A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened

A Disturbance in the Force (2023)

How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened

by Ray Manukay

★★★☆☆

Watched 21 Dec 2023

An entertaining documentary exploring one of the most infamous TV specials in network television history. A Disturbance in the Force shares how the Star Wars Holiday Special became the famous disaster of epic proportions we know today.

🎬 Production Credits

Directors: Jeremy Coon, Steve Kozak

Writers: Jeremy Coon, Steve Kozak

Cinematography: Tim Irwin, Quinn Hester

Editor: Jeremy Coon

Music: Karl Preusser

Based on: The Star Wars Holiday Special

The documentary sympathetically shows how rushed timelines, inappropriate creative talent and the television landscape of the time all contributed to the doomed from the start project. — Ray Manukay

The Autopsy of a Disaster

What is interesting is how the film illustrates all the obvious faults with the concepts, ideas, and storylines of the special. It serves as a fascinating look at the insanity of 1970s variety television—a world where George Lucas was persuaded to turn his sci-fi phenomenon over to a format dominated by song and dance numbers.

💡 Fun Facts

• This documentary features the final film appearances of legendary comedian Gilbert Gottfried and author Jonathan Rinzler.
• In 1978, CBS pre-empted Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk to air the two-hour special to 13 million people.
• The special marks the first on-screen appearance of the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the Star Wars universe.

Key Contributors

• Seth Green & Weird Al Yankovic: Leading voices in the nerd community who help explain the special's bizarre legend.
• Donny Osmond: Offers surprising insight as someone who performed Star Wars spoofs on his own variety show.
• Bruce Vilanch: A writer for the original special who provides hilarious context on why the "aliens kept fainting".

✅ Pros

• Thoroughly researched historical context.
• Sympathetic look at the creators.
• Entertaining "VH-1 style" interviews.

❌ Cons

• Lacks new interviews from the core original cast (Ford, Hamill, Fisher).

Read the original review on Letterboxd

🏆 Final Verdict

A Disturbance in the Force is a must-see autopsy of a disaster. Whether you are a hardcore fan or just interested in television history, it provides an enlightening answer to how such a bizarre project ever saw the light of day.