The Countdown has been away for a couple months but we're ready to rev back into gear with a solid month of episodes catching you up to the present, one Star Wars movie at a time. This episode focuses on arguably everyone's favorite chapter of the original trilogy (or of them all) - The Empire Strikes Back. Paul and Sean are joined by actors Rusty Locke and Wayne Frazier (and Wayne's Slave-1) to talk about why this film rises above the rest. Is it Lucas taking a producer-only role? Is it an upgrade in special effects? Is it a darker tone? is it all the above? Yes.

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This month, the COUNTDOWN TO NINE crew takes on the OG Rise of Skywalker - 1977's Star Wars. Paul and Sean dispense with the plot recap because there's much to discuss about this legendary fantasy film. Sitting in is editor (Phantom Editor!) and friend of The Movie Guys, Mike J. Nichols. Discussed - John Williams' inspiration and genius, ways you could enjoy the movie when there was no streaming (or VHS!), the legacy of this classic and why it changed moviemaking (and moviegoing) forever.

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This month, the countdown stops on another stand-alone Star Wars story - Rogue One. The rebellion's attempt to steal the Death Star plans gets the signature COUNTDOWN TO NINE recap treatment, then guest and fan filmmaker Robert Reeves jumps in the roundtable discussion of Rogue One's casting, plot, filmmaking and legacy. Plus, the latest on Episode IX!

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Ken Napzok, author of Why We Love Star Wars: The Great Moments That Built a Galaxy Far, Far Away, joins hosts Paul Preston and Sean Blodgett for an in-depth look at Solo: A Star Wars Story - a signature COUNTDOWN TO NINE story recap, the troubled making-of, the film's place in history and why it's NOT a flop. Plus, Paul gives a full report on Galaxy's Edge and the latest on Episode IX!

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The COUNTDOWN TO NINE podcast is live at Viva Rancho Cantina in Burbank! This episode was recorded on May the 4th (be with you), so Paul & Sean nabbed a special guest who has been all over the Star Wars universe - Christian Simpson. The first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker gets a thorough once-over and Christian sits in the whole show to talk about acting, voicing and performing motion capture for droids, aliens and fighter pilots in multiple Star Wars films and TV shows as well as standing in for Hayden Christensen on this month's focus movie - Revenge of the Sith.

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In this episode of COUNTDOWN TO NINE, Paul & Sean are joined by actress and Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee - AKA Nalini Krishan! We recap Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, get stories about what it was like for Nalini working with the legendary George Lucas, and how to properly decipher your own Jedi name. And, as ever, time is made for other nonsense!

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The countdown jumps into .5 above light speed as hosts Sean Blodgett and Paul Preston tackle the first deep dive into the Star Wars universe: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace. Paul leads a patented Movie Guys recap, Sean offers up Ep. 9 updates, then they take a hard look at the risk, the story, the cast, the characters, the technology and the fallout of George Lucas' big return to the silver screen.

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In anticipation of the release of Episode IX of the Star Wars series, your hosts Paul Preston and Sean Blodgett knock around why people love, hate, question, and generally can't stop talking about the previous ten films and Star Wars in general. They also take a look at the cinematic and cultural impact these movies have had on their personal lives, society, and on filmmaking. Get your show intro here, and come back every month as the Paul, Sean and special guests take a deep dive into every episode in the franchise.

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