Jedi Minute 5: Champagne and Dianogas

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Date

January 9th, 2015

Summary

The commander turns ashen and begins to shake.

Guests

Hosts only.

Notes

Film

Starts with Vader, having just arrived on the new Death Star, insisting that Moff Jerjerrod dispense with the pleasantries. Ends with barely a glimpse of C-3PO and R2-D2 in the desert of Tatooine.

Podcast

• Factoids regarding the new Death Star:
  • What did the Empire call the new Death Star?
  • They probably named the Death Stars after they become operational, so the first Death Star may have been called:
    • The Palpatine.
    • The Windu.
    • The Grievous.
    • The Plagueis.
  • On this basis, the new Death Star was never named as it never became operational. They never got to smash a bottle of champagne on it.
  • It has a population of 4 million already, excluding any dianogas (Cloud City had a population of 5 million people).
  • There was some guy on his way to the new Death Star with champagne and dianogas ready for the opening ceremony.
  • Apparently construction of this Death Star didn't start until after the destruction of the first Death Star. That seems very quick (i.e. 4 years) given how long the first one took (almost 20 years).
  • Who designed the Death Stars according to EU (and prior to Rogue One).
• Darth Vader / Moff Jerjerrod strife happens in this scene.
• Jerjerrod is not excited about the Emperor coming to the Death Star.
  • We don't know anything about the Emperor at this stage.
  • How often does the Emperor get out and about?
  • Vader is like the Emperor's hand.
  • Referenced: Games of Thrones.
• As Vader and Jerjerrod walk along they are initially flanked by Imperial Officers. Then, when Vader threatens Jerjerrod, they become flanked by stormtroopers. Pete thinks that this symbolizes the change from "all business" to "threatening".
• Why there were so many stormtroopers on the Death Star already. Perhaps there are prisoners being held there. If so, these may include Chief Bast who is being held for deserting the first Death Star (as per SWM Canon).
• Vader's voice in Return of the Jedi sounds quite different to Alex - deeper with more bass.
• There is a TIE bomber hanging in a rack in the background. This gives some clues about how TIE vehicles are handled.
• Jerjerrod's line about needing more men sounds devious and conspiratorial.
• "We shall double our efforts" is a line that Pete quotes all the time.
• The Imperial hangar scenes were filmed in the biggest Elstree Studio sound stage. This was the biggest sound stage in Europe at the time.
• The Imperial hangar set cost $600,000 to build.
• The first guest will be on the next podcast episode.
• Support the Show especially via 8-DAY-GREEDO.

Meta Minute

• 19:46 podcast episode length.
• Cold-open: Ad-read starwarsminute.com/donate.
• Estimates for the budget of Return of the Jedi vary from 32.5 to 42.7 million dollars. The construction cost of the hangar set was therefore only a small portion (1.6%) of the total budget. $600,000 in 1982 (when principal photography began) is the equivalent of $1,473,680.83 in 2015,when this episode aired.

Quotes

• Alex: I wonder if that sound stage has been replaced by... Pete: A bigger sound stage? One that is half under construction and will then be destroyed by a band of rebels?

Link

http://www.starwarsminute.com/2015/01/09/jedi-minute-5-champagne-and-dianogas/

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