fan films

“My girl, this peace is what all true warriors strive for”: Game of Hyrule (2006)

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The first season of House of the Dragon, the highly popular prequel to HBO’s acclaimed fantasy drama Game of Thrones, has concluded and earned a great deal of praise for its fully realized performances and in-depth storytelling. As a relative neophyte to the world established by George R. R. Martin in his landmark book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, I was very impressed with the series once I was able to sort out the various factions and character relationships so I can follow the labyrinthine plot. Of course, the sweet dragon action and intense swordfights are just icing on the dark and violent cake.

Of course, as I’ve often observed and discussed on the blog, the popularity of a given franchise paves the way for a series of fan-made tributes. During the 8-year run of the series, numerous homages and parodies taking place in the world of Westeros were created. Today, let’s take a look at 2016’s Game of Hyrule, a short film written and directed by Kial Natale that presents the setting of the highly influential Legend of Zelda video game series through the edgy lens of Game of Thrones. Highlights include a chilling interpretation of the Happy Mask Salesman from Majora’s Mask, a rousing appearance by King Harkinian from the infamous Zelda games on the Philips CD-i and some skilled cinematography and costume work.

Credit: Megasteakman

Hope you enjoy this unconventional Halloween post!

“A ghost that drinks blood”: The Hunt for Gollum (2009)

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At the time of this writing, the sixth episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the latest installment of Amazon Studios’ prequel series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy novels, has been uploaded to Prime Video (I’ll reserve my judgment of the first season once it finishes). Even with the bad faith arguments from certain observers regarding the more diverse casting and emphasis on female characters, the show has revived mainstream interest in the Middle-earth saga and introduced newcomers to the more obscure parts of Tolkien’s Legendarium in the same way that Peter Jackson’s film adaptations did, which brings me to today’s post. Today’s subject is The Hunt for Gollum, a 2009 LOTR fan-film by British director Chris Bouchard that was influenced by Jackson’s take on Middle-earth and made on a budget of only £3,000. Despite their limited resources, Bouchard and his crew crafted a short that felt like a natural extension of the Jackson films, with immersive visual effects, creative cinematography and intense action scenes. This might be one of the most outstanding examples of fan-created media I have ever seen.

Credit: Independent Online Cinema

Hope you enjoy it and happy belated Hobbit Day!

“Strong, silent type”: World’s Finest by Sandy Collora

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Before I go into the main topic of this post, I would like to do something unusual for this blog: a review of a recent movie.

Music by U2’s the Edge not included.

I have just seen The Batman, Matt Reeves’ revamp of the Caped Crusader starring The Lighthouse’s Robert Pattinson as the title character. The most impressive attributes of the film are the visual effects and Greig Fraser’s cinematography. I especially love how the lighting changes over the course of the movie, going from nearly pitch black in the beginning to the more vibrant and naturalistic colors that we see in the end, which represents how Batman’s mission changes from a quest for vengeance to a crusade to help the downtrodden. Pattinson delivers a more humanistic portrayal of Bruce Wayne than we’re used to seeing in live-action. Zoe Kravitz’s energetic performance as Catwoman and chemistry with Pattinson provide a welcome amount of tension, Jeffrey Wright’s stern but warm portrayal of Commissioner Gordon is an effective counterpoint to Batman’s stoicism and Paul Dano’s demented Riddler provides a chilling contrast to the more flamboyant depictions provided by prior Riddler actors like Frank Gorshin and Jim Carrey. Wrap it all up in Michael Giacchino’s fantastic score and you have a film that I’d place in the upper echelon of Batman movies alongside Mask of the Phantasm and The Dark Knight.

If you’ve already seen the movie, which is now on HBO Max, check out World’s Finest, a 2004 short film directed by Sandy Collora featuring a then-hypothetical team-up film for the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel and using most of the same cast and crew from his prior short, Batman: Dead End. It’s an interesting time capsule to a simpler time when movies like this were things that fans could only dream of. At the very least, the characters were utilized in a better way than in Batman v Superman (sorry Snyder fans).

Hope you enjoy it!

Credit: 72Christos72

“Genetic Nightmare”: Spider-Man: Enter Morbius by Throwbackstudioz

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Initially created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in 1971 as a vampiric adversary for the amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Michael Morbius is now the antiheroic subject of the newest installment in Sony’s scattershot attempt to create a shared universe adjacent to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by drawing from Peter Parker’s ample supporting cast. The pre-release reactions to Morbius, starring 30 Seconds to Mars frontman/psychopath Jared Leto as the title character, have been…unkind, to say the least. However, the fact that the Living Vampire is the hero of his own movie is still an interesting surprise, especially when his most notable appearance prior to this was 1994’s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, where he drained blood plasma from his victims through suckers in his palms instead of his fangs.

Once again, I’ll celebrate the upcoming release by showing another fun short produced by Throwbackstudioz, this time focusing on a modified origin story for Morbius. It starts a little awkwardly but it really picks up at the halfway point.

Hope you enjoy it!

Credit: ThrowbackStudioz, neilwiththedeal

“Gotta make a beer run”: Bustin’ Makes Me Feel Good

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Thanks to a new franchise installment, the eyes of pop culture have once again turned toward Ghostbusters. What started in 1984 as an expression of actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd’s fascination with the supernatural has grown into a incredibly lucrative property with animated shows, video games, comics and, of course, a fervent cult following which can be a major boon or a debilitating curse. An embarrassing example of the latter was part of the reaction from the fanbase towards the 2016 female-led reboot of the original film, where certain sects of the GB fandom lobbied hate speech at cast members like Leslie Jones and Melissa McCarthy just because of their gender. On the other hand, the Ghostbusters fandom can be a creative and welcoming bunch, with countless fan creations that embrace the most appealing idea this franchise ever had: anyone can be a Ghostbuster. You don’t need special powers or an important destiny to wield a proton pack. To paraphrase the great Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), all you need is “the tools” and “the talent” to take up the profession. I believe that central conceit is the reason why this franchise still endures and has the potential to draw in new fans. I haven’t seen the latest film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but from what I can tell, the story seems to take its cue from the somewhat populist idea that any ordinary schmoe, even some random kid, can trap a ghost.

Tonight’s subject, often said to be one the earliest Ghostbusters fan films, plays with this idea. In 1998, David Sadler, Brandon Crisp and Rob Cleaton released this nearly two-minute short featuring a pair of GBs taking a nearly peaceful smoke break. Like a lot of early fan films, it’s crude but has a relaxed vibe that doesn’t take the property too seriously.

Hope you enjoy it and remember to never get involved with possessed people.

Credit: DrTart

Reverend Mothers of Paradise Island

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Last week marked the occurrence of significant events in the lifespan of two very important pop culture icons. October 21st was the 80th anniversary of the debut of Wonder Woman, the most famous superheroine in history, who made her dazzling debut in All Star Comics #8 back in 1941 before becoming the star of the anthology title Sensation Comics in 1942. Ever since the first appearance of William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter’s creation, the adventures of the Amazing Amazon have thrilled and inspired countless fans around the world, such as Leo Kei Angelos, the director and stunt performer behind the 2014 Wonder Woman fan film First Impressions, an exciting short which features Hailey Bright as Princess Diana and a villain portrayed by the incomparable Doug Jones (The Shape of Water).

The second event was the release of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction tale Dune. My capsule review: it’s a visually arresting film and a great retelling of a well-known story but it might be too dry for viewers who are more accustomed to the mind-bending insanity of the 1984 David Lynch version. All the buzz around the new film made me think about the first time I learned about Herbert’s saga of the violent battle for control of the desert planet Arrakis. In 2001, Westwood Studios, best known for the Command & Conquer series of real-time strategy games, released Emperor: Battle for Dune, their third and final game based on the Dune franchise. I’ll admit that I haven’t played the game in a very long time but I do remember that my decision to play it was based solely on the fact that Michael Dorn of Star Trek fame was prominently featured in the game’s live-action cutscenes.

Hope you enjoy them and remember that the slow blade penetrates the shield…unless that shield is Wonder Woman’s indestructible bracelets.

Credit: [ActionLeo], hellhouse Oldies LP

“Our better half”: Spider-Man: Venom Fan Film by Throwbackstudioz

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The sequel to the 2018 cult classic superhero film Venom debuts tomorrow and the early buzz for the Andy Serkis-helmed Venom: Let There Be Carnage seems to peg the movie as a crazier and more creative follow-up. To commemorate the release, I’m showcasing a charming fan film produced by the Atlanta-based independent film company Throwbackstudioz featuring a heavily-truncated adaptation of Venom’s comic book origin. The ending battle between the Lethal Protector and the Webslinger is easily the highlight of the short but the costumes are pretty decent and I appreciate their usage of Udi Harpaz’s wonderful score for Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

Hope you enjoy it and remember: Spider-Man PS1 Venom is best Venom.

Credit: ThrowbackStudioz, BigGameBoss

“Listen up, blockheads!”: Harley (2016)

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Next week, James Gunn’s sequel (or reboot) to David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad adaptation makes its theatrical/streaming debut. I’m looking forward to it not only because of Gunn’s involvement as writer and director but because the first film was such a mess that there’s nowhere to go but up. The early buzz is positive, which is already a step above the mixed-to-negative reception of its predecessor, with a lot of praise going to Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s creation Harley Quinn. Ever since her debut in the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series episode “Joker’s Favor” (one of my favorites), the former psychiatrist-turned-criminal-turned-antihero has proven to be an indispensable part of the Batman franchise and one of the most popular characters in modern DC Comics history.

Of course, as this blog as documented several times before, that kind of popularity leads to fan creations of various stripes, ranging from artwork to, the subject of today’s post, short films. Directed by stuntman Fernando Jay Huerto (Battle Hero Absolute) and starring actress and writer Jacqui Verdura as the titular character, 2016’s Harley is a breezy but fun entry in the common fan film subgenre of “one long fight scene/stunt showcase” that capitalizes on Harley’s revamped look and characterization from Ayer’s adaptation. At the very least, Huerto’s short is easier to follow than the actual Suicide Squad film.

Hope you enjoy it!

Credit: Jabronie Pictures

Holy Oak Anniversary, Batman!

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This month is a very important one for Batman fans. 80 years ago, three of the most important characters in the Batman mythos made their first appearances in the comics:

  • Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne’s eager and reckless young ward and the first Robin. Introduced in Detective Comics #38 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson as the Watson to Batman’s Holmes, Robin proved to be popular enough to become a major part of many essential DC stories, including the formation of the Teen Titans and his own maturation as a solo hero and a leader in the guise of Nightwing.
  • Selina Kyle, best known as the beguiling burglar Catwoman. Ever since her debut in Batman #1, she has evolved from an enigmatic thief and audacious supervillainess to a complex and cunning anti-heroine with a unique personal connection to the Caped Crusader.
  • Last but certainly not least, everyone’s favorite cutthroat comedian, the Joker. Premiering in Batman #1, the Clown Prince of Crime has become one of the most persistent and formidable knaves that the Dark Knight has ever dueled as well as one of the most iconic villains in pop culture.

To celebrate this anniversary, I’ve decided to share John Fiorella’s excellent 2004 short film Grayson. The short, framed like a movie trailer, illustrates a possible future for the Boy Wonder, acceptably portrayed by Fiorella, where Batman has been murdered and an older Robin comes out of retirement to find his killer. Although it may seem strange that Dick would go back to the Robin persona in this short instead of becoming Nightwing, the concept has some precedent in earlier comics with an older Grayson from an alternate Earth joining the Justice Society as Robin in Justice League #55 published in 1967. While the story is straightforward and the cast is adequate, with Kimberly Page’s Catwoman and the late Brian C. Bethel’s Joker as the only standouts, the real stars of the short are the terrific production design, which is impressive when you consider the $18,000 budget, and the creative cinematography of co-producer Gabriel Sabloff (Samson). Grayson fascinated me when I first saw it on TheForce.net and it’s still pretty remarkable today.

Credit: Gabriel Sabloff – Director