Phantom Menace Minute 87: Who's Gonna Count?

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Wait, did I say that? Or was it somebody else?

Date

March 22nd, 2016

Summary

The doors open, and Anakin enters the Queen’s quarters. Rabé greets Anakin as two other handmaidens come and go into the next room.

Guests

Joe Dator

Notes

Film

• Starts with Qui-Guy leaving the Jedi council, and ends with the Senate Chair recognizing the delegation from Naboo.
• Jerus Jannick = McNulty (Dominic West) from "The Wire"
• 5th Amidala outfit. Senate gown.

Podcast

• If you're seeing this movie for the first time, Mace and Yoda come across as the bad guys in this scene.
  • But are they? Are we, the audience, rooting for Anakin to be trained?
• All Sam Jackson does in this movie (literally) is sit and look skeptical.
  • Joe had higher expectations (Jackson probably did as well!) for the character of Mace Windu.
    • During the late '90's, Samuel L. Jackson was at the peak of his coolness.
    • Mentioned: Goodfellas.
• Joe is a big fan of digital "Yoda".
  • It's like if you digitally replaced Sofia Coppola in Godfather III with a better actress; it makes the whole thing more watchable.
  • But he is in no way in favor of replacing puppet Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back.
• Keira Knightley filling in for Natalie Portman in other films (or the reverse).
• The Queen is a daunting presence in this scene.
• Anakin's fixation on Padmé is perfectly normal for an 8-year-old.
  • It doesn't get creepy until next movie.
• The statues in front of the Senate building are the core founders of the Republic.

  • Four Founding families:

1. Organa
2. Tagge
3. Kuat
4. Praji

Meta Minute

• 37:31 podcast episode length.
• Gravity waves, ripples in the fabric of spacetime, were first announced to have been directly observed in February 11th, 2016. They provide direct evidence of Einstein's general relativity.
• Simon Pegg has become known as "the guy who saved Star Wars". When he showed his daughter the Original Trilogy, she was excited to realize that Yoda was a real practical effect. Pegg tweeted about it and it went viral. So at least one kid likes puppet Yoda.
• "Irv Windu" appears in minute 127.
• Jerus Jannick fought in the battle to free Naboo from occupation by the Trade Federation.

Quotes

• Joe: What kind of a monster do you take me for?
• Alex: (as the smarmy "suit of the day" at Disney) You know what we need to do? We need to put in a digital Yoda voiced by Seth Rogan.
• Pete: (as "the Queen" to Padmé) I'm out of "Clown White"! Go run over to the Walgreens. Alex: (also as the Queen) This is "Clown Ivory"!!
• Alex:...dangling participles.

Link

http://www.starwarsminute.com/2016/03/22/phantom-menace-minute-87-whos-gonna-count/

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