Phrases of dialogue that should be outlawed

[Rollo Tomassi]

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response..."


BZZZZZZZT. You just did, asshat.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

That has worked a few times. ESB was the first time, right? I can see why Luke expected the Jedi Master to be at least as tall as his astromech, given that the majority of aliens in SW are human-sized. However, given how famous Yoda was in the prequels just a handful of years earlier, and the involvement of half the Senate in the Rebellion, it makes no sense that someone, somewhere in the Rebellion would not have mentioned Yoda to him.

"You get in a situation like this, you've got to try to think like Yoda."
"Yoda? What's a Yoda?"
"Yoda! You know, Yoda. Leader of the Jedi. About yay big, puke green, pointy ears, talks backwards. Not ringing a bell? I guess he was before your time."

Or, come on, biggest plot hole Lucas walked himself into (without tossing in a memory wipe at the last second): If Anakin and Obi-Wan were celebrities during the Clone Wars, and Chewie worked closely with at least two Jedi who knew him personally (Yoda and Luminara, and, in the comics, Quinlan), why did he blow off Ben on the Falcon? Even if he's trying to keep a secret at that point, why not later say, "Han, tell Luke I knew all about his buddy. I didn't believe it was really Obi-Wan, thought he died ages ago and this was some old crank, but it obviously was him. There are other Jedi running around alive; I used to work with this dude named Yoda...."

And the line was parodied in Mickey's Christmas Carol, where the Ghost of Christmas Past is Jiminy Cricket.

But, yeah, aside from those two, the line blows. Unless we're counting comic books; the Joe team meeting the Original GIJoe and commenting that they always expected him to be taller works because it's a nod to the actual relative sizes of the toys.

Luke never says anything about Yoda's size. Yoda only ever brings it up when Luke says the X-wing is too big.

Anakin says "You're shorter than I expected" in ROTS, but it's just him being a smartass to Grievous. I don't remember hearing it in any other movies, actually.

Anyway, and we discussed this on your Facebook earlier, but I think again you're worrying about something not worth worrying about. The "celebrities" thing is only ever in the EU, not the films (they seem to be well known among other military leaders, as Grievous mentions Anakin's reputation; the same is true in The Clone Wars, but that always makes sense, as generals would be smart to learn about their opponents). So there's really no reason Chewbacca would know of Obi-Wan before they meet in ANH.

And what are you talking about Chewie blowing off Ben? I don't remember that. He would likely want to protect Yoda, as he helped him escape the clones, so he wouldn't be going around talking about him, even to Han. He also wouldn't necessarily know that Yoda was still alive.

And where did you get the "half the Senate is in the Rebellion"? Not the films, as I recall. I don't know why people would have been bringing up Jedi who were thought to have died many years ago; they were usually pretty busy trying to not get killed by the Empire.

[anarky]

Oh, fuck, you're right. How in God's name did I mix up shit from ESB? I need to flush my own head down the toilet.

"Half the Senate" is an exaggeration. But we know there's Bail, Leia, Mon Mothma, Garm bel Iblis, and a few others.

In ANH, Chewie grumbles something after Obi-Wan leaves to turn off the tractor beam. While we don't know what he says, Han (who understand Shyriwook) says, "You said it. Where did you dig up that old fossil?" So it certainly seems like Chewie said something disparaging about Obi-Wan.

Even if Ani's not a celebrity, if he's known in the military, chances are some of the Republic officers who become Rebel leaders know him. Dodonna in the book makes a comment about knowing Luke's father, and I think a couple of other characters do, too.

Still, I'd think a kid who suddenly finds out he's this hot shit Jedi, and there are no other Jedi around, would be seeking out every bit of info he could from any source, and it's pretty unlikely that a character of Yoda's prominence would be so forgotten in less than a generation that he wouldn't have heard or found anything about him. I'd think that, even if they're no longer in circulation, there'd be some equivalent of a wanted poster for Yoda, at least for a little while after AOTC.

[vynsane]

In ANH, Chewie grumbles something after Obi-Wan leaves to turn off the tractor beam. While we don't know what he says, Han (who understand Shyriwook) says, "You said it. Where did you dig up that old fossil?" So it certainly seems like Chewie said something disparaging about Obi-Wan.

chewie could've been saying "that dude's crazy" (as in, "i know, i heard about him riding on the back of this big lizard, once!") but got cut off and didn't bother elaborating

the 'general grievous, you're shorter than i expected' is a great example. mine came from the movie adaptation of 'wanted', tho.

[Sleazer]

or maybe Chewie, knowing how the Jedi were mostly wiped out a generation earlier, assumed Ol' Crusty was gonna go and get himself (and them) killed now, too.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

or maybe Chewie, knowing how the Jedi were mostly wiped out a generation earlier, assumed Ol' Crusty was gonna go and get himself (and them) killed now, too.

In some behind-the-scenes video (I think it was that Empire of Dreams documentary from the DVD boxset), you can hear the original audio of Peter Mayhew saying "That old man's mad!" while in costume, right before Harrison says "Boy, you said it, Chewie." So I take that as the literal translation, and you all should too.

[Rollo Tomassi]

How did mabs legitimately interesting topic get sidetracked by a Star Wars nerd-o-rama?

[vynsane]

In some behind-the-scenes video (I think it was that Empire of Dreams documentary from the DVD boxset), you can hear the original audio of Peter Mayhew saying "That old man's mad!" while in costume, right before Harrison says "Boy, you said it, Chewie." So I take that as the literal translation, and you all should too.

totally supporting my assertion that he was cut off mid-sentence talking about him hanging onto an assassin droid in the middle of coruscant rush hour!

How did mabs legitimately interesting topic get sidetracked by a Star Wars nerd-o-rama?

hi, we're all nerds here... welcome.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

How did mabs legitimately interesting topic get sidetracked by a Star Wars nerd-o-rama?

hi, we're all nerds here... welcome.

Exactly. Where did we all meet, again? Oh yeah . . .

[Rollo Tomassi]

I want to see a Godzilla type monster flick where the giant creature is ravaging a city, but it turns out he was just displaying the typical animalistic behavior of looking for the proper place to take a crap (you know sniffing here and there, pawing at the ground) then he takes a ginat radioactive shit right on a famous landmark and then slinks back into the ocean or jungle or whatever, leaving everybody shocked at this horrific large pile of poo.

Seeing Godzilla haunching down with a grimace on his face and crapping in Red Square, or the Louvre, or the Mall in D.C. would be hilarious.

[anarky]

Either that, or the minute the first gun is fired at the monster, it squeals and runs like hell.

I'd like to see Clifford done as a monster movie. Maybe Clifford is stricken by rabies and diarrhea at the same time.

[vynsane]

Seeing Godzilla haunching down with a grimace on his face[...]

and reading the paper

[...] and crapping in Red Square, or the Louvre, or the Mall in D.C. would be hilarious.

[Ran]

Not in the movie, but during interviews with actors about upcoming movies. I suggest banning the expression "I do all my own stunts".

I was watching Nickelodeon with my kids. During a commercial break, they did a little blurb about the Prince of Persia movie. Whoever the star is says "I did all my own stunts that I could do." So he didn't do stunts he couldn't do?

[Rollo Tomassi]

Not in the movie, but during interviews with actors about upcoming movies. I suggest banning the expression "I do all my own stunts".

Those things are just mutual handjobfests. "I really liked working with this actor/producer/director/writer[fill in the blank]. He's just so talented/funto work with/original/brilliant/focused/knows exactly what he wants[fill in the blank]."

Even 15 years down the road when they are doing retrospectives and commentaries and you KNOW there was fucking tension on the set, everyone is still rimming each other. I would find it much more interesting if there was complete candor about the disagreements which led to bad blood on the set. I'm sure a measure of civility could be afforded a decade or more after the fact, but still be honest about what happened. After all, someone who is spending the money to by the ultra-deluxe 3-disc release of whatever film it is probabloy already a fan and has some inkling of what occured. Give us the truth, warts and all.

[Diabolical]

"Don't you die on me!" or "Come on, stay With me!" or some similar version.