In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:26Read transcript
- Falling Down is the first double-feature choice.
- The Warriors is chosen as a capstone to the film's 1970s New York atmosphere.
Categories & segments
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:43Read transcript
- The closing vote awards the movie to Charles Bronson.
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Charles Bronson
Most Rewatchable Scene
The trench run
In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:26Read transcript
- The opening firefight and first Darth Vader entrance begin the candidate list.
- Luke meeting his mentor and learning about his father and the Force is praised for its economical mythology.
- Vader's conference-room intimidation is nominated for establishing the Force as more powerful than the Death Star.
- The cantina sequence is called one of the best scenes of the 1970s for its creatures, droid exclusion, Han Solo negotiation, and Greedo shooting.
- Tarkin forcing Leia to watch Alderaan's destruction is praised for cruelty and for establishing the stakes.
- The Falcon sequence combines holochess, Luke training, Han doubting the Force, and the mentor teaching, running several character beats at once.
- The Death Star infiltration, rescue, trash compactor, and escape are praised as a long escalating run.
- The mentor and Vader duel is discussed as sacrifice rather than a modern athletic lightsaber fight.
- The Millennium Falcon's surprise return during the trench run is recalled as a theatrical cheer moment.
- The final medal ceremony is nominated, with the exclusion of Chewbacca and the droids criticized.
- The cantina receives one firm vote because it combines a first lightsaber use, a severed limb, Han and Greedo, music, creatures, and escape.
- The trench run receives two final votes for its enduring aerial-action structure and signature place in Star Wars.
- The disguised rescue of Leia and the broader Death Star escape remain personal favorites without displacing the final trench-run majority.
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Chewbacca is the most overrated sidekick (disputed)
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:27Read transcript
- An early take labels Chewbacca the most overrated sidekick because his size makes him conspicuous and his speech is unintelligible to almost everyone.
- The rebuttal credits Chewbacca as a co-pilot, mechanic, expert shot, and source of physical strength.
- Chewbacca talks to the mentor and arranges the deal that gets Luke and the mentor onto Han's ship.
The most "year the movie came out" thing
Practical effects, primitive laser bursts, creatures in suits, and Mark Hamill’s television haircut define 1977.
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:26Read transcript
- Some laser blasts and explosions resemble sparklers despite the overall effects achievement.
- Practical creatures played by people in suits are selected as a defining 1977 quality.
- Hand-drawn imagery, matte paintings, models, and optical effects are praised as practical craft that remains appealing.
- Mark Hamill's period haircut and his departure from the Eight Is Enough pilot are offered as another marker.
What’s Aged the Best?
The film’s influence, Leia, practical craft, mythmaking, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, world-building, and cultural afterlife form a long field.
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:58Read transcript
- Interconnected cinematic universes and ILM are credited as foundations of contemporary Hollywood storytelling.
- Leia is praised as a fearless hero rather than a passive damsel, with particular importance for young viewers.
- Lightsabers update the durable screen appeal of sword fighting through a futuristic design.
- The fast spaceships are traced to hot-rod culture and Lucas’s American Graffiti experience.
- The Force works especially well as an almost-forgotten spiritual discipline practiced by a few remaining believers.
- Minor details such as squadron check-ins and a stormtrooper hitting his head became durable shared lore.
- The trench run is treated as an enduring aerial-attack template copied by later action films.
- Darth Vader is the leading answer because he expanded from mysterious villain into the franchise’s most recognizable tragic figure.
- Introducing Vader immediately is defended because later stories reveal the saga to be partly his story and the Emperor to be the deeper evil.
- The secret that Vader is Luke’s father is praised for leaving subtle retrospective possibilities without revealing itself.
- Obi-Wan is praised as an archetypal mentor and every Vader entrance retains power.
- The strange creatures, villains, opening crawl, and constant parody produced a distinct world with an unusually long cultural life.
- The long-concealed Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford affair is offered as something that aged well because their chemistry remains visible in the film.
- Blasters age well relative to bullets because their clean impacts make the movie accessible to younger viewers and avoid ammunition-count questions.
- Carrie Fisher’s advice that she and Mark Hamill should accept their defining roles is praised as a healthy view of fame.
The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot
Luke watching the binary sunset
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:58Read transcript
- The binary sunset wins because it conveys Luke’s hunger for a larger life without explanatory dialogue.
- The bottomless Death Star corridor is praised as an astonishing matte-painting illusion made with old compositing methods.
- The escape pod against the stars is cited as an early digital effect that still feels tactile.
- The wide view of Luke frozen after his mentor falls is another emotional composition.
- Alderaan’s destruction is admired as the first overwhelming demonstration of the Death Star.
The Slow Ride / Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop
No clear selection: cantina music, the main title, and “Return Home”
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:03Read transcript
- The cantina cue, main title, and Return Home are the stated musical candidates.
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:23Read transcript
- Specific images and character functions in The Hidden Fortress are said to map directly onto Star Wars.
- Kurosawa’s influence on both Lucas and Spielberg is treated as essential to the movie’s existence.
The Sean Penn “I Brought My Own Pack” Award for Excellence in On-Screen Smoking
Han Solo (hypothetically), with an unlit future cigarette behind his ear
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:35Read transcript
- Han is chosen and imagined with an unlit light cigarette behind his ear.
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:09Read transcript
- Darth Vader is preferred after Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and the discarded Luke Starkiller are discussed.
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
Han Solo’s rejection of an all-powerful Force
Flex pick · Chris Ryan
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:47Read transcript
- The selected line says the speaker has crossed the galaxy without seeing proof that a mystical field controls destiny.
- The quotation was used as a senior yearbook quote at a Quaker school.
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