Trish Biggar and Iain McCaig are Senators

Here's another cameo during the Senate sequence. It is quite well visible, but quick so you'll have to watch for it. When Amidala calls for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum, you can see a blue, very fat Twi'lek Senator rising in agreement. So are his aides. But they are in no way Twi'lek, but human: a blond woman and a darker haired man. These two are costume designers Trisha Biggar and storyboard and concept artist Iain McCaig. If you know when to look for them, you will see them!

Wookiee cameo in the senate

In addition to the cameos of the ET's (mentioned below), many have reported the scene with Wookies in the Galactic Senate spotted in the movie. The wookie senator was shown way back on the Chewie flashback card, so we knew they were going to show up. Here they are. Also, many visitors have said they can hear the wookies, but not see them. Again, here's the screenshot, but remember the actual pacing in the movie makes this frame go by very quickly!

ET's in the Senate

This has got to be the number one cameo, because of all of the email we received about it, some even just this week. E.T. the Extraterrestrial, or those of his species are in the Phantom Menace. If you missed it, you wouldn't be the only one. If you look closely during the Republic Senate scene after Queen Amidala gives her vote of no confidence, you can see several ET's in one of the senate seats at the lower left hand portion of the screen. Since Lucas and Spielberg are such good friends, this is obviously a tribute to him, and not a coincidence. An prequel insider report earlier this year said that ILM was working on Progressive Auto Insurance ads and had made the model for those commercials, so implementing them to the movie was a piece of cake. Nice little cameo, but does that make ET cannon in Star Wars history?

USS Enterprise in TPM

John Knoll is a huge Trek fan and supervised the effects on at least several Trek films that ILM worked on. Is it possible that the USS Enterprise IS hidden in The Phantom Menace? We've received quite a bit of email in the past about the possible cameo, and here's yet another unconfirmed report. Many have said this for many months to their friends, that the USS Enterprise WAS in The Phantom Menace (according to either John Knoll or Scott Squires at VES '99). Supposedly, you can spot it at least a dozen times going back and forth behind Queen Amidala in the night scene where she tells Palpatine that she is going back to Naboo. Here's a quick screengrab highlighting what were talking about.

Obi-Wan's Reaction to the Gungan plan

Key writes in and says they noticed something else hidden in TPM. In the scene where the Queen begs the Gungans to help them in their battle they are all kneeling on the floor. when the Gungans agree, they all get up smiling happily, except Obi-Wan who stays on the ground scratching his ear with a funny look on his face. What's he think about the whole thing, I wonder?

Queen talks without moving her mouth

Star Wars Steve tells us about a hidden image he was surprised not to see listed: On Naboo after the Queen makes her alliance with the Gungans, they come up with a plan of attack. The queen then shows her holographic layout of the palace. Right before this, she starts talking, but her mouth stops moving half-way through. My wife saw this one the first time we watched it.

Wilhelm Sound in Star Wars

Andrew reminds us that according to an interview with Ben Burtt in the original Star Wars fan club magazine (Bantha Tracks number 17, August 1982), he adds a sound effect called a "Wilhelm" to each movie he works on. For example, the article says, in Star Wars, the stormtrooper who falls off the Death Star makes that noise. In Empire Strikes Back, it's screamed during the Hoth battle, and in Raiders of the Lost Ark someone gets thrown off a truck and makes the noise. And in Return of the Jedi, it's screamed by one of the bunker guys when Han Solo throws the package of explosives at him and then he falls off the railing. Well, in The Phantom Menace, one of the Naboo pilots makes this scream as he gets picked off by the battle droids in one of the hanger scenes.

Battle Droid Fist Fight

John was just reading over this hidden stuff guide, and thought he should mention some fist fighting he noticed during the Gun-Gun/Battle Droid combat on Naboo. If you look off in the background, past the action in the foreground, you'll see random little one-on-one mini-fights between different pairs of droids and Gun-Guns. One Gun-Gun, if my memory serves, is just circling a droid and tagging it in the face. It's funny because the droid seems confused, etc., and can't seem to hit the Gungan. There are of course, plenty more of these funny little encounters in the film as well.

On to Page Twelve ...