5-25-77: Chicago filmmaker tells story of being world's first Star Wars fan
5-25-77: Chicago filmmaker tells story of being world's first Star Wars fan
Local filmmaker Patrick Read Johnson’s movie 5-25-77 retells his days as a young, aspiring filmmaker who took a Spring Break trip to Hollywood, and was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch the final VFX shots of Star Wars be constructed, and was even presented with an early screening of the film.
CHICAGO - While Star Wars has been beloved by fans around the world for decades, the new coming-of-age true story 5-25-77 makes the (very believable) cast that the film’s very first fan is from right here in Chicago.
Local filmmaker Patrick Read Johnson’s movie retells his days as a young, aspiring filmmaker who took a spring break trip to Hollywood, and was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch the final VFX shots of Star Wars be constructed, and was even presented with an early screening of the film.
Johnson returned home to Chicago, singing the praises of a then-unknown "space movie", which was met with bewilderment of many around him.
Johnson spoke with FOX 32 Entertainment Reporter Jake Hamilton how his love of making movies at an early age, how Star Wars influenced him, and how even young aspiring filmmakers today only need to go as far as picking up their cell phone.
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"My iPhone, that we’re doing this on, you can shoot a feature film – a really good feature film – with an iPhone, no question," Johnson said. "You don’t have to scream ‘but I don’t have studio lights.’ You don’t need all of that, you don’t. There are amazing, beautiful, brilliant films being made by people have an iPhone, some lenses and they have a story."
5-25-77 is available now on video on demand.