VIDEO: Hardware Wars

When Ernie Fosselius wrote and directed the very first Star Wars send-up, Hardware Wars, in 1977, there's no way he could have known how influential it would become. The San Francisco filmmaker of course realized that the first installment of the original trilogy was a smash hit, and thus ripe for satire, but had no inkling of the kind of lasting cultural institution the franchise was to become, nor could he have foreseen the entire subculture of fan-made tributes and take-offs that would spring up around it. The thirteen minute film, which describes the fantastic adventures of Fluke Starbucker and company, made the most of its shoestring budget, substituting toasters, irons and other household junk for the meticulously crafted models of the original to hilariously corny effect. Being one of the few Star Wars spoofs that George Lucas didn't try to destroy (famously calling it a "cute little film") certainly didn't hurt its cult classic status, but Hardware Wars wouldn't have become one of the most lucrative and popular short films of all time if it weren't so charming in its own right. Enjoy!

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