Scavenger's Hoard: A Star Wars Podcast

In this episode, we begin with a news section where we discuss the big reveals from Vanity Fair and Celebration regarding the upcoming Star Wars TV projects - including Andor, Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte. We also discuss Kathleen Kennedy’s comments on recasting actors, and the titbits that have been given about the future of Star Wars at the cinema. We then move on to share our thoughts on the first two episodes of the new Disney Plus series ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ - we go into full spoilers from the start of the discussion (about 50 minutes into the recording), sharing our thoughts on Ewan McGregor’s performance, the inclusion of a little Leia Organa and the tortured past of new Moses Ingram’s Reva. We hope our listeners enjoy following the show and hearing our thoughts on the new episodes as they’re released! Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill, dir. Sam Neill and Judy Rymer And Rachael has these picks: - The Red Shoes, dir. Powell and Pressburger - Sunrise, dir. F. W. Murnau - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, dir. Isao Takahata - The Northman, dir. Robert Eggers - Benedetta, dir. Paul Verhoeven We then move on to discuss the new poster and trailer for 'Obi-Wan Kenobi', as well as quickly covering the full schedule release for Star Wars Celebration 2022. We then progress to our spotlight discussion, which is focused on John Jackson Miller's 2013 novel 'Kenobi'. We share our thoughts on the book's themes (grief!), characters (Anileen!) and world-building (Tusken culture!), and give it a hearty recommendation. We're very interested to see how it compares with the eventual series. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - You Must Remember This, a podcast by Karina Longworth - The Batman, dir. Matt Reeves - Russian Doll, season 2 And Rachael has these picks: - The Drop Out - The Most Beautiful Wife, dir. Damiano Damiani - Deep Water, dir. Adrian Lyne - Prayers for the Stolen, dir. Tatiana Huezo - Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico We then move on to discuss the latest Star Wars news, covering the following topics: - Donald Glover talks his Lando series - Star Wars Celebration schedule announcements begin - Star Wars Visions season 2 rumours begin to swirl - Natalie Holt announced as the composer for ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ We then move on to our spotlight discussion, which is focused on comparing and contrasting the two major sci-fi franchises of 1999 - The Matrix and Star Wars. We begin our discussion in that year, considering what makes the two properties similar and different, and exploring how both franchises were compared at the time. We discuss all four Ma

(There were some technical issues during the recording session that meant we lost the first 10 minutes of the podcast, and had to rely on backups for the rest of the recording - apologies for any dip in audio quality!) In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson - Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood - Death Becomes Her, dir. Robert Zemeckis And Rachael has these picks: - The Godfather Part II, dir. Francis Ford Coppola - Maya and the Three on Netflix (from the creator of The Book of Life) - Power of the Dog (novel) by Thomas Savage - The Witch, dir. Robert Eggers Around 13 minutes in, we begin our discussion of the Oscars, breaking down some of the main categories and sharing our thoughts on the highs and lows of the night. At 48 minutes in, we move on to discuss the recent developments concerning the Obi-Wan Kenobi show - we have a chat about the first trailer, as well as the EW piece that provided our first

In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy by Scott Meslow - Blood, Sweat and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan - Good Time, dir. Safdie Brothers And Rachael has these picks: - Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi - BBC News (Slava Ukraini!) We then have a brief discussion about the Galactic Starcruiser (aka the Star Wars Hotel), discussing a few reviews and reactions that have come out from our fellow podcasters and critics. The bulk of the show is then given over to discussion of the Legends novel The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton. We discuss the introduction of the Night Sisters and Dathomor, the characterisation of leads Leia, Han and Luke, and the wide array of new characters that are introduced: from Prince Isolder to Tenneniel. While neither of us are convinced the book is ‘good’, as such, we greatly enjoyed the experience of re

In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - Dune and Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert - It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Kimi - I Want You Back - Down With Love And Rachael has these picks: - The Story of Adele H. - Sound of the Mountain - Black Book (2006) - Light Over the Water by Janina David Around the 28-minute mark, we move on to the Star Wars topics! We cover the following news topics: - Obi-Wan poster released/confirmed to debut on 25 May - Mystery Star Wars series filming in June - John Williams to contribute to score of Obi-Wan Kenobi - Nicholas Britell to score ‘Andor’ - The canon story of Han and Leia’s honeymoon is to be revealed in a new novel by Beth Revis At 51 minutes in, we move on to discuss the season finale of ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ - In The Name of Honour. We discuss what we liked, including some of our favourite dynamics from the episode, as well as reflecting on the season as a whole and what we wish the show could have done differently. Many thanks to Chris

In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (2019) - The Last of Sheila (1973) - Assembly by Natasha Brown - Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke And Rachael has these picks: - The Cremator (1969) - Mass (2021) - Ballad of a Soldier (1959) Around the 21-minute mark, we move on to the Star Wars topics! We start off with a spoiler-y discussion of The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray, the final novel of phase one of the High Republic publishing initiative. We share what we liked and what we felt could have been improved, going on a little mini rant about one Marchion Ro. Then, around 36 minutes in, we change gears to discuss the latest two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett - Episode 5: Return of the Mandalorian and Episode 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger. We really enjoyed much of episode 5, but are more mixed on the choices made for episode 6, particularly the ethical implications of its furthering of the deep-fake technology. Many thank

In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - The Brontes: Wild Genius on the Moors: The Story of a Literary Family by Juliet Barker - The Ghost and Mrs Muir (1947) - The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) - Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980) And Rachael has these picks: - Swing Kids (2018) - Yellowjackets (2021) - Stath Lets Flats (2018) - Nightmare Alley (2021) Around the 30-minute mark, we move on to the main attraction - our thoughts on the latest two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett! We gush over the general fabulousness of Garsa Fwip, as well as discussing some of our highlights and frustrations with the show so far. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

It’s the new year, and we have a new format! Going forward, our plan is to begin each episode by highlighting a few pieces of non-Star Wars media we’d particularly like to put on people’s radars - including books, films and TV shows. In this episode’s opening, Kirsty recommends the following: - The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara - Baby Face (1933), dir. Alfred E. Green - Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), dir. Tim Burton And Rachael has these picks: - Beauty and the Beast (aka The Virgin and the Monster) (1978), dir. Juraj Herz - Boiling Point (2021), dir. Philip Barantini - Wuthering Heights (1988), dir. Yoshishige Yoshida We also have a quick chat about The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, which we have now both read and enjoyed! Around the 30-minute mark, we move on to the main attraction - our thoughts on the first two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett (Stranger in a Strange Land and The Tribes of Tatooine)! We talk about our feelings going into the show, and what we thought a

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty begin by covering the following news: - Amandla Stenberg reported to play the lead role in upcoming Disney Plus series ‘The Acolyte’ - Kari Skogland will replace Patty Jenkins as director of ‘CLEOPATRA’, so Jenkins can focus on ‘Wonder Woman 3’ and ‘Rogue Squadron’ - ‘Rangers of the New Republic’ seemingly cancelled We then move on to a detailed spotlight discussion on Matthew Stover’s highly regarded novelisation of Revenge of the Sith, where we place particular attention on the novel’s treatment of the three leads: Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme. We dig deep into the book’s use of themes and metaphor, as well as taking plenty of opportunities to admire Stover’s clever prose and unparalleled command of irony. This episode rounds out our series on the prequel novelisations, so we hope you enjoyed them! This is our last episode of the year, so we wish all our listeners a very happy and joyful holiday season. We’ll be back for a very different kind of book - The Book of Boba F

After a brief chat about the Disney Plus special on Boba Fett (Under the Helmet), Rachael and Kirsty begin by covering the following news: - Natasha Liu Bordizzo has been cast as Sabine Wren in the Ahsoka show - Kathleen Kennedy renews her Lucasfilm contract for another three years - Patty Jenkins’ ‘Rogue Squadron’ officially delayed; rumours circulate of the dreaded ‘creative differences’ We then continue our series on the Star Wars film novelisations - this time, we cover R. A. Salvatore’s classic novelisation of ‘Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones’. We talk about Salvatore’s infamous history in Star Wars lore as the man who wrote Chewbacca’s demise before diving into an extensive discussion on the Episode II novelisation proper, particularly focusing on its treatment of the Anidala romance and the ways in which it enriches the inner lives of the film’s female characters. If you have thoughts to share on any of the prequel novelisations, please do email us at scavengershoard@gmail.com - we’ll be

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty begin by covering the following news: - First trailer for the Book of Boba Fett revealed - Matt Smith sheds light on his involvement in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ - Mysterious Star Wars film rumoured to begin shooting next year for 2023 release (the discussion was recorded before the news came out that Rogue Squadron has been officially postponed, so is a little out of date!) - The Village Bride submitted for consideration at the 2022 Oscars We then return to our series on the Star Wars film novelisations - this time, we cover Terry Brooks’ classic novelisation of ‘Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace’. We explain some of the background to the novel before delving into our thoughts, sharing overall opinions before digging a bit deeper into the book’s characterisation of the film’s heroes. If you have thoughts to share on any of the prequel novelisations, please do email us at scavengershoard@gmail.com - we’ll be discussing the novelisations of ‘Attack of the Clones’ and ‘

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty begin with a quick and mostly non-spoilery review of Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ (aka the other big space movie). We both share our initial impressions, and our hopes for the much hoped for sequel. We then cover the following news: - Hayden Christensen reported to return in the ‘Ahsoka’ series - A new poster teases the climax of Phase I of the High Republic We then move on to our final discussion (for now!) on 'Star Wars: Visions', delving into the last three episodes: The Elder, Lop & Ochō and Akakiri. We really enjoyed the show, particularly these episodes, and are really hoping for more Star Wars stories that are similarly inspired. We also bring things back around to a curiously similar project, The Animatrix, touching on points of difference and similarity between the two projects. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty cover the following news: - Key new Star Wars novels, including 'Shadow of the Sith', announced - Chloe Zhao potentially hints at being interested in a Star Wars project - 'Secrets of the Sith' delves into the mind of the Emperor - Giancarlo Esposito takes a strong stand against anti-vaxxers We then move into a quick discussion of the new Disney Plus special 'LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales', paying particular attention to its treatment of Ben Solo and his 'Lost Boys'-inspired joy ride with the Knights of Ren. Finally, we round off the episode by returning to the awesome 'Star Wars: Visions' and sharing our thoughts on the three middle chapters - The Village Bride, The Ninth Jedi and T0-B1. We hope you enjoy hearing our thoughts - if you want to share your thoughts on 'Star Wars: Visions', please email us at scavengershoard@gmail.com Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty cover the following news: - Marcia Lucas shares her less than glowing review of the sequel trilogy - Ludwig Göransson set to score Disney+’s ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ - Rumoured Boba Fett episode titles/interconnection with The Mandalorian - High Republic wave three covers released We then move on to the new animated anthology series 'Star Wars: Visions', which we're happy to report we both loved! We share our general thoughts on the show before moving into a deeper discussion of the first three shorts: The Duel, Tatooine Rhapsody and The Twins. Check back next time as we continue our journey with 'Star Wars: Visions'! Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty cover the following news: - The documentary 'Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian - Making of the Season 2 Finale' - The first trailer to the Disney Plus special 'Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales' - The remake of the 'Knights of the Old Republic' video game for the PS5 - Thandiwe Newton speaks out on her character's unfortunate departure from 'Solo' We then round off the show with a discussion of the new Star Wars audio drama 'Tempest Runner', discussing how it fits into the wider mythos of the High Republic and our latest discoveries regarding the correct pronunciation of Marchion Ro. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty cover the following news: - J.W. Rinzler passes away - Taika Waititi turns his attention to his Star Wars film - New Star Wars Lego special coming - Terrifying Tales We then cover the final three episodes of The Bad Batch, discussing our thoughts on how the season concluded and our feelings about the show as a whole. We then dedicate the bulk of the episode to a spoiler-filled discussion of Cavan Scott’s new High Republic novel ‘The Rising Storm’ - we cover our thoughts on Jedi sexy-times, frustrated desires and proto-Force bonds; consider how Marchion Ro compares to Kylo Ren; and place our bets on the identity of ‘The Fallen Star' of the next High Republic novel. If you want to share your thoughts on ‘The Rising Storm’ or the High Republic more generally, please email us at scavengershoard@gmail.com Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty cover the following news: - Patty Jenkins provides an update on her 'Rogue Squadron' movie - A Ronin synopsis is revealed - A making-of documentary on the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian gets announced We also provide our quick thoughts on the latest three episodes of 'The Bad Batch'. Finally, we round off the episode with a brief detour where we discuss the Marvel shows 'Wandavision' and 'Loki' - how they surprised us, what we enjoyed about them and the lessons we'd like Star Wars to learn from the storytelling approaches being adopted for Marvel at Disney Plus. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty cover the following news: - Leslye Headland discusses her personal approach to Star Wars - Leslye shares the influence of 'The Phantom Menace' on her new show 'The Acolyte' - Animated anthology 'Star Wars: Visions' gets previewed at the Anime Expo - Matthew Robinson comes aboard as screenwriter for Patty Jenkins' 'Rogue Squadron' We then segue into our spotlight discussion on the second film in the Ewok duology - 'Battle for Endor'. We discuss the origins of the film before pondering its numerous mysteries, repeatedly coming back to the villains' strange obsession with THE POWAH. We also explore the ethics of murdering a fictional five-year-old's family to facilitate a Heidi remake. Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.

In this episode, Rachael and Kirsty begin by running through the episodes of 'The Bad Batch' that have been shown since their last episode (we'll be revisiting the show in depth once the season is over). We then begin a new podcasting saga exploring the EWOK DUOLOGY (yes, that is the correct parlance). Join us for a deep dive into the Caravan of Courage, taking you from George Lucas being a good dad (™) to Campbellian narrative influences and the changing face of Mace and Cindel’s dad. We also explore the deeper ideology underlining the film, touching upon the unsettling implications of Ewoks sacrificing their lives to help restore the American Nuclear Family to wholeness. (Just for the avoidance of doubt, the above is an accurate representation of the podcast’s contents.) Many thanks to Christy Carew for the Scavenger's Hoard theme, and Nemling for our artwork.