How the Sith Stole Christmas
Encyclopedia
How the Sith Stole Christmas is an animated fan film
from that made its debut on the internet
in December 2002. Written and directed by Ted Bracewell, the film tells the story of the Emperor
's plans to invade the North Pole and take Santa Claus
prisoner. Melvin the Elf ends up in the thick of things, and must help rescue Santa. Darth Vader
is sent on a separate mission to destroy Christmas
for the Ewok
inhabitants of Endor, but when an unexpected chain of events leaves him stranded on the planet, Vader is confronted by a vision from the past and sent on an incredible journey through time and space.
The film parodies Dr. Seuss
's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
by mixing it with elements of the Star Wars
films, as well as parodying elements of The Hobbit
, A Charlie Brown Christmas
, and Citizen Kane
. The film has a very distinct and lush look, as Bracewell animated the film himself using a combination of painted backgrounds, painted cutout characters, and 3D animation.
The released film is subtitled "Jingle Far, Far Away", and is the first part of a trilogy. A trailer has been released for Parts Two and Three ("Silent Night, Jedi Knight" and "A Very Vader Christmas"), but the finished episodes have yet to be released. Now that it has been eight years since it premiered it is highly unlikely that the next two episodes will ever be released.
Part One has proven to be a popular download at TheForce.Net, and has screened at the DragonCon film festival and the 2004 Microcinema Fest. The film was highlighted as a "post-modern" fanfilm in an article on the genre in The Weekly Standard. The film was [ featured prominently in the September 2004 issue of Movie Magic Magazine, which called the film a "standout" in the genre.
Fan film
A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators. Fan filmmakers have traditionally been amateurs, but some of the more notable films have actually been produced by...
from that made its debut on the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in December 2002. Written and directed by Ted Bracewell, the film tells the story of the Emperor
Palpatine
Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
's plans to invade the North Pole and take Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
prisoner. Melvin the Elf ends up in the thick of things, and must help rescue Santa. Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
is sent on a separate mission to destroy Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
for the Ewok
Ewok
Ewoks originate from the Star Wars films. In the series, they are a species of teddy-bear-like hunter-gatherers that inhabit the forest moon of Endor. The Ewoks live in various tree-huts and primitive dwellings. They first appeared in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
inhabitants of Endor, but when an unexpected chain of events leaves him stranded on the planet, Vader is confronted by a vision from the past and sent on an incredible journey through time and space.
The film parodies Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a children's story by Dr. Seuss written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It was published as a book by Random House in 1957, and at approximately the same time in an issue of Redbook...
by mixing it with elements of the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
films, as well as parodying elements of The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. It was produced and directed by former Warner Bros. and UPA animator Bill Melendez, who also supplied the voice for the character of Snoopy...
, and Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
. The film has a very distinct and lush look, as Bracewell animated the film himself using a combination of painted backgrounds, painted cutout characters, and 3D animation.
The released film is subtitled "Jingle Far, Far Away", and is the first part of a trilogy. A trailer has been released for Parts Two and Three ("Silent Night, Jedi Knight" and "A Very Vader Christmas"), but the finished episodes have yet to be released. Now that it has been eight years since it premiered it is highly unlikely that the next two episodes will ever be released.
Part One has proven to be a popular download at TheForce.Net, and has screened at the DragonCon film festival and the 2004 Microcinema Fest. The film was highlighted as a "post-modern" fanfilm in an article on the genre in The Weekly Standard. The film was [ featured prominently in the September 2004 issue of Movie Magic Magazine, which called the film a "standout" in the genre.
External links
- Filmmaker's website
- How the Sith Stole Christmas at TheForce.netTheForce.NetTheForce.Net is a Star Wars news site. It has material related the movies and associated games, publications, and other merchandise ....
- How the Sith Stole Christmas at iFilmIFilmifilm.com was an online archive of short films, movie trailers, and other video clips of interest. Ifilm.com was originally founded by independent filmmaker Raphael Raphael in 1997 as an independent film and media collective...
- How the Sith Stole Christmas review at The Fan Film Menace
- Ted Bracewell interview at The Fan Film Menace