Force Material: A Star Wars Podcast
159 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 35 ratingsA deep dive into the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Discover the influences and inspirations behind the Star Wars saga, from films and folklore to history, politics and geography. These are the stories behind the prequels, the sequels, and everything in between!
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Episodes
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
November 19, 2017 05:00 - 49 minutes - 22.5 MBLuc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, so we're exploring the film's connections to Star Wars on this week's Force Material podcast! Much has been made of the debt that Star Wars supposedly owes to writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières' Valerian and Laureline, which ran in French comics magazine Pilote from 1967 to 2010. Christin and Mézières have both been vocal about the influence they believe their work had on Georg...
Twelve O'Clock High
November 12, 2017 05:00 - 43 minutes - 20.1 MBOn this week's Force Material podcast, we're going back to Rian Johnson's film camp to break down how Twelve O'Clock High could influence The Last Jedi! The 1949 film, directed by Henry King, tells the story of a US Bomber unit stationed in England during the darkest days of World War II. Gregory Peck, as Brigadier General Frank Savage, is tasked with getting "maximum effort" out of the unit's pilots, and leads them on increasingly daring raids — at no small cost to his own health. Twelve...
We Need To Talk About Kylo
November 05, 2017 04:00 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBWe're exploring the origins and influences of the galaxy's most toxic fanboy, Kylo Ren, in this week's Force Material podcast! The spotlight falls on Han Solo and Leia Organa's wayward son in this episode, as we drill down into the cultural and artistic inspirations for this fascinating (and often misunderstood) villain. We discuss how Kylo sets the sequel trilogy apart from the original films, as he reflects contemporary fears about radicalised and isolated young men. We break down th...
When You Wish Upon A Death Star
October 29, 2017 04:00 - 52 minutes - 24 MBThis week on the Force Material podcast, we're celebrating the fifth anniversary of Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm! It was five years ago today that George Lucas shocked the entertainment world by selling his company — and the rights to make more Star Wars films — to The Walt Disney Company. In that time, we've heard plenty from disgruntled fans about the 'Disneyfication' of Star Wars, but in this week's podcast, Baz McCalister and I explore the connections between George Lucas and Disney...
To Catch A Thief
October 21, 2017 04:00 - 47 minutes - 21.8 MBCary Grant, Grace Kelly and the French Riviera star in this week's episode of the Force Material podcast. The Last Jedi will see the introduction of the casino planet Canto Bight, which director Rian Johnson calls "a Star Wars Monte Carlo-type environment, a little James Bond-ish, a little To Catch A Thief." Johnson has also called To Catch A Thief "a great film to rewatch" before The Last Jedi, "for the romantic scale and grandeur". So on this week's episode of Force Material, Baz McAlis...
Porg Life
October 15, 2017 04:00 - 33 minutes - 15.5 MBWe're talking Porgs, Porgs and more Porgs on this week's episode of the Force Material podcast! Ever since they made their debut in the behind-the-scenes reel for The Last Jedi that was shown at D23 in July, Porgs — the cutest inhabitants of Ahch-To, if not the entire Star Wars galaxy — have taken their rightful place at the centre of the saga. The old, tired questions about Rey's parentage, Snoke's identity and Leia's fate have simply ceased to matter in the wake of the arrival of the Po...
The Last Jedi Trailer Reaction & Breakdown
October 10, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 29.4 MBIn this emergency episode of the Force Material podcast, we're breaking down the enigma that is the Last Jedi trailer! Join us as we attempt to answer all the questions the trailer raises, including but not limited to: Is Rian Johnson the master of misdirection, or is the real misdirection that there is no misdirection? Should Luke train Rey? Is Kylo Ren a great pilot or not, and what would be truer to his character? Will Kylo kill another one of his parents? Why doesn't Kylo wear his ...
Three Outlaw Samurai
October 08, 2017 04:00 - 43 minutes - 20 MBGrab your s'mores, because we're off to Rian Johnson's film camp in the second episode of the Force Material podcast! Our weekly deep dive into the influences and inspirations behind the Star Wars saga continues with an examination of director Hideo Gosha's pulpy 1964 classic, Three Outlaw Samurai. This was one of a number of films that director Rian Johnson required the cast and crew of The Last Jedi to watch as part of his 'film camp' before production began. In the lead-up to Decemb...
The Secrets of Skellig Michael
September 28, 2017 04:00 - 28 minutes - 13.3 MBDiscover the real-life story behind Luke Skywalker's island home in the first episode of the Force Material podcast! Welcome to our weekly deep dive into the secrets and source material of Star Wars, with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. We'll be delving into the influences and inspirations behind the Star Wars saga, from films and folklore to history, politics and geography. These are the stories behind the prequels, the sequels, and everything in between! In our first episode, w...