“If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every bootlegged copy of the program and smash it.” – George Lucas
I remember watching the Star Wars Holiday Special in awe and excitement as a kid! This was before the days of video, the internet and Netflix, so there was no ability to see your favorite heroes on the big screen a million times like we can now on several mediums. You would get your fill any way you could through toys, books, and TV. As an adult, I have “mixed feelings,” to say the least.
Fresh off the release of A New Hope, CBS was quick to capitalize on the Star Wars hype. Unfortunately, it was with this special. The special is about the journey home for Chewbacca to be with his family on “Life Day”. He is accompanied by his friend, Han Solo – who Harrison Ford actually plays in this! They run into trouble along the way with the Empire and the story begins. There is even a singing appearance (YES! I said singing) from Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, and Mark Hamill shows up as Luke Skywalker.
Now Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak have bravely revisited this notorious special with a documentary answering the question of, “WHAT HAPPENED!”
Related: Remembering the Star Wars Holiday Special
In 1978, George Lucas decided to capitalize on the STAR WARS craze by producing a holiday variety TV special. What could possibly go wrong? ANSWER: Everything…
From the filmmakers behind NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and RAIDERS comes A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE, a documentary about the infamous STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL
The film, “A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened”, will premiere on March 11th at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit the official site HERE.
[Article Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
