'Darth Vader' to take over Buskirk-Chumley

With a vintage 1977 Darth Vader mug clutched firmly in hand, Gary Wood waited in line at an Indianapolis science fiction convention, hoping to get an autograph from David Prowse, famed for portraying the classic villain in the first "Star Wars" trilogy. Wood got the autograph, but he also got something he hadn't expected: a new cast member for an independent movie he was directing, titled "Saving Star Wars."\n"We started talking and half-jokingly, I think, I asked if he would be in (the movie), and he said 'Yeah, I could do that,'" Wood said. "It was amazing. On screen, I get to end up being choked and thrown up against the wall by Darth Vader. That was a dream come true. How many people do you know who've done that?"\nLocal fans won't have the option of being choked and thrown up against any walls by Vader, but they do have a chance to meet him and get an autograph. "Saving Star Wars" makes its Bloomington debut at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, and Prowse will be on hand to talk about the movie and meet fans. Prowse, who hadn't acted in a feature film since 1983's "Return of the Jedi," said he was happy to sign on to "Saving Star Wars" after Wood showed him the script. His role involved playing himself and rescuing George Lucas from kidnappers at a Star Wars convention. \n"It sounded like a lot of fun, so I agreed to come over and do it," Prowse said. "I think it's lovely and the fans totally enjoy it."\nFilmed entirely in the Indianapolis area and written and directed by Wood, the movie follows a father trying to fulfill his dying son's last wish that the "Star Wars" movies continue, parodying them along the way. \nThe film has played to warm reviews and audience receptions, even garnering Wood a Best Screenplay nomination at the London Sci-Fi Film Festival. There, it also won Best Supporting Actor for Jim Peterson, a drama teacher from Carmel, Ind., and an IU graduate, who plays Hank in the film.\nFor comparison's sake, Wood is proud to point out that the Best Actor category was awarded to Hollywood star Christian Bale for his role in "The Machinist," a multi-million dollar production. That's a long way from "Saving Star Wars," which was shot for $50,000 with a mostly unpaid cast and crew who donated their weekends to the production.\n"It's hard to explain the pride that you feel," Wood said. "It's pride for me, for the people that came together to make it and for the people that still support the movie."\nWood knows, though, that it might have been very different if it weren't for Prowse's \ninvolvement. \n"Absolutely, Dave's presence opened up many doors," Wood said. "But the movie had to keep the door open. If the movie was bad, it wouldn't have helped."\nProwse has been happy to promote the film at award ceremonies and screenings across the world, spurring even more success for the film. He encouraged local fans to come to the screening Friday.\n"It's obviously primarily for sci-fi fans, but it's a nice sort of quirky movie that appeals to all sorts of people," Prowse said. "I think it's quite good."\nTickets are $10 for the general public or $8 for students. For more information about the movie, visit www.savingstarwars.com.