Episode 27: The Empire Strikes Back - Part 1

In Episode 27, we finally return to the world of Star Wars with the film and the score that many consider to be the series’ best: The Empire Strikes Back, or Episode V to its friends. Director Irvin Kershner created with Empire unquestionably the best-looking Star Wars film, but does John Williams’ music live up to the challenge? We think so. In the first of a two-part examination of the Empire score, we look at the new and returning themes for the galaxy far, far away.

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Episode notes:

5:15 – First among sequels
9:45 – Empire of the Son
22:10 – The Return of the Themes
24:23 – Luke’s theme
28:17 – The force theme and Leia’s theme
31:11 – Twenty-First Century Fox Fanfares
33:07 – The Minor Skywalker
37:36 – The Imperial March
45:00 – The first of (Imperial) March
53:11 – The Vader proximity alarm
1:00:10 – Dan’s favourite cue, Nick’s favourite scene
1:04:02 – The Buzz Side of the Force
1:05:47 – I am your father
1:11:06 – ESB ESP
1:17:56 – Darth Vader: the early years
1:20:18 – Discuss Yoda’s theme, we do
1:24:45 – The Yoda bridge
1:27:18 – Appears, Yoda does
1:35:13 – Luke doesn’t lift
1:41:24 – The Thinking of Yoda theme
1:44:48 – Yoda phones home

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