Anyone claiming to be a Star Wars fan at least knows about the troubled holiday special. However, directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s new documentary, A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened, will make sure viewers know all they could want to know about how it was manifested into existence and then subsequently made nearly impossible to see ever again. Full of great interviews, footage, and history, this documentary will scratch the itch of any Star Wars fan fascination with the infamous special.
One element that the documentary covers that even those who have seen the special may be less familiar with is how the franchise was shopped out to basically anything. The Donnie and Marie segment that features the siblings Luke and Leia performing a musical number is particularly showing off the fear that people would forget the film if it wasn’t constantly in their faces. The holiday special feels like less of an oddity when juxtaposed to the other uses Star Wars found itself in before Empire Strikes Back.
This film features some great interviews with pretty much everyone involved or archival recordings for those unavailable or unwilling to discuss the odd curio from the ‘70s. Seth Green, Kevin Smith, Paul Scheer, Weird Al Yankovic, and many more show up on screen to share their various levels of involvement – be it as fans or as modern-day collaborators with Lucasfilm. You’ll have to watch to find out if George Lucas decides to weigh in again on the outcome of the holiday special. It’s long been established that he doesn’t recognize it, despite being involved in the initial writing phases. While he may not like it, it is an undeniable oddity that tickles the fans’ curiosity.
A Disturbance in the Force is a well-constructed and fun documentary. It is one that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it captures the youthful enthusiasm so many of the Star Wars fans have. A reverence existed before the prequel trilogy that is encapsulated in the stories and puzzlement of the holiday special. In today’s times, it is not uncommon to feel like we treat our franchises a little too precious. That’s definitely not what happened after Star Wars became the cultural juggernaut that was unprecedented at the time. People just wanted more of it, and the studios were willing to give it to the fans in any manner that they could. That attitude is captured here – and even when people are mocking the subject matter from the special, there is still a clear sense of love.
A Disturbance in the Force is playing at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Rating: Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy
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