Plastic Galaxy: The Feature Documentary on the History of 'Star Wars' ... Toys!
There is no shortage of documentation regarding the conception, creation, artistry, and cultural impact of the Star Wars movies -- and that's a good thing indeed. A franchise as impactful and beloved (and controversial) as this one deserves its fair share of books, debates, featurettes, and documentary films -- and I'm sure there are more to come.
But what of the more tangential aspects of the Star Wars universe? I bet someone could make a fine documentary about the brief but powerful cultural crater delivered by the Star Wars TOYS! Don't believe me? Think I'm nuts? Fine, but coming from a guy who used to own at least 50 UNIQUE action figures from the years between 1978 and 1984 ... I cannot wait to see Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys. Here's a quick teaser:
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You can read a little more about this obviously fan-friendly project over at Geek Trooper (plus they get a twitter plug for being helpful), and you could also give the filmmakers a hand by checking out their Kickstarter page. (Check out their t-shirt designs!) Right now it looks like the film will be available in August of this year. And a round of geeky kudos to director Brian Stillman for thinking of this doco idea before I did. Seriously, I used to worship at the altar of Kenner!
Plastic Galaxy: it begins a long time ago...
When Star Wars landed in the theaters, it introduced audiences to a galaxy filled with heroes and villains, robots and space ships, and a dizzying variety of alien life. But when the lights came up, they all disappeared...
Unless you had all the toys. In which case, the adventure never had to end.
In backyards, playgrounds, basements, and bedrooms, Star Wars toys helped kids re-enact scenes from their favorite movies, and create entirely new dangers for Luke Skywalker and his friends to face. They were lusted after on holidays and birthdays, swapped with great cunning out on the school yard, and carefully collected like fine treasures. Like no toys before them, the action figures, space ships, play sets, and props were a phenomenon that swept the nation with as much force as the film that inspired them. Along the way they transformed both the toy and movie industries, earned those behind them vast amounts of wealth, and ultimately created a hobby that, 30 years later, still holds sway over not only the people who grew up with the toys, but also an entirely new generation of fans.
Plastic Galaxy is a documentary that explores the groundbreaking and breathtaking world of Star Wars toys. Through interviews with former Kenner employees, experts, authors, and collectors, it looks at the toys’ history, their influence, and the fond and fervent feelings they elicit today.
The film, which will be released on DVD, also includes tours of some of the top collections -- comprising prototypes, bootlegs, foreign toys, and all manner of surprises. DVD extras, including micro-documentaries and extended interviews, make Plastic Galaxy a prize for not only newer fans, but also long-time collectors.
Plastic Galaxy will be released on DVD in August, 2012 at Celebration VI. To continue to receive updates and news, please subscribe to our mailing list, follow us on Twitter, and friend us on Facebook. For more information, feel free to write us at info(at)plasticgalaxymovie.com, or use the feedback form.