Overview: During the spring of 1977, sci-fi obsessed teenager Pat Johnson (John Francis Daley, Game Night, Freaks and Geeks) finds himself torn between making 8mm sequels to his favorite movies and pursuing the girl of his dreams, Linda (Emmi Chen, Normal).

Desperate to help her son escape his likely future in Wadsworth, Illinois, (population 750), his mother Janet (Colleen Camp, Wayne’s World) cold-calls the editor of American Cinematographer magazine and Pat soon finds himself on the ultimate trip to Hollywood; becoming the very first outsider to see the film that would change him (and movies) forever ... Star Wars!

But when Pat returns to his hometown existence, he struggles to choose between chasing a seemingly impossible dream and accepting the comforting familiarity of home.

Produced by Gary Kurtz (Star Wars: A New Hope, American Graffiti), Fred Roos (The Godfather Part II, St. Vincent) and Leigh Jones (Here Alone) and written and directed by Patrick Read Johnson (Dragonheart, Angus), this heartfelt true story features an incredible supporting cast that includes Austin Pendleton (My Cousin Vinny) and Neil Flynn (Mean Girls) along with an original score by David E. Russo (Gotham, Sin City) with additional themes and songs by legendary rock musician Alan Parsons (The Alan Parsons Project).

Blu-ray Verdict: For those unaware, 5-25-77 is movie 25 years in the making about Star Wars’ first fan! You see, a preview cut of this film was shown at Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles and yes, appropriately enough, it was shown on 5-25-2007, the 30th anniversary of the premiere of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).

After ten more years of additional work on the film, the nearly final cut, of the work-in-progress, was test-screened, in 32 theaters, on 5-25-17, the 40th anniversary of the original release of Star Wars. The finished film is now here, and on crystalline Blu-ray from those trusted hands of MVD Visual.

As a avid fan of Star Wars myself, my interest was piqued when I first saw the trailer so many years ago. I followed the news of its release closely, patiently waiting for my time to view it. Each time I saw there had been a special showing of the unfinished product somewhere far, far away, I grew jealous, and perhaps frustrated that I had to continue to wait, and wait some more, for my time to come.

And then it finally happened. The movie had come to a theater near me. My patience had paid off ... but this was not the movie I had originally expected. It was so much more!

5-25-77 is less of a movie about a fan of Star Wars and more of a movie about a fan of cinema itself. Our protagonist, Patrick Read Johnson, shares with us what it was like growing up in the 70’s and seeing films as more than just flickering pictures in front of your eyes while you eat popcorn.

Patrick sees the art in the storytelling laid out before him. He finds deeper meaning and nuance in films that others find tedious, like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yet, no matter how much his friends and family can’t see cinema in the same way, no matter how many times he explains it to them, they still support his love for film; all without too much push back.

Indeed, friends and family actively, and some even eagerly, participate in his home films just so he gets the right shot (although perhaps not as eagerly when it comes time to have their backyard pool used as an insert tank for his home version of Jaws), even if the finished product takes years to complete.

This story of Star Wars’ first fan would not have even been possible without its supporting characters, especially his mother whose perseverance allows Patrick a one in a million chance to visit those in the industry with whom he idolizes.

Though on the surface it may appear Patrick is alienated as the lone cinemaphile in a small town, I could argued that the support he receives at home could be considered a character in itself as it plays that much of an important role in the story.

This movie is wonderfully acted, especially by John Francis Daley (Patrick) and Colleen Camp (Mrs. Johnson, Patrick’s mom). The art style itself is also a love letter to the art of filmmaking as different sequences utilize the amateurish techniques and special effects from homemade films to segue from one scene to another or to illustrate specific emotions.

As I watched this film from the acoustical center of the theater (something which Patrick himself does in the film), I couldn’t help but see a lot of myself in this. Now I watch it again on Blu-ray, well, with the surround sound on, it is just an AMAZING overall experience, once again.

In closing, if you yourself go into this movie expecting to see a film about fans of Star Wars in the vein of Fanboys, you’ll be disappointed. But if you want to see what it is to truly love film so deeply that it takes you to experiences in galaxies far, far away, I implore you to seek out 5-25-77.[T.B.]

This is both a Widescreen Presentation 1.78:1 and 2.35:1 enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

Audio Commentary with writer/director Patrick Read Johnson, moderated by Seth Gaven, founder of the A.V. Squad and editor of the film Spaced Invaders
Q&A from the 2013 Fantasia Film Festival with director Patrick Read Johnson
3 Theatrical Trailers
3 Photo Galleries
Optional English Subtitles

Official 5-25-77 Trailer