ELSTREE 1976
Dir: Jon Spira
2015
*****

StarWars is an incredible film, a phenomenon if you will. It has made billions of dollars worldwide, it marked the beginning of a technical age in film, helped change the face of cinema and has even spawned a religion. Oh and it sold a lot of toys too! Not bad for an over the top soap-opera set in a galaxy far, far away.

It is a cultural phenomenon that still evokes spiritual, political and mythical discussion among its hard-core fan base even today, 40+ years on. I've heard people ponder whether Luke and Lea actually represent Adam and Eve, whether Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers represent Hitler and his Nazi Troops and even whether the heavy addition of synthetic life (robots, clones etc.) is actually some kind of anti-abortion message! ….I'm not sure I buy that last one. However, many of the hard-core fans are more interested in smaller facts such as; how many Bothans actually died stealing the Death Star plans? (there were many), did Han shoot first? (yes, he did) and was Uncle Owen's Brain preserved in R2-D2 and if so whether this was the reason why he always had Luke's back? (…get a life). Personally, as a lover of film as well as sci-fi, there are other things I'd rather like to know. That's why Jon Spira's ELSTREE 1976Kickstater campaign appealed to me. 

ELSTREE 1976 asks what happened to the supporting cast members, the people who have been watched by a quarter of the planet’s population but don’t know the names of. The film features an interview with the guy who was immortalised as one of my favourite childhood toys. Indeed the film’s thrilling introduction begins with these supporting actors and extras talking about their character's toys and what it means to them. It was the first time I'd heard philosophical debate regarding anything Star Wars that was based on something that is actually real and something far more exciting than my childhood dolls talking to me (which I wouldn't have thought was possible).

I've had the pleasure of meeting many of the interviewees appearing in the film, speaking at great lengths to several at various conventions, and feel that Jon Spira really has captured the best of them. The documentary itself is refreshingly un-formulaic, its structure is steady but the contents is never predictable. It reminded me of an early Errol Morris film in many respects. Spira lets the people talk, he never prompts them and so he gets the best out of them. There is no sinister agenda, no one is asked to ‘dish the dirt’, the aim is simple; to try and find out what it is like to be part of what is possibly the biggest, most talked about happenings of the last 40 years. It will appeal to both Star Wars and non-Star Wars fans alike. As a Kickstarter backer of the project I was one of the few people to attend the first screening of the film and I brought with me my Wife. I'm a big Star Wars fan, my Wife is not. However, she thoroughly enjoyed the film (her words I promise, not mine) and was as thrilled as I was with the end result. There is something rather spectacular and poetic about the film's reveal, remove the helmets and masks off of these well-known fictional robots and aliens and you find a much more interesting and colourful character than that you enjoyed on screen. This isn't Clark Kent revealing he is actually Superman though, quite the opposite, these people have always been interesting and have all achieved very different things, they will however always be known as either the green alien that shot Han Solo or the Storm Trooper that bumped his head. How on earth do you deal with that? A great question, which has been wonderfully answered.

Spira kept his crowd funding backers up to date with an array of wonderful anecdotes and fascinating insights into film making, at times revealing just how frustrating and painful the process can be. These honest and heartfelt updates were an absolute joy and were far more than I'd expected having backed many projects in the past with little communication from the film makers. With the brand new Star Wars films just around the corner, there is much hype surrounding ELSTREE 1976 and I have to say it exceeded all my expectations. Surely I'm biased though, being a Kickstarter backer and having my name in the credits? Well no, I spent hard earned cash backing this film and I'm not a wealthy man, I would have been sickened had the film been a disappointment, hopes smashed and out of pocket. I was always going to be more critical of this film than any other. However I cannot fault it, it is a crowd pleaser, and Star Wars fan or not, it will make you think, it will definitely make you laugh, and I can guarantee it will make you watch the original films in a very different light from now on - which is no mean feat for someone who has watched them hundreds of times. It’s  a celebration in many respects and one that deserves success, it's the best documentary of 2015 in my opinion.