Star Wars – May the 4th Be With You – GTGC #150

We make it to a galaxy far, far away as we discuss the first (fourth?) chapter in the space opera that is Star Wars. 

George Lucas’s Star Wars.

We look specifically at Episode 4—A New Hope. The discussion gets heated as we discuss the movie on its own merits and try to remove the culture and nostalgia goggles for the franchise. Our game sees us discussing our favorite fictional universes. And we wrap the show with a look at what has us fired up in pop culture.

Our Analysis of Star Wars

Caleb calls the relationship between George Lucas and the fans the most unique aspect of the Star Wars phenomenon. He brings up the court case regarding reprinting black and white films as color films. George Lucas defended black and white films and preserving them. Caleb traces the history of Lucas tinkering with the releases of the saga. He then examines fan reaction to this.

Alex brings up droids and questions of their personhood. Alex suggests that because of their free will and functioning abilities, the droids of the film are people—but they get treated as slaves. Dustin jumps in to explain the history of the class reading Alex is providing. He suggests that much of this class hierarchy is brought over from The Hidden Fortress—one of Lucas’s major influences on Star Wars. Alex then talks about the governing bodies of the Star Wars universe.

Dustin presents his analysis entitled “How Star Wars Ruined the 70s”. He discusses the New Hollywood Movement which was occurring from the late 60s into the 70s. Dustin outlines the evolution of the blockbuster, starting with Jaws and then focusing on Star Wars. He argues that Lucas’s work lead to a dumber cinema and the “rule of cool” took over.

STAY IN TOUCH

As we continue to retool the GoodTrash GenreCast please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Finally, you can show us great support by going to iTunes and subscribing and leaving a 5-star review.