Why fans make better Star Wars movies than George Lucas.

For an ultra-low-budget film made by hundreds of volunteers for absolutely no chance of direct profit, Star Wars: Revelations is amazing. Bad acting, muddy writing, Williams-style music played on MIDI-controlled sample machines, and tons of chromakey and CG animation. By the end, I was wanting more, and not just for its cliffhanger plot. It's fun to say it's as good as the last few official Star Wars films, but that's not entirely fair: Despite all the hard work, Revelations is far more derivative than the story of its creation implies; more emulation than innovation, like most fan films. But the passion is all original, and it's hard not to get caught up in all of it. Definitely check out the two commentary tracks, the behind-the-scenes feature, and the soundtrack album.

Troops, now several years old, was one of the better Star Wars fan films because it was funny, original, and designed to its budget (set in a desert, with well-chosen special effects shots). And now, from the makers of Troops: IMPS: The Relentless, a documentary series about the greatest military force the galaxy has ever known. Chapter 1 available now, more to come. See also the teaser trailer, the soundtrack album, and the composer's track notes.