out the top five most impactful movie moments were the Alien Chestburster from Alien, the Normandy Landing in Saving Private Ryan, and the T-Rex Escape from Jurassic Park.
The research, commissioned by Vue to mark the launch of its premium large-screen format, EPIC, found that film fans still value the cinema experience, with 51% preferring to see new screenings in cinema when they first come out.
Nostalgia also plays a role, as a third of film fans would watch a re-release of a monumental film at the cinema, with 36% driven by the desire to relive impactful scenes and 35% by the opportunity to watch a classic in high definition.
A spokesperson for Vue said: “Whether it’s agonising suspense, an emotional love story or the type that makes you laugh so much it hurts, these stories are best experienced on the big screen.”
The research, carried out via OnePoll also explored other memorable cinematic elements. The study found that when it comes to music, Grease took the top spot for the most epic movie soundtrack with 22% of the vote, with Star Wars and Dirty Dancing sharing second place at 18% each.
For one-liners, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “I’ll be back” from the first Terminator film was the favourite, followed by Clint Eastwood’s “Go ahead, make my day” (Sudden Impact) and Tom Hanks’ “Life is like a box of chocolates” (Forrest Gump).
Talking about EPIC, the spokesperson said: “Over the past 50 years, there have been plenty of changes in the way that we make, review and watch movies.
“What remains constant is the desire to experience great films in a way that feels special, while we continue to innovate and make sure these moments can be experienced as fully and immersively as possible.
“This is why we’ve introduced EPIC at some of our biggest screens, to let our visitors experience amazing moments like these, and the many still to come with some of the most breathtaking visuals and immersive sounds possible.”
