Star Wars Trivia: Round One

This is the first installment of Star Wars trivia on darthmaz314. This first round will focus on the first released film of the saga...Star Wars. All answers below so you will have to scroll down. No cheating or we'll know. The force is strong with us.

1.   What was the name of the blockade runner ship that is captured by Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer at the opening of Star 
Wars?

2.   Who speaks the first line of dialog in Star Wars?

3.   What is that line of dialog?

4.   What is the name of the reptilian creatures upon which Sandtroopers ride patrol in the desert of Tatooine?

5.   Who raised Luke Skywalker on Tatooine?

6.   In which bay was the Millennium Falcon docked while at Mos Eisley Spaceport?

7.   What was the name of the Rodian bounty hunter that confronted Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina?

8.   How fast did Han Solo claim that the Millennium Falcon made the Kessel Run?

9.   Finish the Obi Wan Kenobi quote: “Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more retched hive of                                             and                                   . We must be cautious."

10.   What price does Han Solo demand for transporting Luke, Obi Wan, C-3PO, and R2D2 to Alderaan?

11.   How much does Obi Wan offer in response to this demand?

12.   Uncle Owen was a farmer. What kind of farm did he own?

13.   Aunt Beru asks Luke to tell Uncle Owen that if he buys a translator droid to be sure it speaks what language?

14.   What color milk does Aunt Beru serve in the family dinner scene in Star Wars?

15.   The exterior structure that served as the Lars homestead on Tatooine was not a set, but actually a real building. What was the function of that building?

16.   Where were the desert exteriors for Tatooine filmed?

17.  On what level and detention block was Princess Leia being held on the Death Star?

18.   When Princess Leia is threatened by Grand Moff Tarkin with the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan, which planet does she name as the location of the hidden Rebel base?

19.   What are the last words spoken by Obi Wan Kenobi while he was alive?

20.   What was Luke’s call sign during the attack on the Death Star?

21.   The Rebel base was on a moon orbiting what planet?

Answers:

1.   Tantive IV

2.   C-3PO

3.   “Did you hear that?”

4. Dewbacks

5.   His Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru

6.   Docking Bay 94

7.   Greedo

8.   In less than 12 parsecs. This answer can be confusing since a parsec is a measure of distance, not speed.

9.   Scum and villainy

10.   Ten thousand, all in advance.

11.   Seventeen thousand. Two thousand up front, plus fifteen 
upon arrival at Alderaan.

12.   A moisture farm

13.   Bocce (I wonder if she meant to ask if it could PLAY bocce. After all, it was lonely on Tatooine for a moisture farmer’s wife.)

14.   Blue

15.   It was a hotel

16. Tunisia, Africa

17.   Level 5, Detention Block AA23

18.   “You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”      

19.   Red Five



20.   Yavin

21.   Dantooine

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Spaceship Earth: A Technical Marvel, Both Inside and Out: Part 2

Spaceship Earth is an original Epcot attraction, which although updated through the years, has remained essentially the same in concept and staging as it was on the park’s opening day in 1982. The attraction was co-designed by science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, author of the novel Fahrenheit 451. The term “Spaceship Earth” Was originally coined by futurist Buckminster Fuller, who devised the structural mathematics of the geodesic dome and was at one time, the president of Mensa.




The attraction inside the massive spherical structure of Spaceship Earth is a slow moving “dark ride” during which visitors travel in “Time Machine” vehicles on a track that spirals its way up to the top of the sphere and then eventually back down for rider disembarkation. The attraction traces the history of communication on Earth from its crudest form, when out of necessity, prehistoric man used simple communication to coordinate hunting parties, to an idealized glimpse into the future where technology has been harnessed to enhance and enrich the everyday lives of humanity. The “Time Machine” vehicles utilize the OmniMover ride
conveyance system which transports riders through the spherical structure past a series of scenes that use Disney’s patented Audio Animatronic figures, elaborate sets, and various audio, visual, and even olfactory special effects to tell the story of human communication through the ages. Riders are guided on their journey through time by the narration of English actress Judi Dench.                                      


Some of the more notable scenes depicting the early development of communication involve recreations of an ancient Greek theatre performance, Venetian merchants trading goods...

Arab scholars studying texts...

a Christian monk who has fallen asleep while transcribing a Bible text...

 

 and Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
 

Later scenes depict the invention of the printing press and the introduction of television into the American household.

Another pivotal scene depicts the advent of the personal computer and includes a recreation set in a California garage, where a young man, believed to be Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, can be seen tinkering around with what would become one of the most impactful communication inventions of the last hundred years; the personal computer.

 Always a favorite of mine is a transition scene meant to signal the fall of the Roman Empire and the onset of the Dark Ages. This scene consists of dark lighting, the rubble of Roman columns, an effervescence of steam and the infusion of a pungent odor,

meant to further underscore the destruction of Rome's grand empire. Rider opinions vary as to what this odor calls to mind, but to me it smells exactly like smoked mozzarella!

As the Time Machine vehicles reach the upper section of Spaceship Earth’s structure, riders can gaze upward to a star field projected onto to the upper dome, which is reminiscent of an old planetarium show. The vehicles then rotate backward as the riders begin a slow (but steep!) descent back down to the lower section of the dome for unloading. As they descend back to sea level, riders can look into the future as they take part in an interactive experience via the display screens mounted in each Time Machine vehicle.

Riders are asked a series of scenario and preference questions, which they respond to by using the display’s touch screen capability. Those responses are used to create a futuristic animated vignette, which features characters complete with the superimposed faces of each rider. The rider photos are captured at the start of the attraction during the ascent into the upper part of the sphere’s structure. These

interactive animated vignettes, a component of the last Spaceship Earth update, provide a truly unique and whimsical conclusion to the attraction. This infusion of “Disney-esque” whimsy engages younger riders perhaps more than any other aspect of the show and helps make Spaceship Earth an attraction appropriate for all ages.

 

If you have not already read it, check out Part I of this post by clicking on the link below....

Spaceship Earth: A Technical Marvel Inside and Out

Epcot's Spaceship Earth: A Technical Marvel, Both Inside and Out

This is the first in a continuing series of posts focusing on Walt Disney World attractions. Please be sure to check back for more whether you are a casual or crazed fan of Disney World.



photo - darthmaz314

As visitors enter the main gate of Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park, they are greeted with the awesome sight of Spaceship Earth, a massive 18 story geodesic spherical structure, which houses an original Disney attraction of the same name. Spaceship Earth is Epcot’s most recognizable icon and is truly remarkable to behold. A veritable wonder of architectural design, this towering marvel of technology contains a 16 minute “dark ride” that chronicles the development of human communication from our species’ primitive days through the not too distant future. The structure itself is so massive that it instantly dwarfs visitors as they approach it, climbing starkly, yet elegantly into the central Florida sky.   



photo - heartcom.org

The Spaceship Earth attraction took twenty-six months to construct and was completed for Epcot Center’s opening on October 1, 1982. The design was modeled after the Biosphere, a United States pavilion at the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal. Spaceship Earth’s geodesic sphere structure stands a dizzying 180 feet in height and has a vast circumference of over 518 feet.

A little known fact about Spaceship Earth is that it is actually comprised of two inner structural domes. The upper structural dome sits upon a steel ring at the sphere’s perimeter. This ring is mounted atop six legs which are supported by piles driven over 120 feet into the Florida earth. The lower dome is hung below the central supporting ring, completing the sphere shape. An intricate arrangement of trusses within the ring supports the internal “ride and show architecture.” This ring and truss system forms a table-like structure which in essence, divides the upper and lower domes.

photo - lostepcot.com

The dual dome spherical structure supports and is surrounded by a “cladding sphere” to which the silver triangular exterior panels are mounted. This cladding sphere is separated from the inner structural spheres by a distance of three feet. One amazing and hidden feature of Spaceship Earth is the service car that resides in the space between the inner spherical structure and the outer cladding sphere shell. This device can transport a prone service technician along the surface of the sphere to sections of the outer shell that may require repair. 

photo - darthmaz314

Another ingenious design feature that has gone unnoticed by millions of Epcot visitors since 1982 is directly linked to the often erratic central Florida summer weather. Anyone who has visited Orlando in the summer will tell you that violent afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon. In the decades since Epcot opened its gates, countless Disney visitors have sought refuge from the deluge of those afternoon thunderstorms under “that huge golf ball thing.” Without realizing it, they chose an excellent location to escape the rain. Spaceship Earth’s exterior shell was designed so that no rainwater runs off the surface of the sphere and onto the ground or anyone standing below the sphere itself. Rainwater is absorbed through one inch gaps in the triangular surface tiles, is collected in a gutter system, and ultimately drains into World Showcase lagoon at the center of Epcot.

photo - darthmaz314

Beyond the main entrance gate and in the shadow of Spaceship Earth’s majestic structure, is a collection of granite monoliths which escalate in height as they approach the giant sphere. These monoliths were part of a Disney millennium campaign entitled “Leave a Legacy,” which enabled park guests (for a fee) to have their photo taken then digitally etched upon a metal tile which was later affixed to one of the monolithic stone slabs. 

photo - darthmaz314

A commemorative duplication of the etching produced on a transparent plastic sheet and held in a souvenir cardboard sleeve was mailed to each guest that purchased a Legacy tile. The sleeve also provided information on how guests could locate their Legacy tile upon future visits to Epcot. The Leave a Legacy promotion was discontinued in 2007, but the half-million plus tiles created during its eight year duration remain on the monolithic slabs which stand as sentinels in the forecourt of Spaceship Earth. 

Please click the link below the photo for Part Two of this post....

Spaceship Earth: A Technical Marvel Inside and Out: Part II

photo - darthmaz314

Star Wars in 3D: The Force Unleashed in Three Dimensions

...3D was dead. In 1977, when Star Wars (the movie that is now too often referred to as “A New Hope” or “Episode IV”) was released, 3D was a gimmick that had long since fizzled out. In fact, the science fiction genre was ready for embalming as well. But a young California filmmaker named Lucas changed Hollywood forever with his “little space movie.” With Star Wars, George Lucas revitalized the sci-fi genre and laid the foundation of an empire forged from artistic, technological, and financial genius. In February, Lucas will bring us all back to that galaxy far, far, away (again) and perhaps succeed (again) where Hollywood is currently failing.

Perhaps wishing to follow in Lucas’ footsteps, over the last few years, Hollywood seems determined to revitalize the 3D genre by almost force-feeding us a steady diet of three dimensional movies. These days, every major action or animated movie is simultaneously released in standard 2D, as well as the 3D and 3D Imax formats. Some argue that the push for 3D is just the studios’ plot to generate additional revenue with the same product. They would never do that, would they?

Worse than simply making a blatant attempt to separate us from our money, Hollywood has been attempting to do it with, in many instances, a substandard product. True 3D films, during which we are often prompted to swat away objects jumping off the screen at us, are very few and far between. Many of the films released in 3D are shot in traditional 2D and then converted to 3D. The conversion will introduce a little depth perspective between objects in the foreground and background of a shot, but nothing that will blow your hair back. The 2010 Clash of the Titans re-make brought us to a new 3D low, with a conversion that actually distorted the film itself to a point where the visual quality was almost that of a bootleg DVD bought out of some guy’s backpack in a laundromat.

Enter our friends at Lucasfilm. In February 2012, the 3D saga begins as The Phantom Menace will be re-released in theaters in the 3D format. The other five films will reportedly follow, one each year, climaxing with Return of the Jedi in 2017, the forty year anniversary of Star Wars. Many will say that this is just another Jedi mind trick to separate us from our money and there is of course some truth to this. If nothing else, George Lucas is a capitalist. He has built an empire (literally and figuratively) and amassed incalculable wealth from a story that no one believed in and even fewer people wanted to see transformed into a motion picture. More amazingly, he did it his way. Even more amazingly and incomprehensibly in this culture, almost completely devoid of originality, he did it with a new and different idea. He crafted his plot based on timeless mythical themes and a basic tale of good versus evil, but his story was fresh and original and he translated that story onto film in such a visionary and groundbreaking way that it made Star Wars unlike anything that had preceded it. Lucas did not regurgitate an old idea and shove it across the table at us like the countless remakes Hollywood seems to churn out these days (a few of which are in fact, very good and in rare cases, better than the originals.) George Lucas dared to combine two now filthy and subversive words together “original thought” and created not just a story, but a world that his fans have been using as their own private escape for decades.

Throughout those decades, Lucas and his Lucasfilm enterprise have ensured that their brand is associated with quality. He may not always deliver what his millions of fans want, but when he delivers, he does his best to ensure that the product is one of quality and care. When he released the Star Wars Special Editions, which stirred up controversy within the legions of Star Wars fans, (see our previous post “Does George Lucas Have the Right to Tamper With His Star Wars Classics?”) Lucas waited for both CGI and theater projection

and sound system technology to progress to a level that would allow him to deliver a quality sensory experience to his audience. In fact, he basically required most theaters to have digital projection and his THX sound system (or a suitable equivalent) in order to exhibit the prequel films.

Considering this, we can expect the Star Wars films to be painstakingly converted to 3D, not thrown together in a haphazard manner. The conversion process will literally require years to complete and in the hands of the artistic and technical geniuses at Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic, we can expect nothing less than the finest quality 3D experience. More importantly, these 3D releases will once again bring the Star Wars films back into theaters, which will allow a whole new generation of fans the opportunity to experience the galaxy far, far away on the big screen. I wonder if they thought of that over at Lucasfilm…?

One concerning point is that Rick McCallum at Lucasfilm (producer of all three prequels) has reportedly said that the success of The Phantom Menace will dictate the probability of the subsequent five films being re-released in 3D. One can only hope that the traditionalists distaste of the prequels doesn’t extinguish the chance to see the original and only true “trilogy” from being released in 3D.

On 9/11, We Honor Our Heroes and Celebrate America

Ten years ago today, the most heinous and cowardly act ever perpetrated on American soil took place on a late summer morning that would forever be etched into our collective hearts and minds. On that day, an immaculate and pristine sky was marred with the smoke of hatred, the ash of envy, and the fire of false righteousness. The ground was not only pelted with the debris of falling buildings and airplane fusillade, but with the emotional shrapnel of families and lives, ripped apart by hatred and extremism. What seemed like an otherwise nondescript and quiet September morning deteriorated into a date that now has taken its place as one of the darkest in our nation’s history.

Many terrible events took place on that morning of September 11, 2001. None of which will be chronicled here. The innocent dead taken from us on that day deserve far more respect than that. As do the heroes that gave their lives to save them. Those brave souls, regardless of the color of their uniforms or the letters etched upon them, were there when they were called. Some were there even though they had not been called. Many of them did not return home that day. Others returned home, but were diminished, whether physically or emotionally, in ways that most of us will luckily never know.

Thousands upon thousands more heroes have answered their country’s call to fight since that day. Whether they believe that they are on the right soil or fighting the right enemy, they stand for us. Ever the pawns in the international and political game of chess, these men and women stand anonymously between us and our enemies. Their uniforms do not differentiate them as either Republicans or Democrats, or as liberals or conservatives. They are simply our protectors.

The experiences and memories of September 11, 2001 vary greatly across the members of this great nation. Yet, whether you were in New York, D.C, or Anchorage, you felt the sting of loss on that day. In the intervening decade, the phrase “our lives were forever changed on 9/11,” has been uttered countless times. There is some truth to this. Our lives may never be the same again in some ways. America took a collective kick in the gut on that now infamous day.

Yet, if there is a truth that is undeniable, it is this. America has endured. The center of the financial world was nearly obliterated but our economy did not completely crumble. We are still the capital of the world, regardless of whether our credit rating has slipped this year. Our nation did not disintegrate and fracture following the acts of a band of extremist cowards. We united in a way that only Americans can and although we were kicked in the gut, we brushed ourselves off and stood up again ready for the next round.

Therein lays the failure of all those who seek to pierce the heart of our nation and do us harm. America may be a patch quilt of religions, races, ethnicities, and political ideologies, but there is one defining thread that weaves us all together and binds us in a way that the perpetrators of September 11^th’s vile acts cannot comprehend and will be forever envious of…freedom. It is that freedom that defines our nation. It is that freedom that fortifies us not only as a nation, but as a people. It is that freedom which terrifies those that seek to do us harm. That ideal of freedom, unattainable and incomprehensible to those like the cowardly perpetrators of that fateful day, gave birth to this nation and has nurtured it for over two hundred years. It is a flame that cannot be extinguished by bullets or bombs or blood. It is who we are and will always be.

So as you go about your day this September 11^th, 2011, think not of the fallen towers or the damaged Pentagon, or the charred wreckage of a plane in a Pennsylvania field. Do not dwell on the evil and the destruction. Instead, celebrate the lives of the heroes we lost on that day and have lost since. Celebrate the courage of those who answered the call and continue to do so. Celebrate the good in life. Celebrate the fact that we live in a nation where we are free. Celebrate…America.