Troops (film)
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| Troops | |
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| Directed by | Kevin Rubio |
| Produced by | Kevin Rubio Shant Jordan Patrick Pérez |
| Written by | Kevin Rubio Steven Melching David Hargrove David McDermott |
| Starring | Eric Hilleary Cam Clarke Caleb Skinner Jess Harnell |
| Distributed by | TheForce.Net |
| Release date(s) | 1997 |
| Running time | 10 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Troops is a mockumentary film by Kevin Rubio, which made its debut on the Internet in 1997. The film is a parody of COPS, set in the Star Wars universe. In the film, Imperial stormtroopers from the infamous Black Sheep Squadron patrolling the Dune Sea on the planet Tatooine run into some very familiar characters while being filmed for the hit Imperial TV show Troops.
The film jump-started the modern fan film movement, as it was one of the first short films to bring fan films into the digital age, taking advantage of internet distribution and affordable production and special effects equipment, as well as fans with movie-quality costumes.
Rubio finished the film while working at the Fox Kids Network, and was able to use well-known voice talent in his cast, including Jess Harnell, Cam Clarke, and announcer Bill Farmer.
The film has proven incredibly popular with Star Wars fans, and was awarded the inaugural Pioneer Award in the Lucasfilm-sponsored 2002 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards.
Fan Films Quarterly listed Troops as one of the 10 most pivotal moments in fan film history in its Summer 2006 issue.
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[edit] On DVD
Troops was released on the free DVD given away with the inaugural edition of Total Movie magazine, complete with commentary track by Rubio. It was also included as a bonus feature on the 20th anniversary DVD of the TV series COPS.[1]
[edit] Trivia
- The stolen Imperial droid recovered from the Jawas in the first act appears to be Tom Servo from Mystery Science Theater 3000.
- A notable plot point in TROOPS is an alternate take on the deaths of Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, presenting their fate as the end result of a domestic dispute gone too far, rather than execution at the hands of Imperial forces. Indeed, the spotlighted members of Black Sheep Squadron attempt to mediate the dispute before Beru makes a disasterous move with a thermal detonator.
- In 2005, a new film called I.M.P.S. was released, made by several of the actors from TROOPS. Originally planned as a sequel, the film was first billed as TROOPS 2, but was renamed after fans learned that not only was Rubio not involved with the project, but that over the course of writing and production, the film had evolved into something entirely different.
- Shot on location on the El Mirage Dry Lake.
- The intro ends with the monologue "TROOPS is filmed on location with the men of the Imperial Forces. All suspects are guilty--Period! Otherwise, they wouldn't be suspects, would they?"
