| A Disturbance in the Force | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Based on | Star Wars Holiday Special |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Jeremy Coon |
| Music by | Karl Preusser |
| Distributed by | Giant Pictures |
| Release date |
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| Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Disturbance in the Force is a 2023 American documentary film directed by Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak. The film documents how the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special was created for CBS and aired only once on November 17, 1978.
The film premiered on March 11, 2023, at South by Southwest and was met with positive reviews.
Production and release
In November 2020, io9 announced that the documentary was being directed by Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak with Kyle Newman and Adam F. Goldberg producing. The film was in the editing stage, and some additional interviews were still being conducted.
The film had its world premiere on March 11, 2023, at South by Southwest. There were additional festival screenings in May to celebrate Star Wars Day in Dallas and Milwaukee.
On "Life Day" 2023, a select theatrical run was announced leading up to a home release on digital and Blu-ray on December 5, 2023.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 45 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "A Disturbance in the Force pulls back the curtain on an infamous chapter from a beloved franchise in delightfully entertaining fashion."
The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg wrote, "Some of its mockery and many of its nerd-friendly celebrity talking heads — Seth Green! Kevin Smith! Paul Scheer! — are predictable, but when it isn’t poking fun at moments of iconic trash, it offers an insightful exploration of the production and context of the special." NPR's Linda Holmes said, "even if you just want to see a lot of clips of Harrison Ford looking like he wants to dissolve into goo and seep into the floor, never to be seen again, it's well worth tracking the documentary down."
References
- Lussier, Germain (November 17, 2020). "See How The Star Wars Holiday Special Came to Be in a New Documentary". io9. G/O Media. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- "A Disturbance in the Force". SXSW 2023 Schedule. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- "A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened | Dallas International Film Festival 2023". Dallas International Film Festival. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- "A Disturbance in the Force". Milwaukee Film Festival. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- Rubin, Rebecca (November 17, 2023). "Star Wars Documentary About Infamous 1978 Holiday Special Sets Release Date (Exclusive)". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023.
- "A Disturbance in the Force". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- Fienberg, Daniel (March 12, 2023). "'A Disturbance in the Force' Review: Doc About 'Star Wars Holiday Special' Offers More Than Nostalgia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- Holmes, Linda (December 6, 2023). "A new documentary examines the 'Star Wars Holiday Special' and asks: Why?". NPR. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
