The boy, it appears, does have patience after all. After missing its appearance at the 2015 LFF and catching it on VOD instead, I've finally managed to see the Star Wars documentary Elstree 1976 in a cinema as part of its nationwide screening-tour, which included a Q&A session with the director Jon Spira, composer Jamie Hyatt and the hero of the battle of Yavin, John Chapman.
There's not actually too much more to add to my first review of the film; it's an intimate, charming and utterly fascinating look at some of the lesser-known faces of 1977's A New Hope, presented in the form of intercut interviews with former cantina aliens, X-Wing pilots, stormtroopers and more. I'd previously mused that a film this niche would perhaps go right over the heads of a 'civilian' audience, but that's exactly who was present at Oxford's Ultimate Picture Palace this evening. Unlike the recent Gary Numan doc, these weren't particularly fervent Star Wars fans, or even documentary fans, just a selection of punters curious enough to want to look through the window into another world, and this film held their attention throughout, even when I could sense that they were a little lost by the minutiae of the GFFA. It was interesting to see which aspects of the cast's reminiscences resonated with them, as well as the parts which were perhaps too inaccessible (they seemed to find Boba Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch's description of all the pens he carries for signing different items highly amusing, for some reason. Even after the man tells the tale of the time his silver marker leaked all over a poster which had already been signed by many other performers. I was wincing through that section (as was Jeremy, recalling it), but presumably this doesn't sound like a big deal to the The Normies?).
A thing which did surface more the second time I watched it was the borderline transient nature of the convention/autograph circuit, which was underlined by John Chapman speaking afterwards. Elstree 1976 is already a sincere study of the scene, but it's definitely not a 'look at what these movie extras are doing these days'. It's more look at what they were doing then, a snapshot taken when the documentary was made. Several of its stars have since moved away from the circuit, having either scratched that itch or just gotten tired of the hierarchical politics surrounding the whole thing. The film makes no judgement of either the actors, nor the fans who adore them, but nor does it take issue with them stepping back into the relative obscurity of regular life. This is a film about ordinary people that celebrates their ordinariness.
If you like old-school Star Wars, you'll enjoy Elstree 1976. Otherwise you're probably going to be like the couple sat behind me who didn't appear to know what the film was about (at all) before it started, despite being interested enough to have bought tickets to watch it. Which I suppose is fair enough if you're the proprietor of a cinema...
The decent bonus-documentaries from the old days which actually used to impart something about the production of a film, rather than those ones you get now which are basically a showreel of the cast and crew all saying how wonderful it is to be working with each other and little else.
Meow, I know.
Well, despite initially missing this at the 2015 London Film Festival, I've finally got to do just that. So for me, yes.
In the director's case, we'll wait and see.
He freely admitted in the Q&A that this level of intricate fandom wouldn't really work with any other series or franchise, so I shall watch Jon's career with great interest.
Nope.
There isn't.
Mind, who's the performer inside the Stormtrooper suit who goes tumbling off the Death Star gantry where the Wilhelm is used? That's what I want to know…
Level 1: The entire featured cast was in Star Wars.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
It's pretty difficult to make any sort of documentary about the Galaxy Far, Far Away without mentioning the toys and the fanbase. Jon Spira's often-candid study of the bit-part and background actors of the first film opens with an homage to the plastic representations of the obscure characters we'll be unmasking over the next hour and a half, and skims respectfully over the convention-circuit in due course. With those safely tucked into place, all that remains is to get the memories and recollections of some of the most well-loved Star Wars actors you've never heard of.
Not just limited to the faces we couldn't see, we get to meet the people who played Vader, Biggs, Fixer, Greedo, Leesub Sirln, Gold Leader, Boba Fett, the chap holding the medals on Yavin IV and that Stormtrooper who cracked his head on the door that time. It's definitely a "for the fans" piece of work, and makes little concession to viewers who aren't already very familiar with the A New Hope (and Empire in Fett's case). Other than the action-figure referencing mentioned above, there's not too much splashing out of names like they're star players, which is very much the point of the film.
The subjects each talk privately (with no on-screen questioning or narration) about their years leading up to the filming at Elstree Studios in the Summer of '76, about their experiences shooting Star Wars, and about their relationship with the work and its audience in the years that followed. Mainly reminiscences and anecdotes, director Spira has a surprisingly measured pace for a documentary with so much casual trivia to impart. The first (ie pre-SW) section of the film is full of conversational snapshots of a time which couldn't happen again, mainly because the film industry works so differently now (and not least because every adventure-movie director is using SW as the high-watermark - Lucas didn't have that).
The hardcore fans will recognise most of the faces from their public appearances and various other documentary clips over the years, but the second half of the film also drafts in Jeremy 'Fett' Bulloch, the only actor not to appear in the first movie. The far more well-known Dave Prowse is along for the whole ride too, and the cynic in me wonders if his presence acts as an anchor for the more civilian viewers, or if he expressed an interest in the project and you can't really say no to Darth Vader. Because of course you can't have Dave without him moaning about James Earl Jones doing the voice-work. Yes, again*1.
Elstree 1976 is meticulously assembled, although its niche subject matter means it's probably not particularly outstanding as a documentary itself (although as I've said before, it's a genre of film I find persistently difficult to review). But what really makes it watchable is the people; the humble*2, loveable people who had no idea they were becoming a part of history, and wear it like a comfortable old suit of blasterproof armour…
Elstree 1976 is available now in digital and hard-copy formats, depending on whether you're someone who watches movies, or a collector who needs to know they're on a shelf when they're not being watched ;)
It's definitely more 'properly structured, feature-documentary' than the bonus features you get on DVD*3/BluRay these days. A point massively in its favour.
Well, I missed my opportunity to do so through poor planning, and it's doubtful any of us will get the chance now. Don't make the same mistakes I did, kids.
It does.
I'll have to investigate more of Jon Spira's work to decide that, I'm afraid.
Nope.
Nope.
Level 1: It's got some people from out of Star Wars in it. I mean, it's borderline Level-0, but I feel I should really reserve that for actual Star Wars.
*1 And of course you also can't have Dave Prowse moaning about Star Wars without me moaning about Dave Prowse. I know what I'm talking about, I've read his book. When he's discussing the convention-circuit, specifically the Star Wars Celebration and Disney Weekends events, Dave seems to be somewhat confused between the term "barred" and "not asked to appear because he's spent the last 35 years telling everyone how important he is and complaining about George Lucas". Although I always get those two mixed up, as well.
*2 Yeah alright, you know who I mean. Or rather, who I don't. Look, I love the guy to bits, but really…
*3 Unless of course you bought The Force Awakens on DVD, in which case you got no documentaries whatsoever. Yeah, not going to let that one go, either...
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
