Revisit the Complete, Comprehensive ‘Star Wars Begins’ Fan Documentary Trilogy

Posted on Wednesday, September 14th, 2011 by Russ Fischer

Here’s how good Jamie Benning‘s three Star Wars fan documentaries are: even after more than a decade of prequel and re-edit inspired franchise fatigue, these docs will fascinate anyone who has ever been a fan of the sci-fi series. They’re loaded with tiny bits of info that reveal much about the accidents and ingenuity that went into making the classic films.

So with ire boiling thanks to the changes made to the Blu-ray editions of the original trilogy, it’s a good time to revist or introduce yourself to Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi below. The three docs collect more than thirty years’ worth of archival footage and interviews that illuminate every aspect of the creation of the three films. Unless you’re one of the most obsessive Star Wars fans around — in which case you’ve already watched these docs — there will absolutely be information in the three films that is new to you.

And, as a bonus, check out the first clips from  Benning’s upcoming fan documentary, Raiding the Lost Ark.

First up, here are the three Star Wars docs, beginning (appropriately) with Star Wars Begins. Benning has made some changes to these over time as new material has become available, so you may not have seen these cuts.

And then here is a clip and the first trailer for Raiding the Lost Ark, which looks into the creation of Steven Spielberg‘s 1981 adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark.