It’s hard to think of many franchises that have been more lampooned than “Star Wars.” But every parody of George Lucas’ beloved franchise owes a debt to the first spoof, “Hardware Wars.” The MVD Rewind Collection will now be honoring this momentous 1978 short with a shiny new Blu-ray release!
“Hardware Wars,” centers around farmboy Fluke Starbucker ( Scott Matthews), who works to master “the Farce” with the aid of the wise Augie “Ben” Doggie (Jeff Hale). When Starbucker sets out to destroy the evil Darph Nader he is joined by the cinnamon bun sporting Princess Anne-Droid (Cindy Furgatch), space mercenary Ham Salad (Bob Knickerbocker), his partner Chewchilla the Wookiee Monster (a puppet), the robotic 4-Q-2 (Frank Robertson), and Artie Deco (a vacuum cleaner).
The 13-minute films was created by director/writer Ernie Fosselius and features deliberately hoakey special effects. For example “Hardware Wars” creates spaceships out of household appliances like toasters and irons. While it was made for $8,000 it grossed over $3 million, which is one hell of a return on investment. Part of the film’s success is it was often shown before screenings of “Star Wars.”
Lucas himself has even called “Hardware Wars” his favorite “Star Wars” parody. Lucasfilm sound designer Ben Burtt was also so impressed that he hired Fosselius to provide several sound effects and voices for Lucasfilm productions. Including the pilots in the opening scenes of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” the sobs of the Rancor keeper in “Return of the Jedi,” and the insectoid Geonosian leader Poggle the Lesser in “Attack of the Clones.” Filmmaker Rian Johnson even paid homage to it in “The Last Jedi” with a shot of a descending steam iron.
This all-new 2K transfer is shot from the original negative. Meaning fans can now see every detail of the hand-crafted cardboard set and the wires keeping the spaceships afloat. The release also comes loaded with special features like a director’s cut, commentary, and interviews with Fosselius, the original trailer narrated by the legendary Paul Frees, and several featurettes. The release will also include two more Fosselius parody shorts; “Porklips Now,” a parody of “Apocalypse Now,” and “Plan 9.1 From Outer Space,” an all-puppet version of Ed Wood‘s “Plan 9 From Outer Space.”
The “Hardware Wars” Collectors’ Edition Blu-ray will hit shelves on February 20, 2024, you can preorder it here. You can also check out the trailer below:
