Jarrod R
Last evening, I received an early birthday surprise—a screening of this documentary here in Indianapolis. I could try to claim that the guest appearances by two stormtroopers, a Rebel pilot, and Darth Vader himself didn't influence my review, but I can't honestly say that. What an incredible experience! As a six-year-old when the original Star Wars hit theaters, I was instantly hooked by everything that came from a galaxy "far, far away." This included The Star Wars Holiday Special. Yes, I have memories, albeit fuzzy, of watching it the one and only time it aired in 1978, and over the years, I've seen clips and bootleg copies of this wild moment in TV history. However, I had no idea about the behind-the-scenes chaos that went into the production of this cult classic. It seems that it could only have been brought into existence in the late 1970s, in a small window between the original Star Wars and the debut of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. To round out the story, there are interviews with comedians like Paul Scheer, Seth Green, Taran Killam, Kevin Smith, Gilbert Gottfried, and Weird Al. Each brought their unique perspectives to the Holiday Special, as most of them were in the prime demographic for the show and had a front-row seat to the fever dream. For fans of Star Wars, Hollywood, the creative process, or those who simply enjoy watching a train wreck, I highly recommend treating yourself to A Disturbance in the Force. This is the way.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
12/10/24
Full Review
Simon T
Even if you're not a Star Wars/George Lucas groupie, this is a droll exhumation of the cataclysm that is the Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978. Only ever aired once and never released on DVD, the only versions are umpteenth generation bootleg copies. It's a serious test of your allegiance to the Force if you can watch more than half an hour. It is truly terrible. If the makers of this documentary had trimmed the fat here it would have been a great tribute.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/13/24
Full Review
Karl O
As soon as you need Kevin "A Camera Count Me In" Smith ; Weird Al what's his name; the Greeney fella; Bobcat whoever and squeaky Gottfree guy as contributors - you realize the standard of documentary you are in for. A good story wasted for lack of worthwhile contributors. A lot of has beens and never were talking heads. Only those that actually worked on the event are worth listening to.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
01/07/24
Full Review
Yoosik Ethan O
The most fun documentary you'll ever see, particularly for Star Wars fan. If you remember that special, you can relate to everything the interviewees say, you can laugh with them and reminisce, like old pals joking about how bad that special was. Lots of great clips from all aspects of pop culture that tie in perfectly to the topic. The most fun geeky time you'll have watching a documentary.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
01/04/24
Full Review
Garr V
Hilarious! A fantastic documentary. Really well done.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
12/21/23
Full Review
Milos B
You're not a real Star Wars fan if you haven't seen the 1978 Holiday Special. Although, honestly, if you had seen it back in the day, it's more likely that you wouldn't have stayed a fan. A nice documentary film about the so-called worst TV show ever, if we exclude the fact that television in the 70s of the last century was mostly at the level of such and similar achievements.
It's not a question of whether the "Star Wars Holiday Special" was a failure, it certainly was, when George Lucas himself disowned it. After all, the whole franchise has always been more of an industry for the sale of children's toys, than a serious sci-fi, driven by an idea, unlike some other series. But as bad as it was by all parameters, it is not worse than the Disney sequels that we got this century.
On the other hand, this year we received an interesting documentary film, decently directed, fairly measured, with interviews and TV clips quite tailored, with the aim of a very realistic description of this kind of disaster. There are also reviews of the animated short and the Jefferson Starship performance, which we may or may not like. It is interesting to mention the missed opportunities for Cher, Robin Williams, and even Raquel Welch(?) to appear in the special.
It is also interesting that the question of the importance of editing was raised, which certainly contributed to the debacle of the special. Allegedly, the original film "Star Wars" was also saved in the edit, about which you can find more information on the subject on blogs and YouTube.
Will such documentaries be made and about all the failures of this serial in Disney's production in the future, I really don't believe, because they are not even worth this much mention.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
12/12/23
Full Review
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