Empire Minute 3: Remote Probes

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Date

January 15th, 2014

Summary

A Star Destroyer moves through space, releasing Imperial probe robots from its underside.

Guests

None

Notes

Film

• Starts with a pan down to a Star Destroyer shooting out probe droids and ends with a lonely figure riding a creature across an icy plain.
• First hint of the Imperial March [music] when probe droids plaunch out of the Star Destroyer.

Podcast

• Opens on a Star Destroyer, as in Star Wars and Return of the Jedi.
• "Sorry Pete" (modified version of the apology): the Prequels DO NOT open with Star Destroyers or even the same thing in all three movies.
• Alex's "things I hope they do in Episode 7": Will episodes 7, 8 and 9 start with the same thing in all three movies? Pete proposes a double-sided Star Destroyer (note - which sounds super cool!).
• First appearance of the probe droid (probot). An in-depth discussion follows:
  • Like today's drones.
  • How many are there? One for each planet?
  • Are they controlled by kids on game consoles all over the 'universe'? Just spend 10 minutes a day looking for rebels to avenge Grand Moff Tarkin.
  • Cool and neat looking.
• First character seen is a droid, as in Star Wars. Both are seen at about the same time into the movie – 2 mins 30 seconds.
• Darth Maul had the consumer version of the probe droids in Episode 1.
• It's hard to work out the size of the probots in the beginning - they could be huge.
• Are the probe droids referred to in the crawl? Yes they are – "probes".
• New terrain (an ice planet). Desert and jungle planets so far.
• The first shot directly references the crawl – "probes on an ice planet".
• How are the probe droids activated? Or are they already activated on the Star Destroyer? They don't appear to be sentient.
• Probe droids as iPods with legs or mobile smoke detectors.
• Speaking probe droids probably would have been terrible – i.e. with Rodney Dangerfield's voice, or Sam Kinison's, or Judy Tenuta's.
• Who is this guy roaming the ice? Find out next minute.

Meta Minute

• 11:57 podcast episode length.
• Support the Show – Facebook and Twitter.

Quotes

• Alex: Two days of talking about nothing but the crawl and now we have to go back and look at it!
• Alex: <Excellent probe droid impression>
• Alex: Judy Tenuta probe droid.

Link

http://www.starwarsminute.com/2014/01/15/minute-3-remote-probes/

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