It really does seem like just yesterday when we were slathering that fake blood all over Chad's legs, and making a springtime drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway look like blizzard in the Colorado mountains. And turning a cousin's living room into Skywalker Ranch. So much happened since then and yet, our cast and crew became a family that has endured. More than endured even. And for that, I'm thankful that this project got seen through to the end.
Yes, it has indeed been fifteen years since the release of Forcery: that Star Wars fanfilm parody of the Stephen King movie Misery. I'd wanted it to be ready before Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith but it didn't quite make it. Still, it was late May of 2005 when it was first unloaded onto the Internet and about a year or so later it was "serialized" (because of time restrictions at the time) onto YouTube. And then everyone could behold the tale of George Lucas (Chad Austin) being held captive by Star Wars-obsessed uberfan Frannie Filks (Melody Hallman Daniel).
I will be the first to admit: it looks a little dated now. We shot it with a couple of standard definition camcorders, and I did my best to color grade it to look more cinematic. The car going off the road in the blizzard well... no doubt someone could CGI that easily today. And there is one effect that I wish we could do over again because it would be ridiculously easy to fix and that's my faulte entirely. Sometimes I wonder if it could have been edited better but again, that's on me.
All the same, quirks and all, Forcery was a little film that could. And it made its way from the living room of a few friends' houses to the big screen and some bigtime media recognition. Clips of Forcery were heavily featured in the acclaimed documentary The People vs. George Lucas and I've been told that some of it was even shown on Japanese television (which would be one of two times that this blogger's work has been on TV in the land of the rising sun... but I digress). Knowing that's your lifelong best friend being projected onto the screen at Cannes: it was more than a little startling. Like, "we did THAT?!?"
But most of all, Forcery was a binding and bonding experience for those who came together to make it happen. It would take reams of virtual paper to chronicle all the good that came of it. And I'm too infamous already for writing long stuff, but here's one example that took place a few years ago. Know this though: that I am now and will forever be proud of the effort that so many made to turn this little film idea into a reality. THEY are the ones who Forcery is accredited to, far more than it ever could be to me.
Anyhoo, Happy 15th Birthday to Forcery! And if you want to see it right now now now, you're in luck! You can watch it in fairly large scale via the Forcery page on this blog and some nice chap uploaded it to YouTube. So strap yourself in and prepare for fifty-four minutes of a film that some said couldn't be done and others said should not have been done. They don't count though (but that's another story :-P )
And one last bit of fun: I turned what is arguably the most-quoted line of dialogue from Forcery into an animated GIF. Feel free to use it elsewhere :-)
4 comments:
Okay Chris, I watched it this afternoon and thought it was whacked genius! But you're too hard on yourself, it looks no worse than any other Star Was fanfilm of that era. And if you filmed at Mount Mitchell to make a blizzard then that shows dedication. Happy anniversary to a great production!!
Thanks :-) Heh, that's interesting. Atlanta was where the idea for Forcery first came to me! It was at Dragon Con in September 2011 (a little over a week before 9/11). I was making a presentation as one of the staff of TheForce.net and this one female fan kept interrupting me like CRAZY. I was inwardly thinking "she's as obsessed as Annie in Misery". And well... *click*
I began writing the script the night before 9/11. The first draft it was called "Sithery" but that got dropped soon after.
Wow. So long ago and yet it seriously does seem like only yesterday...
This was how I found your blog. Forcery is very very VERY well done for a Star Wars fanfilm. My favorite part is the why Greedo shoots first LOL keep up the great work!
Hey Chris!
I watched Forcery. I don't remember exactly when it was during our acquaintance, but I know I never told you what I thought of it. In case you're wondering: I liked it! I actually burned it to a DVD and have it in my movie collection.
I could nitpick and over-analyse and criticize. Obviously it wasn't perfect. But, then again, neither was Episode IV: A New Hope. And Episode IV only got worse every time George messed with it, while Forcery has not been messed with at all :-).
No idea if you ever saw my web site demanding Justice for Greedo, but here it is if you're interested: https://www.justice-for-greedo.org/
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