The original Star Wars launched a franchise that would go on to become one of the most well-known mythologies of an entire generation, despite having its fair share of mistakes. One scene in the film, for instance, sees a stormtrooper attempt to walk through a doorway, only to accidentally bump his head on the door itself. While this moment has lived on in infamy for more than 40 years, the identity of the actor in the scene was obscured by that very helmet, resulting in YouTuber Jamie Stangroom launching an investigation into who is responsible for the moment. Stangroom has released his documentary The Empire Strikes Door on YouTube, in which he believes he has confirmed the identity of the performer in question.
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Per press release, “It’s cinema’s most concussive blooper but who was that clumsy trooper? Three men claim responsibility and Jamie Stangroom is on a mission to find out which one is the true galactic idiot. Along the way he’ll interview and perform polygraph tests on the suspects, he’ll speak to witnesses who worked on the film and finally with the help of a jury (Kevin Smith, Chris Jericho, Ahmed Best, Greg Grunberg & more) he’ll attempt to unmask the true galactic idiot. As well as all this, Jamie pays a visit to the factory where they made the original outfits to try one on for size and he speaks to four troopers from the Disney sequel trilogy (including John Boyega) to find out how things have changed since the original films. It turns out that quite a lot has changed, including actors having to undergo a ‘stormtrooper bootcamp’ with a member of the British army.”
“I was starting to think that maybe some mysteries just aren’t meant to be solved: the loch ness monster, the yeti, the bigfoot – all of which theoretically could have been the Stormtrooper that bumped his head,” Stangroom shared. “But in the end, I think I may have just solved this geeky mystery once and for all.”
Not only does the film enlist franchise experts to weigh in on the matter, but Stangroom also interviewed members of the franchise’s cast and crew.
Interviewees include Gary Kurtz (Star Wars producer), Tony Waye (2nd AD), Terry Madden (2nd AD), Chris Bunn (stormtrooper extra), and First Order stormtroopers John Boyega, Phoenix James, Kenny Lee, and Sandeep Mohan. The video also features cameos from Frank Oz, Benicio Del Toro and Noel Gallagher. The suspects include the milkman from Eastenders (Michael Leader), a former Captain Birdseye (Martyn Reid), and a Doctor Who alien (Laurie Goode).
You can learn more about the documentary at Stangroom’s Facebook page.
Who do you think is responsible for the goof? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!
[H/T FanthaTracks]
