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Prepare to geek out: Lileks monologues Star Wars past and present.
(No spoilers herein!)
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Published in: Podcasts
I’m guessing that if I haven’t yet seen the new movie, I should wait to listen to this?
Edit: Answered – thank you!
1977 at Lowes 86th Street at Lexington Avenue in NYC
1977 at the Uptown Theater in Washington DC. Skipped school to see it.
Where is it?
Re-load the page.
Got it. The page was tricky to get just to the comments the first time. Kept getting the Rico-404
Saw the movie yesterday and enjoyed it.
Well, I thoroughly enjoyed that. And I’m not a sci-fi person at all, but I do enjoy discussions about music, themes & its connections – love it when Jay Nordlinger parses classical music like this too. Really fun! Can’t wait to see the movie over the holidays now.
Holy cow! That Reagan piece was it!
C-G- F-E-D -C-G- F-E-D -C-G- F-E-F-D
There I was, 1977, E-1, USAF, attending training at the now long-defunct Lowry AFB, Denver Colorado, taking my then future/now ex wife to the Cooper Cinerama Theater (http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/824) and having my life changed.
Someone needs to tell us how to get this podcast on to our iPhone podcast app.
I love this new podcast series. Any way to get more long-form James Lileks stream of consciousness. There’s never enough of him on the main podcast.
That’s horrible. John Williams, you have disappointed me.
Looking for it on ITunes.
That was a wonderful podcast! I agree with Mark Wilson, more James Lileks anywhere is always a good thing. And now I know what he thought of Episode 8. I’m glad his 35 years of waiting finally paid off.
Wonderful Ramble. It’s like Diner, The Next Generation. Except that I hope The Diner continues.
I have to agree. Whenever Rob interrupts James during the Ricochet Podcast, it makes me pine for the Diner.
Thanks, James.
I haven’t found it on iTunes. I just download it and move it into my iTunes, to the special Ricochet playlist. :)
1977, Cinema East on Refugee Rd. in Columbus, Ohio. I also skipped school. Daytime matinee, place almost empty… sat in the front row, center, leaning back to see the screen. By the time the empire ship passed overhead I knew it was going to be great.
Fun podcast.
Though I agree there are scenes with poor acting in the original Star Wars series, the scene you cite of Solo cutting the tauntaun open is a bad example. I like the way he delivers that line. And I like the post-rescue scene. The “I’ll see you in Hell!” is definitely out of place, though. “I’ll see you on the Dark Side” doesn’t have the same ring to it.
I had never considered before how strange it is to be handed a movie ticket and then have that ticket ripped up only moments later. Surely, there’s a better way to counter sneaks… like the clerk buzzing you into the building after you’ve paid. Movie magic, I suppose.
You’re absolutely right about those opening credits. The intro used in every Star Wars movie does a wonderful job connecting the films and exciting fans about what they are about to see. It’s like a familiar docking station, from which anywhere is possible.
James, I cried at the same place. Fortunately, I anticipated this and had a tissue ready.
No, it’s not art, Ren is annoying (and looks like the young Severus Snape), another Death Star (really?) but it’s fun, exciting, and makes me look forward to the next one.
My first “Star Wars” was right after it opened, at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA. I was 15. That summer I saw it more than once at the only theater on Cape Cod that was within reasonable driving distance of the house my Granny rented. Big screen, the theaters were always full.
For some reason I never cared about Star Wars, and even less so after getting to see pieces of it dozens of times while working as an usher for a summer in Suffern, NY.
But I am looking forward to seeing the new one. Because JJ Abrams is actually talented, and has some cred from Trek.
The reason for the ticket being sold by one person, and then torn by another was intended to prevent employee theft. But ticket tearers would scam with ticket sellers, collecting the ticket, not tearing it and reselling it.
And you said no spoilers! I’ve been meaning to get around to seeing The Empire Strikes Back, but you ruined it for me.
I haven’t finished the podcast yet, but it’s a blast. James is just a spellbinding speaker. I like guests, but I will be in hog heaven if James does lots of monologues. He is just one of those guys with a voice and a style that reels you in.
Now I just need James and Jonah to do Star Trek rambling for about 5 hours straight and I will be sated.
I gave up half through. Listening to James complain how the original trilogy doesn’t hold up is completely meh to me.
PJS – If you are referring to the movie theater in Chatham on the cape in 1977, then I saw it there too (several times) that summer while visiting family nearby!
I must have seen it in a theater during the first run, though I don’t remember. I saw it the second time in the summer of ’78 from the back of a pickup at a drive-in (remember them?) with my future wife and a couple of friends on Old Maryville Pike.
This podcast alone is worth the price of admission. My heart came out of a little slot and Lileks tore it in half.
The Firefly Tim Minear?
Yeah.