Wing Commander Movie Night: Casablanca

Despite the fact that it was longer than a Redstone missile, The Right Stuff stood the test of time! And if you can believe it, it was our 52nd film and it marked the end to the first YEAR of the Wing Commander movie club. To kick off year two, we're going back to 1942 for a genuine classic: Casablanca. It's one of those movies people in my generation maybe only they assume they've seen… it'll be interesting to see how it goes! You can join us this Friday via Discord to watch along.

Our connection to Wing Commander comes from Wing Commander II Special Operations 2 in which Minx references the movie's famous closing line, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", while she is evil flirting with Jazz in the third 'second chance' mission.

JAZZ: You've done well, Minx. And now that my plan has succeeded--- ---and you've brought the Morningstar prototype to the Mandarins--- ---I'm guaranteed a high-ranking position in the post-war Kilrathi regime.

MINX: But I was the one who stole the Morningstar and brought it here! You had absolutely nothing to do with it, Major! Why should you get all the reward?!

JAZZ: Please--- Call me "Jazz". I'm afraid you're only hired help, Captain. Not a sworn Mandarin. I've loyally served the Kilrathi for over ten years. Prince Thrakhath himself awarded me with a Kilrathi medal. If you became more involved in our cause, there could be a place for you as well, Captain.

MINX: "Captain" and "Major" sounds so formal, Jazz...you can call me Maria.

JAZZ: Anytime, sweetheart...

MINX: I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship, Jazz.

Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?

Casablanca is available for rent or purchase on the standard streaming services. It is currently streaming on HBO Max in the United States. If you would like a physical copy, the movie was released on UHD Blu-ray in 2022 and remains in print around the world. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by the Discord and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing.

How do we watch the movie together?

It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!

How can I help pick future movie club movies?

The movie club movies are voted on each week by the Wing Commander Discord. The poll is typically posted 24 hours before each week's screening and the next movie is announced at the end. The choices for the poll come from a master pool of Wing Commander-related movies. If you would like to suggest a film for inclusion in that pool you can post it to this thread.