A long, long time ago, on a TV set not so far away…The Star Wars Holiday Special was born.
Ever since airing in November 1978, this TV special, which reunited the cast of the film, and placed them alongside a host of TV stars and an avalanche of ideas, has remained frozen in carbonite in the vaults of Lucasfilm. And yet, like Palpatine, somehow it returned. And this spectacular documentary from Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak explores the urban legend of The Holiday Special, the impact it has made and indeed the legacy of what was a creation, even the creator had distanced himself from.
Amassing an incredible number of people who were there from the origins of the idea to the filmmakers and artists who were watching it in front of their TV set as kids, A Disturbance in the Force is a fascinating film. Detailing how and why the special happened, the polar opposite minds behind its making, the tumultuous shooting of it, and how the special, in the context of ‘70s variety TV, kind of released at the perfect time.
A testament to fan’s determination to ensure survival, especially when instructed to leave something well alone, this documentary comes to embrace the act of creativity. The good. The Bad. The downright barmy. And the importance of failure to success. And in this day and age, it is a very worthwhile message.
Time is a great healer they say but when it comes to modern day angry fandoms nowadays, it is harder than ever to see what may come in the future. So this film is a refreshing viewing, unlike films like The People vs. George Lucas which revelled in a fractured shouting fanbase (and that was back then!), and chose to spend more time with the people not too distant to the “appalled” legions who bullied Ahmed Best almost to the point of suicide, A Disturbance in the Force does not shy away from a perceived nadir(s) in Star Wars but is made with love and affection.
We get the facts, we get the honesty, we get the differing opinions but we don’t get incendiary people moaning and screaming, we instead get a level headed, funny and affectionate discussion of what made The Star Wars Holiday Special a one of a kind follow up to a cinematic zeitgeist. We get reactions, both surprising and humorous, as well as a snapshot into a wild west era in ‘70s TV, an insight into the crazy ride of Star Wars before it found its footing and realised its mythology pre-Empire, and a document of one of the last remaining holy grails of buried and bootlegged pop culture.
From the stories of on set costume fainting calamity, differing artistic visions and, erm, Wookie VR porn missteps! We also get a closer look than ever before at something that still holds a legendary status in media, from those who were there and are still with us, as well as those who were there and are sadly no longer here (the film makes use of some painstakingly researched clips and audio). This doc is perfect in realising why something like this, that by all accounts should mean so little, actually means so much.
If you can’t embrace something at its worst, how can you love it at its best? A Disturbance in the Force is a testament to what it is to create, to fail and to somehow endure, and shows how – like the millennium falcon – a piece of junk can be very special indeed.
As Han Solo (yes, Harrison was there on that TV set with the wookie family) says, “That’s the spirit! You’ll be celebrating Life Day before you know it”! Not sure we will ever get that Blu-Ray or DVD release though but who knows, maybe if we make a life day wish.
A Disturbance in the Force is Available Now on Streaming.
