The Pez Outlaw (2022) User Reviews

A heartwarming master outlaw story.

[RickyB0bby12 · 8/10 · 5 June 2023]

Love Pez who didn't when you was a kid but had no idea about this story. What a light hearted very entertaining re-production of this warming tale that not only stroked the chords for a plan of a master outlaw but also the importance of family at the end of it all.

The main character Steve is a quirky kook who is worth the documentary on its own. The angle of the documentary shows just how simple it was many moons ago to arbitrage the supply chain of global markets. Similar things happen today on such a smaller time scale online but back in the Wild West (in this case Eastern Europe to America) these opportunities, and greed of man would stay open a lot longer !

Sweet to the core, had to share the review just to express how much I rather enjoyed it.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

[seghers · 8/10 · 22 April 2022]

Saw this great flick at the Milwaukee Film Fest opening night, and had a chance to meet the subject (and star) after the movie.

Great job dramatizing the events, with Steve playing himself as he took on Pez USA and the meanie leader "the Pezident." Thought-provoking and very well made, this movie was touching, amusing and ultimately very satisfying.

Strongly recommended.

My Pez Hero :D

[keikoyoshikawa · 8/10 · 3 June 2023]

"I've been wanting to tell this story for twenty years," says Steve Glew - aka the Pez Outlaw - at the beginning of this documentary.

Aided by his son, Josh, the father and son duo meets a kindred spirit in Slovenia and takes on Pez USA, becoming hilariously like drug dealers with buyers calling them and offering a lot of money for their in-demand products.

But when they meet Gunther of Pez International in Hungary, their business took off - allegedly - and Steve became the arch nemesis of the Prezident of Pez USA. Their cat-and-mouse game only changed when Steve had to decide between his job and his family.

The documentary is well-done, using interviews and re-enactments.

PS: The other hero is their local credit union that gave them their first loan, so that they could go to Europe to buy their first pez dispensers. Whoever that loan officer was, he/she deserves a lot of credit.

"I've been waiting to tell this story for twenty years"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 26 January 2023]

I came across this film by scanning the ones available on Netflix. Who wouldn't be intrigued by a title like "The Pez Outlaw"? I had to give it a look. It's a story about a compulsive obsessive individual named Steve Glew leading a hard scrabble, boring existence as a factory worker who suddenly found himself involved in the fascinating niche world of Pez collectors. You know, those small plastic dispensers in various shapes and colors that you load with the tiny candy that became a big hit in the Fifties and Sixties. Who hasn't had one of those growing up? But talk about taking it to the next level! When Glew learned that the 'Pezident' of Pez U. S. A. Nixed a whole variety of dispensers from the world headquarters manufacturing facility in Austria, he got the bright idea of traveling to Europe to bring home satchels full of the things to sell to a fan base willing to shell out big bucks for the rarities. Eventually becoming a big name among the Pez collecting community, Glew drew the attention of Scott McWhinnie, President of Pez U. S. A., who made it a personal vendetta to put an end to Glew's quasi-illegal operation. You really have to watch the entire story to get a sense of how Glew pulled this off with the help of his son Joshua. There is a point where the normally introverted Glew offers an outsized opinion of himself by stating he was responsible for two European factories closing down, but that had more to do with legitimate business reasons. What's interesting is that by the time the story's over, Glew takes the title of the picture and reassigns it to 'Pezident' Scott McWhinnie, who he considers the real outlaw of the piece. You could agree or disagree, but it's a fun watch in any case.

Interesting but too long

[vadiefe-10073 · 6/10 · 26 January 2023]

The first part of the documentary is interesting as it introduces us about the Pez product and the main character. But as the story progress it just is not that interesting anymore. All the illegal tactics and little crimes to make some money in a greedy and weird way are shown as entrepreneural wonder. The main character has probably some issues and is a very self oriented person. It's funny he takes himself so serious. The second half of the documentary was boring so I watched it with 1.5x speed to see the end. The nostalgy elements in the film makes it watchable. And the fact that Steve acts a little crazy makes him fun. But it's not a story to be taken serious.

Watch it if you like entrepreneur stories, but don't expect a lot.

A PEZ Story For The Ages

[AudioFileZ · 7/10 · 19 February 2023]

Perhaps, like me, you have only a small brush with PEZ from your youth. Being in my early 60's I fondly remember the PEZ candy dispenser as being the big point of interest as the candy was rather sweet but hardly memorable on its own. Is almost anything collectible? Some things more than others apparently and PEZ dispensers grew through years as collectible toys for a certain subset of folks. Enter one curmudgeon type of a OCD guy. One who battles his own inner demons of depression named Steve. Steve becomes infatuated with PEZ while becoming a burgeoning seller of dispensers at toy shows. This leads to something only a certain kind of OCD person might segue to. That is finding the real source of these things and that leads to Eastern Europe.

You see there is a disconnect between the European branch of PEZ and the U. S. branch. They are separate with the European PEZ founders controlling everything but the U. S. market. It might be said the U. S. company was lazy and content to just kind of exist modestly. They didn't bring in many new and exciting designs nixing most of the European's designs. Of course whenever something isn't available it becomes desirable and those Euro designs would fetch very high prices whenever the few were traded among collectors in the U. S.. While I wouldn't call Steve a Wharton Business School whiz I will give him credit for figuring out how to supply the collector's demand. I'd say he did it brilliantly as he was able to import through a loop-hole the U. S. PEZ company created themselves. Of course "Pezident" Scott of the U. S. PEZ company was irate. Battle lines would be drawn and not in the usual courtrooms where U. S. PEZ was hamstrung. Maybe a bit of international intrigue too?

This is a very well put-together documentary about a sublime little known tug-of-war between an individual and a corporation. The corporation's short sightedness and sheer greed made it lazy. It actually did not meet the market it sold its wares in literally opening up a cottage industry one man would come to dominate. In the end, the corporation does what corporations do: starve their competitors out of business through all possible manipulations. Even so PEZ USA has egg all over them and Steve comes out as a sort of hero standing up against long odds far longer than most folks could have. And he's left with this great story which is somewhat heartwarming even. From now on whenever I see a PEZ dispenser I'll think of Steve first and foremost. That's a win.

No right to be this well done

[carsonpayne-66437 · 9/10 · 11 May 2023]

On the surface, the story of the Pez Outlaw is interesting at the very least but by no means life changing to the average viewer. The impressive thing to me, however, is that the documentarians took this story and absolutely turned it into a masterclass of creating an engaging documentary. The whole time I was completely engaged with the story by the sheer quality of storytelling that was taking place. Although the stakes were not high at all, I was worried about what would happen next to the protagonist Steve Glew. I laughed out loud multiple times and was mesmerized by the cinematography and stock footage.

What happens when you take on the Pezident

[paul-allaer · 7/10 · 29 January 2023]

As "The Pez Outlaw" (2022 release; 85 min) opens, we are introduced to Steve Glew, these days a farmer in Michigan. We then go back to "1991" when Glew, recognizing that collecting Pez dispensers was a real business opportunity, decides to travel to the Pez dispenser factory in Europe, in the hope of bringing back Pez dispensers that are not available in the US... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from co-directors Amy and Bryan Storkel (Alabama Snake"). There they bring us a human interest story about a nobody who is clever enough to assess a market opportunity, and then takes his chance, causing the ire (and more) of Pez USA all the way to the top (the "Pezident"). These events took place roughly 30 years ago, and it is amazing to me how unsophisticated a company like Pez USA went about its business. Along the way you can't help but root for the little guy, Steve Glew, as he outfoxes Pez USA. Just watch how it all ends... The film makers interview many of the people that were involved in these events, with a 30 year perspective of how it all went down (alas, not the Pezident).

"The Pez Outlaw" recently started streaming on Netflix, which recommended it to me based on my viewing habits. Wen I looked into it, I was astonished to find that "The Pez Outlaw" is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. I mean, it's enjoyable for sure, but this is a nice little human interest story, nothing more, nothing less. If you are in the mood for such a human interest story or you are a Pez dispenser collector yourself, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Loved every frame

[flee123 · 10/10 · 7 January 2023]

This is a fantastic documentary from beginning to end. Not only is it a compelling story, but heartwarming as well, and the visuals were absolutely terrific. Watching Steve concoct his plan, and then seeing him have the gumption to enact it, was a blast. He was a normal, everyday guy, and he turned himself into the lead character in his very own spy novel, just to figure out a way to make ends meet, and feed his family. This is a true gem of a movie, and I'm so glad the filmmakers brought us into this world of hilarious drama, with a touch of nostalgia, and Steve's very own brand of espionage (pezpionage?). Sit back and enjoy.

There's more to uncover

[koatprdns · 7/10 · 9 August 2023]

I am very surprised that not only did investigators not investigate Johan (the man with the magic attic in the garden) but seem to not even notice (much less ask!) about the row of XXXL Pez standing in a row on the cupboard unit on his right (and 2 potential other Pez oddities next to them!)

I mean, there's clearly more of a story here, and the guy even laughs at Netflix for pursuing Steve's story when he clearly has something interesting to say. Or considers himself the more interesting subject, anyway. I feel like he was hinting at a greater story about designs and inventions for Pez the original company. Too bad, as the documentary was interesting but ultimately went nowhere.

Good fun and good memories!

WOW

[leoet · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

How good was it? Well, in over 10 years of watching documentaries on Netflix, this is the FIRST time ever that I purposely made the effort to find out how I could rate this and put in a review to highlight how good of a production and story this is, and I came to imdb to do it. To learn about this story was amazing. The mystery, the secrets, the adventure, the thrill, the business war, the whole part about the U. S. and International markets and bringing things over from overseas through customs, the new venture that you get so excited about... and the surprising outcome...wow, what an incredible story. You seriously have to watch this excellent documentary. I would love to see this again. Going to share it on social media now!

Filming issues.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 15 March 2023]

The writing and directing (maybe also even the editing) had some issues on how this story was told. Even at a comfortable mere 85 min runtime, it felt much longer. This docu-film needed more narrative or to have been cut down to a short film. Most of the story was cohesive, but it seemed some elements to the sub-plots were missing that were needed to compliment some of the sub-plots. There were clarity issues in some of the narrative. Aside from all that, the story was certainly entertaining and colorful. It's a must-see for Pez fans and collectors alike. It's a well deserved 7/10 from me, all going to the Pez Outlaw.

Not a documentary

[beanie2272 · 5/10 · 17 April 2023]

There did not appear to be any effort put into confirming anything the main character said. They brought in some justice dept people to lend credibility at the beginning, but otherwise it was just the Glew family, Pez collectors and some former Pez employees giving thier viewpoints.

The demonization of the Pez employee not featured in the film was cartoonish and mean sprited. There was a disconnect between how the film makers overlooked the artificially overpricing of these plastic novalties, but then expressed outrage that Pez could mass produce the novalties to bring the proce down to zero.

I did not view the main character as a hero at all. Near the end it is revealed that this whole story started life as part of a blog. Seems likely that a self professed crazy man outlaw would emblellish a blog entry.

Since the film makers didnt seem to care if the story was true I decided I didnt care either and generally enjoyed the show. The reenactments had the proper amount of humor involved. The look into the wierd world of collecters was interesting.

5 Stars for a mostly interesting and well filmed story.

0 Stars as a documentary.

Neurotic narcissist

[bt698nhj · 6/10 · 2 June 2023]

This guy is absolutely nuts and completely self-absorbed. To think you're going to steal or copy somebody's intellectual property and get away with it is absolutely bonkers. He deserved what he got. It was an interesting story but the subject of the story is less than appealing.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

Less Likable as the story unfolds

[jameslacher-94035 · 6/10 · 20 January 2023]

What started as a down and out good ole boy Midwesterner becomes a story about basically a privileged white criminal. I mean, I give him props for making money illegally and getting away with it. But there's no way he does this stuff if he's not a white dude. And despite his "I'm a dumb hick just trying to make it" attitude he's really a pompus ass.

There's not really a "there THERE". It's a little intriguing because as the story unfolds you think something BIG is going to happen. But it never really does. Overall, decent doc but wouldn't really recommend to the average person. Not really sure how he got this documentary made.

Interesting insight into the world of Pez

[ZZK8 · 7/10 · 18 August 2023]

This documentary masterfully narrates the tale, spotlighting the immensely likeable Steve Glew. His endearing relationship with his wife adds a heartwarming layer to the narrative. The documentary excels in offering a deep and wonderful insight into this eccentric man, capturing his passion for collectible Pez dispensers. With meticulous storytelling, it celebrates Glew's journey and his impact on the Pez collector's community. A must-watch for its engaging portrayal and heartwarming moments, "The Pez Outlaw" paints a vivid and touching portrait of both a man and his beloved obsession. An easy watch, I give it a solid 7 out of 10.

10/10 PEZ

[graphic-ward-72-216970 · 10/10 · 4 October 2022]

The subject of The Pez Outlaw is light hearted but not without it's drama. The film is such a well balanced mix of interviews, re-enactments and beautiful visual delights as you follow Steve Glew taking on his personal fears as well as Pez USA. Beyond that, it is also a love story and an interesting look into the world of Pez collecting and the characters that it attracts.

This film is certainly quirky, funny and a bit off-beat all while upholding and honoring Steve's character. For anyone who enjoys seeing the little guy take on the world (or Pez USA), I couldn't recommend this documentary more.

10/10 Pez. (Yes I know they come in rolls of 12, but I ate the other 2)

Make this story into a movie already

[atleverton · 9/10 · 10 June 2023]

This is one of those rare documentaries that would actually be better told as a fictional movie than a documentary. It's the story of Steve Glew who made millions of dollars smuggling Pez dispensers into the United States. Steve's story is interesting because he grew up very poor, and he discovered something which would ultimately make him wealthy, but then he got bored with doing that, and he wanted to be more creative, and then he crossed a line which he was unable to come back from. Also interesting is how Steve's nemesis is presented as this arrogant villain, but in actual fact everything that Steve was doing was technically illegal. So you feel kind of bad for him because he seems to be a sweet, good-natured individual, but on the other hand it was a completely predictable failure. So an interesting watch.

Great story and film

[EHollander2 · 8/10 · 10 April 2022]

Great story and film. Historical scenes were well recreated and interviews were incisive. A lot of depth was developed among the main character. Very fun to see the main character playing himself. Film, however, was a bit long.

A Tribute For Babylonian/Khazarian System In Crushing Human Spirit

[ham-ma242 · 5/10 · 9 April 2023]

I wish the guy either had help or found other ways to beat the system but oh well...

ANALYSIS: This documentary is more like a mockumentary of a human spirit getting denied by THE MACHINE. The worst part is that they were even happy about doing it. The bad guys did it in the most wrong way possible. For some reason the Pez Outlaw was dumb enough not to patent his ideas/art. That was the most stupid thing for him....

Though on the other hand we could see this all play out how it wasn't, just a story built up upon it. What I mean it, it was all planned and deliberately done so no other artist would be able to benefit and do their own thing in the PEZ industry. Which sounds far-fetched, but it's well organized and planned. Why do you think would there be a loophole for PEZ to have let this happen legally? With the whole trafficking from EU to US.

REVIEW: It's a pretty cute story of a person being very passionate about something and setting out to accomplish it with high risk and high reward. Finding something that is interesting and leaving their comfort zone in what they could have not imagined doing is truly inspiring.

The Glew marriage... relationship goals

[sinahaase-960-743497 · 10/10 · 28 January 2023]

It was actually a perfect story for a documentary like this in my opinion. Way better than the beanie babies doc which was infuriating....this one is more special. It makes you feel good at the end seeing where his true happiness came from all along. His wife is so freaking special too; one in a billion type of woman. She was so sweet and her smile on TV just made me happy inside I don't know why. I think it's because sometimes we go thru seasons in life thinking we've lost all hope in humanity cuz there's so much evil out there and then here comes along a humble, horse-riding, kind, patient woman on a random documentary about PEZ and I just feel like she reset my poor judgment that all humans are a-holes. She is actually doing what the rest of us wish we could do in life which is make a difference in the world by being genuinely kind to others...that's my opinion at least. Mr. Glew has a very cool story that is very unique and i hope the PEZ and toy world will remember him :)

One last thing I wanted to mention that really bugged me: that one former PEZ employee who was interviewed (I think he was a marketing position maybe?) he annoyed me so bad when he said they could've sued and all this other stuff but they didn't cuz they're kind ppl or whatever he's trying to hint at, was such a B. S. comment. They literally COULDN'T sue because they're a bunch of idiots who never fully processed their own US trademarks with borders and customs! They're complete morons for that and if they would've sued, they'd have nothing to expose except for their own mismanagement.

insider look at how crazy Pez collector

[stylss · 8/10 · 20 April 2022]

This was an interesting, well-made, and entertaining documentary. My Dad was actually a collector of Pez, had all of the pre-internet pricing guides and I remember helping him look up many Pez to find out which colors were rare and worth money. This was fascinating to see an insider look at how crazy Pez collectors can get but Steve is a gem.

SIFF 2022 Watch #1.

Well made! Outstanding true story you will love!

[harrisirontoys · 10/10 · 6 February 2023]

Well made! Creative non-fiction Heaven!

Outstanding true story you will enjoy.

This story is so well told that if there is not a award category for it to win something, they need to make one. Outstanding entertainment. I found myself rooting for this couple the minute I met them. Extraordinary true story where you will cheer, laugh and feel sad for a bit but remember, in the end they sold their story to Netflix and deserve every penny!

We all love a rags to riches stories. This is well made with a very happy ending to a good guy who started from nothing. I need 15 more letters so Enjoy, Enjoy Enjoy !!

A True PEZ Capitalist: An Anti-Trust Case

[grtsmarket · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

Steve Clew fought to save his family and home by being resourceful and not giving up. Intrepid spirit. No PEZ will go unknown.

A game changer in what was a PEZ "illegal" monopoly exposed by Clew that in turn set out to destroy Clew, who honestly out smarted The US Pezident just by the fact he was filling a collectors niche initially by accident.

The PEZ monopoly in America was created in 1955, amounting to just pure corporate greed and an anti-trust violation hands down.

This is the underlying truth, though not articulated forthright.

Some may see that bringing PEZ into the country was illegal, but miss that the USA firm didn't register their patent with Customs. Their bad. Not Clews.

But again it's the most vulnerable, like Clew, who The US Pezident capitalized on copying Clews' own design as the Misfits, solely to destroy his livelihood by undermining his price point. No remorse. Shameful hypocrisy. Lawlessness unaccounted for.

Glad this story was told. Hard to believe that a child's candy dispenser was fought over in the "free market."

I hope for Steve and his family that they are shown empathy and provided sustaining finances to grace their Golden Years' future; given the hardships and challenges they've had to face and conquer.

Outlaw?

Outlier is more accurate... a Misfit PEZ game changer! The PEZident and his ilk played the evil corporate raider role.

Time for an honorary PEZ head dispenser of Steve Clew, with bunny slipper feet.

Wes Anderson needs to make a film of this..

[janderson-02377 · 8/10 · 14 July 2023]

Superbly Eccentric. Some random characters and absorbing story. A Netflix classic. Really enjoyed this documentary The story of Steve Glew, a Midwestern machinist who smuggles rare Pez dispensers from Europe and sells them for thousands, drawing the ire of both U. S. Pez and rival collectors.

Superbly Eccentric. Some random characters and absorbing story. A Netflix classic. Really enjoyed this documentary The story of Steve Glew, a Midwestern machinist who smuggles rare Pez dispensers from Europe and sells them for thousands, drawing the ire of both U. S. Pez and rival collectors. A truly great story.