Updated! ‘A Disturbance in the Force‘ – The Star Wars Holiday Special Documentary Gets Positive Buzz After Its Release
A Disturbance in the Force, a documentary digging in to the behind-the-scenes story behind the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special will release on Blu-Ray and digital media on December 5th, Lucasfilm announced today via Variety, on the 45th anniversary of the special’s release.
Updated: On it’s release A Disturbance in the Force has had a successful premiere, achieving #1 in the documentary charts on both Apple and Amazon. It has also received positive critical reviews, with a 100% Critics Score on Rotten Tomatoes. The filmmakers shared a tweet thanking fans for the documentary’s success
A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE is available on digital & Blu-ray/DVD today! Thanks for already making it the #1 documentary on Apple & Amazon.https://t.co/KBjrEo6pnM@SethGreen @ThatKevinSmith @alyankovic @paulscheer @adamfgoldberg @bonniegrrl pic.twitter.com/fumZLWHWOl
— A Disturbance in the Force (@SWHSDoc) December 5, 2023
The Star Wars Holiday Special has become the stuff of legend among the Star Wars fandom, with all fans (and the people involved as well!) united behind the fact that it was irredeemably, terribly, and hilariously bad. The trainwreck of a show was never aired again and, perhaps because of this, has gained a cult status as something that is so bad it’s good.
Documentary filmmakers Jeremy Coons and Steve Kozak announced their project back in 2020 and released the first trailer earlier this year to go along with its premiere at the South by South West film festival. The documentary has garnered positive reviews, which state the film isn’t just made with die-hard fans in mind but will amuse anyone who wants a peek at how arguably the worst piece of Star Wars content was made.
While the special itself was terrible, it has continued to inspire fans and creators to this day and has an increasing influence on current storytelling. Examples of this include Din Djarin’s phase-pulse rifle, which first appeared in the special wielded by an animated Boba Fett, and Life Day, which has been referenced in several Star Wars media, most recently in Young Jedi Adventures.
Happy Life Day! Excited to share that our documentary A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE is in select theaters now and will be available on digital and Blu-Ray/DVD on December 5th!
Visit https://t.co/KBjrEo6pnM for details and pre-order. #LifeDay #StarWarsHolidaySpecial #StarWars— A Disturbance in the Force (@SWHSDoc) November 17, 2023
While it won’t make up for the absence of a big-screen Star Wars release the doc, complete with celebrity interviews, might help fill the void, or even make a fun stocking filler when it releases on December 5th.
A teacher from Wales in the UK, Aled has loved Star Wars ever since that Star Destroyer flew over his head and blew his mind.
