Back In 2009, when I began this site, I wrote a similar article just like this one explaining the origins of the Fan Film Follies. I found it fitting to recollect the evolution of the Follies for its ten year anniversary. A lot of what is written may be a rehash of that original article so please forgive as nostalgia gets the better of me. I promise I’ll have something new to add.

HBO SHORT TAKES

Star Wars finally premiered on cable in 1983. This is back when HBO would run short films between their feature films. One of those shorts they played around when Star Wars hit the premium channel was called “Hardware Wars”. I’m overly confident you all know the film in which I mean. Little did I know at the time, but this would be my very first fan film experience.

COOL COLLECTING

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My recollection is somewhat sketchy to the exact details on how I started the Fan Film Follies. When I first jumped on the internet I had a computer with a monochrome monitor. There wasn’t much to do online beyond joining a chat. I could access websites, but without the ability to view pictures. The whole experience was pretty lackluster.

When the wife and I bought our first Hewlett Packard desktop computer it was like entering a whole new world. Sure it took about five minutes to bring up an image rich website through AOL dialup, but back about twenty years ago we weren’t spoiled by broadband so the wait wasn’t as annoying as it would be today. I could watch video with this new computer by either downloading a 20mb file that took about an hour and a half or stream it online in a box that was about 6 inches by 6 inches. That was a bit distracting as the video would continuously buffer. It’s crazy how much our ability to access the same kinds of content has changed in such a short amount of time. How I love technologically.

I enjoy my comic books, video games, science fiction and animation. Everything that society deems “nerdy”. So when I had friends over we would talk current events as well as talk about current comic book storylines, current movies, current Star Trek episodes, current video games and the list continues. We’d also jump on the computer and watch video. There was one film short that I’ve never forgotten to this day. One night, after a few beers, my buddy and I watched “Godzilla Vs Disco Lando” by Evin Maher. We laughed our stupid asses off. With the exception of Hardware Wars several years before Godzilla Vs Disco Lando was my first foray into the micro genre that is fan film.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There were other fan films we would watch. Many I can’t recall. Some you’ve certainly heard of like Troops, Hidden Frontier and Dark Redemption.

Around this time I was in my early thirties. I was outgrowing the whole going out and pissing away a big chunk of my paycheck at some bar. It was also a time where I wanted to do something more substantial with my time. I’ve always loved writing. I’d been writing off and on since I was a teenager. The internet was a perfect outlet to share my words and ideas with others. I found a site online called Cool Collecting run by one Timothy Priebe. Cool Collecting covered everything fanboy related. Tim was open to new writers for the site so I was happy to join his crew.

But what would I write about? I decided to spotlight these entirely cool fan made productions I’d been watching for some time now into regular featured articles. And from there Fan Film Follies was born. I don’t really remember why I called the column Fan Film Follies. I guess it wasn’t rocket science. All three words started with the letter “F” and had a pretty good flow. On March 24th, 2002, the first edition of the Fan Film Follies appeared online.

The column was extremely challenging to write. It was no easy task tracking down relevant content. Today there are fan films all over the internet. Back then they were very few and very far between.

When writing for Cool Collecting I learned what a webisode is, that there was a whole community of filmmakers that utilized Legos for their props and discovered the wonderful world of Flash and Shockwave. I was also able to correspond with all these amazing, talented people who created these virtual gems. It was all a great experience.

I wrote for Cool Collecting until they closed their doors in September 2004. Tim wanted to focus on his career. Cool Collecting was always a catalyst for him to practice his web design and coding skills so it just came time for him to move on.

FANBOY THEATRE

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When Cool Collecting shut their doors I decided to leave fan films behind focusing on my own creative ambitions. I’d already been working with a group of people on a variety of independent comic book ideas. I don’t normally plug my comic or film work in these pages unless it’s directly related to fan films. This article will be the exception. If you’re interested in checking out some of what I’ve done I have a few stories online at Drunk Duck and you can also link over to my official site at Making Comics Studios.

After my Cool Collecting days every once in a great while I’d check out new fan films that would hit the internet. Late 2005 I stumbled on a site called Fanboy Theatre run by one Fanboy William McKenzie. As I read through his website that old fan film itch began to scratch. There was someone else on the internet covering the same content I was covering. A Kindred spirit if you will. It got me excited about fan films again. I contacted Will to see if he was interested in my Fan Film Follies column for his website.

On October 31st, 2005, Fan Film Follies began again at Fanboy Theatre. That lasted about two months. In the early part of 2006 Will had gone missing off the cyber plain. I mean for a good four or five months. It was later that spring when I finally received an email from Will apologizing for his sudden disappearance. He had some personal things he needed to deal with. I wanted a more stable home for my articles so we parted company amicably. Will and I would hook up on another fan film project a few years down the way.

COMIC BOOK BIN

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By the time Fanboy Will resurfaced I’d already combed the internet for another site to host my column. A quick Google search linked me to the Comic Book Bin that was actively looking for new writers. I was invited into the fold of the Bin by founder Hervé St-Louis. My column started at the Bin July 1st, 2006 lasting until I left in the summer of 2009.

My time with the Bin was an interesting one. It was the first site that allowed me to post my own articles so that was a huge breath of fresh air. I’d taught myself coding thanks to the book HTML for Dummies. That was fun to use what I learned in a practical manner.

There wasn’t just one reason why I left the Bin. The major factor was that Fan Film Follies grew as much as it could grow there. I was getting bored. And I didn’t feel the site was embracing new formatting and technologies that was becoming available. I hate staying stagnant.

The Bin also started posting some strange and – at times – leftist articles which I really didn’t feel were significant or necessary for a site that’s supposed to be about comic books.

Here’s a quick examples:

http://www.comicbookbin.com/Jaywalking_in_Montreal001.html

One article in particular that was posted caused my final decision to pack up my toys and go home. I hadn’t read this article in two years and as I read it today it still drips of ignorance. That’s my opinion. Click on the link and form your own.

http://www.comicbookbin.com/mrcharlie122.html

Even know I didn’t agree with some other things that went on behind the scenes I always wished the Bin well and I see they’re still going strong.

FAN FILM PODCAST

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I was also interested in exploring a format called the Podcast that had been popping up all over the internet for the past few years. What an incredible outlet to discuss fan films and interview the people who make them.

I’d been keeping in touch with Fanboy William McKenzie from Fanboy Theatre since his return from the unknown back in 2006. It was only natural that we would team up as co-hosts for such an online show.

February 16th, 2008 premiered our first episode of the Fan Film Podcast through the free service MyPodcast.com. Earlier this year MyPodcast.com shut their doors. We currently moved all the episodes over to TalkShoe as well as hosting them on the Fan Film Follies server.

Everyone we interviewed to date has been exceptional, truly a fantastic community and a fantastic group of people.

You may or may not have noticed our last episode of the Fan Film Podcast was posted on May 19th of last year. There are plans for the podcast to return this summer so stay tuned.

FAN FILM FOLLIES – THE WEBSITE

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It had been on my mind for a long time and it was really the natural progression of things. In September of 2009 I opened the Fan Film Follies website. It’s been a liberating experience to run a site where you have the wheel. This allows for the site to move with the times. Along the way I’ve had like minded people join and contribute to the site. I’d like to give a big thank you to our current and past contributors who have made this site extra special: Jeff Smith, Lee James Sands, Dr. John Walliss, Randy Hall, and Larry Longstreth.

So here we all are in 2012. I’ll more than likely be running this site to my grave so get ready for the future of what fan films are going to offer. It will be very interesting to see where the next ten years will take us. With the technology and sophistication of a new generation of filmmakers fan films are going to close the gap even further in relation to your typical Hollywood Blockbuster.

I can’t end this brainless rant without thanking all the talent behind the productions we cover here on the Fan Film Follies. Some of the films may be a little bit rough around the edges, but I applaud anyone who can take limited resources in the creation of a work of art. And of course I have to thank all our readers because without you this website wouldn’t exist.

Happy 10th Anniversary Fan Film Follies!

ET Sequel: “ET-X”

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Black Widow Gone Wild

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The Death of Superman

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Funeral for a Friend

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Superman vs Hulk – The Fight

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Wolverine Kicks Ass

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Leia’s Waltz

“The Chardon Polka Band” and “Off Kilter Productions” teamed up to film a unique STAR WARS themed music video based on the band’s song, “Leia’s Waltz”. The song was written by Star Wars enthusiast and band leader Jake Kouwe for the band’s album “Pirates, Women, and Beer”. The video, which is of course set in a galaxy far away, was made in attempt to capture some of the fun that the Star Wars universe has offered us. You’ll see some familiar characters and costumes in project, but also some new unique creations. It is a sharp and to the point video for a catchy tune about everbody’s favorite intergalactic princess.

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Raiders of the Lost Archive

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Star Wars: The Old Republic

Original Cinematic

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Fan Made Imagining

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THE PHOTON EFFECT

I’ve been a fan of Dan Poole for over a decade now since the wide spread consumer use of the internet. It was the dawning of this new digital age that I was able to find “The Green Goblin’s Last Stand” online – a Spider-Man fan film made before anyone knew what the hell a fan film was. Last Stand is a full length feature shot on that crude VHS format that easily deteriorates over time due to overuse, the elements or if you even look at it funny. But it was a cheap format and highly assessable to the independent, home movie maker at the time. With the ease of how we all can make our own productions today many who watch Last Stand present time may mock its simplicity. Compared to the more sophisticated fan productions being produced today it can come off very amateurish. On the flip side we’re talking about a film that’s almost twenty years old. Dan was certainly ahead of most before an age where fan films are released online by the bucket loads.

Since 1992, after “The Green Goblin’s Last Stand” was released, Dan had tried his hand in a few other projects. He had a Captain America idea that didn’t quite get off the ground. Dan did manage to produce a Wolverine short fan film that was made for comic con in a year when fan films became banned thanks to Sandy Collora’s “Batman: Dead End”. Poole even attempted to make his superhero mark on the now defunct Sci-Fi reality show “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?” at a time when the show was still being shopped around. It appeared Dan just couldn’t find his footing towards his filmmaking or superhero aspirations. Not until a few years later anyways.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what Dan can do with his own story with present day technology and perhaps a few more dead presidents in his pocket? We finally get that opportunity in the form of his new feature length, independent superhero film – The Photon Effect. A project I’ve been anxiously waiting years to finally see completed.

During a freak accident involving an experimental microwave antenna, two tower engineers gain superhuman abilities. While the powers they gain are similar, the paths they decide to take are not. Derek Powers wants to use his abilities to help others and to uncover the truth behind Randall Communications Incorporated (RCI), the company who designed the antenna. Meanwhile, Jay Powers secretly becomes part of the experiments performed by RCI, whose lead scientist, Tina Viccarini, is a former love interest of Jay. This series of events ultimately leads to the birth of a new superhero and supervillian.

I wouldn’t say my expectations were low as I prepared for my first viewing. Dan has always produced some solid entertainment. I think it’s safe to say I was expecting a great story even if the budget of the production couldn’t sustain that story, pretty much the same expectations I have towards any independent film that graces my mailbox. I knew there would be some acting, dialogue and pacing issues, but those points are always forgiven on a next to zero budgeted production. Give me the meat and I won’t sweat the small stuff.

The Photon Effect has an extremely strong opening that instantly got me thinking this film was going to exceed my cautious expectations. It was a just a cool opening befitting a superhero movie. Unfortunately, that thought dissipated as the film continued and when I got midpoint I knew that the excitement I felt in the first few minutes of The Photon Effect wasn’t going to return. It was an enjoyable film, but not as enjoyable as I thought it would be after viewing those opening credits.

What transpired was a mish mash of what I expect from an independent superhero feature. There were moments of brilliance and then there were moments not so much. In the case of The Photon Effect the film’s strengths often times parallel the film’s weaknesses.

The production looks great. It’s shot really well. Overall, the sound is top notch. There are a lot of nice locations for the backdrop. You’ll get some nice eye candy in the form of the special effects as well as cool choreographed action sequences. We have solid performances from the entire cast. Directing, editing and pacing are all consistent – overall a nice package. Where the film falters is the story and some of the cliché dialogue.

And the story is pretty basic. It’s not filled with a lot of plot devices or clever turn of events or anything that will make you think too hard. It’s a simple superhero/supervillain story we’ve seen countless times before on television and the movies or have read in our favorite comic books – which is fine. What’s overly frustrating is the fact that at times the script has moments of brilliance, but at a turn of the hat it’s got some zingers. I mean “GEE WHIZ” 1960’s Batman – 1970’s Superfriends zingers. The script really needed more polishing and maybe even someone not totally invested in the project to give their critical input.

Derek Minter portrays the character of Jay Powers. Jay Powers is an unsympathetic character and annoyingly so. He’s just a complete jerk from his first appearance to his last. And I think this is really the reason this film doesn’t work. I never cared what happened to his character.

In the story both Dan Poole’s character of Derek Powers and Derek Minter’s character gain superpowers. Dan takes the side of good and Derek the side of bad which makes sense because as indicated Derek plays a jerk the entire film. It seems Dan is always there as the voice of reason no matter how big a douche Derek’s character is portrayed. It would have been far more interesting if Jay Powers were a sympathetic character taunted by the “dark side” due to his new found powers rather than just being his usual asshole self with superpowers. And it would have been far more interesting with Derek Powers trying to steer Jay towards the light. It was kind of bizarre how they played out the dynamic of both characters and in the end it just didn’t make for an interesting enough story.

I may be overly critical of the film as a whole, but I have to tell you the running commentary with Dan Poole, Derek Minter and Doug Adams available on the DVD release is pure gold for any independent filmmaker and anyone interested in how films are made in general. It’s extremely insightful into the process. Dan and team have a sincere passion for what they’ve put together. And although I may not be the film’s number one fan I can respect all the efforts that brought it to completion.

THE SUM UP

The Photon Effect has a foundation of potential. I’ve been in contact with Dan over the years and consider him a casual friend. I was really rooting for him to make something outstanding. I think the technical aspects are there. Dan knows how to make a film. I just felt The Photon Effect lacked in the story and characterization department.

THE LONG SLOW DEATH OF A TWENTY SOMETHING

The natural progression of fan film makers is that they eventually branch off into their own ideas and concepts. Dan Poole did so with his comic book meets science fiction film The Photon Effect and Larry Longstreth does the same in his comedy The Long Slow Death Of A Twenty Something.

How much did I enjoy The Long Slow Death Of A Twenty Something? Well – let’s put it this way. I may not have originally obtained the film in the most ethical of means. I may have accidentally found the film online. I’m not saying that I did. I’m just saying I may have. Now if I did find this film online I may have watched it after downloading it. I’m not saying I downloaded the movie illegally or watched it immediately after. I’m just being hypothetical.

OH SCREW IT! I torrented that mother, watched it and liked it so much I picked up a legitimate copy. And I’ve watched it about six more times since.

The Long Slow Death Of A Twenty Something is not gut wrenching funny. I like to call it humorous. I’m not really one to laugh like a fool at movies in the first place so a lot of people reading this review may be the type to break out in uncontrollable laughter to this type of material. The film does bring a smile to my face though and more so with each viewing. Probably because I know people who act just like the characters spotlighted in the movie.

The plot is pretty simple. Ben Baker played by Longstreth has pissed away his twenty’s with his excessive drinking, drugs, video games and Dungeons & Dragons. To add insult to injury his highest level of employment achievement is a clerk at the local video game store. But at least he has a job. The same can’t be said for his peers that surround him. Now that Ben Baker is reaching the tender age of thirty he begins to question his life choices to date.

I know Larry enough to know that he’s very opinionated no matter what the topic may be. Just take a look at his FaceBook page and you’ll read what I mean. So he has a lot to say. Thankfully, Larry didn’t preach in his film. He certainly brought up certain points, but they were more subtle than in your face obnoxious. And of course those points for the basis of the film were done in a satirical tone.

As a side note and a warning – don’t play the drinking game every time the word fuck is spoken throughout this film. I tried. I was fall down drunk fifteen minutes into the movie. The word fuck was said more times in this movie than any other movie I’ve ever seen. I’m sure a call to Guinness World Records is in order. Holly Fuck!

The commentary for the DVD rivals The Photon Effect and was equally insightful. A really fun listen.

THE SUM UP

I can’t really think of anything wrong with this movie. I enjoyed it more each time I watched it. Buy it and consume.

Gene Fallaize

Something interesting has happened in the past week so much to the point that it sparked me to write this article for the Fan Film Follies. On November 11th, 2011 the fan production “Superman: Requiem” made its debut online. I was very interested in watching this effort as it’s been a well promoted fan film among the fandom community on the interweb. The first time I learned about the film was when the creators were looking for money over at the social funding site IndieGoGo. The production surpassed its $8,000 goal with $12,086 being donated. They offered in their pitch that the film “is a high-production-value fan-film that is being produced by industry professionals with a goal to create the finest and most ambitious fan-film to date.” That was all fine and good. There’s a lot of people who are attempting to create the “finest and most ambitious fan-film”. That’s the fun part of fan films. To see how far each party can get until the gap between Hollywood and Amateur has been met.

Requiem was written and directed by Gene Fallaize who has several IMBD credits to his name. Just like Bryan Singer’s 2006 fan film Superman Returns, Fallaize’s film would take place in what the fans affectionately call the Donnerverse. This means taking place in the same universe and following along the same story path started with the original Richard Donner directed and Christopher Reeve starred films. They even used a rather clever tag line to pay homage to the original – “In 1978 you believed a man could fly. In 2011, you will believe again.”

The premise was interesting and made sense when you’re endeavoring into a low budget Superman film. Superman loses some of his powers after a factory explosion and has to deal with being the same kind of man without being all super.

I kept an eye on the production over the coming months just like I do with dozens of fan films. There wasn’t anything that got me overly excited for Requiem, but I was certainly interested to see how they could pull off one of the most difficult characters for an amateur production to bring into live action.

On November 12th, a day after the film was released online I sat at my computer ready to watch Superman: Requiem. It started with a bit of a teaser. The Space Shuttle lands with a mysterious package that is brought to the nameless man in charge who we find out is on the wrong side of good versus evil. His goons kill what I think are some type of federal agents in order to obtain this “mystery” package. And that’s when I had the feeling this wasn’t going to be the “finest and most ambitious fan-film” I’ve seen to date.

When I finished watching the entire film these were my honest thoughts. It looked great. I really like the cinematography. Some scenes did have issues, but overall I thought the sound was also well done. The acting and performances were solid. The special effects were rather good for a fan production.

On the flip side the film was too long. The story could of been easily tightened up into a thirty minute piece. The opening credits, which I finally had to fast forward through, were too long. They did indeed look like the opening credits from the original films, but that’s been done five times already. Plus there’s not names to the likes of Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman appearing to get you all pumped over.

And Lois Lane ran off to England? What? There was no Lois Lane. The reason for her not being in the film doesn’t make much sense to me.

Some of the editing wasn’t done very well. About the two minute mark a guy was handed a jacket to put on. One cut he has the jacket on. The next cut he has no jacket on. The next cut he’s putting the jacket on. No one happened to catch that while editing? As someone did point out to me the editor can only work with the footage he’s given. So if this wasn’t any editing error then a clear directorial issue. There are several of these similar examples as the film progresses.

Time Stamp: 2 Minute, 6 Seconds - Bad guy has his coat on (left hand side).

Time Stamp: 2 Minute, 7 Seconds - Bad guy has no coat on.

Time Stamp: 2 Minute, 8 Seconds - Bad guy is putting his coat on.

Although it certainly wasn’t the greatest fan film of all time it was pretty damn good for a fan based production. A lot of work went into the film and it shows. When I was done watching it I linked the film on the Fan Film Follies site and went about doing my normal fan film trolling via Google.

Now for the real reason why I’m writing about Requiem and it all boils down to criticism. I’ve indicated it before on this site and shall again. I personally don’t review the fan films spotlighted on Fan Film Follies unless in those rare occasions that I’m sent a copy of a film and asked to. Why? If I like a film enough and think it brings something different to the genre of fan films I spotlight in on this site. If I think it’s extra special I feature the film on the site just like I did with Requiem. Beyond that the people watching can form their own opinions and comment as they wish. No one needs to know what I think.

So with that said let me tell you what I think. If you’re going to release something online for the world to see and don’t think you’re going to get some negative feedback then you’ve been smoking the red Kryptonite. I’m not picking on Superman: Requiem. I’m really not. I really enjoyed the film. YES! There are some blatant flaws in the film that are easy to point out, but I could go ahead and nitpick at any film be it fan based or a Hollywood production. I’m simply using this Requiem as an example. And if I didn’t feel strongly about this I wouldn’t be taking the time to write on the subject.

If you produce a film, write a book, paint a picture and you want to share it with the world to get their opinion don’t expect those opinions to be all positive. If you produce a film, write a book, paint a picture and don’t want anyone’s opinion keep it to yourself. And If you do produce a film, write a book, paint a picture and you share it with the world then do so and let it stand on its own. It’s out there. You don’t need to defend it. If you’re happy with the piece you made then fine. Does it matter what others say?

Another of my pet peeves is the people dishing out the proper etiquette of wording your criticisms in an online forum. People are actually criticizing the criticizers on how they should criticize. Is there an actual manual or set of rules on giving your opinion even if the opinion is “this sucks” or something along those lines? To me I don’t think twice about someone who writes those two words about a fan film or a Hollywood film for that matter. I just ignore comments like that. If something truly does suck or is truly awesome I want to know why. To some “this sucks” or any negative comment generates a whole debate on how you need to respect one another. Give me a break. You know how you diminish thoughtless opinions. You don’t acknowledge them. There is no set line between overwhelming praise and grueling hate when it comes to an open online forum. There. You read it here first on the Fan Film Follies.

So as I was trolling via Google and I came upon the Superman Homepage. A great site that’s been around for years that’s run by Mr. Steve Younis. If you’re a fanboy (and girl) I’m sure you’ve been on the site in your travels. One of the blurbs on the Superman Homepage announced the release of the fan film Superman: Requiem. And there you could read comments to that particular blurb which I started to do. A lot of people were writing the same thoughts I had about the entire production. There were certainly unhelpful negative comments like “this sucked” or ” sorry…but this was really bad”, but as indicated those are easily dismissible. You’re going to get that in every open forum. I was more interested in the constructive criticisms as I found them interesting.

As I continued reading I found something else interesting. Some of the Requiem crew from the production were on the boards defending their film. There was even someone on the forum under the login name “zod (something or other)” that I’m 99.9% sure was Requiem’s writer and director Gene Fallaize defending any negative comment that was written about the film. This was all truly fascinating. And in the end it only fueled the fire of criticisms towards the production.

It was on the Superman Homepage forum for Requiem where someone indicated any negative comments that were posted on the film’s FaceBook page were instantly deleted. Really!?! So I rushed over to the Requiem FaceBook page and sure enough each and every comment for the film was full of nothing, but praise, praise, praise. I then rushed back to the Superman Homepage to find the forum closed and the following message displayed – “Due to the inability of some members to hold a civil discussion, the commenting capability on this news item has been closed down.”

So you actually have an interesting and open debate on a few different levels and you shut that debate down? Shame on Steve Younis and the Superman Homepage for shutting this dialogue down. I found it cowardly and unwarranted. I can only speculate that Younis and Fallaize have some kind of relationship as most of the postings were rather relevant to the topic and the film. Hardly uncivil as claimed by the site’s host. BUT! His website…his rules. Heil Hitler. Because you know an honest dialogue needs to be shut down as soon as you don’t agree with what’s being written.

If you’re interested in seeing some of the thoughts people have towards Superman: Requiem you can follow this link. It’s not nearly as good as the dialogue that was transpiring at the Superman Homepage, but it does give you an idea of what was being discussed beyond just the “it sucked”.

I love amateur fan productions. I love fan films. Hell – I love them so much I’ve spent a decade covering them in one venue or another. But I write this post today to get this off my chest. Just because you make a low budget fan film you’re not beyond criticism. If you put countless hours and dollars into something it doesn’t make the final project untouchable for opinion. And if someone thinks your film sucks then they think your film sucks.

If you’re going to make a fan film then make it. If you want others to watch your efforts then certainly put it out there for everyone to see. But just because you think you made something outstanding doesn’t mean people watching have the same opinion. Just because you don’t like negative comments towards your production instead of deleting them off your FaceBook page or any other open forum understand why the comments are negative and perhaps learn from that. People may be actually offering you some invaluable incite to improve your future work.

So why am I bashing Syfy? First off it’s a crappy channel that I find hard to believe still generates revenue. The Syfy channel is to science fiction as MTV is to music videos. Both channels are extremely sad, wasted shells of their former selves. It’s time to make MTV strictly about the music and it’s time to change Syfy back to Sci-Fi filling that schedule with science fiction, fantasy, superheroes, and action and adventure.

What’s been the big bitch of Syfy the past few years? Not only Syfy, but a lot of the cable networks. Cost. And I understand it. We’re all feeling it. We’re not exactly living in an ideal economy. Your feeling it. I’m feeling it. And the cable networks are feeling it. There’s also massive amounts of competition out there now. There’s so many outlets to focus our attentions. When I was growing up it was five television stations, the Atari 2600, reading and going outside to play with your friends. Yes! In my day as a youth kids went outside. Now we have countless cable channels, multiple game consoles, dozens of viral video sites – which of course goes hand in hand with the most colossal of time wasters – the internet.

Now who has been consistently the most loyal audience base since the write in campaign for the original Star Trek series? The answer is science fiction fans. They’re a crazy bunch and I’m proud to be among them. And when I indicate science fiction I indicate a broad umbrella of the other genres I already mention being fantasy fans and comic book fans and so on.

Let me go on another tangent. And I promise this is all leading to the point I’m trying to make and directly ties into my spotlight on Red Cape’s “The Chronicles Of The Order”. We live in an age where your average consumer can get their hands on some pretty sophisticated hardware and software to both film and edit their own video. Some people have utilized these tools to make some pretty impressive productions. Productions you can only see on the internet or purchase off the individual’s websites. Red Cape is only one such production company doing this. These productions are not only high quality, but very economical to make. I’ll throw at you some other random series from the top of my head.

http://www.amandahades.com
http://www.trenchesonline.com
http://www.pioneerone.tv
http://www.geek-week.net
http://www.watchtheguild.com

And there’s a lot more out there. Wouldn’t it be outrageously awesome if there was some kind of outlet to showcase this kind of talent all on one cable channel? What better branding and channel name could there be to get these creations to a bigger audience. The Sci-Fi channel of course. Ditch the Syfy.

So my first programming choice would be The Chronicles Of The Order. I indicate that not only because it’s true, but it’s also a spectacular segue into discussing the series. Ron C. Santiano and his Redcape Cinema are behind this original idea. Fan Film peeps may know Ron best from the two Wonder Woman shorts Balance of Power and Battle of Justice he did a few years back. Ron and friends have since stepped up their game by releasing their own creator owned concepts. One being the character of Eve which mixes martial arts and the supernatural together in one lovely cinematic soup.

With the Eve series we learn about an organization known as the “Order”. We learn of Eve’s parents and how they belonged to this ‘secret’ organization. We learn that Eve came from the streets where she received her crash course in the art of survival. It basically sets up this particular universe.

“The Chronicles Of The Order” series is a prequel to the Eve series looking more in-depth into the function of the Order as well as explaining the events leading up to Eve which mostly involves the abduction of her parents and Eve’s disappearance. Sound confusing? It can be if you’re not familiar with the series. “Chronicles” would be an ideal opportunity to jump aboard the Eve express.

Let me throw this tangent out there before I touch upon the individual episodes. I’m not politically correct and I think affirmative action is a big pile of crap. I’m not sure what Hollywood’s issue is, but it’s good to see an action series where the main hero or heroine isn’t a Caucasian male or female. As Forest Gump would say, “That’s all I got to say about that.”

To me the first episode The Next Level written and directed by series creator Ron Santiano channeled Quentin Tarantino a bit without the excessive profanity and all the blood. I’m not the biggest Tarantino aficionado in the world so this is clearly my observation. Tarantino always writes these long scenes that build on themselves slowly. He doesn’t always rely on the quick cuts, short lined dialogue and flash that a typical main stream Hollywood movie makes quicker, shorter and flashier as years progress. The first episode of Chronicles is one twenty minute setting taking its time to flesh out the main characters and the story points. It also has loads of beautifully choreographed martial arts in between the exposition.

As a whole the episode isn’t very original. Not to say it wasn’t good. It has the younger brother (Xander portrayed by Alex Benjamin) wanting to prove himself to his older brother. The elders of The Order step in with an important mission. Xander thinks he’s ready to step up to carry out this mission. The older brother is entirely against it. The Elders disagree. They send the younger brother off on said mission. It’s really the execution of the episode that makes it something special.

~Desciple~ writes and directs the second episode – Bloodline. The fan film community is sometimes a small knit one. It’s pretty cool that Ron and ~Desciple~ teamed up on this particular episode. ~Desciple~ is the force behind another series of classic fan films The Crow: Purgatory and Purgatory 2. He even brought along his crow actor David Lockhart to make a nice little cameo.

Ron Santiano returns to write and direct the third episode of the Order series with Xander’s Path. I find this the weakest of the episodes. If I was to guess I’m thinking time was a factor. As the previous chapters were well acted and choreographed this one seemed a bit rushed and drawn out. After a brief epilog it takes about five minutes into it to get going. There’s no semblance of the development for the story setup in the first two episodes except for the fact that Xander continues to search for Eve. You’ll see a lot of sword play and a lot of martial arts, but no sense of urgency that was so well orchestrated in the very first episode. The scenes were all shot at night making it hard to follow some of the action. And the reveal at the end made you think you fell into a martial arts soap opera. It just felt like a lot of filler.

THE SUM UP

The Chronicles of the Order is a well acted super natural, martial arts series. You should watch this series and then tackle the Eve series that has now been re-edited into the new feature film titled Beauty & The Blade: Forgotten Savior.

The Chronicles of the Order is thin on plot. I was pretty disappointed in the third episode, but am told there are still three more episodes to finish out this series. I trust Ron and team will get back on point propelling the story forward.

Once the The Chronicles Of The Order has concluded there’s plans for a spin-off called The Guardian Angels. We’ll let you know more about that once details have been revealed.

It seems that just this past year there’s been a few Superman virtuosos popping up prepared to put their fan film stamp on the Last Son of Krypton. Superman: Requiem and the newly announced Superman: The Golden Child are two projects getting some positive buzz out there on the internet. At this point who knows if they’ll be any good. I personally haven’t seen enough information on either to make a determination. They may be genius. They may live out their life hidden in a whirlpool of YouTube videos between the likes of Chris Croker and Two Girls, One Cup.

Another production ablaze with buzz is Johnny K. Wu’s S: A Superman Fan Film. This one is the closest to be let out of the gate with an online world release date of October 1st. There’s plenty of stills out there of the film as well as the trailer which I did make comment on when posting it on the Fan Film Follies news section. My critique then holds up and I’ll revisit what that is. Johnny sent along an almost completed version of the full seventeen minute film. I guess they have some sound work and remixing to take care of before the initial release.

Let me indicate this before I go on. I don’t like to write critiques of fan films. I can tear Hollywood movies a new asshole left and right all day long without a problem. Hollywood has millions of dollars to make movies and they mostly make crap. Plus what do they care what I have to say? They just don’t get my money. Fan film makers have hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars to work with. I can really appreciate how they do so much with so little. They also don’t get my money because as we all know they can’t make a cent off someone else’s intellectual property. They release their films online for free. How crazy is that? With the Fan Film Follies I either post fan films I really think bring something new to the fan film table or I simply ignore them letting them disappear into obscurity. I don’t do reviews.

BUT! Are you ready for the BUT, Johnny? When someone sends me an advance copy of their film they do so with the expectation of getting more exposure for their efforts in the hope to build some kind of following as they move closer to their release date. So here it goes. The no holds barred review of Johnny K. Wu’s S: A Superman Fan Film.

My biggest critique off fan films that I indicate over and over again in writing for the site and also through the Fan Film Podcast is both sound and acting. Even potentially good fan films suffer because the wrong decisions are made in casting and/or no one is concentrating on one of the most important aspects of making any movie and that is sound. OK. Unless you’re making a silent movie I take exception. S already has two of my worst pet peeves covered. I know at the time of writing this review Johnny and his team were remixing the sound for the film. And it does need it especially in the parts where all the action occurs. It’s clear they had an Audio Engineer during their initial shoot so kudos to that individual.

George Tutie as Superman. George is built. They have his shirt off at one point torn from the climactic end battle. I’m not sure if that was intended for the story or Johnny wanted to show the audience his actor does have muscles or a combination of both, but either way George is clearly ripped. Does he have the body of Superman? No. I would instantly cast him as Peter Parker in my next Spiderman fan film, but he’s not proportioned for the character of Superman the way Michael O’Hearn was in World’s Finest. How do you find a muscle bound person who looks like Superman and who can actually act? Beats the hell out of me. I get what Johnny was after with someone athletic who could deliver a convincing performance. All I could think of in the back of my mind while watching the film was that classic line from Star Wars, “Aren’t you a little short to be a Storm Trooper?” – “Aren’t you a little skinny to be a Superman?”

The rest of the characters were well cast bringing in solid performances. If I was to be nitpicky (and I will be) when Lex Luthor played by E Ray Goodwin Jr. first shows up he’s way to smiley for the lack of a better word. He was like Lex Luthor light. I’m not sure if this was a decision made by the actor or the direction he was given, but he seemed like the Mister Rogers of Superman villains. I was waiting for Mr. McFeely to show up and deliver some mail made of Kryptonite. I understand what was trying to be conveyed. Lex was trying to be convincing to the fact that he’s a “changed man”. It just seemed forced. As the film progressed Goodwin fell into the Luthor we all know and loath. When you see the film in October you’ll instantly pick up on what I mean.

Extra big kudos for delivering a villain not yet seen in a live action fan film. This villain being in the form of Brainiac played by B Kyle Znamenak. Everything about the look and the performance was spot on.

When I first posted the trailer to S: A Superman Fan Film I commented how I was distracted in my viewing by all the heavy CGI. It was explained to me by Johnny when I raised this point initially that he was going for a more comic book look so the reason for the big use of After Effects and the green screen. I’m not exactly the picture of youth. I’m more an old school, practical effects kind of guy. To put my review in perspective I’m not overly crazy about a majority of the mainstream movies that come out with intense computer graphics. The Playstation 3/XBOX 360 video game generation may well dismiss it as awesome, but it my opinion it distracts and detracts from the story being presented. I’m not talking in all cases. The remake of Clash of the Titans comes instantly to mind as an overuse of the tool making a terribly written movie terrible looking. On the flip side the genius that was Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings uses CGI fittingly only when practical effects couldn’t cut the butter.

In S I can accept certain shots that could never of been done practically. We are talking a limited budgeted fan film here. And we’re also talking about one of the most difficult superheroes to bring to the live action world. That’s why we don’t see many fan films based on the character as opposed to the Batman who has at least a trillion popping up all over the viral video sites. It’s just easier to make a film about a guy dressed up as a bat rather than some boy falling from the sky from another planet who can fly, lift mountains, shoot beams of light out of his eyes, see into the girl’s locker room (unless it’s a lead wall), and has a rogue’s gallery equally as difficult to bring to live action.

I should also mention in closing that the fight scenes were well planned and executed. That’s what steamed my cookies about Superman Returns. Not only was it an ejaculation of what Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve already did there was no giant battle. No crashing through buildings. No fisticuffs in the middle of the streets of Metropolis. S: A Superman Fan Film has these elements that the fans want to see. That I want to see! And although I piss and moan about the use of CGI in this short film the action elements are well designed and paced.

THE SUM UP

S: A Superman Fan Film is well written, well acted and more importantly has something to say. We get a surprise ending that will leave the hardcore fanboy and girls in mass debate.

S: A Superman Fan Film relies too much on CGI. Annoyingly so. That’s really my only biggest bitch towards the film. Superman fans are going to love it.

UPDATE! It is done. JustHost.com is now just a fleeting nightmare. We’re happy to see the site back up 100% and on a service that doesn’t go down multiple times in a month. Now bring on some fan films!

EARLIER POST 06/28/2011

You may of noticed the Fan Film Follies site was down for a couple days thanks once again to the colossal disaster that is our service provider JustHost.com. You may ask why we’ve stuck with them so long. It’s no small thing moving all our content from one host to another. But after this last episode we’re taking the time out to run away from them as fast as we can.

In the coming week we’ll be switching over to a much better and much more stable provider. It shouldn’t make the site go down again, but when it comes to JustHost I can’t imagine they wouldn’t screw it up somehow.

EARLIER POST 06/26/2010

I’m happy to report that the Audio section of the Fan Film Follies is back in full working order. This transition was almost painless taking a lot less time than I thought it would. There are some missing videos on the site that we host. Those films are being uploaded right now and everything will be 100% by the end of the day. As always please let me know if you find any films or audio that DOES NOT work for you so I can fix it. Thanks much!

EARLIER POST 06/17/2010

I just wanted any and all who are interested that the Fan Film Follies server is now online and waiting for the plentiful films and audio files to rest on her hardy hard drive. That means all the missing audio and video from this website should be online by next week sometime. Took a shorter time than I thought. I may even know what I’m doing! I know! A stretch there. I’ll let you know when the site is back up to 100%. Thanks for being patient!

EARLIER POST 06/12/2010

Some updates from Fan Film Follies. I debated if I should of put this in the news area or my Child of Alien Invaders column so I decided to do both to make sure everyone got the heads up on the current standing with the site.

I wanted to start by thanking everyone who has been supporting and viewing the website. A very special thank you to Larry Longstreth and JE Smith for helping out with their great columns. This site is theirs as much as it is mine.

As you can imagine it takes time to seek out these great films, add the content to the site, and do everything that needs to be done to make it into what my original vision for the FFF was/is. The one place to go to watch fan films and listen to fan audio.

On top the Fan Film Follies site I have “real life” responsibilities, I write and produce my own projects over at http://www.makingcomicsstudios.com, it’s the summer, I’m turning 40 (PARTY!) and sometimes I just want to sit down (although it rarely happens) and play a video game all day. Hence the reasons for the lack of updates the past month.

And now a new wrinkle. I was just informed by my webhost that they do not support streaming audio or video. They lovingly contacted me on Friday, June 11th to tell me I had 24 hours to take that content off or they would suspend my account. Mind you I’ve had this account for almost a year. I suspect that they’re only contacting me now because of the amount of bandwidth all you guys and gals are using. Needless to say JustHost.com left a bad taste in my mouth. Not to the fact that they told me I had to take the content down, but to the fact they did it on a Friday, only gave me 24 hours, and did this behind a cloud of emails. I couldn’t even get a phone number to talk to a human being about it. So whatever. Fuck you JustHost. I can’t download my files fast enough and be done with you. Yes. That’s called sour grapes!

SO NOW WHAT!? I entertained going to another provider and there are many that host both audio and video streaming for about the same price. Here’s the problem and it’s always the tricky problem because we are talking fan films with characters and concepts owned by another party. If I’m not the license holder of the films I could experience the same issue I’m having with JustHost if I do decide to go with another provider. “Take down the files or we’ll suspend your account.” And I understand it. It makes perfect sense.

And if you’re wondering why I don’t put the films hosted on the Fan Film Follies server to YouTube, Spike, Vimeo, or any of the number of video sites on the internet is because YouTube suspended an account I had a long time ago because Marvel Entertainment contacted them to shut me down. I put a lot of time into building that YouTube channel and wouldn’t want that repeated.

What is my answer? Many of you are probably already thinking it. Just host the content yourself. I’ll be dusting off an older computer tower and turning it into a server. I just wanted everyone to know that I may not have many updates in the coming weeks, but certainly will be working on the FFF behind the scenes.

As always if you would like to help with the website with articles, podcasts, or just helping me post content I would love you long time. Maybe you always wanted to learn some HTML, streaming audio/video, FTP – all simple stuff I’d be more than happy to teach. Send me an email at info@fanfilmfollies.com if interested.

Keep in mind during the transition the audio portion of the site won’t be working and many of the videos the Fan Film Follies host will be offline. We’ll get these back to you as soon as possible.

OK GANG! I just wanted to give you an update on the site. As it is my birthday today I am off to play some video games, drink some beers, and hang out with friends. That is my perfect day!

PEACE!!!

I remember the years after Return of the Jedi came out as the merchandise began to dwindle from the shelves and to quench the Star Wars thirst all we had were a couple short lived cartoon series and a couple made for television Ewok Adventures. Even the comic book series produced my Marvel Comics was cancelled. There became a Star Wars void at a time when the fans wanted more.

As the 1990s rolled in the fan’s call was heeded in the form of an excellent trilogy of books by Timothy Zahn. A viral sensation fan film named Troops was put online. Action figures and accessories were being released in the stores again. Dark Horse Comics blew me away with their Dark Empire series. Let’s not leave out the “Special Editions” that came to a theater near you. Han shot first damn it!!!

And FINALLY! The mother of all announcements. George Lucas would produce a whole new series of prequels. I must of watched the trailer for The Phantom Menace a kazillion times. But then I actually went to see the movie.

I like the prequels. I don’t love them. I like them. They had some terrible acting, terrible dialogue, and plot holes you could drive a convoy through, but they’re still – on the most part – enjoyable. They just don’t have the rewatchability of the original three.

Then came a wave of merchandising that was overwhelming. I was a collector of Star Wars. I have totes and totes of action figures and ships in my basement crying to be free. I indicate I “was” a collector because I stopped the same reason I stopped collecting comics. No. Not because it was time to grow up. That will never happen. I stopped because of absolute overkill. You have special edition figures, store exclusives, convention exclusives, variants, mailaways – it just turned the fun of collecting into not being so fun.

Then came the pretty solid Clone Wars cartoon and then the other Clone Wars cartoon. I couldn’t make it through the first three episodes or the movie release or whatever you’d like to call it. I’ve been told it got a lot better afterwards, but I just don’t care anymore. I don’t care about Star Wars. That’s tragic.

THEN! I found Star Wars Begins this very morning as I was hunting for new fan films. It was right there on YouTube. And not only was there a Star Wars Begins, but a Building Empire and a Returning To Jedi. And I started watching. The feeling for Star Wars that I haven’t had for years came back through these amazing, fan made documentaries. Jamie Benning (aka Jambe Davdar or maybe visa versa) is the editor behind these ambitious projects. He took massive amounts of media material putting together an unbelievable commentary that fans wished would of happened with the officially released films. These blow away any documentaries or commentaries on the three films from a galaxy far, far away that I’ve seen to date. Yes. They’re that good.

Star Wars Begins

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Building Empire

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Returning To Jedi

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I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of these films were voted on not for their quality, but because friends and family were asked to vote. It just makes no sense how a film like “Your Lightsaber and You” made it on this list. Really? Seriously? I never even heard of this film. I’ve watched it since and it’s not terrible, but hardly worth slighting some much better films of superior quality. Another one is “Jedi Hunter”. Again – a pretty good production, but not nearly as good as some films that didn’t make the list.

Here is the ranking Time.com came up with:

1. Troops
2. Ryan vs. Dorkman 2
3. I.M.P.S. – The Relentless
4. Pink Five
5. Your Lightsaber and You
6. Hardware Wars
7. Duality
8. Sith Apprentice
9. Jedi Hunter
10. Star Wars Retold

So to clear up the injustice of what was done by Time.com and their top ten Star Wars fan film choices I’ll share with you the films I felt should of been listed and why. I’m sure my list is closer than what Time.com put together.

1. Troops:

This one I agree on whole heartily. Troops came along just when the internet was ripe with pictures and video and fans were yearning to see anything in the form of live action taking place in the Star Wars universe. The film became a viral juggernaut. And the special effects were inspirational. It gave notice that anyone with a video camera and a computer could make films equal to what Hollywood was putting out. Troops was released in 1998. It’s amazing how quickly technology has changed and how sophisticated the regular dude and dudette are getting with their home made productions.

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2. Hardware Wars:

This made it to the number six slot of the Time.com list right behind the forgettable “Your Lightsaber and You”. This makes me crazy with Fanboy rage. I must correct this grave injustice spawned by a galaxy far, far away. Hardware Wars is what we call in the fan film world a classic. Released in 1978 this spoof has seen resurgence of life about as many times as the original trilogy.

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3. The Dark Redemption

This film didn’t even make it onto the Time.com top ten. Another travesty of injustice. All the items on my desk are shaking because I CAN NOT control my emotions. The Dark Redemption was the first and to my knowledge the only live action appearance of the Timothy Zahn created character Mara Jade. I’m sure there’s some obscure fan film out there I haven’t seen that has the character in it. The Dark Redemption was also pulled off the internet by LucasFilm when it was released. Soon after LucasFilm changed their policy towards fan films and The Dark Redemption returned online for all to see. You can speculate as to why the policy was changed. My personal belief is due to the outcry from the fans.

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4. Ryan vs. Dorkman 2

The top three are the easy ones. We have reached the point where it gets a little more difficult in the ranking. If I could have seven number fours then it would be so much easier if that makes any sense. There are a lot of fan films on YouTube where the entire thing is a light saber fight. I mean there are a kazillion of those type babies on the internet. None of them will stack up to Ryan vs. Dorkman 2. The choreography and effects are top notch. This production became a staple of inspiration for a plethora of fan films sense.

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5. Crossroads of Destiny

From the makers of Contract Of Evil. A fairly new, but surprisingly unknown fan film. Crossroads is a prequel to the prequels with the main character being a very young Obi-Wan Kenobi. The other principles have uncanny likenesses to their original movie counterparts. Everything is in place here; acting, special effects, makeup.

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6. Contract Of Evil

Simple plot. Darth Maul is assigned to take down a couple “want-to-be” Sith. The visuals and make-up are outstanding. Enough said!

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7. I.M.P.S. The Relentless

Time.com gave this a number three ranking. This series of short films are outstanding productions, but they don’t warrant the number three spot. BUT! Obviously, they do belong in the top ten. I.M.P.S. carries the same approach as Troops where we see the daily lives of your average Imperial grunts told in a humorous manner. These films work not being to over the top to where the jokes weigh down the enjoyment factor. Not to mention the costumes and effects are OUTSTANDING!

8. Broken Allegiance

How did this film not make the top ten? What’s wrong with you fans? How much Bantha fodder have you been smoking? Broken Allegiance is a 2002 Australian-made fan film set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Two Sith apprentices, Ruan & Calis, escape the Empire by fleeing the planet Coruscant in a stolen transport. They must fight for their freedom when Darth Vader sends a vicious bouty hunter, Korbain Thor, to track them down.

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9. Pink Five

You can’t keep this influential film out of the top ten. Pink Five has had an actual impact on the licensed material with an action figure made out of Pink Five’s droid and the character even making an appearance in one of the novels. Perhaps this trilogy of films should be higher on the list, but again it’s hard to rank the bottom seven of these fantastic productions.

10. Knight Quest

This premiered in 2001 when online fan films were few and far between. This filled an empty void for Star Wars material. The acting is not incredibly good, but the visuals and effects are solid. It was another one of those films that raised the bar for the next set of creators who wanted to delve into the Star Wars universe.

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And there you have it. I’m confident this is a better list than what Time.com came up with. The films I listed have a more historical and influential meaning in the context of the Star Wars fan film not to mention the sheer entertainment value.

Time.com had Star Wars Retold and Duality in their list as well where I don’t. They would be added if I did a top twenty. Both are great films, but I just don’t think they have the same impact as what I’ve listed. Some other honorable mentions should be Chad Vader, Makazie One, Bounty Trail, Rogue, George Lucas in Love and Revelations.

Now what if we took some of our favorite movies which included a sword type fight in the story, break out the Adobe After Effects, and turn those swords into the Jedi’s weapon of choice? You get some very clever visuals. Posted below are some of my favorite of these type mashups. If you want to see more do a search on YouTube or Google. There’s a lot of them out there. Enjoy!

Princess Bride

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