35 The Phantom Menace (1999)

After sixteen years of a fanbase growing into adulthood, George Lucas dropped fifty millon dollars of Lucasfilm Limited’s money into the surest bet in Hollywood history: The first film in a new trilogy of Star Wars films. Though distributed by Fox and produced by Rick McCallum, Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace would be exactly like the first film from 1977. Lucas would have total control over screenplay, production, casting, editing, and marketing. What emerged was the most controversial franchise film in history, a movie that conflicted with Canon, had red herrings, left some audiences confused, some angry, and had the greatest lightsaber duel in history. Twenty-five years later, Warren Hayes, Paul Emig and myself go through The Phantom Menace scene by scene as we lament what could have been and appreciate what we do like. Join us as we watch the Phantom Menace and discuss all thing Lucas: including racism, bad acting, our total respect for Ahmed Best, and how much all of us miss Marcia Lucas.