The Mandalorian and Grogu plays like a few stitched-together episodes of The Mandalorian, which makes it a particularly apt pairing with the 1980 Lone Wolf and Cub assemblage Shogun Assassin — but whether the first new Star Wars feature film since 2019 manages to distinguish itself from its television counterpart is another question. We’re joined again by Filmspotting: SVU co-host Matt Singer to talk through a movie that aims to appeal to both a new generation of Star Wars fans and an older one, and often misses both marks. Then we bring Shogun Assassin back in for Connections, to discuss how The Mandalorian and Grogu honors its forebear in big, structural ways — lethally capable father figures roaming a dangerous landscape alongside the young charges they’re protecting/endangering — and in moments of beat-for-beat homage. And for Your Next Picture Show we offer a preview of what lies ahead for those who decide to continue their cinematic journey down the Lone Wolf and Cub path. 

Please share your thoughts about Shogun Assassin, The Mandalorian and Grogu, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Next Pairing: Kane Parsons’ Backrooms and Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm

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