[Bandit LOAF]

The Wing Commander movie club has survived travelling 20,000 leagues under the sea (back and forth, not straight down). This week, we've done our second 'least popular movies' poll which is intended to occasionally force us to watch a movie no one necessarily wants to see… and the winner this time around was The Canterbury Tales (1972). One category of movies we include in the movie club pool is movie adaptations of literature referenced in the Wing Commander canon (as long as it was released before the reference was made). This means a lot of Shakespeare… and it lets in the occasional very weird option.

And this time, that means Pier Paolo Pasolini's erotic black comedy adaptation of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales! The Canterbury Tales is a 14th century collection of short stories which are tied together as they are being told by a group of pilgrims (not Pilgrims) travelling to Canterbury. It has been adapted in many ways over the centuries… and an erotic black comedy truly isn't the farthest from the source material you can get! You can find the original work on Project Gutenberg. Please note that this film is rated NC-17 so Friday's showing is for ADULTS ONLY.

The Canterbury Tales shows up early in the novel Fleet Action, where Baron Jukaga reveals to Admiral Tolwyn that he has read it and that it's similar to a Kilrathi work. Through the exchange we learn a little more about Tolwyn's background, and the mind of his new adversary.

"I understand you've read a lot of our literature."
Jukaga smiled.
"A hobby I've found fascinating. Your Chaucer's tales are much the same as our own Backrka's 'Tomes of Sivar,' about a group of pilgrims traveling to a holy shrine."
Tolwyn smiled.
"A nice choice of English works to study," Tolwyn said.
"Ah yes, you were born near Canterbury."
"However, the pilgrimage to the tomb of Thomas Becket had slightly different rituals than the blood feast of Sivar," Tolwyn replied.
"Different people, different customs, as they say, but nevertheless I do enjoy your literature."

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

The Canterbury Tales is available for rent or purchase on some of the standard streaming services. It is currently playing on MGM+ in the United States and is available to stream for free via Amazon. If you would like a physical copy, it was released on BluRay in the US in 2012 as part of the Criterion Collection (spine #633) 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.

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Original update published on September 21, 2026

 

[kingmakeress]

Interesting choice