Empire Minute 96: Fingerguns

←Previous Minute

Next Minute→

Date

May 26th, 2014

Summary

Tears roll down Leia’s face as she watches the dashing pirate walk to the hydraulic platform. Han looks one final time at his friends – and then, suddenly, the platform drops. Chewie howls. Leia turns away in agony.

Guests

Meredith Woerner

Notes

Film

• Starts with Leia revealing who or what she loves; end with the "Han slab" being removed from the carbon freezing chamber.

Podcast

• This is Meredith's favorite minute in the movie.
• What does Leia love? The 80's; drugs?
• Harrison Ford famously ad-libbed / improvised the line "I know". Also, credit goes to the director for selecting this take.
• The original line in the shooting script was "Just remember that because I'll be back".
• The cultural importance of the "I know" line.
• The lines are reversed in Return of the Jedi - that scene is not nearly as good as this one as there's no real drama.
• Was this change - that is, using the ad-libbed line - the beginning of the end for George Lucas? It may have made Lucas decide to only use yes men (eg Rick MacCullum) from that point on.
• Rick MacCullum is Pete's nemesis due to McCallum's role as producer for the Special Editions and the Prequels.
• There is a trilling sound in the background of this scene. Are the ugnaughts making this noise?
• How does the carbon freezing chamber actually work to make a rectangular shape?
• What's the experience in the carbon freezing chamber like? Similar to getting a spray tan.
• Harrison Ford must have hated filming this scene.
  • The director cut immediately after the ad-libbed line.
  • Does the footage exist of all the other takes of this line?
• We see Vader's face in orange lighting through the mist - this is a cool shot.
• Is David Prowse even there for that shot?
  • When the actors are and are not in the costumes for various scenes.
  • Kenny Baker is in R2-D2 in the new Star Wars casting photo so he must always be in R2.
• There is a crackling ice / freezing noise when the clamp comes down. What is the temperature in the chamber?
  • Does freezing mean ice-cold or freezing in position?
  • It must be cold as Leia is back in her Hoth Base outfit.
  • These are Meredith's least favorite Leia braids but her most favorite Leia outfit.
  • The hosts ranking of Leia braids are:
    • 1 - Classic side buns.
    • 2 - Hoth crown braids.
    • 3 - Long side braids on Endor.
    • 4 - Back bun for medal ceremony in Star Wars.
    • 5 - Low buns in Jabba's palace at the start of Return of the Jedi.
• A loud version of the Imperial March music is heard as the carbonite slab is lifted up. The music stops when the slab is dropped.
  • What is Chewie actually saying in this minute? Pete can't hear this music without hearing Chewie's growls.
  • Different music from the Star Wars movies make the hosts do, or want to do, different things.
  • Different types of physical exercise shown in Star Wars - marching, rope swinging etc.
• The claw in modern movies would have been a huge complicated CGI device.
  • In fact, the whole freezing process would have been a detailed and long CGI sequence in the prequels.
  • All the CGI scenes that the hosts talk about that could have been in the prequels would probably have been awesome.
  • The claw is very menacing.
• Meredith likes that Vader and Boba Fett is testing the freezing process - this is good planning by Vader.
  • The Empire likes to test things. Another example is the Death Star.
  • If one Death Star doesn't work then they've got three more in the chute ready to go; like a gun that shoots Death Stars.
• Support the Show; live event coming up - "I Am Your Father's Day".

Meta Minute

• 20:59 podcast episode length.
• Cold-open - Ad-read: Amazon; amazon.com; starwarsminute.com/amazon.

Quotes

• Alex: He senses a disturbance in the...something. Meredith: The something! You're fired - you're on a Star Wars podcast! The something - you're fired. Alex: The Force, The Force.
• Pete: <In radio DJ voice> Classic Buns is number one.

Link

http://www.starwarsminute.com/2014/05/26/empire-minute-96-fingerguns/

---

Back to the list of episodes