We spoil the 3rd Star Wars film released, which is the 6th in the series, and generally agreed to be our 2nd favorite of the original trilogy (which was released 1st, but is the 2nd set of three). Makes sense, right?
Warning: this podcast contains references to nudity.
Read The Podcast: Spoiling Star Wars with Eric: Return of the Jedi
Return of the Jedi, directed by Star Wars creator George Lucas, was released in 1983. Todd was a youthful eight-years old and Eric was still a year away from being born. We can only imagine the hype for this film after the big reveal from Empire Strikes Back. It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know the outcome of the original trilogy. Think about the two year wait these diehard fans had to go through. Todd is one of the few that remembers the epic wait.
The Hersey boys found themselves watching Return of the Jedi on VHS – over and over and over. Bill Hersey, legendary VCR repairman, was an early adopter of dubbing movies for the family. It’s very likely that this video cassette had the most plays out of the trilogy – Eric reveals this was his favorite as a child.
And how could you not love the original movie? Yes, there is some known grief regarding Ewoks but we also got Jabba’s Palace, Speeder bikes, and Nien Nunb. Boba Fett might meet his fate in the lamest way possible, but it’s always nice to see our favorite bounty hunter on film. The original release is everything great about Star Wars.
But don’t get Todd and Eric started on the Special Edition release. The Max Rebo Band was perfect in the original. Why make it a silly music number? There are no acceptable answers. Oh yeah, who is that guy standing next to ghost Obi Wan and Yoda at the end? It’s obviously Luke’s dad – in a younger form. I’m sure Luke had tons of pictures of Darth Vader when he was a teen.
It might not be the best of all of the films, but nostalgia still reigns supreme. Creatures with practical effects and a happy ending also scores bonus points.
Podcast Show Notes, References, and Links
Released into the galaxy on July 11, 2020.
Listen to Spoiling Star Wars with Eric: Return of the Jedi
