The Pez Outlaw is a documentary about a man who smuggled valuable Pez dispensers to the United States from Eastern Europe.[1][2] It was directed, edited and produced by Amy Storkel and Bryan Storkel and it began streaming on Netflix in the United States on January 19, 2023.[3][4][5]
| The Pez Outlaw | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Britton Foster |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Michael James Lee |
| Distributed by | Gravitas Ventures |
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe film follows Steven J. Glew, an idiosyncratic resident of DeWitt, Michigan.[3][6] During the 1990s, he smuggled Pez dispensers into the USA from Eastern Europe and made millions of dollars and butted heads with a Pez USA executive called the "Pezident" who controlled what dispensers came into the US. Many dispensers were made by Pez International and did not enter the American market, and American Pez collectors were willing to pay high prices for European dispensers.
Glew, in a series of trips to European Pez factories, purchased millions of knockoff dispensers.[6] According to ABC News, Glew made $4.5 million USD in 11 years.[7] Because the Pez company doesn’t verify through US Customs, Glew could take his illegal dispensers through the airport.[3]
The directors Amy and Bryan Storkel worked closely with Jim Blaine of Hartland, Michigan, who owns one of the largest Pez collections in the world and has held a large annual Pez convention in Metro Detroit since 2016.[3] He said "You watch this movie and in the end you realize, it's a love story about Glew and his wife, Kathy." and that "The support she has for him almost brings you to tears. In the end, it wasn't about Pez, it was about the love a man had for his family that he would do anything for."[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "SXSW Documentary 'The Pez Outlaw' Acquired By Gravitas Ventures". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "'Pez Outlaw': Film Review SXSW 2022". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Pevos, Edward (2023-01-18). "Netflix dropping documentary on small-town Michigan's infamous 'Pez Outlaw'". mlive. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ "The Pez Outlaw Cast and Crew". www.movieinsider.com. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "Cast and Crew". www.flixster.com. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ a b Marsh, Calum (2022-10-20). "'The Pez Outlaw' Review: Sweet and Lowdown". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
- ^ "PEZ smuggler's remarkable story featured in new documentary". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-09-28.