Star Wars Minute 114: I Can Hear You

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Date

November 7th, 2013

Summary

Vader is taken by surprise, and looks out from his cockpit.

Guests

Tim Kreider

Notes

Film

  • Starts with Luke switching off his targeting computer and ends with Han Solo flying out of the sun.
  • Exciting minute; action packed.

Podcast

  • Pete forgets about Han Solo's entrance in this scene every time and is always surprised.
  • In retrospect, from a plot perspective, Han HAS TO fly in at this moment but it is very well engineered so that you don't see it coming.
  • R2-D2 gets shot in this minute. The shot of him blowing up clearly shows the small explosion that was set off inside his shell.
  • Immediately after R2-D2 is shot we cut back to the Rebel Base and the only 'person' that is upset is C-3PO. Clear human discrimination against droids.
  • Leia actually doesn't look concerned until the Death Star clears Yavin; she doesn't even react when Han turns up. This may be explained by the fact that these were drop in scenes that weren't even meant to be in this sequence. The audience projects reactions on to them.
  • Tim likes the long faced, long-haired 70s British looking guys sitting in green light listening to the battle. What's their deal and how are they helping the cause?
  • Luke doesn't explain why he switches off his targeting computer - luckily, as every-one back at Rebel Base would have run for the hills if the knew the real reason (i.e. Luke hearing voices).
  • The rebels do know of, and refer to, The Force whereas the Empire does not. People actually make fun of Darth Vader in this movie (which they don't do in later movies).
  • How this time period fits into the story of Darth Vader and his rise in the ranks. From henchman to heroic leader.
  • Given that Darth Vader was the only one to survive the Death Star he can pretty much make up his own heroic, legendary story.
  • The targeting computer covers Luke's entire face, therefore blocking his view, but then he switches it off. This calls back to when Luke was learning how to use his lightsaber and The Force and Ben put the blast shield down covering his face.
  • Another shot of the Death Star control room. Tarkin gives the order to fire and THEN they start the process - couldn't they have started that a bit sooner?
  • Blowing Yavin up is discussed briefly.
  • The long shot of the control room shows a range of Imperial Officers at work. It also shows Tarkin's jodhpur pants.
  • Vader's first laser shots go under the X-wing and then he compensates too much and shoots above the spaceship.
  • R2-D2 is shot and screams. Is that a bit corny and 'phantom-menacy'?
  • Vader has two patented lines in this scene that Alex uses whenever he can:
  • Referenced: Peter Serafinowicz's short movie "Darth Vader In Love".
  • Perhaps Darth Vader is actually hard of hearing? Or does he have super robot hearing?
  • Recycled shots in this scene of Imperial Officers preparing to fire the Death Star's laser (from the Alderaan attack).
  • The Death Star laser warming up sounds a lot like the tractor beam shutting down. Shouldn't they be different, or at least 'move' in opposite directions? Perhaps to fire the laser they need to shut down the tractor beam, otherwise the circuit blows.
  • Alex likes the design of the Death Star gunners and their helmets. The helmets are to protect against the radiation. They obviously have a better union than the guys standing out on the balcony directly next to the giant laser - they just use the old duck and cover technique.
  • The design on the gunners uniform becomes the emblem for the entire Empire in the later movies. This can't have been Lucas's intention at the time as no-one else was wearing it and it looks like a Death Star. Maybe it was intended just for Death Star crew (e.g. Pol Treidum's scanning crew).
  • The Rebel Alliance emblem also doesn't appear on every-one's outfits and helmets in Star Wars, although it does appear on the standard helmets handed out at the Massassay temple.
  • Alex's no-prize and brilliant answer for both of these. the Death Star is destroyed by Luke Skywalker, so:
    • The Rebellion adopted the hero's (that is Luke's) symbol as their own - like Robert E. Lee in the American Civil War.
    • The Empire adopted the Death Star crew's emblem to commemorate the destruction of the Death Star and the significant loss of life. Never forget - like 9/11.
  • Great TIE fighter explosion and shot of the Millennium Falcon flying out of the sun. One of the few suns or stars we see in the star wars.
  • Han flew that way to blind his opponents. He's a canny pilot - even though he doesn't like sneaking around.
  • No 'dialogue' from Chewbacca in this scene, although he is definitely happy with Han's change of mind.

Meta Minute

  • 23:24 podcast episode length.
  • Referenced: 'The Black Hole' animated movie and the droids in it (which were similar to R2-D2).
  • The audience also has to project emotions onto R2-D2. R2 type robots were probably the easiest to create for other movies after Star Wars.
  • Referenced: Twiki (and Dr. Theopolis) from Buck Rogers - an unholy alliance of C-3PO and R2-D2 in the one robot.
  • Pete declares his sci-fi Betamax canon of movies while growing up to be - Star Wars, The Holiday Special, The Empire Strikes Back, The Black Hole and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The hosts agree that The Black Hole can be a tough movie to watch sometimes.

Quotes

  • Tim: In regards to Darth Vader's legend "He was in the Death Star when it blew up, and he was fine."
  • Tim: As Darth Vader with super robot hearing "...whirling around and saying - I hear what you're saying about me you know".
  • Tim: To Alex "You should rationalize all kinds of things. That is totally plausible BS."

Link

http://www.starwarsminute.com/2013/11/07/minute-114-i-can-hear-you/


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