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IMDbPro

The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story

  • Video
  • 19991999
  • 1h 3m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
242
YOUR RATING
The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story (1999)
DocumentarySci-Fi
This is the story of one Bill Anderson a incredibly hot single dad from Yorkville Illinois. We follow his life from childhood where he saves the entire galaxy from the darkness of the evil e... Read allThis is the story of one Bill Anderson a incredibly hot single dad from Yorkville Illinois. We follow his life from childhood where he saves the entire galaxy from the darkness of the evil empire. Threw his teen years where he has now mastered his super powers where he yet again ... Read allThis is the story of one Bill Anderson a incredibly hot single dad from Yorkville Illinois. We follow his life from childhood where he saves the entire galaxy from the darkness of the evil empire. Threw his teen years where he has now mastered his super powers where he yet again saves the world destroying all evil. The movie ends with modern day Bill Anderson where he... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
242
YOUR RATING
  • Stars
    • Kenny Baker
    • Jeremy Bulloch
    • Michael Carter
  • Stars
    • Kenny Baker
    • Jeremy Bulloch
    • Michael Carter
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story (1999)
    The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story (1999)
    The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story (1999)
    The Unauthorized 'Star Wars' Story (1999)

    Top cast

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    Kenny Baker
    Kenny Baker
    • Self
    Jeremy Bulloch
    Jeremy Bulloch
    • Self
    Michael Carter
    Michael Carter
    • Self
    King Charles III
    King Charles III
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (as Prince Charles)
    Anthony Daniels
    Anthony Daniels
    • Self
    Carrie Fisher
    Carrie Fisher
    • Self
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • Self
    Garrick Hagon
    Garrick Hagon
    • Self
    Mark Hamill
    Mark Hamill
    • Self
    Christopher Heyward
    • Fan
    Samuel L. Jackson
    Samuel L. Jackson
    • Self
    Charles Lippincott
    Charles Lippincott
    • Self
    George Lucas
    George Lucas
    • Self
    Peter Mayhew
    Peter Mayhew
    • Self
    Rick McCallum
    Rick McCallum
    • Self
    Ewan McGregor
    Ewan McGregor
    • Self
    David Prowse
    David Prowse
    • Self
    Christian Slater
    Christian Slater
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Features Flash Gordon (1936)

    User reviews1

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    1/10
    Made by fans, though it won't please many
    The year was 1999. With the first new Star Wars film in 16 years on the verge of being released, Star Wars hype reached a crescendo of Star Destroyer like proportions. Amongst all the officially licensed merchandise this little documentary slipped right through Lucasfilm's fingers. It's so unauthorized, there aren't even any credits. Just a bunch of stars and some music meant to invoke John Williams. Either this was an oversight or else they ran out of money, for there is a distinct lack of captions all the way through. But don't let the title make you feel you're going to see some Lucas bashing of IMDb message board proportions, this hotchpotch was assembled by a couple of true believers (who will forever remain nameless).

    Most of the interviews here are drawn from press junkets held for the release of the Star Wars Special Editions in 1997. Not only did they get access to George Lucas, Luke, Han and Princess Leia but also Threepio, Artoo, Chewie and Rick McCallum. All of this material looks very professional (although they had to blur out all the posters in the background for copyright reasons). Unfortunately it is interspersed with some interviews the documentary makers shot themselves, on video and without any prior knowledge of lighting direction. These include talks with head of publicity and former Lucas classmate Charles Lippincott and the actors who portrayed Biggs Darklighter, Boba Fett (sat at his home computer) and Bib Fortuna. The difference in quality between the press material and these home movies is enormous.

    Whoever made this simply grabbed everything they could get their hands on and stuck it in. Several different interviews with Lucas, Hamill and Daniels are used, as well as every usable shot from the premieres and the customary fans in costumes. There are snippets of interviews conducted on the red carpet, including one brief shot with Ewan McGregor, who is never mentioned or seen again. Both he and Liam Neeson are prominently featured on the cover, but Qui-Gon Shindler never appears on tape at all. A couple of unidentified "experts" who refer to Star Wars as a religious and cultural phenomenon appear throughout. I have a sneaky suspicion these guys may well be responsible for the entire Unautorised Story, since the tape was obviously made by a couple of slobbering fan-boys who snuck in amongst the press for the 1997 release and were so excited they kept interrupting their heroes' anecdotes.

    Obviously they could not use any shots from the beloved trilogy itself, but they did get permission to show bits of the 1930's Flash Gordon serials, the 'Forbidden Planet' trailer and some amusing British and Japanese news items from 1977. Add to this some holiday movies from the filming locations in Tunisia and a few misty shots of San Fransico and Mann's Chinese Theater in L.A. They even took a trip to Lucas' Home town of Modesto (where they interview all his old neighbors) and at one point use a couple of lame computer animations of our own solar system. Everything is accompanied by silly wipes that resemble (but don't sound like) Lightsabers and once, sliding Death Star doors. The lowest point comes when they attempt to illustrate behind the scenes stories by using a bunch of monster masks and the remote for some sort of toy car.

    Lets face it: this one is strictly for Star Wars collectors who positively have to have everything saga-connected in their possession. There are one or two anecdotes they might not have heard before, but most will probably only watch this once and put it on the back of a shelf forever, or better yet, leave it wrapped up in mint condition. The Phantom Menace is hardly even mentioned, since it had not come out yet when the bulk of this material was shot, but the last word is reserved for the biggest nerd in the entire show, who compares Star Wars to The Bible before predicting that Episode I will probably be just as good as the originals. Just when you think he's crossed the line with that statement, they cut in some more Flash Gordon footage and the tape ends. So never let it be said that nerds don't have a sense of humour about themselves.

    1 out of 10
    helpful•15
    7
    • Chip_douglas
    • Aug 21, 2005

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    • 1 hour 3 minutes
      • Color

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