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A Knight's Tale
Least Important Things
"The seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God—the one, the only, Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein!"
In this episode, Luke Ferris celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 2001 rock-and-roll medieval mashup A Knight’s Tale. Joining the show to talk about the best hype man in cinematic history is returning favorite Audrey Ferris, from our Parent Trap and Stranger Things episodes. Together, they explore how this film "changed the stars" for its cast and its audience, blending 14th-century jousting with the stadium-rock energy of the 1970s.
We’ll dive into:
- Changing Your Stars: Analyzing William Thatcher’s journey from a squire to a knight and the film's enduring themes of class and self-determination.
- The Ultimate Hype Man: Why Paul Bettany’s Geoffrey Chaucer remains one of the greatest supporting characters in cinematic history.
- The Medieval Groove: A look at the legendary soundtrack, from the opening Queen anthem to David Bowie’s banquet dance.
- Heath Ledger’s Legacy: Reflecting on Ledger’s star-making performance and why his work in this film feels like a gift that audiences can still savor 25 years later.
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Sources for this episode:
- A Knight's Tale (2001) directed by Brian Helgeland
- Royalty-free music and sound effects via Artlist.com
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