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'.

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.

STAR WOIDSEPISODE I THE FANDOM MENACEI 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..."

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.