Chicago Critics Film Fest 2023 Review: A Disturbance in the Force

✰✰✰½​ (out of five)

Synopsis: The behind-the-scenes story of the making of the infamous "The Star Wars Holiday Special," featuring interviews with Seth Green, Weird Al Yankovic, Paul Scheer, Donny Osmond, Gilbert Gottfried, Bonnie Burton, Bruce Vilanch and Steve Binder.

Review: Consider me bias with my "Star Wars" love (others call it obsession), but I was let down with something I was so looking forward to. "A Disturbance in the Force" showcases something so dreadfully terrible that George Lucas only acknowledges it so he could find every copy and destroy it. But bless comic convention bootleg DVDs and internet file-sharing for it to thrive into "so bad, it's good" territory: it's a "Star Wars" fan's destiny to watch and endure it. That said, the talking heads of famous fans--"Weird Al" Yankovic, Seth Green--are a mixed bag of the interesting to the broken record of facts. What intrigues is the behind the scenes footage that somehow still exists. But even then, you'll have a bad feeling about the whole picture.

Note: This film reviewed after CCFF 2023 wrapped, when available for rent/purchase.