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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away - or more precisely, in 1980 - a sequel arrived that would change cinema forever. In this special May the Fourth episode of Too Old or Movie Gold, host Olen Vanderleeden of the Comox Valley brings together his Gen X co-host Matthew Stockton and millennial comedians Josh Fleming (host of the Absolutely Obscure podcast) and Will Corry to revisit The Empire Strikes Back. The verdict? Pure carbonite gold - and it’s the highest-rated film in the podcast’s history.

The group tackles plenty of big questions: Is Darth Vader the greatest villain of all time? (Josh gives a slight edge to Hans Gruber.) Was Yoda actually a good trainer, or just a disruptor making Luke more uncertain? Was the “I am your father” reveal really that shocking? For the Gen Xers, absolutely - people screamed in the theater. And what about dinner with Darth Vader? The panel agrees: surprisingly classy for a villain. The film’s numbers are just as staggering as its story - made for $18 million, it returned $550 million, topping the 1980 box office and beating out Airplane, The Shining, and Caddyshack combined.

The Rotten Tomatoes scores (93% critics, 97% audience) produced a rare three-way tie among all three panelists. Favourite lines included “Do or do not, there is no try,” “Never tell me the odds,” and Han Solo’s perfectly delivered “I know.” Even James Earl Jones got the famous line wrong in an interview - he said “Luke, I’m your father” instead of the actual “No, I am your father.”

The Empire Strikes Back is the highest-rated movie in Too Old or Movie Gold history - pure carbonite gold, no debate. If you haven’t revisited it lately, this episode is your sign.

Too Old or Movie Gold is a Vancouver Island movie podcast hosted by Olen Vanderleeden, where classic films meet modern audiences through conversations about timeless movies, memorable performances and the stories behind some of cinema’s greatest productions. Too Old or Movie Gold is part of The PULSE Podcast Community.

“The Empire Strikes Back isn’t about winning. It’s about learning that you might not - and I think that’s why Empire holds as a great movie.” - Matthew Stockton

“Pure carbonite gold. It’s a slam dunk.” - Will Corry, Millennial comedian

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