Starwoids (2001) User Reviews

Star Wars The Hype: Episode 1

[gkleinman · 7/10 · 11 October 2001]

With all the hype and hoopla around the DVD release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, it's easy to forget the amazing frenzy that occurred around the theatrical release of the movie. Waiting a few minutes in line this week at your local retail store or a couple of days for your DVD to arrive from an online retailer just doesn't compare to the Star Wars Fanatics who spent as long as six weeks waiting in line to be the first to see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Starwoids is a very entertaining look at what it's like to be a Star Wars Fanatic, to not only get caught up in Star Wars frenzy but be a part of it. Watching Starwoids I couldn't help drawing comparisons to Trekkies, a documentary about Star Trek Fandom. While I think Trekkies was a fantastic documentary I enjoyed Starwoids even more. Trekkies felt like it was showing the absurdity of Extreme Fandom while in many ways Starwoids celebrates it. The makers of Starwoids waited in line along side other fans for 42 days, and their film really feels like its 'from the trenches'.

Starwoids is introduced by Kevin Smith who also does an interview on the DVD about the influence of Star Wars on his movies (ever thought that Jay and Silent Bob are a lot like C3PO and R2D2?). It's an interesting interview, and I would have liked to have seen even more. So after you watch Star Wars: The Phantom Menace on DVD be sure to check out Starwoids for a great look at the entire movie phenomenon.

I wanted to love this, but I just couldn't.

[jdollak · 6/10 · 18 January 2005]

I should love the subject matter. I love Star Wars, I'm a bit of a nerdy fanboy, I collect the action figures, and I attend midnight showings of any of the movies. But I haven't waited in line. I think if I were younger, and didn't need to work, I'd wait for the fun of it. The truth is that this movie isn't that great. I love certain sections of it. The musical, the figure collectors, and Katie with her X-Wing are all great. The problem is that I find the main players in the movie are not ideal subjects to focus on. The flaws that these people have is in their sense of grandeur, that somehow they are the kings of the fans. The editing is a little annoying too, though I would be pressed to cite an example. I wanted to love this movie, but it's just got too many weaknesses. Good for fans, but otherwise... I wouldn't buy it.

This is a great, great movie

[moviefan69 · 16 January 2003]

I had heard about this movie not too long after Episode I was released in theaters. I was never able to see it until it arrived on video. It was more than worth the wait. I consider myself a Starwoid. I waited in line for tickets to Episode I. Although I waited in line for only 6 hours. But this movie absolutely captures the atmosphere of what it was like to wait in line. You looked around at the line, and saw people that you would probably have nothing to do with in any other aspect of life. But they were there in line with you, waiting with the same anticipation and excitement. For that day, they were your friends. You identified with them in a way that you cannot identify with anyone else. No matter where you came from, you had a passion for Star Wars, and you were going to get tickets to the first show no matter what. In Starwoids, someone make reference to this event as their version of Woodstock. That very sentiment was uttered by someone waiting in line with me. Nothing could be truer. In a way, waiting in line was more fun than seeing Episode I itself. Everyone was in full fanboy mode. Everything that day was Star Wars. I waited in line at a theater that houses 30 screens. As you can imagine, it's a pretty big building. No one was allowed to wait before 8am. The entrance was blocked off by police. When the barricade was cleared, the race was on. People hiding out in a nearby field raced for the building. The parking lot turned into a raceway. People were jumping out of moving cars to be first in line. By the time tickets went on sale later that day, the line had more than wrapped around the building. Literally thousands of people had shown up. It's that spirit of excitement and togetherness that Starwoids captures. If you are a Star Wars fan, you see so much of yourself in the people featured in the movie. If you didn't have the honor of waiting in line (and yes, it was an honor) this is as close as you can get to experiencing what it was like. Save for the births of my children, it was the best time of my life. So see Starwoids, and get a taste of what it was like to be there.

A waste of time for everyone but the most devoted fans.

[planktonrules · 1/10 · 11 August 2012]

The description of this film is that it's like a Star Wars version of "Trekkies". This is really inaccurate. While I did not love "Trekkies", it was competently made--with a professional host (Mary Crosby), decent production values and something of interest to non-Star Trek fans. However, "Starwoids" is really poorly made--and is only of interest to the most ardent Star Wars fans. Its production values are minimal--just a lot of handicam shots. There isn't any sort of narration. In fact, it looks EXACTLY like some home movies by some die-hard fans slapped together. Why would anyone want to pay for this? Even Star wars fans would expect much more than this--a film which consists of lots of video of folks waiting in line to see "Episode 1" as well as clips of various fan stuff--like a Star Wars musical--complete with fuzzy camera work and completely devoid of editing. I rarely am this mean to an independent film but this one made me mad---I cannot see why anyone would pay for this and it looks more like clips from YouTube.

Worst moments in this 'film'? Fans comparing George Lucas to God--and finding God coming up short by comparison. Talk about the expression 'get a life'.

Terrible movie, go watch Trekkies instead

[patrick862 · 1/10 · 19 March 2006]

I was expecting this movie to be an exploration of Star Wars fandom, in the same manner that Trekkies originally did. However, this movie focused on just a few people who were waiting in line for the Phantom Menace release. Some were part of a website's organization, and others were just hard-core fans of the series. They focus solely on these people waiting in line, so it seems as if you've been waiting 35 days for the movie right along side them.

By the end, it felt less like a "documentary" and more like one long advertisement for the website featured in the movie. Don't waste your time with this movie, there are plenty of better sci-fi documentaries out there.

Very funny, yet touching doc on geek life.

[krullboy2000 · 8/10 · 20 January 2004]

You would think a movie about a bunch of geeks standing in line for a month to see "The Phantom Menace" would be a laugh fest, "Let's make fun of the nerds" type movie. It's actually much more than that. Yes, it's funny, but it is also touching on how all these geek like strangers became the best of friends just because they waited in line for a movie.

Other pieces like Star Wars: The Musical and the woman who painted her car like a X-Wing are just laugh out loud funny. This movie was a great glimpse into a world I know very little about. Let just say I wouldn't want to live there, but it was a great (an often funny) place to visit.

great for even a non-starwoid

[kbotel · 9/10 · 20 June 2001]

not being a star wars fan, i went with a friend at a film festival and was surprised at how much i loved this flick! funny, clever, entertaining, and very educational! a must see for all starwoids and non. don't know where or when it's playing next, but worthy of some research.

Cool movie on some real losers

[Jester69 · 8/10 · 11 December 2001]

I'll be the first to say, I love the Star Wars films, but to wait days in line???? I admire the people who did this but I pity them until they can line up for episode 2. If you can spend that much time waiting for a movie, you don't have much of a life. Starwoids is a great documentary on people who have nothing better to do. Don't get me wrong, it's really great to watch, because no matter how bad your life is you have something better to do than wait in line for a movie ticket. It's really an uplifting movie in the end.

Makes Star Wars fans look like complete idiots.....

[croatiansensation29 · 14 April 2005]

Since I heard about this movie, I was really looking forward to checking it out. I finally got a copy from my online DVD rental company, and boy, was I disappointed!! Not at all what I expected! "Starwoids" basically tells the story about a bunch of losers waiting in line for the first prequel in the Star Wars films.

With a cast of losers, what can you like about this film!??! Now, I am a mega Star Wars fan, but these guys are just total geeks!! This film made me feel embarrassed at times to even be a fan of this film series! I wouldn't wait in line a few hours for the chance to sleep with Elizabeth Hurley, let alone wait in line 40 freaking days to see a freaking movie!!! Even if that film is a Star Wars film!!

I was hoping that this film would show stuff about the collectors and collectibles. Really, we do not need a 80 minute movie seeing a bunch of virgins waiting in line 40 days to see a movie. Again, this film made me feel ashamed to be a fan of Star Wars.

I just have one thing to say about the people in this film....get a freaking life!!

A Piece of Star Wars History Captured on Film

[o2thx · 10/10 · 18 July 2007]

Yes, I loved it! And I loved it because I was LIVING it! So in a sense, Starwoids is also a video journal for me, at least the parts that had to do with the Chinese Theatre line.

The experience was something that was new for all of us to do. I never imagined taking part in a 6 week line event but I did it anyways because hey, why not, what's life without taking some chances and doing something crazy once in a while. In the end, I would not change the experience for the world. We had so much fun out there doing it and we forged friendships that will last a lifetime.

I also have something to say to Chris Gavez who wrote a comment here somewhere about how much of a loser we all were.

First of all, throughout all 3 line events (one for each prequel), we raised around $70,000 for the Starlight Children's Foundation with the donations we received during each 6 week line-up. Oh yeah, we're losers.

And yeah, you can find me on Myspace, Chris, I'm easy to find, just search my first and last name. And go ahead, look at my pictures, see how much of a loser I am with that beautiful girl who happens to be my girlfriend of almost 4 years now. Oh yeah, and you mentioned how we're all virgins too, right? lol Yeah, I think you're the loser, dude. Don't be jealous that we all had fun while you sat home on your ass, always dreaming of doing something fun in life but instead, watched videos of others, like US, and couldn't do anything more than try and talk trash to us online. LOOOOSER!

May the Fans be with you...

[golden-fleece · 8/10 · 19 August 2001]

STAR WOIDS

EPISODE I THE FANDOM MENACE

I saw this Friday, August 17th in Seattle, along with many fellow "Seattle Star Wars" members. The film was much longer than I expected (which is for the best), and full of interesting stuff, always delivered in a light-hearted, good-humored manner. Perhaps my favorite scene was a priest saying--and I quote--Star Wars is "Cool". I hear so many religious comparisons to Star Wars, but I don't think it's accurate, save that people like to have a mythology, and for our generation, it's Lucas' mythology, and boy do we EVER love it--42 days in line? I'm a fan, but not that die-hard. However, as much as one might have reservations about this film being anything other than a lengthy report on a few people "with no life", it's actually quite different--it's a film about what people like to believe in, what they DO believe in, and I gotta tell ya--I never thought that a 42-day wait simply for a movie would be so inspiring! But it's not just about the line for Phantom Menace, but also about Star Wars fans in all their incarnations, about humans worldwide having fun, and looking ahead to having more fun to come.

And it just wouldn't be polite to write this review without one honorable mention--Katie (I won't use her last name for privacy's sake), member of the "Road Squadron", the coolest car piloted by the coolest person, right here in Seattle (if you see the movie, you'll see her). Hi Katie!

Yes, Star Wars fans are fun, fun people. We may menace the sidewalk, attack the traffic, give new hope to the local food vendors, strike back at the Trekkies and return for Episode II, but we're just having fun, as this film shows. Go see it, all the better with a good crowd, or, as I like to say, "May the Fans be with you..."

One funny movie about fandom!

[wuher12 · 10/10 · 15 June 2001]

I saw this film at the NoDance Film Festival and I would have to say that I not only laughed myself silly, but was intrigued with these people (or Starwoids, as the movie calls them) from beginning until end. The film takes almost a Utopian approach on how two groups not only stand in line for six weeks for a movie, but also how they learn to live, love, and deal with each other in a `Survivor' like fashion. One even starts their own form of government! The side stories about other Star Wars fans are priceless. Star Wars - The Musical and a DJ Boba Fett are worth the price of admission alone. Fan or no fan, this is a great movie and one the best ones on fandom I've ever seen.

Go see this movie!

[vanloons · 9/10 · 15 June 2001]

I was fortunate enough to see this movie at the East Lansing Film Festival. I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes Star Wars or likes the movie Trekkies.

There is an interview with a Jawa where the guy's eye keeps falling out that is hilarious. There's also a funny scene with a toy collector that one of my friends, Courtney, laughed so hard she started crying.

Also a great interview with some guys that put on Star Wars the musical.

If it's playing at a film festival near you, go see it.

The funniest Star Wars documentary ever made.

[DanVanLoon1 · 9/10 · 5 October 2001]

Starwoids ranks as one of the best and unquestionably the funniest Star Wars documentary ever made. I have seen the film numerous times since its inception. From high school kids putting on a Star Wars musical to jawas who have trouble with their eyes popping out, there are plenty of laughs (and you don't have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate them, you just have to have a sense of humor). At the same time, a drama plays out between rival fans who lined up to see Episode I over a month before it came out! Set some time aside for yourself and watch it.

Confusing, not a scifi fan

[oscar-35 · 8 March 2013]

*Spoiler/plot- Starwoids, 2001. On 1999, Lines formed outside two Mann's owned theaters in Hollywood and Westwood to see the first Star Wars film Episode 1 first new films in 16 years. Filmmaker Dennis Przywara actually stood in line for 42 days to capture the emotion and drama that event brewed. True fans clashed over a rivalry between the two theater line camps. IN this film you will meet and know many of the fans that participated. Also there are refreshing related Star Wars field trips to Death Valley to see Star Wars filming locations and to Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. Highlighting super fans like the Bobba Fett musician, driver/owner of a custom X-wing car, and the producers of a Star Wars theatrical musical.

*Special Stars- 40+ Star Wars fans who waited in a theater line for 42 days to get the first showing tickets of Episode 1.

*Theme- Some people are fans and fans make news by acting excessive.

*Trivia/location/goofs- Theater lines locations: Mann's Westwood plaza, Westwood Calif and Chinese theater, Hollywood calif. Field trip locations: Death Valley and Lucas Valley CA.

*Emotion- A gallant attempt to document a phenomena of film openings in an industry town like Los Angeles. The film is edited confusingly and has no pacing. The director's choice to artificially build some kind of drama by pitting Westwood against Chinese theater line groups did not work to make this a narrative instead of a very flat one dimensional news story piece that will only attract and keep the viewer's interest for a few minutes at most. The film premise is great, but it's way too long and confusing if not a scifi fan.