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‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ (Part Two) With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Van Lathan

May 6, 2025 · Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) · Action · Adventure · Fantasy · 1:55:04

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 4:24Vader fucks up the conference room meeting and choke forces out a dude

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 22:20Chewbacca is the most overrated sidekick ever - he's useless, can't shoot guns, speaks unintelligible language, stands out everywhere, and never uses his size or strength effectively

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 36:18The greatest secret probably ever kept in a movie (Vader being Luke's father), Obi-Wan as the ultimate mentor, every Darth Vader entrance, lightsabers
Sean Fennessey▶ 34:57The Emperor as greatest villain in film history
Van Lathan▶ 32:34Darth Vader - evolved from cool mysterious villain to cultural icon that the entire franchise is oriented around

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 42:16Luke staring at the two suns on Tatooine - the binary sunset
Sean Fennessey▶ 43:11Multiple shots including Obi-Wan at the Death Star control panel and R2/3PO's escape pod with stardust effect
Van Lathan▶ 44:46Luke looking at the two suns and the destruction of Alderaan

Best Quote

Chris Ryan▶ 48:05Kid I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff. But I've never seen anything to make me believe that there's one all powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny.

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Sean Fennessey▶ 49:00Mark Hamill's performance/acting ability
Van Lathan▶ 48:57Claims to have one but doesn't state it clearly before discussion shifts to Mark Hamill

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 52:03Kurt Russell — Kurt Russell tested for Luke Skywalker's role but would have been too much testosterone/too cool. Suggests Matthew Broderick in War Games type would be better fit.
Chris Ryan▶ 52:17Kurt Russell — Agrees Kurt Russell would be too cool for Luke. Defends Hamill's arc across the trilogy, noting Luke becomes scarred and grizzled by Return of the Jedi.
Van Lathan▶ 51:02Mark Hamill — Defends Mark Hamill's casting, arguing his uncertain, questioning performance works well against the confident characters of Solo and Leia, and that he develops perfectly across the three films.

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:35Mark Hamill — Chewbacca, Mark Hamill getting whiny and loud, and Alec Guinness looking regretful about taking the role
Van Lathan▶ 1:04:58Mark Hamill — Mark Hamill's line 'I'm not such a bad pilot myself' when he's mad at Han

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:48Darth Vader — Darth Vader (in the movie for 12 minutes)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:51Collective group of cantina bar patrons (racist bartender, butt face, etc.)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:12:41Richard LeParmentier — Admiral Motti (the officer who gets Force-choked by Vader)
Van Lathan▶ 1:12:13Darth Vader — Initially suggested CGI Jabba, but agrees Vader should win if eligible

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:16George Lucas — George Lucas around 1981 after Empire and Raiders; Mark Hamill definitely; Carrie Fisher (this or Blues Brothers/Empire); Field of Dreams for James Earl Jones; 20th Century Fox; nerds starting their renaissance
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:01George Lucas — George Lucas as director peaked here; John Williams nearly impossible to choose but agreed it's his apex; outer space sagas/lore starters
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:18George Lucas — George Lucas around 1981 when he built his empire (ILM, Skywalker Ranch); movie sound effects with Ben Burtt's work; nerds who got obsessed went on to take over
Van Lathan▶ 1:17:54George Lucas — George Lucas as director peaked here before the poorly directed prequels; fictional mythologies - this spawned the biggest world; absentee fathers - greatest absentee dad story ever

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:37Tom Cruise — 1982 Cruise, specifically Outsiders-era Cruise for Luke
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:27Tom Cruise — Cruise for Luke around Taps era, but thinks Hanks could have been good as Han Solo during his Volunteers period
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:23:51Tom Cruise — Cruise, but mentions Hanks now as Obi-Wan would be interesting

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:03R2D2 and C-3PO randomly ejecting and landing on Luke's planet right near his house
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:28The Empire only sent four TIE fighters at the Millennium Falcon when they could have sent more and ended everything
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:14The Empire should have shot down the escape pod even though there's no life force on it
Van Lathan▶ 1:30:42The stormtroopers are legendarily incompetent - the whole thing doesn't work if they're better at their job or can aim

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:33Reads the standard list of utility players but doesn't give specific picks
Chris Ryan▶ 1:41:51Adds Bill Simmons podcasting about the movie on his Sunday night podcast

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:52Sound
Chris Ryan▶ 1:42:46Acknowledges the category but doesn't give a clear pick

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:58Did they intentionally make C-3PO look like an Oscar? Why didn't Chewbacca have genitalia? Halloween 1978 probably had the most people dressed in the same costume
Chris Ryan▶ 1:43:24Noted they were discussing a lot of Star Wars character genitalia and questioned whether there should be more bathroom references in Star Wars
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:43:05C-3PO wasn't intentionally made to look like Oscar - he's modeled after the robot from Metropolis, though the gold color might remind people of Oscar
Van Lathan▶ 1:43:20Chewbacca might be a 'hider' - he's a Wookiee and there are many Wookiees, so he likely has genitalia and goes to the bathroom like other creatures

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:49:13Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — Initially suggests Rogue One, then mentions Raiders as interesting options
Van Lathan▶ 1:49:15Dune — Suggests Denis Villeneuve's Dune (the first one) and American Graffiti as options

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:49:36Harrison Ford
Chris Ryan▶ 1:49:42Harrison Ford — Harrison Ford - argues he keeps the movie attached to humanity and is one of the coolest movie characters ever
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:50:20George Lucas — George Lucas - created the most indelible franchise in Hollywood history and made billions
Van Lathan▶ 1:50:28George Lucas — George Lucas - no one in the industry has won any single movie as much as Lucas won this one

Movies Referenced (44)

American Graffiti (1973)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 30:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Matrix (1999)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 1:19:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 1:45:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 34:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sinners (2025)

3 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons▶ 1:52:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Hidden Fortress (1958)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 45:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 25:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chasing Amy (1997)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:00:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Field of Dreams (1989)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

He Got Game (1998)

2 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:22:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Wick (2014)

2 mentions · Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:52:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Red One (2024)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 1:46:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Brian De Palma

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities▶ 38:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denis Villeneuve

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Blade Runner 2049▶ 1:49:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harrison Ellenshaw

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 43:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Smith

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Clerks, Chasing Amy▶ 1:01:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (56)

Han Solo

37 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey▶ 7:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Young

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective▶ 7:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harrison Ford

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 22:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Hamill

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope▶ 28:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Williams

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Jurassic Park, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope▶ 55:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Empire of the Sun

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Sex Tape, Hall Pass▶ 1:17:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carrie Fisher

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi▶ 39:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Earl Jones

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Field of Dreams▶ 33:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kurt Russell

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Escape from New York, The Hateful Eight▶ 52:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Game

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Street Kings, The A-Team, Coach Carter▶ 37:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alec Guinness

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Kind Hearts and Coronets▶ 13:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Grape

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Virtuosity▶ 9:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

George Lucas

34 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, THX 1138, American Graffiti▶ 3:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 28:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Sagan

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Contact▶ 58:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Damon Lindelof

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Flanagan

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 49:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Gilbert Taylor

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Omen, Flash Gordon▶ 42:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗