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    The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - trivia entries

    Mark Hamill was involved in a minor car accident before shooting began, and many rumours exist regarding facial injuries and script rewrites. The magazine "Starlog" (#40) contains an interview with Hamill where he attempts to dispel the rumours.

    In the asteroid scene, one of the asteroids is actually a shoe. The rumor is that George Lucas asked the SFX people to redo the scene so many times that they got annoyed and one of them threw in their shoe.

    Another of the asteroids is actually a potato. It appears just as the Millennium Falcon first enters the field. Two asteroids travel from the top left to the bottom right corner of the screen. Just after the second asteroid leaves the screen a third one appears in the top left corner. This is the potato.

    Lighting for SFX was so strong that several models melted.

    The AT-AT's were based on gantry cranes which are used in most shipping ports in the US. Walking patterns of elephants were studied to make the movements seem as realistic as possible.

    Further scenes with the Wampa were shot, and later cut. R2-D2 encountered one within the Rebel base, where it was killed by troopers. Later, the beasts were lured into a prison within the complex. In the completed film, a medical droid is seen examining the wounds of a tauntaun killed by a Wampa, and Princess Leia mentions the "creatures" while discussing the Imperial probe droid. A scene filmed but cut had Han, Leia and C-3PO running through a corridor. Han went to take a short-cut through a door with a sign on it, but Leia warned him "that's where those creatures are kept". They run off, but not before C-3PO rips off the sign, hoping that the stormtroopers will enter the room.

    The blasters used by the stormtroopers were constructed from Sterling L2A3 Mk 4 submachine guns.

    Security surrounding this movie was so intense that George Lucas had regular reports about "leaks" from actors. Lucas was so determined that the ending be kept secret that he had actor David Prowse (Darth Vader) say "Obi Wan Kenobi is your father" ("Obi-Wan killed your father" by some reports), and dubbed it later to be "I am your father".

    During the carbonite freezing chamber scene, both Jeremy Bulloch and David Prowse had to remove their helmets every three minutes because the steam from the floor their made costumes hot and heavy.

    The scene where Solo was hit by the toolbox as well as hitting the control panels were improvised on the set. At first, the crew were afraid of shooting it, but Kershner finally persuaded them to do so, saying "Come on, that's fun. Let's do it!"

    The two other scenes, which are the swamps of Dagobah; and the asteroid's creature (which has the Millenium Falcon) was done on the same sound stage used for the interior backgrounds of the Echo base in Hoth

    The scenes where R2-D2 is submerged in the mud pool were shot in George Lucas' unfinished swimming pool. Most of the crew were hidden under the water and the entire sequence was shot by Lucas himself.

    On Hoth, General Rieekan says "Send Rogues 10 and 11 to sector 38," a veiled reference to _THX 1138 (1970)_ .

    Luke cuts off the Wampa's arm. C-3PO loses an arm when blasted by the Stormtroopers. Darth Vader cuts off Luke's hand. See also Star Wars (1977) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

    The following characters "have a bad feeling about this": Leia. See also: Star Wars (1977) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

    Jeremy Bulloch, who plays Boba Fett, is producer Robert Watts (II)'s half-brother.

    Denis Lawson plays Wedge Antilles. Wedge was not originally scripted to appear in this film, but intense fan interest prompted Lucas to include him. See also Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

    Leigh Brackett succumbed to cancer shortly after completing her first draft of the script of the film.

    The voiceover line "The first transport is away" during the Rebel evacuation is delivered by Mark Hamill.

    Mark Hamill's wife gave birth to their first son early one morning, and Mark went straight from the hospital to shooting. This was the day they filmed the shots of Luke hanging by the weather vane below Cloud City, on Bespin.

    According to the book "Splinter of the Mind's Eye", this story begins four years after the events in "Star Wars".

    An extra fell sick, and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) was called in as a replacement. He can be seen as the Imperial Guard who pulls Princess Leia into the elevator after she screams "Luke! It's a trap!". He can also be seen as the Imperial Guard who is captured by Lando Calrissian's men.

    When Han Solo is about to be frozen, Princess Leia says, "I love you." In the original script, Han Solo was supposed to say, "I love you, too" but after having to reshoot the scene several times, Harrison Ford became annoyed and simply remarked "I know." This line stuck.

    Lucas's "Force" in the Star Wars movies probably derives from the Asian religion of Taoism. Wherein, there is a life force (or Tao) present in all living things that surrounds and joins everything. As well as the belief that to obtain true balance in life, you must become one with the Tao, and allow it to guide you.

    The name of the fierce cave creatures - Wampa(s) - bear curious likeness to "Wumpus" which many (computer) nerds of the late 70's and early 80's recognize as a hideous monster that lives in a cave.

    Luke is upside-down at the beginning (Wampa cave), in the middle (training on Dagobah), and at the end (below Cloud City). He uses the Force each time.

    Having Han Solo frozen in carbonite was (at least in part) due to the fact that they were not sure that Harrison Ford would return for a third film. When the original Star Wars was made Carrie Fisher and Mark Hammill were signed for a three picture deal, but Ford refused.

    The shots where Luke uses his Jedi powers to retrieve his lightsaber from a distance were achieved by having Mark Hamill throw the lightsaber away and then running the film in reverse.

    Darth Vader's costume was more detailed in this film, including the flashing red lights on his chest box. A new Millennium Falcon (32-inches long) was built for this film and has two additional landing gear boxes on its underside. As a result, the original Star Wars (1977) model (5-foot long) was modified and given the extra landing gear bays and was used for all FX scenes of the Falcon in a landed position.

    For the Special Edition, Vader's "Bring my shuttle" line has been replaced with, "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival". Sound designer Ben Burtt has confirmed that this is actually a line performed by James Earl Jones that and recorded for use in Star Wars (1977), but never used.

    The concept design for Cloud City was originally created for Star Wars (1977) (as a floating Imperial prison) , but was never used. The design was recycled for use in this film.

    The lightsaber fight scenes set in the carbon freezing chamber tend to focus on Luke, this is because during many of the shoots David Prowse was not wearing the Darth Vader helmet, as it made it difficult for him to breathe.



    When Han Solo is about to be frozen, Princess Leia says, "I love you." In the original script, Han Solo was supposed to say, "I love you, too" but after having to reshoot the scene several times, Harrison Ford became annoyed and simply remarked "I know." This line stuck.
    hehehe now its a classic line...
    Last edited by trailergod; 07-01-2003 at 02:12 AM.
    http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/6324/fightclubmlzq1.jpg

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