The prequels are good movies, seriously. This week, we get a fresh perspective on The Phantom Menace. Here's what happens:

Sensationalism sells news. Unfortunately, it typically bypasses basic human decency and empathy in the process. Carrie Fisher rules.

Dallas and Luke both scored a sweet Lando 6" Black Series! Luke also go the Inquisitor Pop! Eric bought an older Hasbro interactive R2-D2 via Craigslist. It didn't work. Enter the Force. Happy ending.

The Phantom Menace has a lot going for it. Awesome Jedi? Check. Badass villain? Check, check. Brilliant soundtrack? IT IS... AWESOME.. (you know you sang that just now).

Top Gun Bob Ross? Happy little Force trees? Wait, what now?

Josh Nelson, we love you.

Richie from Boston blows our minds. Seriously. Kaboom.

Chris Willis can make any day a great day. ERIC, I SAID HE CAN MAKE ANY DAY A GREAT DAY!

King Tom lets off a little royal steam.

Some first-time contributors and long time friends of the show via email and voicemail! Sweet!

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

Well, E3 2017 was this past weekend, and that Battlefront 2 trailer sure looks neato! What does the story arcs in the game add to the overall story of Star Wars? Here's what happens:

There is some really interesting imagery in the Battlefront 2 trailer, specifically stuff that comes from Aftermath: Empire's End. Luke takes us in deep. You know what I mean.

Eric thought the title Inferno Squad was a terrible joke when he first heard it.

Dallas hasn't read Dark Disciple yet. At least Eric is finally reading Darth Plagueis, for crying out loud.

Eric's kids made a really cute video thanking Stephen Stanton for some cool autographed pictures he sent to them. Check it out here!

Some people don't understand why we think The Force Awakens is so, so, so good. King Tom swoops in and explains it much better than we did.

An international collection of listener voicemails and emails!

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

The Funko SDCC-exclusive Pop!s were announced. One of them is cool. None of us can go to SDCC. Here's what happens:

Luke loves Funko Pops! His mom wants to know why he has so many. Luke wants to know why Funko can't throw us a bone and make the Snoke Pop! available to everyone.

When it comes to old SNL skits, Eric can't tell Boston and Brooklyn apart.

Dallas watched Spaceballs with his kids. Those poor kids.

NLA (National Lightsaber Association) talk. Seriously.

Eric got a call from Stephen Stanton as part of a prize for retweeting to raise awareness for Starlight Children's Foundation. Mr. Stanton has an amazing resume. Check him out on IMDB!

Top Gun Ollie gives us a glimpse into Top Gun 2. Apparently it sounds just like the original Top Gun.

An amazing batch of listener emails and voicemails.

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

Star Wars turned 40 on May 25th. They grow up so fast! It seems like only yesterday that it was a baby. But, anyway. Here's what happens:

Luke tells us that the new Smuggler's Bounty box is awesome. The Luke with land speeder is especially neato.

We talk about what the original Star Wars movie means to us and what keeps us coming back to it again and again.

There are some weird things in each of the films of the original trilogy that maybe not everyone has noticed. Surprisingly, Dallas takes us to school on this one.

Eric reminisces about his kids introducing him to disco when it first came out.

Listener emails and voicemails, featuring King Tom, Richie from Boston, Aaron from OKC and more!

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

It's finally here! The long-awaited sequel to MEGAPOD, MEGAPOD 2 was recorded in the evening of the final day of SWCO 2017. Guest Motivator Patrick Bonfrisco joins Eric to make the magic happen. Our portion of MEGAPOD 2 is part 5 in a 7 part series. The other parts of MEGAPOD 2 can be found in the feeds of the podcasts below. Be sure to check out their work! These are some of the best podcasts out there, and it was a privilege to be able to be part of this night. A big thanks to Steele Saunders of the Steele Wars podcast (Twitter: @SteeleWars) (iTunes) for organizing this. You can check out his part of this night on the end of his Celebration Day 4 Blogpod!

Part 1: Now, This Is Podcasting! (Twitter: @MSWNTIP) (iTunes)

Part 2: The Star Wars Underworld (Twitter: @TheSWU) (iTunes)

Part 3: Rebel Grrrl (Twitter: @MSWRebelGrrrl) (iTunes)

Part 4: KPFK Geek Radio (Twitter: @KPFKgeekradio) (iTunes)

Part 5: The Bad Motivators (You are here.)

Part 6: Radio Free Mandalore (Twitter: @RFMandalore) (iTunes)

Part 7: Rogue Won (Twitter: @roguewonpod) (iTunes)

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

Have you read Thrawn by Timothy Zahn? We did! Well, Eric did. Dallas and Luke "read" the audiobook. Look up the verb form of the word "read" in the dictionary and tell us what you think. But anyway. Here's what happens:

Dallas made a KILLER score on some 40th anniversary 6" black series figures at an incredible price. He mentions that there were doubles of some of them. Luke points out that neither he nor Eric would have turned those down. Just sayin'.

We rate Thrawn on a scale of 1-10. Or at least some of us do.

How about a rundown of the novel and an analysis of it? Check and check.

Han Solo movie speculation.

We lost Olliewood. Dammit, Maverick.

The merits (or lack thereof) of the Yub Nub song.

Listener emails and voicemails!

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

It's Lucky 13 for the Motivators, and for the listeners as well! Here's what happens:

Luke got Eric a Mother's Day gift.

Dallas was at an adult party jumping on tramps. Oh yeah.

Will the next Star Wars animated series look like South Park?

Why was the dude from the Doors a Navy fighter pilot?

Toys: open them or no?

We catch up on listener emails and voicemails, including an email from noted author Emily "Lindo" Lind!!

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

Luke has a great idea. Three different standalone movie ideas, one from each Motivator. Realistic ideas! We're gonna be rich! Here's what happens:

Walgreens is a goldmine for the elusive figures in some areas.

The Mandalorian-Jedi war.

The origins of the Force and the Jedi Order.

Vader's torment in the aftermath of the events of Revenge of the Sith.

Those embarrassing spontaneous lightsaber ignitions in Jedi class right before you get called on to come to the front of the class.

A couple of listener emails!

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

What does the balance of the Force really mean at this point in the current canon? Dallas poses this question and shares his thoughts on it. Here's what happens:

Where are the damn 40th anniversary Han Solo and R2-D2 figures?

Is the Bendu the future of the Force?

Does Luke really think the Jedi should cease to exist?

People, they're buttholes sometimes.

Apparently there's a book called Darth Plagueis that's really good. It's the first Eric's heard of it.

Some pretty choice listener voicemails and emails. SPOILER WARNING: There is cursing.

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978

Some surprising news in the world of Star Wars, and some surprising absences of news. Here's what happens:

Cool Celebration exclusive collectables?

Hey, how about the buttholes who are buying all the toys off the shelves and selling them for a huge profit online just knock it off?

What's really going on in Star Wars right now?

Season 4 will be the final season for Star Wars Rebels.

40 Years of Star Wars panel. It can be found here.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi panel. It can be found here.

Mark Hamill's Tribute to Carrie Fisher panel. It can be found here.

Yeah, yeah. Read Plagueis. Got it. Maybe Dallas can have his son loan Eric his book report on it.

Listener emails!

 

E-mail the show: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter! The Bad Motivators: @bad_motivatorsLuke Cruser: @lukecruserEric Strothers: @ericstrothersDallas Wood: @dwizzle1978