Star Wars trivial

• Most of us assume that "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" means that the movies take place in what would be our past (a twist on the usual future-oriented sci-fi story), but Roger Ebert once put forth the interesting idea that it's actually from the point of view of a narrator in our distant future. Kinda makes you think, don't it?
• There's a big question about what Han means when he boasts that the Falcon made the Kessel Run in "less than 12 parsecs," since it seems to be like saying you ran a lap at Daytona in "less than X miles." (The original novelization replaces "parsec" with "timepart.") One explanation is that Ben knew Han was just BS-ing, which explains Guinness' supposed look of skepticism. Thinking of it that way makes me find his facial expression awfully funny.
• When Leia calls Han a "flyboy," they hadn't met yet, and there wasn't really a way to tell that Han was a pilot. My guess is that Luke managed to tell her about who else he came with when they left her cell.
• As far as I can tell, Ben's work at the Death Star's tractor beam panel is the only time where English writing appears in the movies.

• When the two stormtroopers are told to stand guard as Ben works on the tractor beam, they engage in idle conversation... Not about the Empire's galactic domination, or the Rebels' inevitable downfall, or the power of the Death Star. No, they're just talking about the "BT-16," presumably a speeder or ship. This little conversation makes them seem like regular guys, and wasn't at all necessary, which makes me love this scene.
• A lot of Chewie fans like him because he's supposed to be this big, fearless, "bad-ass" tough guy sidekick. But who's the biggest pansy throughout the garbage room scene?. He cowers for quite some time after the blaster shots have ricocheted off the walls. Instead of helping out Luke when he gets pulled under by the monster, he just keeps trying to get that door open (If Wookiees wore pants, he would've wet his). Even after they get out, he runs as far as he can from the monster, to Han's annoyance. It's great not just because it's all funny in itself, but also because Lucas didn't make the easy mistake of having Chewie be a one-note character. 
• Chewie also sympathized with the Rebels. During the mission briefing, he glances over at Han, as if to say "What do you think?" Han rolls his eyes. After Han and Luke have their final words, Chewie sheepishly mumbles, as if to say "Gee, we really oughta help..." In the end, he presumably convinces Han to help Luke out, and feels all warm and fuzzy inside after they succeed.

• The brief shot of the two aliens in the cantina in a heated argument, presumably about money.
• After Obi-Wan chops off the guy's arm, everyone stops in their tracks for a moment, then, probably having seen worse things in the cantina, goes back to whatever they were doing. Including the band. And isn't Ben's chop a bit extreme after having already sliced his gun in half? He either had a lot of pent-up anger after his time in self-exile, or had gotten really rusty).
• The way Luke turns around to look at Chewie for the first time, as they walk off-screen.
• I'm not sure why, but the fact that we actually get to see the goofy-looking alien who bought Luke's speeder.
• We first see Docking Bay 94, the music swells up, the camera zooms out to reveal the Falcon, and Luke reacts the way he does. A hilarious anti-climactic moment. I do wonder if the added Jabba scene (where you can see part of the ship in the background), affects this scene much.
• The split-second shot of a pensive Tarkin before the Death Star 'splosion.

As the Imperial officer recovers after being choked by Vader, the gray-haired gent on his right has a "Dude, you okay?" look on his face.

Han boasts that he "knows a few maneuvers" as they flee from the Star Destroyers, but after saying this, he doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot.

One of the Y-wing pilots just silently hunches over when he gets hit. "Oh, poopie, this is gonna hurt..."

Another pilot, who actually does do the classic "I'm hit!" routine, looks and sounds suspiciously like ESPN broadcaster Steve Levy (he of the multi-OT hockey playoff games), but it can't be, can it?

Biggs seems to be on a collision course with the trench wall just before the camera cuts away and his ship's destroyed by a TIE fighter.

• There's an infamous stormtrooper who bangs his head (or helmet or whatever) on the bottom edge of the raised door on the Death Star, when they break into the control room where the droids are hiding. Interestingly enough, it's this trooper who's told to stay behind when the others leave (you can tell because he's taller than the entrance, which is why he had his accident to begin with). However, he seems to have been replaced by another extra when the camera changes angles. Maybe the original had to bow out.
• 3PO getting on Chewie's nerves as he observes him loading the oodles of cash onto a cart in the rebel hangar. Funny stuff, but why's he so curious anyway?

• Vader breathing in and out while he talks. His "Ability to destroy an entire planet" speech for example
• Ben nodding quickly to Chewie as soon the latter pops out of the Falcon's smuggling compartment. Chewie hadn't said anything yet, and Ben already seems to be saying "Back at ya, pal!" Was it just the clairvoyant Jedi hearing something before it happened?

• Fans scoff at Ben's line about Imperial Stormtroopers being precise, but the Rebel troops at the very beginning of the movie might beg to differ. Besides, they're only (semi-)lousy shots when aiming at the heroes of the movie, because it would make for a short movie otherwise (call it "The Hero Effect"). R2 and 3PO walking through dense crossfire is a bit over-the-line though.
• As 3PO tries to sell himself to Owen, R2 slowly turns his head toward 3PO. Is it because he's sad that his ol' pal is trying to get himself away from R2, or because he thinks he's full of hot air?
• Although I'd assume that the Empire took out the guys that were killed when they boarded the Falcon (the two techs and two stormies), it'd be funny if they just left 'em there, making for an unpleasant surprise for Our Heroes later on.
• When Chewie mumbles after Luke mentions to Han about how rich Leia is, is he thinking "Here we go again," or is he excited about the promise of a big reward? Wookiees seem too honorable to be so materialistic, but he is a smuggler's sidekick after all.
• The guys might've had stormtrooper suits on, but one can only guess how bad Chewie and Leia must've smelled after they got out of the trash compactor. Ew, wet Wookiee!

Updated 2002.11.28