Director: Jon Spira
Writer: Jon Spira
Stars: Paul Blake, Jeremy Bulloch, John Chapman, Anthony Forrest, Laurie Goode, Garrick Hagon, Derek Lyons, Angus MacInnes and David Prowse

“Hunting down this documentary was no easy task, but after relishing ‘I am Your Father,’ the David Prowse documentary last year, I was eagerly anticipating ‘Elstree 1976.’ The intriguing trailer and the striking movie poster had piqued my interest. Regrettably, ‘Elstree 1976’ fell short, delivering a rather dull and unremarkable documentary experience, as it focuses on lesser-known actors and extras reminiscing about their time on the set of the iconic ‘Star Wars’ (1977) and how it impacted their lives.

While some anecdotes from actors like Jeremy Bulloch, Garrick Hagon, and David Prowse were engaging, the spotlight on the extras occasionally missed the mark. The reminiscences of others, such as playing squash with Keira Knightley’s father or taking excessive Valium for a backache, failed to captivate. I appreciate documentaries that uncover extraordinary stories within ordinary people, and I had hoped for that here. However, ‘Elstree 1976’ fixated on mundane details. For instance, the Stormtrooper who infamously hit his head on the bay doors during filming lamented the helmet’s poor visibility and the alleged disputes among others claiming to be that particular Stormtrooper – a trivial pursuit indeed.

Jeremy Bulloch’s presence, while a welcome sight, left me puzzled. It seemed odd to see him in a documentary titled ‘Elstree 1976’ when his significant role as Boba Fett in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ didn’t materialize until a few years later. Perhaps the filmmaker sought to include another ‘big’ name alongside David Prowse, whose interaction with Stanley Kubrick in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ offered a touch of amusement.

However, the segment that truly weighed down the documentary was the dreaded question, ‘What are you doing now?’ Watching these individuals struggle to provide compelling answers was often painful. It felt as if many of them either couldn’t acknowledge that 1976 marked the pinnacle of their showbiz careers or were chasing unreachable dreams. Not to belittle these extras, but the documentary lacked a sense of perspective. Frankly, after hearing their ‘Star Wars’ tales, my interest waned, particularly when one extra bemoaned bit parts in ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Superman’ films that never led to more significant roles, or when a female extra, allegedly part of the Cantina scene, dated Christopher Reeve during the filming of ‘Superman.’ It all felt somewhat desperate.

In summary, ‘Elstree 1976’ failed to live up to my expectations, and I partly shoulder the blame for that. I had anticipated more stock footage from that period and insights into better-known actors. Instead, the interviews became self-indulgent and, bluntly put, rather disheartening. I’ve savored exceptional ‘Star Wars’ documentaries in the past, like ‘The People vs. George Lucas’ (2010), ‘Empire of Dreams: The Story of the ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy’ (2004), and ‘I am Your Father’ (2015). Unfortunately, ‘Elstree 1976’ falls short of such standards, and regrettably, I cannot recommend it.”

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