Rebel Scum is a Star Wars fan film directed by Timothy Van Nguyen. On January 9, 2016, the film was released to YouTube. It takes place shortly after the Rebels retreat from Echo Base on the planet Hoth during the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. As of February 2023, it has been viewed over 2.3 million times.
| Rebel Scum | |
|---|---|
 Thumbnail of the fan film | |
| Directed by | Timothy Van Nguyen |
| Screenplay by | Paul Van Nguyen |
| Based on | Star Wars by George Lucas |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Timothy Van Nguyen |
| Edited by | Timothy Van Nguyen |
Production company | Blood Brother Cinema Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 9 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Cast
edit- Andrae Braun as Rebel Pilot
- Anastasia Moody as Imperial Snowtrooper
- Hanna Soltek as Pilot's Wife
- Samantha Roberts as Pilot's Daughter
Production
editAround January 2015 to around March 2015, filming took place in Alberta, Canada.[1] A snow camera was used during filming.[2]
Instead of using CGI, stop motion animation and practical effects were used, due to the budget, and to make something that felt "real and lifelike". To film the animation, they used an illuminated box with still pictures of the scenes.[2]
Release
editThe film was officially selected at the 2016 Tri-Cities International Film Festival, MidAmeriCon II,[3] the 2016 Lost Episode Festival Toronto, and the 2017 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
Reception
editRichard Lawson of Vanity Fair praised the visual effects, described the film as, "well-produced," and said, "It’s a good, humbly done micro movie. I like it."[4] Nick Statt of The Verge praised the costume work, how the environment was used, and the visual effects.[5] Jeff Spry of Syfy Wire ranked the film number seven on his top fourteen best Star Wars fan films list. He described it as "excellent," and "impressive."[6] Brock Wilbur of Inverse described himself as "blown away" after viewing the film.[7] Holly Williams of ContactMusic.com called the film, "[The] Best Star Wars tribute ever...," and praised the filmmakers' efforts and production quality.[8] Julien Cadot of Numerama called it (translated into English), "9 minutes you will not regret!," and praised the story.[9] Jeremy Fuster of TheWrap ranked the film number two on his top eleven best Star Wars fan films list.[10] Chloe Cole of Dorkly described the film as something that could have been in the Original Trilogy of Star Wars.[11] Steve Fitch of Star Wars Reporter called the film, "engaging," and, "brilliant."[12]
Accolades
edit| Ceremony | Award | Date of ceremony | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival | Platinum Remi Award | April 20–30, 2017 | Won | [13] |
References
edit- ^ Melrose, Kevin (January 13, 2016). "'Star Wars' fan film 'Rebel Scum' takes us back to Hoth". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- ^ a b "REBEL SCUM - Fan Film Update + Behind the Scenes". Blood Brother Cinema Co. September 30, 2015. YouTube.
- ^ "MidAmericon II Film Festival Screening Schedule" (PDF). trifi.org. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ Lawson, Richard (January 15, 2016). "YouTubers Will Soon Invade Your Netflix". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ Statt, Nick (January 13, 2016). "Go back to Hoth with this surprisingly great Star Wars fan film". The Verge. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ Spry, Jeff (December 16, 2017). "14 STAR WARS FAN FILMS, RANKED". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ Wilbur, Brock (January 29, 2016). "Star Wars Fan Film 'Rebel Scum' Is Too Good to Exist". Inverse. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ Williams, Holly (January 14, 2016). "Talented Fans Rival Disney With 'Star Wars' Tribute Film 'Rebel Scum' - Video". ContactMusic.com. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ Cadot, Julien (January 14, 2016). "Vidéo : Rebel Scum : un fan film Star Wars retourne sur la planète Hoth (Video: Rebel Scum: a Star Wars fan movie returns to the planet Hoth)". Numerama. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ Fuster, Jeremy (December 16, 2017). "11 of the Best 'Star Wars' Fan Films Ever Made (Videos)". TheWrap. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ Cole, Chloe (January 13, 2016). "This Star Wars Fan Film Was Hell to Make But It Was SO Worth It". Dorkly. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ Fitch, Steve (January 13, 2016). "Star Wars: REBEL SCUM Fan Film Brings the Emotions". Star Wars Reporter. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ "2017 Remi Winners". WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 19, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.