Videos

Josh, Jonny, and Bracey thoughtfully discuss George Lucas’s relentless creativity and vision when making changes to beloved Star Wars films with each new special edition release. They aim to balance their artistic critiques with deep respect for the man behind an iconic, culture-shaping franchise. #StarWars #GeorgeLucas #FilmCritique #SpecialEditions #SciFi

How the Star Wars Special Editions demonstrate how movies spark our imaginations to envision details and stories beyond what's shown on screen. #filmanalysis #starwars #millennials

The original Star Wars trilogy is beloved, but The Empire Strikes Back stands out as a masterpiece. So what makes it so great? As we discuss, a huge factor was director Irvin Kershner and his more nuanced, actor-focused approach. From the long shots to let scenes breathe, to coaxing out…

Empire Strikes Back created intrigue and subverted expectations right from its opening scene by using the Star Wars intro crawl before taking viewers to new, unexpected places. #StarWars #EmpireStrikesBack #MovieOpenings #FilmAnalysis #SubvertedExpectations

Discussing if modern CGI can truly capture the magic of practical effects and model work. #vfx #cgi #practicaleffects #filmmaking #starwars

Josh and Joe analyzing Star Trek as more of a "thinking man's" cerebral franchise, versus Star Wars' more subconscious, emotional pull. #startrek #starwars #cerebral #subconscious #scifi

Obi-Wan tells Luke he must choose: kill Vader or the Emperor wins. #StarWars #JediOrder #ReturnoftheJedi #Manipulation #MoralDilemma

Something I see clear as day as an adult but went over my head as a kid: Han kissing Leia after she said “stop” and couldn’t leave is kinda problematic. Little me just saw romance, not coercion, but depictions like this are why! And just to be clear: this is…

The original Star Wars films feel etched into the memory and visual language of multiple generations of passionate fans. So when George Lucas updated them with new CGI and scene alterations, it sparked complicated reactions. #StarWars #SpecialEditions #PracticalEffects #VintageFilm #PreservingArt

The minutest of Star Wars minutiae–here's a theory on why someone added a door to the cockpit of a Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back. (Yes, I need to touch grass.) #StarWars #EmpireStrikesBack #MillenniumFalcon #Retcon #SetDesign

Leia comforts Luke over a man Leia briefly met, despite her entire planet just dying. For years the film's dismissing of Leia’s trauma and inner emotional state went unquestioned. #starwars #anewhope #princessleia #feminist #filmanalysis

Many key prequel story beats feel prototyped in Return of the Jedi first, from multi-threaded climaxes to convenient character reveals. Jedi altered the direction of the franchise forever, making it the unexpected fountainhead of so much Star Wars. #StarWars #Prequels #ReturnoftheJedi #ThePhantomMenace #MovieTwists

Anakin turned to the dark side unable to accept loss. George Lucas created a cautionary tale about what happens if you can't accept change. #starwars #revengeofthesith #georgelucas #divorce #loss

Josh sees troubling parallels between Anakin only caring about his personal attachments leading him towards the dark side, and how individuals acting selfishly can lead democracies down a pathway enabling fascism's rise. It's no longer just neat symbolism - the prequels show collectivism's decay. #StarWars #Prequels #AnakinSkywalker #Fascism #Democracy #starwarsisforeveryone

Darth Vader is portrayed by different actors across films, originally not even intended to be Anakin. He was a composite, evolving with the franchise. #starwars #darthvader #characterdevelopment

The Galactic Senate's corporatism as depicted in The Phantom Menace left the Republic vulnerable to fascist control. Episode I invites parallels to 1990s America and radically questions private companies having political power. George Lucas delivered a bold political message. #starwars #phantommenace #georgelucas #neoliberalism

Before the prequels existed, Darth Vader’s redemption in Return of the Jedi was more about developing Luke's inner battle with good and evil than redeeming Anakin. the arc foreshadowed Luke's own failures against darkness in The Last Jedi. #starwars #darthvader #lukeskywalker #herosjourney #redemptionarc #thelastjedi #starwarstheory

Andor aptly captures the reality of police brutality and unaccountable authority. The scenes depict cops escalating situations and assuming anyone could be a threat or enemy. This "us vs them" warrior mentality erodes civil rights. Are the "good guys" really the ones blindly following orders and rules? Or those who…

Should I post my old fan film lightsaber test footage? 😳 There's definitely personal embarrassment holding me back. But I owe it to legendary Star Wars Kid to put myself out there! My friends give me the confidence I need to embrace the cringe. 💪 We had such a blast…

This clip highlights an amazing subtle character moment about Mon Mothma's husband Perrin that gives him surprising depth. Perrin's indifferent to politics, just wants his lavish lifestyle. But in the shadow of fascism, that takes on new meaning, forcing difficult choices in their marriage. It's a complex dynamic you never…

Showrunner Tony Gilroy freely admits he's not invested in Star Wars lore. But that allows him to craft complex characters by reacting to the restrictions of canon provided by the Lucasfilm Story Group. This outside perspective leads to the franchise's best complex character writing! #Andor #TonyGilroy #DontCareAboutLore #ComplexCharacters #StarWars #CharacterStudy…

Josh and Emily admit they spend more time than most people pondering the Star Wars universe, and argue that the franchise's ability to captivate fans makes it a worthy subject for academic study. #StarWars #AcademicStudy #FandomCulture

We have a spirited debate over whether Andor marks the pinnacle of Star Wars storytelling or if the OG trilogy still wears the crown. We break down how Andor pushes the boundaries of the Star Wars universe with its complex themes, stellar acting and writing, and cinematic production values. But…