Force Material: A Star Wars Podcast

Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, so we're exploring the film's connections to Star Wars on this week's Force Material podcast!

Much has been made of the debt that Star Wars supposedly owes to writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières' Valerian and Laureline, which ran in French comics magazine Pilote from 1967 to 2010.

Christin and Mézières have both been vocal about the influence they believe their work had on George Lucas' saga, as has director Luc Besson, who brought the long-running sci-fi strip to the silver screen earlier this year.

George Lucas, on the other hand, has never acknowledged Valerian as an inspiration for Star Wars.

This week on the Force Material podcast, we attempt to weigh up the evidence and determine what impact Valerian really had on Star Wars! 

We also share our thoughts on Besson's film, and grapple with the question nobody can answer — why does Hollywood keep trying to make Dane DeHaan happen? 

For a visual comparison between the Valerian comics and the Star Wars films, check out Six ways Valerian (might have) influenced Star Wars. 

On this week's Force Material podcast, we're going back to Rian Johnson's film camp to break down how Twelve O'Clock High could influence The Last Jedi!

The 1949 film, directed by Henry King, tells the story of a US Bomber unit stationed in England during the darkest days of World War II.

Gregory Peck, as Brigadier General Frank Savage, is tasked with getting "maximum effort" out of the unit's pilots, and leads them on increasingly daring raids — at no small cost to his own health.

Twelve O'Clock High was one of six films that director Rian Johnson required the cast and crew of The Last Jedi to watch as part of his 'film camp' before production began. 

Johnson told Empire that Twelve O'Clock High was "a big touchstone" for The Last Jedi, "for the feel and look of the aerial combat, as well as the dynamic between the pilots".

This week, as we count down to the release of The Last Jedi, Baz and I watch Twelve O'Clock High to dissect how its pioneering depiction of post-traumatic stress disorder could influence what happens next to Poe Dameron, Paige Tico and the rest of Black Squadron!

We're exploring the origins and influences of the galaxy's most toxic fanboy, Kylo Ren, in this week's Force Material podcast!

The spotlight falls on Han Solo and Leia Organa's wayward son in this episode, as we drill down into the cultural and artistic inspirations for this fascinating (and often misunderstood) villain.  

We discuss how Kylo sets the sequel trilogy apart from the original films, as he reflects contemporary fears about radicalised and isolated young men. 

We break down the parallels between Kylo Ren and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, school shooters and toxic keyboard warriors, and explain how Kylo Ren and Rey represent different types of Star Wars fans.

We also dig into the design choices that made Kylo instantly iconic, and the Shakespearean and Arthurian influences on his complex character arc. 

Finally, we lay out our thoughts on where we see Kylo Ren going in The Last Jedi and beyond. Can he be redeemed, or are some sins just too terrible to be forgiven?

This week on the Force Material podcast, we're celebrating the fifth anniversary of Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm!

It was five years ago today that George Lucas shocked the entertainment world by selling his company — and the rights to make more Star Wars films — to The Walt Disney Company. 

In that time, we've heard plenty from disgruntled fans about the 'Disneyfication' of Star Wars, but in this week's podcast, Baz McCalister and I explore the connections between George Lucas and Disney that go back much, much further than 2012. 

We also explain how it was Indiana Jones, not Star Wars, that made the Disney sale possible, and we rate the smartest decisions and worst missteps of the Disney era's first five years.

Finally, we share our Force visions for where we think the franchise will be five years from now! 

Cary Grant, Grace Kelly and the French Riviera star in this week's episode of the Force Material podcast.

The Last Jedi will see the introduction of the casino planet Canto Bight, which director Rian Johnson calls "a Star Wars Monte Carlo-type environment, a little James Bond-ish, a little To Catch A Thief."

Johnson has also called To Catch A Thief "a great film to rewatch" before The Last Jedi, "for the romantic scale and grandeur".

So on this week's episode of Force Material, Baz McAlister and I are sitting down to watch this classic Hitchcock confection.

We're exploring the ways that Hitchcock's cat thief caper might influence the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, as well as the connections between To Catch A Thief and another beloved franchise. 

We're talking Porgs, Porgs and more Porgs on this week's episode of the Force Material podcast!

Ever since they made their debut in the behind-the-scenes reel for The Last Jedi that was shown at D23 in July, Porgs — the cutest inhabitants of Ahch-To, if not the entire Star Wars galaxy — have taken their rightful place at the centre of the saga. 

The old, tired questions about Rey's parentage, Snoke's identity and Leia's fate have simply ceased to matter in the wake of the arrival of the Porgs, who are experiencing a level of popularity even BB-8 can't hope to compete with.

In this week's episode of the show, we're rounding up everything we know so far about the Porgs, as well as the adorable real-life seabirds — the puffins of Skellig Michael — who inspired their design!

We also delve into the history of cute Star Wars creatures to discuss why the much-maligned Ewoks are actually the purest expression of the franchise's most important theme, and why Hoojibs — the telepathic bunnies from the '80s Marvel Star Wars comic — are ripe for a comeback. 

All this and more, in this week's episode of the Force Material porgcast! 

In this emergency episode of the Force Material podcast, we're breaking down the enigma that is the Last Jedi trailer!

Join us as we attempt to answer all the questions the trailer raises, including but not limited to:

Is Rian Johnson the master of misdirection, or is the real misdirection that there is no misdirection?

Should Luke train Rey?

Is Kylo Ren a great pilot or not, and what would be truer to his character?

Will Kylo kill another one of his parents?

Why doesn't Kylo wear his mask anymore?

Can Kylo be redeemed?

Was Darth Vader ever really redeemed?

 Is Poe Dameron the son Leia never had?

Is Leia an underrated Force user?

Are Porgs the most adorable creature in the history of the franchise?

Does the Jedi Order that established itself on Ahch-To bear any resemblance to the Jedi Order that established itself on Coruscant?

Will Phasma finally live up to the hype?

Is Kylo pulling Rey to the dark, is Rey pulling Kylo to the light, or are they teaming up to fight an even bigger bad?

Is Rian Johnson trying to send us a meta-message?

Where are Holdo, Rose and DJ?

And will any of this footage actually end up in the film, anyway?

Grab your s'mores, because we're off to Rian Johnson's film camp in the second episode of the Force Material podcast!

Our weekly deep dive into the influences and inspirations behind the Star Wars saga continues with an examination of director Hideo Gosha's pulpy 1964 classic, Three Outlaw Samurai.

This was one of a number of films that director Rian Johnson required the cast and crew of The Last Jedi to watch as part of his 'film camp' before production began.  

In the lead-up to December, we'll be discussing each of these films, breaking down what makes them special, and taking a few educated guesses at how they might influence The Last Jedi. 

This episode, we're taking a look at the cultural influences that have made Star Wars 'big in Japan'; how the swordplay of Three Outlaw Samurai could inspire all-in brawls with the Knights of Ren and the Praetorian Guard in The Last Jedi; why Obi-Wan's duel with Darth Vader in A New Hope is actually awesome; and whether or not the cynicism of Three Outlaw Samurai is compatible with Star Wars.  

Three Outlaw Samurai is available as part of the Criterion Collection here (but please note that, if you live outside North America, you'll need a multi-region Blu-Ray player to watch the film). 

Discover the real-life story behind Luke Skywalker's island home in the first episode of the Force Material podcast!

Welcome to our weekly deep dive into the secrets and source material of Star Wars, with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister.

We'll be delving into the influences and inspirations behind the Star Wars saga, from films and folklore to history, politics and geography. These are the stories behind the prequels, the sequels, and everything in between!

In our first episode, we explore Skellig Michael, the filming location for Luke Skywalker's place of exile in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

What was life really like for the Gaelic Christian monks that built a monastery on this desolate rock in the 6th century, and which creatures might they have encountered?

Was George Bernard Shaw the first location scout for Lucasfilm?

And what does it even mean to be religious in a galaxy where magical space wizards are actually, objectively, real?

All this and more, in the first episode of Force Material! 

In the coming weeks, we'll break down the movies that make up Rian Johnson's Star Wars Film Camp, and begin to explore the creative building blocks of the Saga we all love so much.

If you love samurai, space ships and saloons, you've come to the right place. 

Who knows? You might even end up finding something new that you'll love just as much as Star Wars.

Well... almost as much, anyway.