Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) - 38 trivia entries
Directed by George Lucas, starring Ahmed Best, Anthony Daniels, Ewan McGregor, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Jake Lloyd, Kenny Baker, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Ray Park, Samuel L. Jackson, Terence Stamp
If you watch closely during the scene in the senate, right after Queen Amidala calls for a vote of no confidence in the chancellor, the camera starts showing different views. The shot after a Senator asks for order is a group of pods with aliens in them. If you look in the lower left, you can see a pod full of E.T's. There's also a pod full of Wookies seen at one point (with their traditional noises, and for the first time in 20 years, the species was played by someone other than Peter Mayhew).
The sound of Watto's wings flapping is a looped recording of sound designer Ben Burtt opening and closing an umbrella. Submitted by Cubs Fan
In some shots of the Mos Espa Arena, the public is made with coloured Q-Tips. Submitted by Dr Wilson
In the ending credits, Jabba the Hutt is credited as playing "himself." Submitted by Cubs Fan
After the disappointment many fans had with the Phantom Menace, a copy of the film appeared on the internet titled The Phantom edit and was found to have had around 20 minutes of footage edited from the film by a person calling themselves the phantom editor. The new film proved to be very popular amongst many fans. Most of the footage that was deleted was primarily the unpopular Jar Jar Binks character, with his presence in the new edit kept to a minimum. Some believed the phantom editor was director Kevin Smith, who is a huge fan of Star Wars. After the popularity of the new edit, another edit was found nicknamed "The East Coast version" with its largest change being Jar Jar Binks' and the Gungans' speech, which was changed to scrambled alien dialogue with made up English subtitles for when they spoke. Submitted by Lummie
At the end of the film, when Yoda speaks to Obi-wan in Theed Palace, look outside over Obi-Wan's right shoulder. There are three great birds looking like Draco in Dragonheart. ILM did the special effects for the two films. Submitted by Dr Wilson
On Corucsant, there is one building that looks like the Chrysler Building in New York. There is also a skyscraper that looks like the project of the mile-high building by Frank Lloyd Wright. Submitted by Dr Wilson
George Lucas' daughters, Katie and Amanda Lucas, are both in this film. Katie (under the pseudonym Emma Green) plays Amee, the oldest girl in the group of children who show up when Anakin is working on his pod. Amanda, under the pseudonym Tyger, plays the voice of Tey How, a member of the viceroy's crew. She also appears as the red-haired woman in Jabba the Hutt's box before the podrace begins.
When Padmé and her guards infiltrate the palace, just before they are arrested by the droidekas, check on the top of the corridor. It's hardly visible, but there is an arch with a portrait of George Lucas on it. Submitted by Dr Wilson
The sounds of the spectators at the Boonta Eve Podrace are the sounds of football fans recorded by Ben Burtt at a San Francisco 49ers' game. Submitted by Cubs Fan
The vocals during the end celebration (Track 18 on the soundtrack, "Augie's Great Municipal Band") is the same piece of music as the Emperor's haunting theme used in Return of the Jedi, only up-tempo and sung by children. (This has led some people to believe that Palpatine's first name is "Augie" or "Augustus.").
This film has the dubious honor as being the highest-grossing film to be nominated for "Razzie" awards. It also has the dubious honor as one of a few films to be nominated for both "Razzie" (for directing, screenplay, picture, and acting roles) and Academy Awards (only for technical achievements) at the same year. While it did not win any Oscars, it won only one "Razzie" for "Worst Supporting Actor" (Ahmed Best who provided the voice of Jar-Jar Binks).