Star Wars and indie-coming-of-age-dramedy fans, clear your schedule fast. There’s a special sneak fan test screening of nerd love song 5-25-77 this afternoon, June 25, at the Alamo Ritz at 3pm.

The special screening, announced yesterday by Facebook, promises the “almost final cut” of the long-gestating (seriously, seven years) ballad to how Star Wars changed lives and film love. How long has it been in gestation? Let’s put it this way: Lead actor John Francis Daley managed to write Horrible Bosses and put in five years as a series regular on Fox pathology show Bones since he filmed it.

This may classify as the ultimate labor of love, and director Patrick Read Johnson is making an accompanying documentary, Hearts of Dorkness, about his struggle to get this movie in front of an audience. He’s still looking for support, so a $10 donation will be really, really appreciated. Johnson will be in attendance for a Q&A, and the Star Wars cosplayers of the 510st Legion will also be there.

It’s odd to think that, considering how much Star Wars changed the world, that 5-25-77 is going through the same struggle that its fellow devotees in the Force that the locally-born Fanboys went through.

Now, here’s the trailer.

Youtube video

This article appears in June 22 • 2012.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.