Episode 1: Star Wars – May 25 1977

This inaugural episode of OPENING WEEKEND introduces hosts Jason O’Connell, Fred Berman, and Dan Matisa, establishing their “movie geek credentials” (“Starlog” subscription? Check. Childhood obsession with film critic Pauline Kael? Check...) before diving into a funny, freewheeling discussion of the first film to melt the minds of a generation: STAR WARS. Join this trio of comfy college buddies as they recall the toys, the commercials, and the characters that fed their imaginations and shaped their playground fantasies even before they saw the film in theatres. What made the first Star Wars so captivating? How did the sequels, prequels, and (so-called) “special” editions either up the ante or drop the ball? What is Fred’s greatest regret as a reader of “Bantha Tracks” and a card-carrying member of the Star Wars fan-club? Why was the concept of “sand people” so frightening to a young, impressionable Jason? And why is Dan so obsessed with ranking the saga’s major battles and minor characters? (Spoiler Alert: Aunt Beru makes a surprisingly strong showing…) A summer of cinematic time-travel begins right here with the very first episode of OPENING WEEKEND!