Happy May the 4th to all who celebrate, but especially to special effects master Phil Tippett, who recently shared a very special bit of Star Wars lore.
Fresh off the release of Mad God, a film 30 years in the making, Tippett is best known for his work on Jurassic Park, Robocop, and yes, Star Wars. Tippett recently took to Twitter to share a story from behind the scenes of Return of the Jedi.
It turns out that the grit and grime waiting below the trapdoor of Jabba’s palace wasn’t all movie magic. Things on set were actually pretty rank. Or rancor, that is.
So, on this special day, I hope the image of a man on the set of the highest grossing film of 1983 eating craft services with his free hand while the other is restricted to the ass of a puppet brings you joy.
Seriously though, the rancor scene from Return of the Jedi has always stuck with me because of one special moment. After Luke Skywalker, our brave hero, takes down the vicious rancor, we are treated to a brief moment of loss.
The slovenly rancor keeper looks upon the corpse of the beast he and he alone was tasked with caring for, his purpose and the thing he loved gone. He breaks down in that moment. Tears stream down his face as he is comforted and carried away sobbing.
Among all the space battles and tangled Jedi lore, this moment stands out for its humanity. So this May the 4th, in addition to all the dazzling and epic moments that populate the greater Star Wars landscape, think of the rancor keeper. Think of Tippett with his hand trapped in a rancor’s ass. And think of all the smaller moments that still stick with you today.
