Product Details

• Actors: Kenny Baker, Jeremy Bulloch, Michael Carter, Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Music. Video Prod.
• VHS Release Date: March 21, 2000
• Run Time: 63 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305819637
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,772 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Unauthorized Star Wars Story is everything you'd expect an unauthorized video to be: fun and full of gossip. In 1977, Star Wars took the world by surprise and this documentary traces its history (Lucas had trouble obtaining funding for "the big sci-fi-space-adventure-Flash-Gordon thing," as it was called), interviews the actors, and looks at the cultish fandom that sprang up around the movie (Japanese fans traveled to the U.S. on Star Wars tours merely to see the film before it opened in their own country). The dish is plentiful and entertaining: Carrie Fisher hated Princess Leia's hair, pranksters would paste pictures of naked women in R2D2's costume, the actors thought the film was "rubbish" as they were making it. The many interview clips include discussions with Charles Lippincott, former vice president of Lucasfilm; Anthony Daniels, who played C3PO; Harrison Ford; Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca; Kenny Baker, better known as R2D2; Carrie Fisher; Mark Hamill; Rick McCallum, producer of The Phantom Menace; and George Lucas. Occasionally the documentary gives a bit too much information (do we really need to see George Lucas's hometown and listen to his neighbors?), but no matter--it doesn't detract from the overall voyeuristic nature of the video. The later films are touched on (Samuel L. Jackson is interviewed), but the concentration is on the original, Episode IV: A New Hope. Whether you're a casual fan or one of the devoted who wait all night in line for tickets to the next installment, The Unauthorized Star Wars Story is an interesting, fun, behind-the-scenes look at one the best-loved films of all time. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars unauthorised star wars story, December 13, 1999

By 

"adriank1" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unauthorized Star Wars Story (VHS Tape)

Unfortunately I bought a copy of this tape last November hoping for that for an un-authorised version something new and different,I am a SW fan but found the interview's repititious and overall, not of much interest as a hole,I also have the original 1977 The Making of Star Wars,far more entertaining though I understand most-likely un-obtainable now,in my opnion rent the Unauthorised version first before buying and decide for yourself. Just because your'e a fan does'nt mean you have to like everything put out there connected to the Star Wars franchise, it is boring and a disappointment,buyer's beware in future I will view/rent first before purchasing!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Old, recycled materials that have no interest, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Unauthorized Star Wars Story (VHS Tape)

Episode 4, first episode, enough already. This is the same stuff they shift between Entertainment Tonight and E!. It's all propoganda, nothing more. If this was for a religion it would just reinforce itself until it became truth and fact. But it's not, so it's just hollow and pointless. May the force be with you: it wasn't with it.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insider info, November 2, 1999

By 

Fettastic "Full screen is a drool cup for the... (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unauthorized Star Wars Story (VHS Tape)

The only thing that bothers me is that they have Ewan McGregor, Sir Alec Guiness, and Liam Neeson's pictures on the back, and they are nowhere on this video. However, there are interviews with people whom you don't usually hear from like Jeremy Bulloch, Bib Fortuna, Kenny Baker and Peter Mayhew. While watching the show I realised that the background was blurred to hide the Star Wars posters behind them. All in all, I thought it was very insightful, and not neccessarily flattering of George Lucas at times. It's nice to see the other side of the coin, but George is still a genious.