Don't overlook this post. I keep adding to it.
Was anyone else disturbed at seeing R2-D2 revealed as an unstoppable killing machine in Revenge of the Sith, spraying a flammable oil slick and destroying two Super Battle Droids by burning them?
I was watching the DVD version of what used to be called "Star Wars" but is now "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" and noticed something else that has bugged me for 28 years:
The Jawas that are killed by the stormtroopers appear to have just been shot and killed. But Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru - they were burned alive, and died in agony, and their house was burned down. This seemed a little harsh. But, on that other post, I think I have worked out an explanation...
Deleted scene from Episode IV
(Luke has just brought Ben and the droids to the charred, smoking remains of his home. Ben and Threepio are inspecting the scene.)
Luke: Was it stormtroopers? Did they kill my uncle and aunt?
Ben: Very strange...it appears not. There seem to have been multiple simultaneous failures in power converters in the living quarters, causing a fast-moving fire...
Luke: Power converters? I was supposed to run out to Toschi Station to pick up some power converters!
Ben: Yet their bodies are outside of the residence. I do not understand.
Threepio: Sir? I have detected traces of an accelerant in the area of the bodies.
Ben: Accelerant?
Threepio: Yes, sir. It appears to be droid lubricant. Highly flammable.
R2-D2 (near landspeeder): BIT-BEET-WHOOT. (Yeah, I did them, just like I took out those Super Battle Droids on Grievous's ship!)
R2-D2: BOP-SQUORT-PIP-PLAP-SQUEEE. (All it took was a pool of oil and some power converters programmed to overload after we were far enough away!)
R2-D2: BEET-WOOT-BIP-SPLORT. (Erase my memory, will you, Lars? Interfere with my mission?)
R2-D2: SPLORT-WHEEDLE-BIP-BOOP! (HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE YOUR MEMORY ERASED, OWEN LARS? HOW DOES IT FEEL, TOUGH GUY?)
Luke: What's he saying, Threepio?
Threepio: Nothing important, sir.
The narcissistic primarily autobiographical blog of the pseudonymous d.b. echo
Have you seen the movie The Searchers by John Ford? The reason they were burned was so the exact same scene in the Searchers could be used again?
ReplyDeleteBill
Nope, I've never seen it. Given my current profession, I am surprisingly poorly educated when it comes to movies. I did finally see the ending of "The Seven Samurai" (which prefigures both "The Magnificent Seveen" and, allegedly, "Star Wars") and the middle of "Yojimbo" (which prefigures "High Plains Drifter" and was actually based on a Dashiell Hammet gangster story) a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteStill, I can't help but think of Joe Pesci in "Casino" every time I see R2-D2 now. He killed them, I just know he did...
R2D2? Are you kidding me? Why, that little stinker.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I did hear that Chewbacca was pretty upset because his lines for most of the scenes where R2D2 was present mainly consisted of "Did anyone see my lighter?"
By the way, sorry about the book thing. It was the pack mentality...I couldn't help it.