Greetings starfighter! Join Robert, Nat, and Cody, with special guest Jim Laczkowski as we defend the frontier against Xur and the Kodan Armada by watching THE LAST STARFIGHTER and reminiscing about 1984.
THE LAST STARFIGHTER opened July 13, 1984, in a summer packed with hits and wasn’t able to compete. But, it developed a cult following over time and is fondly remembered today. Particularly for its Spielbergian earnestness and appealing lead performance from Lance Guest as Alex Rogan, a boy that wants to chase his dreams.
THE LAST STARFIGHTER is also one of the first big experiments in computer graphics on the big screen. And, while it’s clearly showing its age in respect to the special effects, you can see the digital future we now live in start to rear its head in the film.
Buoyed by supporting performances by Dan O’Herlihy and Robert Preston, in full THE MUSIC MAN mold, THE LAST STARFIGHTER demonstrates a light touch. Perhaps too light? We discuss it in the show.
Regardless, THE LAST STARFIGHTER is fondly remembered for a reason. Maybe it doesn’t have the following of the biggest hits of 1984, but there’s a reason that the year is fondly remembered as a whole and THE LAST STARFIGHTER is part of those reasons.
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Time tracks:
THE LAST STARFIGHTER Discussion: 0:00 to 1:08:50
Next Film and Outro: 1:08:50 to End
Next month, we get in a Halloween mood with Peter Hyams’s THE RELIC. We hope you’ll join us.
