UPDATE: A Disturbance in the Force documentary has gained many positive reviews during its premiere at SXSW!
According to Variety, “[Jeremy] Coon and [Steve] Kozak do a first-rate job of placing the “Star Wars” special in context,” noting that the documentary “elicits full-throated guffaws” and is a must-see whether or not you’re a Star Wars fan.
The Hollywood Reporter agreed, writing that “When it isn’t poking fun at moments of iconic trash, it offers an insightful exploration of the production and context of the special.”
“Playful in tone and absolutely stacked with sources who either worked on or spent their youth obsessed with the special, the doc will entertain devoted and casual Star Wars fans alike,” The Daily Beast writes in a rave review of the film. “Ultimately, the greatest strength of A Disturbance in the Force is how it not only celebrates a bizarre cultural artifact but also makes the effort to put it in the context of its time and establish the ways in which it was actually not so weird in its day.”
Congratulations, Steve!
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away….
A book idea was born. That book was A Disturbance in the Force, and JABberwocky author Steve Kozak knew it was his destiny to write it. Little did he know that its documentary counterpart would premiere at SXSW 2023!
A Disturbance in the Force explores the making of the Star Wars Holiday Special and how this “peerlessly cringeworthy pop-culture artifact” of a film came to be in the first place. The book weaves television history with personal anecdotes and interviews from people directly involved in the production, including the journey that led to George Lucas completely disowning the production.
A Disturbance in the Force is being published in print by Applause Books later in the fall, but the documentary of the same name is having its world premiere at SXSW 2023, beginning on March 11th. Steve himself co-directed it with Jeremy Coon (Napoleon Dynamite, Raiders!), with renowned names such as Seth Green, Gilbert Gottfried, Weird Al Yankovic, and more starring in its principal cast.
Though us Star Wars nerds here at JABberwocky won’t be able to see the documentary at SXSW 2023 ourselves, we’re very much looking forward to seeing the book format on shelves very soon! A Disturbance in the Force publishes on September 15, 2023 and is available to preorder from wherever you buy your books.