The EPM Project

The EPM project was started by myself and my good friend Mahtan_Luinwe. EPM of course stands for Explosions Per Minute.

The Results:

A New Hope = .896296
The Empire Strikes Back = 1.07751
Return of The Jedi = 2

We didn't count showers of sparks, or some of the light flashes from blasters because we didn't think they were quite explosions.

Our total count of explosions for each movie was:

A New Hope = 121
The Empire Strikes Back = 139
Return of The Jedi = 272

What should also be noted is that we used the special edition version of each movie, and that ANH's EPM is probably slightly thrown off because of the special concerning Ep II at the begining of the movie, making the length of the movie longer.

Feel free to check our data with your own countings, but we assure you our data is accurate.

As a side note my favorite movie was always ROTJ, which has the highest EPM. Coincidence? I think not.

 

ANH SE doesn't have anything about Episode 2 in the beginning.

 

It depends on what version of the VHS's you have. The latest release (2001, I think), had a 10 minute Episode 2 preview at the beginning.

Edit:
Of course, that leaves the question of whether or not something that isn't part of the movie should be counted.

 

Yeah, I don't see how that would be counted as part of the movie? Do I have to count bathroom breaks too? What if I watch it over a period of 24 hours?

 

I used the running time on the back of the box, I'm assuming that the little Ep II preview was included in that.

 

Well that does not surprise me. LFL making a SE SE ANH with a preview to it. I'm surprised someone bought it.

Anyways, why would you include something that was not part of the actual movie? Would you include the documentary explosions that take place before each SE VHS movie? I think not, so why count these AOTC explosions if they are not a part of ANH?

 

It wasn't a "SE SE ANH". The movie itself was the same version as the regular Special Edition. It simply was re-released because the original Special Edition versions had gone out of print, so instead of having the previews that explained the Special Edition changes, they added an Episode II preview.

Personally, I bought the latest version simply so I could get a nice widescreen copy of the OT. The widescreen SE's were hard to find, and usually were quite expensive on the secondary market.

 

Lets not argue about the differences in different versions of the SE. Instead let us discuss how great the concept of EPM is, and how knowing the EPM's helps influence our opinions of the Star Wars movies.

 

and how knowing the EPM's helps influence our opinions of the Star Wars movies.

You know, it really doesn't. I thought about it, and...nope.

 

Why not do FPM. Forces Per Minute.

Ever done the SW challenge drinking game. Down a shot with every "Force" uttered in the SW trilogy (Saga if you are brave). It's something like 26 in ANH alone, enough to make many comatose.

Work out the FPM's for the OT, that is much more interesting. Maybe. Then work out how drunk you will be at the end. Very.

 

Oh, well that makes a bit more sense. I wish my SE VHS was widescreen and not pan and scan.

How does it influence my opinion of SW? I can't think of how it could or should, perhaps you can help me? I'm being quite serious you know.

Oh, and for the record that was far from an arguement.

 

Oh, and for the record that was far from an arguement.

But it certainly was heading there

I know that the EPM made me look at how exciting and entertaining I found each one, coincidentally it was directly related to the EPM!