Star Wars Spotlight: D23 News and The Acolyte Season Review

08/16/24 • 145 min

As summer blockbuster season winds down and awards season just starts to warm up with a flurry of fall film festivals, P.T., Greg, and I thought it would be a great time to nerd out about Star Wars. First, we react to some recent news coming out of the D23 Expo (including a movie! finally!), and then we review the entire season of The Acolyte that concluded on Disney+ a few weeks ago. That naturally brings us to a ranking exercise. We debate, negotiate, and conciliate to put all the Disney+ Star Wars series in order from best to worst. How will our takes and favs line up with yours? What fan edits would P.T. make to The Acolyte? And how many times can Greg crack jokes about Jude Law’s filmography? Search your feelings, connect to The Force, and join us for a fun conversation.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: StarWars.com

[SPOILER ALERT: Unlike our regular reviews, this will have spoilers for all of Star Wars from the very beginning.]

Movie News Update: We react to Star Wars news coming out of D23. When is the next time we’ll see Star Wars on a screen, both big and small? 3:58

The Short Take: What were our impressions of The Acolyte, now that we’ve had a few weeks to sit with it? This also kind of free flows to a capacious discussion of The Acolyte in general. 44:30

Our Disney+ Star Wars Rankings We try to come to a consensus on how we should rank all 8 series. 1:52:48

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Get full access to The Long Take at thelongtake.substack.com/subscribe

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: StarWars.com

[SPOILER ALERT: Unlike our regular reviews, this will have spoilers for all of Star Wars from the very beginning.]

Movie News Update: We react to Star Wars news coming out of D23. When is the next time we’ll see Star Wars on a screen, both big and small? 3:58

Our Disney+ Star Wars Rankings We try to come to a consensus on how we should rank all 8 series. 1:52:48

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

Get full access to The Long Take at thelongtake.substack.com/subscribe

Previous Episode

Deadpool & Wolverine Review

LFG!!! Deadpool & Wolverine has slashed its way through multiple box office records. Its opening weekend has made more money than any other R-rated movie, and it’s currently in sixth place for the highest-grossing weekend of all time. Will it have the summer movie legs to join last summer’s winner, Barbie, in the billion dollar club? And what does this success signify? Does it portend anything for the future of the MCU? Or is it more a testament to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s collective star power?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Colby Mead of The Colbycast joins us to debate these questions, as well as respond to complaints from the critics who aren’t exactly screaming LFG. We consider who this movie is for, what it’s about, and how much prior knowledge is actually required to appreciate the jokes and story. We share all our favorite moments. We may have even stumble upon a working thesis. This recording was longer than the movie itself, but you’ll want to stick around to hear Colby’s brilliant thoughts about Marvel hero history, P.T.’s explanation of how the multiverse works in this film, and Jen’s pitch for an Alpha Flight movie (well, maybe that last one’s not worth sticking around for).

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: LA Times

Movie News Update: We react to big MCU news coming out of San Diego Comic Con and Deadpool & Wolverine’s box office boom. 4:03

The Short Take: Our spoiler-free review of Deadpool & Wolverine. 30:54

The Recommendation Algorithm: Who should go see Deadpool & Wolverine? What do you need to have seen (and how old do you need to be) to deeply appreciate the humor in this film? 35:44

SPOILER MODE: Does this movie have a story? What’s the thesis of this movie? Then we share our favorite cameos, jokes, fight scenes, etc. 50:28

Our favs/superlatives. 1:41:00

The Rhetorical Situation: How do feel like this film engages with the history of these characters and the history of comic book movies? 2:10:27

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Logo art: Illustration 73265080 © Worldofvector | Dreamstime.com

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Next Episode

Sing Sing Review

When I think of the genre of prison drama, what do I think of? As a child of the 90s, Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Green Mile (1999) come to mind first; the former in particular defined the genre forever thereafter. I think of the struggle to survive, full of violence and terror. I think of the bleakness of never getting out and the desperate scheming to escape or undermine the system. I think of crime and corruption perpetuated within the carceral system itself.

Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing, in theaters now, defies all of these expectations. While it does not shy away from the oppressive confinement of prison life, it offers a story of the hope and joy experienced by inmates participating in the RTA or Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program, which began in 1996 at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. It’s a moving love letter to the dramatic arts, and is never exploitative or voyeuristic.

In this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I identify ways in which Sing Sing subverts prison movie stereotypes, reflect on how the film represents incarceration, and try to understand how this film achieves its authenticity and avoids saccharine storytelling. Could it be an early frontrunner in the Oscar race? Is Coleman Domingo a shoe-in for Best Actor, hot off his nomination last year? And what additional insight can Antonio’s legal background offer our interpretation of the film? Join our conversation to find out.

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: A24

Movie News Update: What’s going on with Joaquin and Todd? (But not the Todd you think.) 3:50

The Short Take: Our spoiler-free review Sing Sing. 12:57

The Recommendation Algorithm: Why might folks who wouldn’t normally go for a movie about prison want to watch this? How does it align with or subvert the prison movie genre? 18:23

SPOILER MODE: How does this film represent incarceration and the criminal justice system? What is it trying to say about the prison system? Featuring Lessons in the Law with Antonio! 24:28

The Rhetorical Situation: How does this film represent theater and the arts? What does this film have in common with our teaching? 51:45

Oscars Watch: This movie seems poised to make an Oscar play. How far can it go? 1:01:11

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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