SP FX: Special Effects - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Director: Robert Guenette
Starring: Mark Hamill, Bob Anderson, Jon Berg

Synopsis:
A look at the special effects of The Empire Strikes Back.

Impressions:
While this documentary is primarily about The Empire Strikes Back, at times ESB feels more like a frame story for a more general overview of special effects. I can understand a little historical reference and maybe a glimpse at promising amateurs, but these things seem to get as much focus as the feature itself. The narration has that "quality" Richard Schickel writing we see in From Star Wars to Jedi and if you've got Episode V hard-wired into your brain, clips from the movie where they use different tracks from the score will drive you up the walls. However, if I had seen this as a kid, this would've been major inspiration to go into SFX. There's some good information to be had, but it's more of a historical curiosity that makes it worth seeing.

Rating:
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