The Blockade Runner

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Andor on IMAX and Rian Johnson on Future Star Wars Projects – The Blockade Runner Podcast #228

Rogue One returning to IMAX theaters acts as a catalyst for Ryan and John to reassess the movie. We then discuss the Andor footage shown at those IMAX screenings before discussing Rian Johnson’s recent comments on returning to Star Wars and a few quick thoughts on Shadow of the Sith.

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The Blockade Runner Podcast – June 16th, 2017 – Chris and John Argue the Merits of Rogue One

Rogue One Ep Cover Art SF IIShow Notes:

Blockade Runner Chris is NOT a fan of Rogue One, and he’s about the only huge Star Wars fan I know that feels that way, so we devoted this episode to digging into why he doesn’t love the movie. We argue quite a bit, and listening back I realized that at times I fell into the trap of trying to convince someone to like something they just don’t (not usually the best idea), but we also spend a lot of time analyzing the choices made by the Gareth Edwards and Lucasfilm and I think it’s a pretty compelling discussion. Plus, Chris and I have been having arguments like this for 20 years and we’re going to keep having them for a long, long time to come. Enjoy (regardless of which side of the argument you come down on)!

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The Blockade Runner Podcast – Remembering Carrie Fisher and Refined Reactions to Rogue One

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Show Notes:

Ryan, Lindsey, and John get together to pay tribute to Carrie Fisher and further discuss Rogue One. Check out the links below, particularly the one for the Steele Wars call in show devoted to Carrie’s life – it’s the best tribute to her we’ve seen thus far.

Music:

Han Solo and The Princess

Albert and Tiffany Chang – “Princess Leia’s Theme – Violin Tribute”

Elliott Smith – “Everything Reminds Me of Her (Live)”

Links:

Steele Wars Live Call In Show Episode 16 – Carrie Forever

“Carrie Fisher: Princess – General – Force of Nature” art by Phil Noto

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The Blockade Runner Podcast Episode 19 – Rogue One Reactions, Round One

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Show Notes:

Kevin, Dan, Ryan, and John discuss our initial reactions to Rogue One on this first Blockade Runner show covering the film since it’s release. We get into our favorite characters, sequences, and effects, as well as our feelings regarding the film’s conclusion and its most memorable moments. This episode features 2 hours of Rogue One talk but we’ll definitely be discussing the movie further in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to The Blockade Runner for more coverage coming your way soon.

Music:

Intro and outro music for The Blockade Runner is “Hedonism” by Ash.

“The Imperial Suite” from the Rogue One Official Soundtrack.

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The Blockade Runner Podcast Episode 18 – Catching Up With Chris on Rebels and Rogue One

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Show Notes:

Chris joins John to discuss his recent viewing of Rebels season 2 and 3 before we chat about his skepticism regarding Rogue One and Star Wars stand-alones in general. This may not be our most evergreen podcast as Rogue One releases in less than 24 hours here in the States, but if you need something to help you pass the time before it does, give this one a listen. Most of us are SUPER EXCITED for Rogue One, but Chris’s concerns are thoughtful, interesting, and also hopefully SUPER WRONG!

Fair warning, there are a few minor issues w/ sound quality on this one, but nothing major. The 2 or 3 minute intro was recorded on an iPhone and is kinda too loud (sorry) and there’s a bit of echo on some of the main track. I cleaned it up a bit, but I figured this one doesn’t have too long of a shelf-life, so I’d better get it out asap!

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The Best New Shots/Reveals in the Rogue One International Trailer(s)

Two new Rogue One “international” trailers dropped over the past few days, and though they’re largely the same and also very similar to the final U.S. trailer, there are some super-cool new shots and fun moments in both. I screen-grabbed my favorites and add some commentary below!x-wings

# 1: X-Wings Diving Toward a Satellite (Or Something)

We’ve only seen a few brief shots of Rogue One’s space battle(s?), but the footage we’ve seen has been beautiful! I suppose we’ve seen space battles take place a few miles up from a Star Wars planet before in the Battle of Coruscant, but something about the images of X-Wings battling above a blue planet feels super fresh!

# 2: “Trust the Force”

Jyn’s mother, Lyra Erso, places a crystal attached to a necklace around her daughter’s neck  early in the first of the two new international trailers, telling Jyn to “trust the Force” as she does so. While I’m not expecting the Erso’s or many other Rogue One characters to be particularly Force-sensitive, I love seeing more ties to the Force being threaded through the film and its characters. If the rebels of Rogue One view the Force as something powerful but unknowable, that’ll only add to the mystic of the mythology surrounding it. Hope and faith seem to be major themes for the movie, and a rebel crew that revere the Force and put their faith into even though they don’t have the ability to master it sounds perfect to me!

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#3: Death Star Eclipse and Downward Blast

Shots of the Death Star looming large over planets in a way it never did in the original trilogy have been part of Rogue One‘s marketing from the beginning, but this shot of the space station blocking out the son and sending a focused blast straight down at what I assume to be Jedha’s surface is the most direct example we’ve had of seeing it in action yet. I think we’ve been seeing the damage from this blast in all the previous trailers, but seeing it in action to this degree is all new. I’m personally hoping this is an indicator that the Death Star, while operational to a degree, won’t be fully-functional. The test on Alderaan in A New Hope needs to be the first time that technological terror wields its full power, but devastating attacks like this will do nicely in the meantime.

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#4: “You Almost Shot Me”

Let’s be real: Chirrut and Baze are going to be major highlights in Rogue One, and every glimpse of them we’ve seen in Rogue One‘s footage so far has been fantastic. Donnie Yen’s “you almost shot me” in response to Baze’s helping him finish off a crew of stormtroopers is hilarious, yet understated in a very Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi sort of way. If you’re worried Rogue One may be missing some of Star Wars’s customary heart and soul, look no further than these two characters.

#5: Baze’s Bazooka Blast

Speaking of Baze, I believe we’ve heard that his character has a very big gun, and seeing it in action single-handedly dealing out massive damage to this massive AT-ACT just plain rules.

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#6: U-Wings in Hyperspace

U-wings are cool, u-wings in battle are really cool, but u-wings in hyperspace are an altogether different kind of cool. It may be the editing, pacing, and music of the trailer as much as the actual images of this ship blasting through hyperspace that are so exciting, but I love how this moment seems to offer another taste of how visually appealing Rogue One is set to be.

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#7: Another Shot of Vader

We’ve only caught a few glimpses of The Dark Lord of the Sith in Rogue One‘s trailers, and honestly that’s probably for the best. Word from Lucasfilm itself is that Vader’s screen time in the film is minor, so it’d be a bit disingenuous to show him off too much in the marketing. That being said, even these brief glimpses are driving fans wild with excitement, and this shot is no different. I’m not sure what he’s up to here (is he frustrated? gesturing to use the Force for nefarious means?), but his body language is classic Vader and leads me to believe that the actor(s) suiting up for Rogue One is going to bring Vader back to the silver screen in an authentic way.


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Blockade Runner Podcast Episode 15 – The Rogue One Olympics Trailer

Show Notes:

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Dan, Ryan, and John discuss the newest Rogue One trailer just a few minutes after it launches. We share our initial reactions to the trailer, our favorite shots, and how best to handle marketing Vader until the movie releases. This one is a bit shorter than our usual output, but we’re laser-focused on Rogue One all the way through (though I somehow neglected to lament the lack of Bistan in this newest preview of the movie).

Links:

Intro and outro music for The Blockade Runner is “Hedonism” by Ash.

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Blockade Runner Podcast Episode 14 – Rogue One, Rebels, and Episode VIII at Star Wars Celebration Europe

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Show Notes:

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Kevin and John tackle the big announcements on Rogue OneStar Wars Rebels Season 3, and Episode VIII coming out of Star Wars Celebration Europe.

Links:

Intro and outro music for The Blockade Runner is “Hedonism” by Ash.

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The Blockade Runner Podcast Episode 13 – Entertainment Weekly’s Rogue One Reveals

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Show Notes:

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Ryan, Dan, and John spend this episode analyzing the character reveals and images from Anthony Breznican’s newest Rogue One story for Entertainment Weekly. The issue is full of compelling photographs and information straight from Kathleen Kennedy and Gareth Edwards, so we had a lot of fun digging into it.

Entertainment Weekly Posts

Intro and outro music for The Blockade Runner is “Hedonism” by Ash.

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The Blockade Runner Episode 12 – The Rogue One Reshoots Saga

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story(Donnie Yen)

Ph: Film Frame

©Lucasfilm LFL

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Donnie Yen) Ph: Film Frame ©Lucasfilm LFL

Show Notes:

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Ryan and John chronicle the Rogue One reshoots saga before discussing The Star Wars Show, those insanely cool but super expensive Ultimate Studio Edition Collectibles, The Force Awakens soundtrack, and why John is happy for “Chewbacca Mom” and Ryan “feels nothing.”

Rogue One Reshoot Article Links

Other Links:

Intro and outro music for The Blockade Runner is “Hedonism” by Ash.

Email=theblockaderunnerpodcast@gmail.com

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