The Super Sunday Double Feature: Radioland Murders & Red Tails

Now through September, we’re celebrating George Lucas’ 80th birthday with Super Sunday Double Feature virtual watch parties! Lucas turned 80 on May 14, 2024. Perhaps best known for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series, we are exploring some of his lesser well-known films.

The Super Sunday Double Feature pays homage to classic movie matinees, TV weekend movies, and drive-in double features. We’ll be watching two films that George Lucas was instrumental in bringing to the big screen.

The double feature begins at 11 AM ET (10 AM CT, 9 AM MT, 8 AM PT, 15:00 GMT) and runs all day.

Radioland Murders will air at the following times:

• 11:00 AM ET / 10:00 AM CT / 9:00 AM MT / 8:00 AM PT
• 3:15 PM ET / 2:15 PM CT / 1:15 PM MT / 12:15 PM PT
• 7:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM CT / 5:30 PM MT / 4:30 PM PT
• 11:45 PM ET / 10:45 PM CT / 9:45 PM MT / 8:45 PM PT
• 4:00 AM ET / 3:00 AM CT / 2:00 AM MT / 1:00 AM PT

Red Tails will air at these times:

• 1:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM MT / 10:00 AM PT
• 5:15 PM ET / 4:15 PM CT / 3:15 PM MT / 2:15 PM PT
• 9:30 PM ET / 8:30 PM CT / 7:30 PM MT / 6:30 PM PT
• 1:45 AM ET / 12:45 AM CT / 11:45 PM MT / 10:45 PM PT
• 6:00 AM ET / 5:00 AM CT / 4:00 AM MT / 3:00 AM PT

This is a ten-minute intermission with vintage commercials and trailers between each movie.

These virtual watch parties are free but exclusive to members of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Discord server. Join our Discord server free now at discord.gg/galaxysedge.

Radioland Murders (1994) [PG]

Directed by Mel Smith, Radioland Murders pays homage to classic screwball comedies. Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz originally wrote the screenplay following 1973’s American Graffiti, based on a story by George Lucas. While Universal Studio announced the film was in development, it remained unproduced throughout the 70s and 80s.

Lucas returned to the idea in the 90s, but Universal was concerned that certain aspects of the script were no longer relevant to the MTV generation. On the advice of Ron Howard, he hired Jeff Reno and Ron Osborn to revise the script. Reno and Osborn had previously worked on the hit TV series Moonlighting.

The ensemble cast includes Brian Benben, Mary Stuart Masterson, Scott Michael Campbell, Michael Lerner, and Ned Beatty. Michael McKean, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jeffrey Tambor, Christopher Lloyd, Billy Barty, and Rosemary Clooney also appear in smaller roles or cameos.

It is also the final film appearance by legendary comedian and actor George Burns. Burns started as a vaudevillian comedian before transitioning to the radio and later TV and film.

Radioland Murders was considered a box office bomb, failing to recoup its production budget. It also received mostly negative reviews from critics. Still, it has a small fanbase today to enjoy its slap-stick comedy.

Red Tails (2012) [PG-13]

Red Tails is a historical drama about the Tuskegee Airmen. George Lucas first conceived the film in the late 80s, but production didn’t find track until the 2000s.

Lucas hired John Ridley to write the screenplay in 2007 and also discussed bringing in Samuel L. Jackson to direct and star in the movie. Ultimately, he chose Anthony Hemingway, who he had worked with on the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. George Lucas later directed reshoots written by The Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder.

Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. star, with an ensemble cast that includes Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Tristan Wilds, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Marcus T. Paulk, Leslie Odom Jr., Michael B. Jordan, Method Man, Bryan Cranston, Kevin Phillips, Andre Royo, Lee Tergesen, Gerald McRaney, and Daniela Ruah.

Distributed by 20th Century Fox, it was the last film produced by Lucasfilm before being purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2012. It failed to make back its production budget and received mixed reviews from critics.

While it was criticized for its historical inaccuracies, Lucas and the writers and director never intended to make a faithful representation.

How Do You Watch?

You can watch for free on the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Discord server. We’ll be broadcasting from Meetup Room 1, and you can text chat with others while you watch.

New to Discord? Discord is a free messaging and discussion app available on all major mobile devices and computer operating systems. Just install the app, create an account, and join our server.

Other events in the Super Sunday Double Feature series include:

• Sunday, June 16: THX-1138 (1971) and American Graffiti (1973)
• Sunday, July 14: Howard the Duck (1986) and Willow (1988)
• Sunday, August 4: Radioland Murders (1994) and Red Tails (2012)
• Sunday, September 8: The Clone Wars (2008) and Strange Magic (2015)

Why Not Include Star Wars or Indiana Jones Films?

The Super Sunday Double Feature is loosely based on movie matinees, TV weekend movies, and drive-in double features. While they might occasionally include a blockbuster, they mostly showed mid-range hits and cult classics.

Adapting those ideas to our modern age, we wanted to focus on George Lucas’ work outside of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. Still, Lucas played a pivotal role in making each one of these movies.

Plus, we already host virtual watch parties for the Star Wars movies and are looking at options for an Indiana Jones special presentation in the future.

What Is the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Discord?

The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Discord is a fan-run group celebrating all things Star Wars and Disney parks. Perhaps best known for hosting lightsaber meetups at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland and Disney World, the SWGEDiscord is a family-friendly and inclusive space where fans can discuss all aspects of Star Wars and Galaxy’s Edge safely.

In addition to our saber meetups, we host in-person and virtual events, including a book club, watch and listening parties, trivia nights, and more. Our Discord server has channels dedicated to planning your visit to Galaxy’s Edge on either coast, the latest stock updates, and talking about your favorite Star Wars shows, movies, books, and comics.