Hardware Wars DVD Review
by Joshua Griffin

When George Lucas created the world of Star Wars over twenty-five years ago, he also inspired an alternative world inhabited by the "Original" Flying Toasters, Deadly Waffle Irons, and Hot Cinnamon Buns. A world called Hardware Wars.

We heard rumors about the 'original fan film' coming to DVD back as early as May 2000. The wait for one of the very first fan films ever made to arrive on DVD is finally over. This work has been seen by George Lucas himself and though produced in the late 70's it parodies the timeless smash hit film Star Wars and remains a cult classic today. Fans of the old school parody will be thrilled it has arrived on DVD, and a new generation of laughter can begin as well.

"Hardware Wars is my favorite Star Wars parody," Lucas stated on The Big Breakfast Show in August 1999. And at a mere $14.95 it can be added to your collection permanently including some great extras and a hilarious look back on the golden age of Star Wars. Those times where people were just getting into the Star Wars craze, who wrote jokes that they had no idea would still be funny in 25 years. The fact that the short film has received such high praise from the NY Times, Rolling Stone and Star Wars Insider should alone perk your interest in the DVD hitting stores next week.

In this short film, we follow the antics of Fluke Starbucker, Augie Ben Doggie, Princess Anne-Droid, Ham Salad, and the evil Darth Nader in what is more or less a lengthy commerical for a full-length film, Hardware Wars, that never really had any intention of being released. The film shoes its age as expected, but for many it is considered a timeless classic and will absolutely be a must-own.

What do you get on the DVD? In TFN's preview copy, we were able to take a lengthy look at the film itself, presented in 5.1 Pro-Logic though we could never tell if it was actually used. It is Mono Compatible for those that want DVD for preservation and use your old Sylvania Superset for presentation. The Director's Commentary is truly like none you've ever heard before, a clever montage of the haughy attitude of the director himself and the resentment of the crew. We hear his thoughts, and the opening with all of his 'movie lingo' makes me roll in laughter.

On a slightly more serious note, the Producer's comments take a look at the film from the 70's from today's perspective, and the rare glimpse of the pirated Foreign Version from 1979 is good for a short laugh.

Included on the DVD is a really classic interview with Fosselius on the hit TV show Creature Features, which is so full of jokes you'll have to watch it several times to catch them all. The jokes about merchandising are still so funny to this day, how the movie is secondary to 'these great toys.' Still makes me laugh and one of the highlights of the disc. In the DVD exclusive, you can see an original Director's Cut of Hardware Wars, though the Antique Sideshow prequel to the film I didn't feel wasn't all that clever. It was designed to be a sort of prequel to explain and reveal the recent re-discovery of Hardware Wars and while a couple of the jokes are great, it does fall short.

All in all, this one hour disc just isn't long enough, but the grandaddy of the fan film saga is a perfect addition to the small collection of Star Wars DVD's you are assembling. I would have loved to see more of the behind the scenes details, a collection of rare stills from the shooting and even a media roundup of the world-wide attention this project has received. So though there's still room for that Classic Trilogy DVD set in 2005, fill some of the space on your shelf until then with the fantastic parody Hardware Wars. If you knew the film when it first came out, you've simply got to own it now. If you've heard the lore and are interested, you should check it out for sure. While the production values of today's even fan films are far superior, without classics like these where would we be today?

TFN's Rating: 90/100

The title is available for pre-order here.
Hardware Wars DVD can be won in a contest TFN is currently sponsoring, details here.