#steve kozak

[moviesiverecentlywatched]

860: A Disturbance in the Force [2023]

Sometimes the magic happens, and sometimes it's the Star Wars Holiday Special.

2023’s 12 Days of Christmas… Movies: 12/12

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward to in December

I can't believe it is now the END of 2023 and it's the last month of the year. In addition to Pearl Harbor Day (Dec. 7), Hanukkah (Dec. 7-15), Winter beginning (Dec. 21), Christmas Day (Dec. 25), Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1) and New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) here is what's on my radar:

Movies:

Silent Night

John Woo is one of my personal filmmaking heroes. I even made a tribute to him with my short film To Be John Woo. He has not made a film in the U.S. in twenty years and now he's back with an action-packed revenge film. Opens 12/1 (review to come).

A Disturbance in the Force

The 1978 TV special Star Wars Holiday Special has become legendary…mainly because it was so critically reviled and George Lucas has tried to prevent it from ever being re-broadcast or released. I got my bootleg DVD and I’ve written about it quite a bit here. Now there is a documentary about the SWHS. It’s directed by Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak. Coon co-directed Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, which I named my #14 Documentary of the 2010s! Blu-ray and streaming release on 12/5.

Wonka 

I have a very special place in my heart for Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In third grade we did a production of it and I made my acting debut as an Oompa Loompa. Tim Burton's 2005 remake got a bad rap, but I kind of liked it and dug how they tried to get into his background. Now there is a new prequel about Willy Wonka's early days and the lead up to his becoming a chocolate king. I would call myself cautiously optimistic about this. Opens 12/15.

Ferrari 

I can't say I love every movie Michael Mann has made, but when he's good he's really good and whenever he has a new film I always check it out. This biopic of Enzo Ferrari looks good! Opens 12/25.

The Boys in the Boat

George Clooney has directed some of his best work when it's based on real life, i.e. Good Night and Good Luck and The Monuments Men. This one is about the 1930s University of Washington rowing team. Opens 12/25.

Occupied City 

Steve McQueen's directed some great narrative films and now he has a new documentary about Amsterdam from World War II to now. It's also 4 hours and 6 minutes (not a typo). Opens 12/25.

Music:

Peter Gabriel I/O

Peter Gabriel hasn't released a new album of original material in 21 years (there's been covers and re-recordings since then), so this new album he's been teasing throughout the year is cause for celebration. Album drops 12/1.

TV:

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too?

As the singer and bassist for Rush, Geddy Lee has amassed quite a cult following. Now he is doing his version of a travel show, where he meets with other notable bassists to do some of their favorite activities, see their home and area, talk shop and yes, compare bass playing tips. Series premieres on 12/5 on Paramount+.

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

The 1980 murder of John Lennon is one of the great tragedies in that he was such a tremendous talent taken from us at age 40 by a deranged "fan". This 3-part docuseries deep dives into that killing and the aftermath. Series premieres on Apple TV+ on 12/6.

End of the Year Lists:

As anyone who knows me knows, I wait until after the year ends to begin unveiling my best-of-the-year lists (you never know, something great might be released on 12/31!), so expect my lists to be rolled out beginning in January. In the meantime, I’ll be reading all of the Best of 2023 lists that begin dropping this month!

[cinefilesreviews]

Fantasia Festival 2023 Movie Reviews -- With Love and a Major Organ, A Disturbance in the Force

With Love and a Major Organ and A Disturbance in the Force are screening as part of the Fantasia International Film Festival, which runs from July 20 to August 9. With Love and A Major Organ Annabelle (Anna Maguire) is an aspiring painter working at a customer service call center who avoids Continue reading Untitled

[otakunoculture]

After #Maythe4th, There's a Dead Reckoning on Why There's A Disturbance in the Force

#RevengeoftheFifth seems approropriate for our posting about #StarWars and when A Disturbance in the Force will Play @CriticsFf (although is Return of the 6th better?). This #documentary is very telling and we got a review at:

Playing May 6, 2023 at the Chicago Critics Film Festival (tickets) Any fan of the original Star Wars trilogy will sense A Disturbance in the Force at the mere mention of that Holiday Special. Had the timing been better, I’m sure not everyone would want to watch it on May the 4th had it been offered. Most people tend to lament over where it fits in the canon and as for who are the advocates, this…

[graphicpolicy]

A Disturbance in the Force premieres at SXSW this March

A Disturbance in the Force premieres at SXSW this March #sxsw #starwars

In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. Movies would never be the same again. A year later, neither would television. In 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” during the week of Thanksgiving and was watched by 13 million people. It never…

[catofadifferentcolor]

The Old Guard (2020)

A fine justification. I’ve heard it so many times before.

I stumbled quite by accident on The Old Guard two weeks ago, as part of a crossover with another fandom. At that point I'd only heard of the comic as the inspiration for a movie that came out on Netflix shortly after I got rid of my account, but I was intrigued enough that I went looking for more.

Contrary to my usual order of things, I ended up reading a lot of the fanfic first - and then went looking for the movie. Unfortunately, it was only on available on Netflix - and such was my intrigue that after three days of wrestling with myself I reopened my account just to watch the movie.

And I was hooked.

Having just finished watching it for the third fourth time in a week, I have several strong feeling about the 2020 movie... many of which are similar to my feelings for Opening Fire, which it closely follows - and which I read for the first time the other morning.

First: Charlize Theron looks amazing with dark hair, and puts up a masterful performance as Andy. It took me a couple of rewatches to get the full depth of her character, but she is fascinating and I can't wait to see more of her in the next movie.

Second: Though closely following the first installation of the comics, the changes it makes from the source are ones that only improve the narrative. Giving us glimpses of Joe and Nicky's torture while they're being held by Merrick not only ups the stakes, but lifts the pair from a gay interracial couple we know little about to a gay interracial couple which we empathize with and who provide more than background color to the narrative. Having Nile meet Joe and Nicky before they're taken - and chose to come back to help them after leaving - also adds something that is missing from the comic. And the cold, immoral Meta Kozak and sleazy, bottom-line driven Steve Merrick are only improved as antagonists by the additional screen time. As are most of the characters. Booker's motivations admittedly feel clearer in the movie than the comics, though his speech is mostly the same. The slight changes of venue - Barcelona to Marrakech, a Paris safe house to an abandoned church - give events a more global, more historic feel and a more interesting backdrop - though I am curious to the chain of events that moved the climax from Dubai to London.

Third: I have very strong feelings about the first half of the movie and am vaguely indifferent to the second. It's not that I dislike the rescue and climax, but more that I want to know everything about the Old Guard themselves before the betrayal and addition of Nile to their number. And watching you can very much tell Booker is the baby of the group, stuck doing the things the others can't or won't - Andy gets a hugs in Marrakesh, Booker does not; Booker closes doors and opens gates and buries ruined gear - very much the youngest sibling despite his apparent age - and is a part of the group, but easily able to convince himself he's not. I could easily read a half a million words about the Guard and their dynamics, Merrick or no Merrick.

That being said, I feel the scene with the woman in the pharmacy patching up Andy's wounds is the heart of the movie. It hits the perfect tone for everything that the Guard has done - everything they stand for - in a way that doesn't feel preachy or overdone. Though my favorite scene by far is when they open the armored van to find Joe and Nicky sitting lazily amongst the carnage. The casual way Nicky flexes his fingers and asked to be released... well, it is a thing of beauty.

Also, I love that Nicky's hoodie in Sudan gives off a vague Crusader-like silhouette, especially when paired with his body armor. Subtle, but a lovely callback. Less lovely was my realization halfway through watch three that the actor who plays Booker looks exactly like one my coworkers, just with better hair and a French accent. I will never be able to unsee that now.

Otherwise... I'm eager to see what they do with the sequel, and hope they expound upon the various origins of the characters and the actions they've undertaken throughout history. I came largely for the Joe and Nicky - and rewound multiple times to delight in the subtle interactions between the two, happy to have a healthy gay relationship on screen that's played as causally as most heterosexual background relationships - and would love to see more. (Though, to be fair, I rewound and lingered on most of the quiet team dynamic establishing scenes. As much as I harp about plot, I fall in love with characters.)

There's definite rewatch value here - a solid four out of five - but also sections I'd fast forward though on any future rewatch. Even so, it remains one of the better comic book movies I've seen.

[ulkaralakbarova]

The adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne and Garth. From Wayne’s basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called “Wayne’s World” on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive who wants to produce a big-budget version of “Wayne’s World”—and he also wants Wayne’s girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra. Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Wayne Campbell: Mike Myers Garth Algar: Dana Carvey Benjamin Kane: Rob Lowe Cassandra: Tia Carrere Stacy: Lara Flynn Boyle Dreamwoman: Donna Dixon Security Guard: Chris Farley Noah Vanderhoff: Brian Doyle-Murray Alan: Michael DeLuise Tiny: Meat Loaf Bad Cop / T-1000: Robert Patrick Alice Cooper: Alice Cooper Glen: Ed O’Neill Mrs. Vanderhoff: Colleen Camp Terry: Lee Tergesen Russell Finley: Kurt Fuller Davy: Mike Hagerty Ron Paxton: Charles Noland Elyse: Ione Skye Frankie Sharp: Frank DiLeo Waitress: Robin Ruzan Officer Koharski: Frederick Coffin Old Man Withers: Carmen Filpi Film Crew: Original Music Composer: J. Peter Robinson Screenplay: Mike Myers Executive Producer: Hawk Koch Director of Photography: Theo van de Sande Director: Penelope Spheeris Producer: Lorne Michaels Editor: Malcolm Campbell Stunts: Hannah Kozak Stunts: Alisa Christensen Associate Producer: Dinah Minot Associate Producer: Barnaby Thompson Screenplay: Bonnie Turner Screenplay: Terry Turner Casting: Glenn Daniels Production Design: Gregg Fonseca Second Unit Director: Allan Graf First Assistant Director: John Hockridge Second Assistant Director: Joseph J. Kontra Set Decoration: Jay Hart Camera Operator: Martin Schaer “B” Camera Operator: David Hennings First Assistant Camera: Henry Tirl First Assistant “B” Camera: Peter Mercurio Steadicam Operator: Elizabeth Ziegler Script Supervisor: Adell Aldrich Sound Mixer: Tom Nelson Boom Operator: Jerome R. Vitucci Additional Editor: Earl Ghaffari Assistant Editor: Ralph O. Sepulveda Jr. Assistant Editor: Ann Trulove Assistant Editor: Brion McIntosh Supervising Sound Editor: John Benson Sound Effects Editor: Beth Sterner Sound Effects Editor: Joseph A. Ippolito Sound Effects Editor: Frank Howard Dialogue Editor: Michael Magill Dialogue Editor: Simon Coke Dialogue Editor: Bob Newlan Supervising ADR Editor: Allen Hartz Foley Supervisor: Pamela Bentkowski Assistant Sound Editor: Carolina Beroza Assistant Sound Editor: Thomas W. Small Foley Artist: Ken Dufva Foley Artist: David Lee Fein Foley Mixer: Greg Curda ADR Mixer: Bob Baron ADR Voice Casting: Barbara Harris Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Andy Nelson Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Steve Pederson Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Perry Music Supervisor: Maureen Crowe Supervising Music Editor: Steve Mccroskey Set Designer: Lisette Thomas Set Designer: Gae S. Buckley Special Effects Makeup Artist: Thomas R. Burman Special Effects Makeup Artist: Bari Dreiband-Burman Makeup Artist: Courtney Carell Makeup Artist: Mel Berns Jr. Hairstylist: Kathrine Gordon Hairstylist: Barbara Lorenz Hairstylist: Carol Meikle Costume Supervisor: Pat Tonnema Costumer: Janet Sobel Costumer: Kimberly Guenther Durkin Location Manager: Ned R. Shapiro Assistant Location Manager: Serena Baker Second Second Assistant Director: John G. Scotti Property Master: Kirk Corwin Assistant Property Master: Peter A. Tullo Assistant Property Master: Jim Stubblefield Leadman: Robert Lucas Special Effects Coordinator: Tony Vandenecker Chief Lighting Technician: Jono Kouzouyan Production Office Coordinator: Lynne White Unit Publicist: Tony Angelotti Still Photographer: Suzanne Tenner Craft Service: Vartan Chakarian Transportation Coordinator: James Thornsberry Color Timer: David Bryden Negative Cutter: Theresa Repola Mohammed Title Designer: Dan Curry Second Unit Director of Photography: Robert M. Stevens Stunts: Tony Brubaker Stunt Double: Steve Kelso Movie Reviews: tmdb15435519: I wish I could dress the exact same every day and still be cool.

[kozakauto]

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[criticarter]

Films Watched in 2024 - (42/???)

A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened (2023) Jeremy Coon & Steve Kozak -- (4/5)

The special is a wild piece of media in terms of place in the canon (Lucas wanted it erased from existence, but it's now acknowledged in the parks and merchadise has been made) and I can't imagine a more thorough breakdown of something long forgotten by those who were there at the time and love it in spite of all its flaws. Some of it was even filmed at this legally-distinct-cantina, so how can you not love that?

[thewirely]

At the Dynatrace Perform 2024 event, observability emerged as the defining theme, emphasizing the importance of harnessing business data for effective business transformation. Steve Tack, Dynatrace’s SVP Product, and Colleen Kozak, CTO, shed light on how the company utilized its own platform to drive a transformative journey during the opening hours of the Las Vegas conference. Dynatrace's path to cloud modernization encountered a significant challenge: the need for high-quality, contextualized data that could be easily shared among teams. Addressing this challenge, Dynatrace's platform offers cloud and technology integration, providing businesses with comprehensive observability over their data within a single platform. As Steve Tack emphasized, "Transformation is going to depend on that data being in the right hands at the right time at the right place." This centralized data accessibility becomes the cornerstone of effective business transformation. One example of how Dynatrace leveraged its platform involved combatting disruptive incidents that could impact multiple cross-functional users and systems. By combining Grail, Dynatrace’s cloud analytics application, with the Davis AI, these disruptive events could be swiftly observed, tracked, and prevented, ensuring a smoother operation. Another challenge Dynatrace faced was streamlining the code-to-cache process, a complex operation involving 15 teams, five systems, and 10 integrations. This complexity was directly affecting the business, particularly in processing quotes and transactions promptly. Through the power of Davis AI and Grail, Dynatrace identified bottlenecks in the process, enabling automation and optimization in real time. Kozak also shared a success story where a European telecommunications company utilized Dynatrace's platform to optimize an upcoming product launch. The platform not only improved the customer experience but also enhanced logistics and internal business processes. Kozak proudly highlighted, "The team was able to deliver the most successful iPhone launch in history. It's pretty amazing." The results were outstanding, with increased overall traffic, reduced bounce rates, zero percent degradation, and ultimately, a surge in upgrades and sales. Dynatrace's commitment to observability and its platform's capabilities are poised to drive business transformations in various industries, offering real-time data insights for better decision-making and efficiency.

[travelinlibrarian]

Friday Reads: A Disturbance in the Force by Steve Kozak

Bea Arthur as the owner of the Mos Eisley Cantina. Long scenes entirely of Wookies bleating at each other, without subtitles. Harvey Korman, in drag, as a four-armed Space Julia Child. Six minutes of Jefferson Starship performing for Art Carney and a bored Imperial Guard. Mark Hamill, fresh from his near-fatal motorcycle accident, slathered in pancake makeup. A salacious holographic burlesque…

[greensparty]

BEST DOCUMENTARIES OF 2023

Documentary as a genre can encompass any medium: feature film, TV mini-series, or even podcasts. Here are my picks for the best Docs of the Year:

Honorable Mentions:          

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too?  Sam Dunn

A Compassionate Spy  Steve James

10. Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Rob Reiner

9. Personality Crisis: One Night Only  Martin Scorsese / David Tedeschi

8. Little Richard: I Am Everything  Lisa Cortes

7. Lynch/Oz  Alexandre O. Philippe

6. The Lost Weekend: A Love Story Eve Brandstein / Richard Kaufman / Stuart Samuels

5. A Disturbance in the Force Jeremy Coon / Steve Kozak

Who would have thought a deep dive into The Star Wars Holiday Special could be so fascinating?

4. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie Davis Guggenheim

Guggenheim has made a pop culture-soaked doc that is also delving deep into a man facing the realities of a debilitating disease. About time Michael J. Fox got the doc treatment!

3. Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman Morgan Neville

David Letterman visits Dublin and learns about Ireland from the locals while also talking with Bono and The Edge about U2’s history and it’s every bit as engaging as it sounds!

2. Chasing Chasing Amy  Sav Rodgers

This is really two docs: one about Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy from the perspective of 2023 and one about director Sav Rodgers’ own trajectory and the influence the film had on them!

1. 20 Days in Mariupol  Mstyslav Chernov

Filmed from the front lines in the besieged city of Mariupol after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, this doc is at times hard to watch, but it’s one of the most powerful docs ever made about the brutal impact of war.

[berkreviews]

Berkreviews  A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE: HOW THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL HAPPENED @ Fantasia

 Anyone claiming to be a Star Wars fan at least knows about the troubled holiday special. However, directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak’s new documentary, A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened, will make sure viewers know all they could want to know about how it was manifested into existence and then subsequently made nearly impossible to see ever again. Full of…

[the-celluloid-correspondent]

BEST OF SIFF: ROUND 4

Whale Nation: Directed by Jean-Albert Lievre

They’re Earth’s biggest creatures, yet still, we know very little about them. Jean-Albert Lievre’s astounding documentary, based on the revolutionary book by Heathcote Williams, explores the rich and complex societies of whales and what we must do to protect them.\

It's hard to reinvent the nature documentary, but Whale Nation takes an experimental twist to the classic nature documentary. With a killer soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, and poetry to vibe with, I was liking this new take on nature. However, in the 30 minutes of the documentary, it becomes pretentious by telling the audience, "fuck you and humanity."Don't get me wrong, that message is somewhat warranted, but it's done in such a tone-deaf manner that it turned me off from the film. I've seen numerous documentaries handle that theme better than this one. Other than that, this film is just Whale vibes.

My Rating: B

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A Disturbance in the Force: Directed by Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak

A long time ago, in a part of the galaxy that George Lucas would like us to forget...1978 The Star Wars Holiday Special.

Disney, will you please release the Star Wars Holiday Special? This documentary makes me want to watch this mess of a special. From the beginning, you tell this documentary was made by passionate Star Wars fans. Their enthusiasm shined in every word they said as they discussed how this disaster came to be. They masterfully break down every wrong step that led to this disaster in an entertaining manner. It's informative and hysterical. All Star Wars fans should watch this documentary as soon as it's released because it's an absolute blast.

My Rating: A-

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It's Only Life After All

An intimate look into the lives of one of the most iconic folk bands in America, the Indigo Girls.

If you have not heard of the Indigo Girls, their song Galileo is a fantastic introduction to the pair. It's Only Life After All is a fascinating documentary showcasing the personal lives of one of the most iconic folk bands in America. It's moving and masterfully showcases why the Indigo Girls are so impactful, even to this day. However, it is a standard music documentary that doesn't do anything new with this style and genre of filmmaking. Overall, if you love the Indigo Girls, you are going to love this.

My Rating: B

[suchananewsblog]

Documentary Investigates Worst ‘Star Wars’ “Episode” Ever, Starring Bea Arthur, Art Carney, Harvey Korman & A Grandpa Wookiee – SXSW Studio

A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE Section: Documentary Spotlight Director: Jeremy Coon, Steve Kozak Logline: In 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” during the week of Thanksgiving and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever air on TV. While some fans of the franchise are aware of this dark secret, this bizarre two hours…

[pancake4table]

SXSW: Disturbance in the Force: Story of the Star Wars Holiday Special with Directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak