'The Pez Outlaw,' directed by Amy Bandlien and Bryan Storkel, is a funny docudrama that follows Steve Glew, also known as The Pez Outlaw, throughout his life in the 1990s and early 2000s. It also chronicles his downfall and later attempts to expose his story to the world.
The Pez Outlaw himself is also featured in many dramatized scenes, all of which make one wonder how true everything is and whether it is grounded in reality. Let's go hunting together.
Is The Pez Outlaw a True Story?
Yes, 'The Pez Outlaw' is based on a true story. Steve Glew, a mechanical engineer from DeWitt, Michigan, smuggled and sold a total of 2 million PEZ dispensers into the United States from Slovenia and Hungary. From 1994 until 2005, he reportedly earned $4.5 million by admission.
Steve would bring back around 10,000 items at a time, including rare collectibles, discontinued models in the United States, prototypes that have yet to be accepted on the market, and factory rejects. His bringing the dispensers to the United States was not considered illegal, although the company did not take legal action against him.
Steve worked with a European PEZ executive to acquire liquidated dispensers for several years. In 1998, his collaborator feared being caught and decided to retaliate, resulting in him designing his own prototypes and contacting PEZ to manufacture them. Sadly for him, PEZ Candy Inc. decided to target Steve.
Steve's prototypes were copied and sold for less money, gradually putting him out of business. He slowly retreated away from the public eye, and he decided to take matters into his hands and share his story with the world.
Steve set up a blog on eBay for $750,000, and then Amy Bandlien and Bryan Storkel decided to use his story for their documentary. Many sections have been embellished for entertainment purposes, according to Steve.
Steve's primary goal was to sell his story to the media, which required the addition of a few dramatic elements to his narrative. Nevertheless, Steve claims that Scott McWhinnie, the former CEO of PEZ Candy Inc. US, was the source of his failure, and that he had specifically targeted his business.
'The Pez Outlaw' is a heroic portrayal of Steve in his own eyes, but some scenes may be somewhat fictional.
