Empire Minute 96: Fingerguns

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Just utter garbage

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 (e.g. 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 are 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/

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