A More Civilized Age: A Star Wars Podcast

Return of the Jedi is a haunted movie. It is haunted most obviously by the ghosts of the past films: droids walking across desert wastes, fateful holograms delivered in desperation, deflector shield substations, robotic hands, and a Death Star hanging above the world.  But it is also haunted by the future of the franchise: further reliance on ambitious CGI, a subtle sanding down in humor and character, dozens of little creatures whose names are never said but whose identity marketing has taught you before you ever see the text start rolling across the screen.
Star Wars, as we know it, has arrived.
Show Notes


Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas - Outtakes
Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social)
Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social)
Produced by Michael Hermes
Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social
Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)

The heroes of the rebellion have fled Hoth and found themselves in new environs unlike any we've seen in Star Wars before. Bespin's Cloud City is the first real metropolis in the series, and while Yavin was covered in trees, it was nothing like the damp swamps of Dagobah, home to creepy crawlies of all sorts. As our heroes meet their respective contacts, one has to wonder, which of these new worlds is home to the more trustworthy sort of person?
Trick question. You can't trust either of these motherfuckers.
Show Notes
Episode 1 Yoda Comparison Video


How the Famous 'I Love You/I Know' Scene From 'The Empire Strikes Back' Really Came Together
Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social)
Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social)
Produced by Michael Hermes
Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social
Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)

Three years after Luke turned off his targeting computer, Star Wars returns. Indeed, one might even ask "Is The Empire Strikes Back the actual 'start' of what we know as Star Wars?" Maybe! It's here that Star Wars begins to take the shape of a franchise (without any of the bloat yet), Industrial Light & Magic performs even greater special effects miracles, and the story begins to effortlessly blend fairy tale and melodrama. Plus, we get to see the original little green freak in his natural habitat.
NEXT TIME: The Back Half of Empire Strikes Back
Support the show by going to Patreon.com/civilized!
Show Notes




Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social)
Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social)
Produced by Michael Hermes
Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social
Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)

We return with the back half of a little movie called Star Wars.
We can finally talk about some of the most foundational moments in the franchise. The very first lightsaber duel--and its relationship to a little tv show called Obi-Wan Kenobi. The series' three protagonists finally sharing screen time. The Death Star trench run and its relationship to the Force and Technology.
But we also get to talk about some of the stuff that gets lost along the way. Like about just how funny Star Wars has always been. How the Empire is already a bit of a send-up of bureaucrat sci-fi baddies. And how whether Lucas knew the particularities of their history or not, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi show up with enough ambiguity and depth to carry years and years of storytelling to come.
Show Notes

George Lucas: The Wizard of 'Star Wars' | Rolling Stone
REBEL SCANNERS: Preserving Star Wars (with Rob of TEAM NEGATIVE 1)
Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social)
Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social)
Produced by Austin Walker
Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social
Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)

A long time ago in a galaxy, far far away... there was a spaceship with a princess and a pair of droids and a malevolence dressed in black. There was a desert world with two suns and a farm boy whose only chance at escaping the planet's gravity was a wizard who lived out in the hills and couple of smugglers looking for a big payday. And there was something grey--aggressively grey--a sphere in the darkness of space, blocking out the stars, lighting up envy green, and insisting on its own place in the orbits of galactic lives.
Today we talk about Star Wars.
Show Notes
Star Wars Version Comparison
Luke and Biggs Deleted Scenes
Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social)
Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social)
Produced by Austin Walker
Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social
Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)