Star Warriors (documentary)

Star Warriors is a 2007 documentary produced by Kevin Burns and Prometheus Entertainment for Lucasfilm Ltd. about the fan organization the 501st Legion and their selection, training, and participation in the Lucasfilm entry for the 2007 Rose Parade. It is bundled with the 2011 Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray set, on the ninth disc along with several other documentaries and bonus material. It has a runtime of 84 minutes. This version is updated and slightly longer than the preview version shown at Star Wars Celebration Japan.Star Wars: The Complete Saga
==Description from Star Wars: The Complete Saga==
Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures…these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.
==Description from Star Warriors documentary==
They strike fear into the hearts of sentient beings throughout the galaxy.
Nicknamed "Vader's Fist," the 4,000 elite stormtroopers of the 501st Legion are known for conquering their enemies, terrorizing civilians – and... opening shopping malls? 
Well, yes, actually.
In fact, the members of the 501st are the ultimate "weekend warriors" – with an intergalactic twist. Comprised of super-fans who don replica stormtrooper regalia, painstakingly built to exacting standards, they attract attention wherever they go.
In fact, that's the point much of the time.
With chartered squads and garrisons around the globe (unified via their extensive website, www.501st.com), these volunteers with professional-grade costumes attend sci-fi conventions, charity fundraisers and other special events in numbers ranging from 3 to 300.
And while they certainly have a sense of humor about being grown-ups who dress up as Star Wars "bad guys," they also have a serious mission: to contribute to their local communities through charity and volunteer work.
Since their formation in 1997, they have accepted no appearance fees, but – in the words of their charter – "[they] enthusiastically welcome donations made to [a] favorite charity in the name of the 501st Legion." 
Now they have another serious mission: 200 of these ultimate fans will earn an honor never before bestowed upon the 501st.
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars – and the 10th Anniversary of the 501st Legion – a panel of experts at Lucasfilm Ltd. will review audition tapes and applications from among the thousands of dedicated members around the world. They'll select the best of the best to form an elite honorary battalion to march in the 118th Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2007.
Star Warriors, a dynamic documentary special, will chronicle this suspense-filled "Road to Pasadena." It will profile die-hard members of the Legion: some from the United States, others from around the world. All these members share the dream of being selected to march in the famed Rose Parade – and they'll take extraordinary measures to make that dream come true.
Yasuyuki Sato, Takefumi Tenshima, Shuji Hayashi, and Makiko Sato, who comprise four of the most active members of the Japanese Garrison. Yasuyuki has an international reputation among 501st members for being the first to use professional-grade tools and special effects to create ultra-realistic lightsaber and blaster "scars" on his costume. Makiko, on the other hand, is one of the few females in a very male garrison – in a society that expects women to be a bit deferential to men. There could be hard feelings if she gets selected and Shuji or Takefumi don't.
Legion Founder Albin Johnson, from Columbia, SC who has a very understanding wife and two daughters who will help him prepare for the journey to Pasadena in the weeks and days leading up to the parade. But is it possible that the actual founder of the 501st will be at the parade – as a spectator?
Rodney Hall, a San Diego college student, prides himself on building his own costumes from scratch. But homemade may not be up to scratch as the benchmark is raised to meet the keen eyes of the television cameras.
Stefan Cembolista and his Belgian Garrison work hard on their props and costumes, and party hard at any opportunity. Will his garrison be represented – or will they be out done by their Belgian rivals, the FanWars Garrison?
501st veterans such as Legion Commanding Officer Mark Fordham from Provost, UT and Legion Webmaster Dean Plantamura are very confident that they'll be marching. After all, they're international leaders of the 501st and experts at this... Aren't they?
Did the hundreds of hours of work pay off? Are the selected Legion members thrilled beyond belief, suddenly facing the challenge of travel plans for family, friends – and a stormtrooper suit?
And while being selected by the Lucasfilm Ltd. panel of judges is the ultimate 501st honor – but it's just the first big hurdle. Now the real work begins.
Legion veterans and newbies alike have never had the kind of audience and attention they'll be getting on January 1st. The Tournament of Roses parade is broadcast to tens of millions of viewers, in more than 150 countries around the world. Once in Pasadena, the 200 chosen ones will have to come together as a unit very quickly. Many will never have met, let alone marched together. Will they be able to make the cut – and complete the exhausting 5.5-mile march?
May the Force be with them…
==Sources==
*Star Wars: The Complete Saga
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Home video featurettes