Episode 168 - INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

In our ongoing quest to seek meaning in cultural artifacts, few escapist fantasies have seized our hearts like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. From its nightmare-inducing imagery to its wince-inducing colonialism, it's a movie that sticks with us for an entire spectrum of reasons. But beyond its complex reputation as the darkest chapter of the Indiana Jones saga, the film is a trove of moments and milestones that deepen our connection to an iconic character.

Manny Lozano makes his long-awaited return to WWWW as we join our old pals George and Steven in a whip-crackin', stereotypin', globetrottin' adventure!

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Robert Watts
Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz
Story by George Lucas
Starring Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Roshan Seth, and Amrish Puri

BONUS - SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

You might want to buckle up, baby... Our two best star-friends Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold welcome us into their tribe (or should we say family?) for an extra special episode of Marvel Star Wars Explorers! Podcast pals Sean Davis and Kev Young round out the crew for a roundtable debate over the latest anthology film from our favorite franchise, Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The discussion boasts more range than a DL-44 blaster, covering everything from the symbolism of Han’s dice to toxic fanboy villains to whether or not the Imperial March should remain non-diegetic. We’ve also officially reached the point where our Star Wars chats can no longer be contained in single installments, so be sure to check out BOTH parts of this summa-verminoth-sized episode! If you listen to this podcast, you’re in this life for good.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, and Simon Emanuel
Written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jonathan Kasdan
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany

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

Episode 101 - STAR WARS: CLONE WARS

Star Wars: Clone Wars is an adrenaline shot to the arm of the prequel saga. Genndy Tartakovsky's micro-series is a lesson in atmospheric storytelling, not to mention creative redemption. Each taut installment amps up the cool factor on many a prequel staple, while trimming the fat of plot and dialogue down to a prime cut of kinetic Star Wars action.

Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold, co-hosts of the brand new Marvel Star Wars Explorers podcast, return to follow up on our Shadows of the Empire discussion with another between-episodes diversion from the Star Wars franchise. (Fingers crossed that the narrative between Episodes VIII and IX provides us with more fodder for debate!) In this massive podcast, they help us take account of all the ass-kicking in a galaxy far, far away and weigh in on the thirstiest droid in the universe.

Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-2005)
Created and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
Based on Star Wars by George Lucas
Starring Mat Lucas, James Arnold Taylor, Tom Kane, Grey DeLisle, Richard McGonagle, T.C. Carson, André Sogliuzzo, Corey Burton, and Anthony Daniels

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

Episode 26 - STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH

In many ways, the legacy of the Star Wars prequels is embedded within Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.  Is it the awesomely dark conclusion that many lauded in 2005 for bestowing a kind of amnesty upon its poorly-received predecessors?  Is it the crucial narrative piece that casts the entire Star Wars saga in a new light, vis à vis the Skywalker clan?  Or is it just more haphazardly-realized Bantha poodoo?

Prequels pundit Eric Wheeler and podcast songsmith Daren Sprawls join the show to help us answer these and many more questions as WWWW's Star Wars series continues apace.  Be sure to stay tuned until the end for a special musical treat!

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Written and directed by George Lucas
Produced by Rick McCallum
Starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits, and Ian McDiarmid

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

Episode 18 - STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES

"She hardly even recognized me, Jar Jar" complains a plaintive Anakin Skywalker early on in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, perhaps echoing the disappointment the creators of The Phantom Menace must have felt regarding Star Wars partisans' tepid reaction to Episode I.  As such, this second prequel is crammed full of fan service-y tidbits and grace notes - sometimes interesting, sometimes awkward - meant to spark associations with the films of the original trilogy.

Yet though the effort to please is plainly visible onscreen, Attack of the Clones leaves most people cold.  Prequel whisperer Eric Wheeler returns as our special guest to help us unpack the glimmers of artistic ambition and the inevitable commercial retrenchment of Star Wars Episode II.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Directed by George Lucas
Produced by Rick McCallum
Written by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
Starring Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Temuera Morrison, and Ian McDiarmid

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

Episode 10 - STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE

Where were you in '99?  If you were like us, you were on the Internet gobbling up every morsel of information and hearsay about the first installment of a new Star Wars saga, eagerly speculating how it would echo and expand upon the original trilogy.

It's safe to say that few were expecting what was in store for us: a weird mishmash of Jar Jar and Jake Lloyd, parliamentary motions and midi-chlorians.  But that's what makes The Phantom Menace a uniquely fascinating film.  It's one of the most idiosyncratic mega-blockbusters ever made, and perhaps the last massively commercial film that so deeply expressed a singular creative vision.

Our friend and fellow Lucasfilm obsessive Eric Wheeler joins our expansive discussion of Episode I, the first installment of a plan to cover all six Star Wars films before the series returns to theaters in 2015.  (We're scattering them over a whole year to avoid Force fatigue.)  The hour-plus episode is our longest and most absorbing conversation yet as we take our first steps into the mercurial mind of George Lucas.

Now this is podcasting!

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Written and directed by George Lucas
Produced by Rick McCallum
Starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ahmed Best, and Ian McDiarmid

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