jdollak
I should love the subject matter. I love Star Wars, I'm a bit of a nerdy fanboy, I collect the action figures, and I attend midnight showings of any of the movies. But I haven't waited in line. I think if I were younger, and didn't need to work, I'd wait for the fun of it. The truth is that this movie isn't that great. I love certain sections of it. The musical, the figure collectors, and Katie with her X-Wing are all great. The problem is that I find the main players in the movie are not ideal subjects to focus on. The flaws that these people have is in their sense of grandeur, that somehow they are the kings of the fans. The editing is a little annoying too, though I would be pressed to cite an example. I wanted to love this movie, but it's just got too many weaknesses. Good for fans, but otherwise... I wouldn't buy it.
gkleinman
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.
DanVanLoon1
Starwoids ranks as one of the best and unquestionably the funniest Star Wars documentary ever made. I have seen the film numerous times since its inception. From high school kids putting on a Star Wars musical to jawas who have trouble with their eyes popping out, there are plenty of laughs (and you don't have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate them, you just have to have a sense of humor). At the same time, a drama plays out between rival fans who lined up to see Episode I over a month before it came out! Set some time aside for yourself and watch it.
vanloons
I was fortunate enough to see this movie at the East Lansing Film Festival. I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes Star Wars or likes the movie Trekkies.There is an interview with a Jawa where the guy's eye keeps falling out that is hilarious. There's also a funny scene with a toy collector that one of my friends, Courtney, laughed so hard she started crying.Also a great interview with some guys that put on Star Wars the musical.If it's playing at a film festival near you, go see it.
AD
