It’s hard to imagine that in 1980 when audiences first crowded into theaters to watch the sequel to George Lucas’ unexpected blockbuster movie Star Wars, they would the first to ever see such iconic characters as Jedi Master Yoda, smuggler turned businessman Lando Calrissian, and Mandalorian turned bounty hunter Boba Fett. Fans would leave the theaters with three long years to wait for the next installment of the franchise, which was plenty of time to ponder whether or not that Darth Vader twist was the truth or a lie, and wonder if Han Solo would ever be freed from his carbonite prison. Four decades later, the questions we were left with have long been answered, but there’s still an enduring appeal to the middle chapter of the original trilogy. In fact, many fans still consider Episode 5 as their favorite film in the entire Star Wars franchise. So grab your lightsabers, check to make sure the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive motivator hasn’t been damaged, and then prepare to use the Force as Tim Williams and guest co-host Chris McMichen discuss “The Empire Strikes Back” on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback podcast!
Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:
When shooting on-location in Finse, Norway, a fierce snowstorm hit the hotel where the cast and crew were staying. This would have normally halted filming, but director Irvin Kershner thought these weather conditions were an excellent opportunity to film the scene where Luke wanders through the snow after escaping the Wampa cave. He did this by sending Mark Hamill outside into the cold, while he and the cameraman stayed and filmed inside the hotel's front hall.
When Mark Hamill was having trouble with the Dagobah scenes with Yoda, Frank Oz brought in Miss Piggy to make him laugh.
The light-saber fight scenes set in the carbon freezing chamber tend to focus on Luke. This is because during many of the shots, Bob Anderson (Vader's fight double) was not wearing the Darth Vader helmet, as it made it difficult for him to breathe.
An earlier draft had Luke's reason for not leaving with Lando and Chewie at the end being that his Jedi training was more important. Believing that this would make Luke seem less sympathetic, Irvin Kershner had it changed to where Luke was still recovering from his injuries, and that rescuing Han would be his first priority once he was fully recovered.
Sources:
Wikipedia
IMDB
Rotten Tomatoes
https://screenrant.com/star-wars-empire-strikes-back-facts-trivia-behind-scenes/
https://www.starwars.com/news/empire-at-40-why-we-love-star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back
Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver
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