It would be easy enough to make fun of sci-fi fans in general and Star Wars fans in particular, I suppose, especially grown men that obsessively collect toys (and keep them in their packages). But the slight, 73-minute documentary Jedi Junkies, directed by Mark Edlitz, treats these fans with a measure of respect.One major collector explains the obsessiveness of it; if a Luke Skywalker action figure is released, he buys it. Then, if the same figure is released six months later with the hand in a slightly different position, he buys it, too. He has a bedroom filled with stuff, and he and his wife sleep on a mattress on the floor in another room. Along with his enthusiasm, he seems ashamed and disgusted.
That's the best moment in this film, which has made its appearance on DVD thanks to Docurama, and it's too bad that Edlitz couldn't find more of them. He gets comments on collecting from a pop psychologist, but other collectors seem perfectly proud of their hobbies. The movie also visits other subcultures, including a lightsabre dueling club based in New York. Working with durable, light-up swords, these folks basically practice fight choreography and put on shows at conventions. We also meet a guy who makes lightsabres for a living.
And, of course, the movie has a section on the ever-popular "Slave Leia" costume, which allows hot women to parade around sci-fi conventions half-naked in front of nerdy guys. I must confess, that to someone who hit puberty around the time of Return of the Jedi, there's something definitely alluring about this costume. In the movie, we meet a Slave Leia belly dancer, as well as a woman who makes and markets her own line of costumes.
Some celebrities turn up from time to time, including the super hottie Olivia Munn, who has now endeared herself to millions of sci-fi nerds, and given them hope. (She describes Star Wars fans as "sexy" and explains how her family watches the movies together every year.) Eduardo Sánchez, the co-director of The Blair Witch Project, shares his collection of Star Wars memorabilia. Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) appears at a convention, and Ray Park (Darth Maul) demonstrates some fighting moves. But the movie is definitely more interested in the fans, including young filmmakers. One guy made a life-size model of the Millennium Falcon for a fan film, and we also meet the creators of the popular -- and funny -- Chad Vader web series.
And on it goes. There have been other films about Star Wars fans -- Starwoids is one -- and there will be others. This one doesn't really get to the source of anything, but it's big-hearted and sends a huge cinematic hug to these silly, wonderful people.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder