The Pez Outlaw

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.

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.

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)

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!

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.