There's a wonderful hidden 'Indiana Jones' reference in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

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raiders of the lost ark

Paramount Pictures

Sound editors for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" managed to slide an "Indiana Jones" Easter egg into the film.

In an interview with NerdistMatthew Wood, supervising sound editor, and David Acord, supervising sound editor and sound designer, revealed how they created some of what you hear in the film.

"When the Rathtar is rolling down the hallway after Han and Chewie, I put in the sound of Ben Burtt's boulder-roll sound from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' when the boulder is chasing Indy," Acord said. 

han solo star wars the force awakens

Lucasfilm

To refresh your memory, the Rathtar is the vicious-looking beast that goes after Han Solo and Chewbacca when they're also being pursued by two criminal organizations.

Burtt is an Oscar-winning sound editor and designer who also worked on the original "Star Wars" films. 

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Another Rathar sound was actually Acord choking himself. 

"When the rathtar has his mouth on the cockpit of the Falcon, when it's trying to eat the cockpit, that is me literally choking myself," he said. "Finger down my throat in front of the mic to accomplish that and then it's pitched down."

He also revealed that the sound used to create Kylo Ren's (Adam Driver) Force rumble is "a heavily pitched and slowed version" of his cat purring.  

Both Wood and Acord are nominated for an Oscar this year for sound editing on "Force Awakens." 

Watch the boulder scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" below:

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