
1. What famous playwright did George Lucas reportedly hire to help improve
the dialogue in "Revenge Of The Sith"?
The correct answer is B. Stoppard’s most well-known play is the Shakespeare-inspired
comedy "Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead." He also won an Oscar
for his screenplay for the movie "Shakespeare In Love," and was nominated
for the script for Terry Gilliam’s "Brazil."
2. The "Star Wars" series is known for its spectacular battle sequences.
Place the following battles in their proper chronological order.
Correct
The correct answer is C. In Episode I, the Jedi defeat the Trade Federation
on Jar-Jar Binks’ home planet; tragically, Jar-Jar survives. In Episode
II, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme are saved from a gladiatorial arena by Mace Windu
and a clone army. Episode III opens in the middle of the Battle of Coruscant.
In Episode IV, Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star at the climactic Battle
of Yavin. The Empire strikes back in the next film on the ice planet of Hoth.
And the second Death Star is destroyed, along with the Emperor and Darth Vader,
in the Battle of Endor in "Return Of The Jedi."
3. In "Star Wars," Han Solo boasts about the speed of his ship, the
Millennium Falcon, by informing Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi that it “made
the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs.” What is bizarre about this statement?
The correct answer is C. Since a parsec is a unit of distance (3.26 light-years)
and not of speed, Han’s claim sounds strange—after all, you wouldn’t
say “my Buick is so fast, I can drive it for five miles!” It’s
never referred to again in the films, but in the Lucas-authorized novels the
discrepancy is explained by making the Kessel Run a path that goes near a series
of black holes, so it’s dangerous to go in too straight a line. Daredevil
Han takes the Falcon right through the thick of it, cutting down his distance
traveled to a mere 12 parsecs.
4. Four well-known Americans of which profession inspired the "Phantom
Menace" villains Nute Gunray and Lott Dodd?
The correct answer is A. “Nute Gunray” rearranges syllables from
the names of President Ronald Reagan and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
“Lott Dodd” comes from two U.S. senators, Republican Trent Lott
and Democrat Christopher Dodd.
5. One of the most memorable shots in the first "Star Wars" film was
that of Luke Skywalker staring off into a twin sunset on the desert planet of
Tatooine. How did George Lucas create that impressive special effect?
The correct answer is D. The image of a double sun was not created using special
effects, but was a natural optical illusion caused by the desert conditions
in Tunisia, where the scene was filmed.
6. Besides the fact that it’s the only purple lightsaber in the Star Wars
films, what, reportedly, is unique about the weapon carried by Mace Windu (Samuel
L. Jackson)?
The correct answer is D. “BMF” is a reference to Jackson’s
character in “Pulp Fiction,” whose wallet was embossed with a phrase
beginning with the words “Bad Mother.”
7. Just before 1977’s "Star Wars" catapulted him into stardom,
director George Lucas had a success with his only non-science fiction film,
inspired by his teenage years in California in the 1950s, which first teamed
him with actor Harrison Ford. What was it?
The correct answer is A. "Physical Graffiti" is a Led Zeppelin record;
"American Bandstand" is Dick Clark’s TV show. We don’t
know what "Physical Bandstand" might be, but logic dictates that it
must exist in order to complete the quartet of phrases. At least, that’s
what we learned from studying for the SATs.
8. Chewbacca, the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon in the original "Star
Wars" trilogy, makes a cameo appearance in "Revenge Of The Sith."
What do Chewbacca and "Raiders Of The Lost Ark’s" main character
Indiana Jones have in common?
The correct answer is B. When Lucas was writing the original draft of "Star
Wars," he envisioned Chewbacca (later played by Peter Mayhew) as the sidekick
of Han Solo, and it was a natural creative leap to model the friendly, hairy
character on Lucas’ dog Indiana. Later, he used Indiana’s name for
the archaeologist in "Raiders." We don’t actually know about
the characters’ cheese allergies or lack thereof, but it is true that
before "Star Wars'" release, producers asked Lucas to make the Wookie
wear shorts. (He refused.)
9. Before the title of the 1983 installment of "Star Wars" was officially
announced as "Return Of The Jedi," a different, incorrect title (rumored
to be leaked on purpose by Lucasfilm to deter bootleggers) made the rounds.
What was it?
The correct answer is D. Before "Revenge" was revealed as a false
title, it caused a change in the title of the "Star Trek" film then
in development, "The Revenge Of Khan," to the less similar Wrath.
10. Which of the following characters is not one of the bounty hunters hired
to capture Han Solo in "Empire Strikes Back"?
The correct answer is D. U Thant was the U.N. Secretary General from 1961 to
1971. So far as reliable historians have been able to determine, he never attempted
to collect a bounty on any spaceship captains.
11. In "Star Wars," Imperial stormtroopers massacred a group of Jawas
and left fake evidence that the murders were committed by sandpeople, but Obi-Wan
Kenobi saw through the ruse. What gave it away?
The correct answer is A.
12. Which of these sentences has been part of the dialogue for all six "Star
Wars" films?
The correct answer is A. Answer D, however, is a prominent part of the all-singing,
all-dancing Broadway version of "Star Wars" that exists only in my
nightmares.
13. Complete this aphorism uttered by the wise Jedi Yoda in "Phantom Menace":
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to
hate, hate leads to...”
The correct answer is D. Here we can see why Anakin’s choice to follow
the path of the Dark Side was ill-advised. On the one side, adorable kittens
and delicious pancakes and candy. On the other side, suffering. Kids, there
is a lesson to be learned here.