Paul Hirsch was the finishing editor on freaking Star Wars. Multiple generations of film-goers weened on that film learned what they know about film rhythm due to Hirsch’s work. On this episode, we talk about Hirsch’s career as a film editor, his new book, A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away…, and how, in a short time, that book has already cemented itself as one of the greats and rare books about editing. Also: Watching An American in Paris while in Paris as a child missing America, starting his career out with Brian De Palma, and the story of the screw-up in Star Wars’ first reel that wasn’t included in his book for fear of being “too technical.”