In The Cold Open #26, The Force Awakens Edition, Matt Reynolds and Robert Sickels begin with a brief discussion of Sisters, Krampus, and the magical powers of Whiskey Punch before getting to their SPOILER FILLED take on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. They dissect the film through varying lenses, including casting, writing, cinematography, editing, and audience reception. Of the many digressions along the way, the most notable is an unexpected detour into Face/Off and the careers of Nicolas Cage, John Travolta, and John Woo. We also grapple with the big question: it’s fun and entertaining, but is The Force Awakens good in the same sense we consider films like Citizen Kane or Vertigo to be good? Finally, we consider the long term industrial and cultural implications of the film, which is framed by our reading of Adam Rogers’ excellent Wired essay, “You Won’t Live to See the Final Star Wars Movie: Star Wars and the Quest for the Forever Franchise.” Our intro this edition is “20th Century Fox Fanfare” by the London Symphony Orchestra and our outro is “Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner,” by John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra.

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