Backyard Blockbusters (2012) User Reviews

A solid love note to the Fan Film

[cirrocco_jones · 8/10 · 4 September 2014]

This documentary is a look at a phenomenon that is the result of film technology being democratized: the fan film. Whether it's taking beloved characters and putting them in bizarre circumstances like Chad Vader or creating new characters like Pink Five or re-filming the sequences from a beloved film starring you and your friends instead of Harrison Ford, it's all documented here. Starring all your favorite fan film makers, including Harry Knowles, Ernie Fosselius, and "Fighting John" Hudgens!

Marvel at the lengths people go to! Behold the love and energy put into every frame! Scratch your head at the inexplicable Walter Koenig/George Takei Busby Berkeley number!* If you see just one documentary about fan films see BACKYARD BLOCKBUSTERS!

*Busby Berkeley number not included.

This fun documentary delivers!

[LittlePitcher · 9/10 · 4 September 2014]

I had never even heard of fanfilms until I heard about Backyard Blockbusters. I couldn't help but picture myself with a super hero cape after watching the trailer.

So what are these "fanfilms" that Backyard Blockbusters is bringing to light? They're homemade movies made by fans, trying to recreate the worlds of their favorite super or action heroes. Everything from Star Wars to Indiana Jones has been recreated either with humor, a new story idea, or a different insight into a character.

And how do they get away with this, without having those huge money making corporations that own the properties come after them for copyright infringement? That's the beautiful part of this documentary - it shows us how the people behind these fun flicks not only caught the attention of the motion picture companies, but learned how to work with them.

We not only get the behind the scenes of how the fanfilms are created, but we get to see clips of many extremely entertaining films. Fanfilms have apparently been around for quite some time, with some dating as far back as the 1920s! Early on, these films could only be see if they were shared among friends, or shown at festivals or conventions. When the internet came along, during the days of dial-up, some fans waited hours to download a film. In today's internet world, sites like YouTube have helped resurrect many long lost productions.

So did Backyard Blockbusters deliver? Absolutely! I truly feel like a super hero now, saving the day with a cool doc.