Tribeca is getting into the film distribution game — again. The organization, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, is launching a film distribution label called Tribeca Films that aims to acquire and distribute independent films from across the festival circuit.
Tribeca Enterprises announced today that it is partnering with digital distribution company Giant Pictures on the label and will launch ahead of the Tribeca Film Festival this June. The label intends to acquire 25 titles per year from festivals like Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Cannes, TIFF, and (of course) Tribeca.
It will kick off with six new films to be announced this spring, and the label is targeting feature-length narrative, documentary, and animated films with digital rights available for U.S. audiences.
This isn’t the first time Tribeca has gone down the road of digital film distribution. Tribeca has been investing in Tvod since 2010 and again in 2014 with...
Tribeca Enterprises announced today that it is partnering with digital distribution company Giant Pictures on the label and will launch ahead of the Tribeca Film Festival this June. The label intends to acquire 25 titles per year from festivals like Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Cannes, TIFF, and (of course) Tribeca.
It will kick off with six new films to be announced this spring, and the label is targeting feature-length narrative, documentary, and animated films with digital rights available for U.S. audiences.
This isn’t the first time Tribeca has gone down the road of digital film distribution. Tribeca has been investing in Tvod since 2010 and again in 2014 with...
- 1/25/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
20th Century Fox wasn’t sure what it had in Star Wars, and apparently, neither did George Lucas. The director was building up his company, Lucasfilm, and unleashed his secret weapon: Charley Lippincott. He whipped people into a previously unknown frenzy by working the fans at science fiction and comics conventions. He saw to it DelRey had the novelization out months before the film, as well as three of the six-issue comics adaptation from Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin at Marvel. These people were lined up for day one, and the word of the month spread so fast that it endured throughout the summer of 1977.
Before the Special came the finale from The Donny and Marie Show, which Donny discusses on the documentary.
As we learn in the wonderfully entertaining A Disturbance in the Force, a 90-minute documentary from directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak, despite all his statements saying he had everything planned out,...
Before the Special came the finale from The Donny and Marie Show, which Donny discusses on the documentary.
As we learn in the wonderfully entertaining A Disturbance in the Force, a 90-minute documentary from directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak, despite all his statements saying he had everything planned out,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
After Yang (kogonada)
I had the pleasure to speak with filmmaker kogonada about his stirring treatise on mortality, After Yang, and the moment from that conversation I return to most is him saying that “what makes art so invigorating is that you’re pursuing the ineffable.” This is a notion seeded throughout his gentle, transcendent sophomore feature. We can never truly know another person. In some ways, we will never fully know ourselves or our relationship with the world. But the search for it, the mystery, the endless pursuit—that’s the beauty of life. – Mitchell B.
Where to Stream: Prime Video
A Disturbance in the Force (Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak)
The question asked back in the ’80s and ’90s was never,...
After Yang (kogonada)
I had the pleasure to speak with filmmaker kogonada about his stirring treatise on mortality, After Yang, and the moment from that conversation I return to most is him saying that “what makes art so invigorating is that you’re pursuing the ineffable.” This is a notion seeded throughout his gentle, transcendent sophomore feature. We can never truly know another person. In some ways, we will never fully know ourselves or our relationship with the world. But the search for it, the mystery, the endless pursuit—that’s the beauty of life. – Mitchell B.
Where to Stream: Prime Video
A Disturbance in the Force (Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak)
The question asked back in the ’80s and ’90s was never,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Plot: Behind the scenes of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.
Review: Young people today have no idea how hard it was to see the Star Wars Holiday Special in the days before the internet. I remember only being aware of the Holiday Special in the mid-nineties thanks to the occasional mention in Starlog or Sci-Fi Universe. In about 1996, some friends and I attended a Star Wars Convention in Montreal, and the big attraction was that they would be screening the Holiday Special in full on someone’s bootleg tape. My pals and I were so excited, but after all the years of reading about it and dreaming of what it could be like, we walked out after ten minutes. Nine minutes of unsubtitled Wookie was enough to turn us off, and to this day, I don’t think I’ve ever actually sat through the whole thing.
The fact...
Review: Young people today have no idea how hard it was to see the Star Wars Holiday Special in the days before the internet. I remember only being aware of the Holiday Special in the mid-nineties thanks to the occasional mention in Starlog or Sci-Fi Universe. In about 1996, some friends and I attended a Star Wars Convention in Montreal, and the big attraction was that they would be screening the Holiday Special in full on someone’s bootleg tape. My pals and I were so excited, but after all the years of reading about it and dreaming of what it could be like, we walked out after ten minutes. Nine minutes of unsubtitled Wookie was enough to turn us off, and to this day, I don’t think I’ve ever actually sat through the whole thing.
The fact...
- 12/7/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Chicago – A long time ago (1978) in an America far far away, the one and only showing of the “Star Wars Holiday Special” took place on CBS-tv. Infamously miscast and difficult to watch, the history of the show is chronicled in a new doc “A Disturbance in the Force,” co-directed by Jeremy Coon and Steven Kozak.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. On November 17th, 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever be broadcast on national TV. “A Disturbance in the Force” co-directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak combine celebrity insight – including Seth Green, Donny Osmond and Kevin Smith – archival/participant interviews and broadcast history perspective to understand why this show was created.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. On November 17th, 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever be broadcast on national TV. “A Disturbance in the Force” co-directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak combine celebrity insight – including Seth Green, Donny Osmond and Kevin Smith – archival/participant interviews and broadcast history perspective to understand why this show was created.
- 12/4/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Los Angeles — November 17, 2023 (Life Day) — September Club and Giant Pictures bring home A Disturbance In The Force on December 5 from a galaxy far far away to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the most infamous story in the history of Star Wars. The acclaimed documentary made its debut at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and chronicles the making of the bizarre (and buried) Star Wars Holiday Special as well as a specific bygone era of 1970s event television. Discover the “hilarious secrets behind Star Wars’ iconically awful Holiday Special” (The Daily Beast) when A Disturbance In The Force arrives on digital platforms, DVD, and Blu-ray on December 5 via Giant Pictures.
From the filmmakers behind Napoleon Dynamite and Raiders! The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, comes A Disturbance In The Force, the documentary about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry,...
From the filmmakers behind Napoleon Dynamite and Raiders! The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, comes A Disturbance In The Force, the documentary about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry,...
- 11/20/2023
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Why did George Lucas allow the Star Wars Holiday Special to take place? A Disturbance in the Force does a deep dive into the 1978 special watched by millions and then locked away in a vault, never to be screened again.
“After almost 45 years of being the butt of jokes, we had to unlock all the secrets behind the Holiday Special. Its influence on pop culture has only increased over the last two decades and, also, add the fact that it is a part of the Star Wars filmography – and a hidden one at that – only adds to its mystique. Now is finally the time after all these years to get answers about how the Holiday Special happened,” explained co-directors and producers Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak.
A Disturbance in the Force features interviews with Seth Green, Weird Al Yankovic, Paul Scheer, Taran Killam, Patton Oswalt, and Donny Osmond. Plus, Gilbert Gottfried,...
“After almost 45 years of being the butt of jokes, we had to unlock all the secrets behind the Holiday Special. Its influence on pop culture has only increased over the last two decades and, also, add the fact that it is a part of the Star Wars filmography – and a hidden one at that – only adds to its mystique. Now is finally the time after all these years to get answers about how the Holiday Special happened,” explained co-directors and producers Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak.
A Disturbance in the Force features interviews with Seth Green, Weird Al Yankovic, Paul Scheer, Taran Killam, Patton Oswalt, and Donny Osmond. Plus, Gilbert Gottfried,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
It’s the holiday season. Not only is it the time of year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also Life Day! What’s Life Day, you may ask? Well, it’s the most important holiday on Chewbacca’s Wookie home planet, according to the Star Wars Holiday Special. The infamous Christmas variety hour was a particularly early misfire to capitalize on the newfound phenomena of Star Wars after its release in 1977. The special got the cast to reprise their roles for this TV presentation. However, Luke, Han, Leia and Chewie would only make brief appearances as the show was marred by a dominant Wookie storyline without subtitles or translation, plus strange variety show performances.
It’s a popular culture mystery that most fans would love to hear the story behind, and luckily, a documentary about the holiday special is on the way. A Disturbance in the Force comes from the production company,...
It’s a popular culture mystery that most fans would love to hear the story behind, and luckily, a documentary about the holiday special is on the way. A Disturbance in the Force comes from the production company,...
- 11/17/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The feature-length documentary A Disturbance In The Force delves into the bizarre history of 1978’s ill-advised Star Wars Holiday Special. It’s out next month.
Bea Arthur out of The Golden Girls tending the Cantina bar in Mos Eisley. Stormtroopers disco dancing. Kris Kristofferson dressed up as Han Solo for some reason. Yes, 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special offers up such an array of bizarre, fever dream imagery that it has long since passed into legend.
Initially conceived as a stop-gap to tide fans over during the long wait between 1977’s Star Wars and 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, a mixture of somewhat relaxed quality control and 1970s US television conventions saw the special emerge as a glittery variety show rather than fantastical space opera. The results were so jarring that George Lucas has since attempted to scrub its existence from history (though you’ll still find rough bootleg videos...
Bea Arthur out of The Golden Girls tending the Cantina bar in Mos Eisley. Stormtroopers disco dancing. Kris Kristofferson dressed up as Han Solo for some reason. Yes, 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special offers up such an array of bizarre, fever dream imagery that it has long since passed into legend.
Initially conceived as a stop-gap to tide fans over during the long wait between 1977’s Star Wars and 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, a mixture of somewhat relaxed quality control and 1970s US television conventions saw the special emerge as a glittery variety show rather than fantastical space opera. The results were so jarring that George Lucas has since attempted to scrub its existence from history (though you’ll still find rough bootleg videos...
- 11/17/2023
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
The story behind the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special is the focus of the documentary A Disturbance in the Force, which — following its premiere at Sundance earlier this year — will head to streaming and DVD this December.
The ill-fated special, which aired Thanksgiving weekend in 1978, is now legend: Fresh off the success of Star Wars, George Lucas was talked into capitalizing on the craze in the form of a holiday-themed TV special, but what resulted was a “Life Day” celebration that hued closer to a Seventies variety show than The Mandalorian.
The ill-fated special, which aired Thanksgiving weekend in 1978, is now legend: Fresh off the success of Star Wars, George Lucas was talked into capitalizing on the craze in the form of a holiday-themed TV special, but what resulted was a “Life Day” celebration that hued closer to a Seventies variety show than The Mandalorian.
- 11/17/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Star Wars fans will truly get to feel A Disturbance in the Force when a documentary about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special — which debuted 45 years ago today, on CBS — is released.
Having premiered back in March at the SXSW Film Festival, A Disturbance in the Force will be released on digital and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Dec. 5, our sister site Variety reports. The 86-minute docu will also play in select theaters across the U.S. ahead of its digital release.
More from TVLineThe Late Ray Stevenson Was Terrific on Disney+'s Ahsoka Series - But Now His Role Should Be...
Having premiered back in March at the SXSW Film Festival, A Disturbance in the Force will be released on digital and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Dec. 5, our sister site Variety reports. The 86-minute docu will also play in select theaters across the U.S. ahead of its digital release.
More from TVLineThe Late Ray Stevenson Was Terrific on Disney+'s Ahsoka Series - But Now His Role Should Be...
- 11/17/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
“A Disturbance in the Force,” a comical behind-the-scenes documentary about the ill-fated 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special,” will arrive from a galaxy far, far away in December.
After its premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, “A Disturbance in the Force” will be released on digital and Blu-Ray on Dec. 5. This announcement comes on Life Day, a canonically Wookie holiday in the Star Wars universe.
The movie will also play in select theaters across the U.S., U.K. and Australia ahead of its home entertainment launch. September Club produced “A Disturbance in the Force” with Giant Pictures handling digital and Blu-ray distribution. Adam F. Goldberg served as executive producer.
“A Disturbance in the Force” chronicles the making of the bizarre “Star Wars Holiday Special” that aired 45 years ago and never surfaced again. For some context: “Star Wars” was released in theaters in 1977 and became a cultural phenomenon. A year later,...
After its premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, “A Disturbance in the Force” will be released on digital and Blu-Ray on Dec. 5. This announcement comes on Life Day, a canonically Wookie holiday in the Star Wars universe.
The movie will also play in select theaters across the U.S., U.K. and Australia ahead of its home entertainment launch. September Club produced “A Disturbance in the Force” with Giant Pictures handling digital and Blu-ray distribution. Adam F. Goldberg served as executive producer.
“A Disturbance in the Force” chronicles the making of the bizarre “Star Wars Holiday Special” that aired 45 years ago and never surfaced again. For some context: “Star Wars” was released in theaters in 1977 and became a cultural phenomenon. A year later,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The question asked back in the ’80s and ’90s was never, “Have you seen The Star Wars Holiday Special?” It was always, “Have you heard of The Star Wars Holiday Special?”
We’re talking about a 1978 air date, after all. Someone must have owned a Vcr, since bootleg copies of the maligned variety show do exist on the Internet (George Lucas has vehemently denounced the project and even Disney has refused to release a “clean” copy beyond putting the animated segment “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee” on Disney+.) But its existence was akin to legend back then. Just knowing was enough to be cool with details being learned rather than experienced.
So it’s shocking that it’s taken until 2023 to finally receive a “definitive” look at its creation and eventual lambasting. Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s A Disturbance in the Force thus seems almost like a miracle...
We’re talking about a 1978 air date, after all. Someone must have owned a Vcr, since bootleg copies of the maligned variety show do exist on the Internet (George Lucas has vehemently denounced the project and even Disney has refused to release a “clean” copy beyond putting the animated segment “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee” on Disney+.) But its existence was akin to legend back then. Just knowing was enough to be cool with details being learned rather than experienced.
So it’s shocking that it’s taken until 2023 to finally receive a “definitive” look at its creation and eventual lambasting. Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s A Disturbance in the Force thus seems almost like a miracle...
- 7/30/2023
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Nicolas Cage will pick up this year’s Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award at Fantasia.
“He is one of the most individualistic and captivating screen presences in the last 40 years. Beyond his unique charisma, the kinds of atypical characters he’s been drawn to and what he can bring to them is so special and rare,” artistic director Mitch Davis told Variety.
“Audiences lose their minds when he goes to these energetically extreme places: ‘Vampire’s Kiss’ was my first experience with that and I was absolutely floored. But they are also transfixed by the quiet, textured qualities he brings to more somber characters. He’s a one-of-a-kind treasure in American film.”
Throughout the years, Cage has been embracing genre cinema, admitted Davis. And it has embraced him back.
“He’s someone who sincerely loves cinema and has always embraced genre storytelling. I wish he could have been in the...
“He is one of the most individualistic and captivating screen presences in the last 40 years. Beyond his unique charisma, the kinds of atypical characters he’s been drawn to and what he can bring to them is so special and rare,” artistic director Mitch Davis told Variety.
“Audiences lose their minds when he goes to these energetically extreme places: ‘Vampire’s Kiss’ was my first experience with that and I was absolutely floored. But they are also transfixed by the quiet, textured qualities he brings to more somber characters. He’s a one-of-a-kind treasure in American film.”
Throughout the years, Cage has been embracing genre cinema, admitted Davis. And it has embraced him back.
“He’s someone who sincerely loves cinema and has always embraced genre storytelling. I wish he could have been in the...
- 7/6/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Austin, TX – The best film I saw at SXSW 2023 was “A Disturbance in the Force,” a new documentary about one of the most infamous TV programs in the medium’s history … “The Star Wars Holiday Special.” In a precise narrative with celebrity commentary, the history and mystery of this CBS-TV holiday event is unspooled.
In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. Movies would never be the same again. A year later, neither would television. In 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” during the week of Thanksgiving and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever air on TV.
Seth Green in ‘A Disturbance in the Force’
Photo credit: SXSW.com
Capsule Review: Just check out the video below to understand...
In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. Movies would never be the same again. A year later, neither would television. In 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” during the week of Thanksgiving and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever air on TV.
Seth Green in ‘A Disturbance in the Force’
Photo credit: SXSW.com
Capsule Review: Just check out the video below to understand...
- 4/6/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was Star Wars… and only Star Wars. Oh, you could buy a novelization of George Lucas’ cosmic saga of good and evil, as well as a Marvel Comics’ adaptation of the film that kept the post-Death Star story going in… some very singular ways. (Pour one out for the giant green space-rabbit Jaxxon T. Tumperakki.) Eventually, there were toys — so, so many toys — as well as soundtrack albums, coffee-table books of concept art, and loads of other merchandise. But...
- 3/12/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
South by Southwest is back! And all eyes are on…well, a lot of them are on the Oscars, and not necessarily all on the Austin film, TV, tech, and music festival.
It’s not to say SXSW isn’t bustling or active. In fact one source said attendance through Day 2 of the festival was significantly higher than last year. And strictly anecdotally, there’s a ton of people milling about the Austin Convention Center who are first-timers as well. It’s just that due to the unfortunate, out-of-their-control circumstances of the festival crossing over with the Academy Awards, sources who spoke to IndieWire throughout the weekend felt there’s fewer studios or industry professionals in attendance this year or others arriving and then quickly leaving. That’s not ideal for some films looking to generate buzz or even land a sale.
“We’re returning for our second year after...
It’s not to say SXSW isn’t bustling or active. In fact one source said attendance through Day 2 of the festival was significantly higher than last year. And strictly anecdotally, there’s a ton of people milling about the Austin Convention Center who are first-timers as well. It’s just that due to the unfortunate, out-of-their-control circumstances of the festival crossing over with the Academy Awards, sources who spoke to IndieWire throughout the weekend felt there’s fewer studios or industry professionals in attendance this year or others arriving and then quickly leaving. That’s not ideal for some films looking to generate buzz or even land a sale.
“We’re returning for our second year after...
- 3/12/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
There are few if any pieces of "Star Wars" lore quite as infamous as that of the elusive "Star Wars Holiday Special." The made-for-tv special, produced at the height of the franchise's initial wave of popularity after "A New Hope" hit theaters, was created with the cooperation of George Lucas and aired on CBS. But it aired once and only once, gaining a reputation as notoriously terrible -- so much so that Lucas did his best to wipe its memory from the face of the Earth. Now, a pair of filmmakers have chronicled the journey of the train wreck that is the "Star Wars Holiday Special" in a new documentary titled "A Disturbance in the Force."
The documentary is making its premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas this week after years of development. It features interviews with many, many people involved, as well as noted fans of a galaxy far,...
The documentary is making its premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas this week after years of development. It features interviews with many, many people involved, as well as noted fans of a galaxy far,...
- 3/12/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
"A Disturbance in the Force" is an insightful documentary about a lesser-known part of the success story of George Lucas' "Star Wars." Rather than focusing on its production woes, or how it became the biggest movie ever at that point, it focuses on what happens later. This is the story of a time when having the biggest movie of all time didn't guarantee lasting cultural impact. It's also the story of how the desperation to keep the franchise in the mind of the fans resulted in the first (but certainly not the last) big failure of the franchise far, far away — the "Star Wars Holiday Special."
As popular as "Star Wars" is, this is a franchise with lows as infamous as its highs. For every "Empire Strikes Back," there is a "Rise of Skywalker," but before the prequels, there was another black sheep of the franchise, the one title that...
As popular as "Star Wars" is, this is a franchise with lows as infamous as its highs. For every "Empire Strikes Back," there is a "Rise of Skywalker," but before the prequels, there was another black sheep of the franchise, the one title that...
- 3/12/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
There are times when you look back at pop culture phenomena and can’t resist the urge to ask: Can you believe this actually happened? Tackling a notorious fiasco in one of the galaxy’s most popular franchises, Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s amusing and exhaustive documentary ”A Disturbance in the Force” unpacks 1978’s “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
You don’t have to be an obsessive “Star Wars” fan to enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at how the special — which premiered Nov. 17, 1978 on CBS, and has never been re-run on any broadcast or cable outlet — came to exist. To be sure, the fans will appreciate it a lot more than casual viewers. But it’s also an irresistible hoot for anyone with fond memories of star-studded 1970s musical/variety TV specials — a specific type of highly popular general audience entertainment that, truth to tell, very often showcased more campy excess...
You don’t have to be an obsessive “Star Wars” fan to enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at how the special — which premiered Nov. 17, 1978 on CBS, and has never been re-run on any broadcast or cable outlet — came to exist. To be sure, the fans will appreciate it a lot more than casual viewers. But it’s also an irresistible hoot for anyone with fond memories of star-studded 1970s musical/variety TV specials — a specific type of highly popular general audience entertainment that, truth to tell, very often showcased more campy excess...
- 3/12/2023
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety Film + TV
“Star Wars” could stand to come off its high horse a little bit. Other than the recent “Andor,” which actually did break new ground, the franchise has become stunningly obsessed with itself, regurgitating obscure lore, planting callbacks and cameos everywhere, and generally living in the past.
One of the bits of “Star Wars” arcana that especially pops up? The “Star Wars Holiday Special,” the 1978 CBS catastrophe that’s the ultimate example of exploiting franchise IP into oblivion. The definitive “so bad it’s good” fetish object, the two-hour special introduced Boba Fett as a character to the saga and continues to influence stories to this day — the prong-like rifle sometimes used by Mando on “The Mandalorian” came from the special — even as George Lucas and Lucasfilm famously suppressed it. Lucasfilm even produced its own “Lego Star Wars Holiday Special” in 2020.
The most shocking thing about Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak...
One of the bits of “Star Wars” arcana that especially pops up? The “Star Wars Holiday Special,” the 1978 CBS catastrophe that’s the ultimate example of exploiting franchise IP into oblivion. The definitive “so bad it’s good” fetish object, the two-hour special introduced Boba Fett as a character to the saga and continues to influence stories to this day — the prong-like rifle sometimes used by Mando on “The Mandalorian” came from the special — even as George Lucas and Lucasfilm famously suppressed it. Lucasfilm even produced its own “Lego Star Wars Holiday Special” in 2020.
The most shocking thing about Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak...
- 3/12/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
If you’re a Gen X or “geriatric” millennial Star Wars fanatic, you probably have a story related to the contortions you had to go through to get your hands on the notorious only-aired-once 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.
Freshman year. My college roommate Andrew brought back a bootleg tape — there has never been a legitimate release — given to him by a guy who knew a guy at his regular comic shop. We watched with breathless anticipation that turned to quizzical horror — a generational rite of passage.
Today, you can go to YouTube and take your pick from among several Star Wars Holiday Special uploads, at least one of which has remained up for seven years and has 3.6 million views. So much for taboo. So much for resourcefulness. So much for magic.
Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s new documentary A Disturbance in the Force captures a lot of what was...
Freshman year. My college roommate Andrew brought back a bootleg tape — there has never been a legitimate release — given to him by a guy who knew a guy at his regular comic shop. We watched with breathless anticipation that turned to quizzical horror — a generational rite of passage.
Today, you can go to YouTube and take your pick from among several Star Wars Holiday Special uploads, at least one of which has remained up for seven years and has 3.6 million views. So much for taboo. So much for resourcefulness. So much for magic.
Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s new documentary A Disturbance in the Force captures a lot of what was...
- 3/12/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Nov. 17, 1978, Princess Leia sang these lyrics to the melody of John Williams’ Star Wars theme: “We celebrate a day of peace/A day of harmony/A day of joy we can all share/Together joyously.” It’s a rough moment in Star Wars history, and certainly, even the children of 1978 were uneasy about putting words to that iconic music. Chewbacca was wearing a red robe, Luke Skywalker had a haircut that didn’t make him seem like Luke at all, and Han Solo seemed like he wanted to be somewhere else. This was the ending of the Star Wars Holiday Special, a bizarre television event that was aired only once. And, when Star Wars blossomed into a lasting and serious cultural phenomenon, George Lucas tried to make it seem like it had never happened.
“You can’t blame the people who were just doing their jobs,” Jeremy Coon tells Den of Geek.
“You can’t blame the people who were just doing their jobs,” Jeremy Coon tells Den of Geek.
- 3/11/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.