“Only Imperial Storm Troopers are so precise.”

Star Wars – The Start of Something Big

For our twelfth season, we’re looking at franchises and series of films that for one reason or another, we just haven’t gotten around to yet. To start things off, we look at the original Star Wars trilogy. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we start this series with George Lucas’ 1977 classic Star Wars.

What hasn’t been said by this point about Star Wars?

It’s a big question – what do we talk about in a film that seemingly everyone’s already talked about? For starters, we chat about our first experiences with this film and how it shaped our youths. We also discuss the Harmy Despecialized edition, as those are the versions we’re looking at for this series. What changes has Lucas made to the film over the decades, why, and do they change our approach to the film?

There have also been spinoffs of so many types over the years. How does this film change with projects like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Obi-Wan Kenobi? Does it make certain lines of dialogue in this film not work as well? Or are we able to look past that? And how do we define what’s canon?

The cast is iconic by this point. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Sir Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, James Earl Jones. They all are as much a part of this film and this franchise as it’s a part of them. That holds true for the technical teams as well. Effects, sounds, costume, production design, score – it’s all a core piece of what this film is. And of course it all comes back to George Lucas and this journey he created based on the Hero’s Journey.

We have a wide-ranging conversation about the film but it warrants it, so revisit this great film then tune in for a great episode. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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• SNL Star Wars Lounge Singer
• Star Wars/Cantina Disco
• Harmy’s Despecialized Edition

• Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
• The Film Board
• Movies We Like
• Sitting in the Dark

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