Episode 44 - THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL

Charles Dickens' fable about a mean old miser who learns the meaning of Christmas is one of the most picked-over stories in the Western canon. (Heck, we even covered a version of it last year.) But perhaps that's what makes it such a wonderful vehicle for the mischievous Muppets, finding ways to breathe new life--and a vaudeville flair--into a familiar tale.

Much more than a holiday novelty, The Muppet Christmas Carol is an ingratiating insta-classic: one of the most elegant expressions of the ineffable "Christmas spirit" ever seen onscreen. Special guest Brian Rudloff joins us once more to see if we can make that spirit last all year.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Directed by Brian Henson
Produced by Martin G. Baker and Brian Henson
Written by Jerry Juhl
Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Starring Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and Steven Mackintosh

Episode 36 - STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

It shouldn't be possible for the sequel to an instant classic to become even more unassailable than the original.  Yet there's certainly an argument to be made for The Empire Strikes Back and its deepening of everything people loved about Star Wars: the backstories, the relationships, the planet-hopping adventures, the arcane mythology of space mystics swinging laser swords.  Not bad for a movie all about the moodiness and failure of the good guys, and the inevitability of snapping back to the status quo.

We welcome back Episode III panel member (and WWWW's musician-in-residence) Daren Sprawls to discuss the Star Wars that provided a new kind of blueprint for maturity in nerdom.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Directed by Irvin Kershner
Produced by Gary Kurtz
Written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan
Story by George Lucas
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and James Earl Jones

Check out the rest of our series on the Star Wars saga:
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars Holiday Special
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure