Changing gears now, I'd like to talk about a show that isn't part of the Starkville Podcast Community, but still has a huge fan following in its own right. If you are a Star Wars fan in any sense of the term, you simply must tune in to The Force-Cast every Friday. The Force-Cast offers the latest news updates and commentary on happenings in the Star Wars universe. You can listen to and watch their weekly recording sessions every Wednesday evening at theforce.net, and the episodes are released in the podcast feed every Friday. Personally, I've not yet been able to watch any of their weekly live webcasts, but I hope to do so soon. They accept live phone and Skype calls from listeners, as well as emails, pre-recorded audio comments and voicemails. The bulk of the show presents listeners with new developments, such as information on new film, TV, book, and collectible releases, but the fun doesn't stop there. Not only do co-hosts Jason Swank and Jimmy Mac (along with the recently-departed Pete Nadel who left town and was sadly unable to continue contributing to the show) delve deeper into the news topics, offering their own humorous ideas on the matters of the day, but they also spice things up with fun, sometimes off-topic weekly segments. My personal favorite is the Quote of the Week. Each week, the guys play a clip of Billy Dee Williams (a.k.a. Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi ) in his current role on the General Hospital spin-off Nightshift. The bizarre and outlandish quotes, when taken out of context, always elicit the same reaction: the listener's uproarious laughter. Another great segment is The Outrageously Unthinkable Story of the Week; a recent instance or general news story somehow relevant to Star Wars in some unexpected manner. A third, but by no means the last, segment called Birthdays avails listeners the opportunity to request a birthday shout-out for themselves or a friend. Fun if you've asked for a shout-out, a tad boring if you didn't. But that's what the fast-forward button is for, I suppose. When all is said and done, The Force-Cast is a must-hear for anyone interested in Star Wars, especially with the Clone Wars series just getting started on Cartoon Network. You don't have to be a huge fan. I don't know anything about the expanded universe of novels and action figures, yet I enjoy the show because the pacing is such that no one feels left out. I give The Force-Cast 4 out of 5 force chokes and, you guessed it, the Frank Ramblings Seal of Approval. May the Force be with you.
Next Installment: Axed
Next Installment: Axed
