Web Series: Spellfury

TITLE: Web Series: Spellfury

YEAR: 2008-present

GENRE: Fantasy

WEBSITE: http://www.spellfury.com

Fantasy is a fairly tough market for the film world in the fact that the expectations are usually sky high. Ever since the epic Lord Of The Rings trilogy from 2002-2004 fans have seen that these movies can be utterly amazing and hope that all these films will meet this standard. For those who are willing to lower their standards for products that have less than a fraction of Peter Jackson’s craft services budget will find the Dungeons and Dragons-inspired ‘Spellfury” internet series to be an entertaining way to waste some free time.

Druinia (played by Julie O’Halloran) is an elf who has possession of a magic sword and is on a quest through an enchanted forest to avenge the death of her father. Her companion Tarek (Matt Ficner) is killed early in the journey and Druinia is forced to fight huge bats, evil spirits, and other forest creatures in her quest. Mythical creatures are the last of Druinia’s problems as evil sorcerer Kruskull (Robbie Drebitt) wants the sword for its powers and Xorn (Ian Quick) wants to sell the sword for its monetary values. Kruskull sends a legion of Grokonians to steal the sword and eliminate the elf, and during the epic battle Xorn also makes efforts to take the sword and leave Druinia for dead

“Spellfury” is fairly light in its approach and the humor level is pretty high at times. There are many interesting and entertaining one-liners throughout the production: for example, when Xorn picks up the magical sword and it does not glow Druinia exclaims “Maybe it doesn’t like disgusting troll dung!” There is also a self-depreciating mystic monk named Errol (Robbie Drebitt) who cracks some funny one-liners such as when he borrows from “SouthPark” by saying “I’m not fat, I’m big boned” and snarks some cracks about organized religion. On the production front, the costuming is acceptable for a internet-only series although it is laughable at times especially Druinia’s horrible wig which looks like it came off a 1960’s “Star Trek” set and the costumes of the Grokonians which resemble the worst happy Bigfoot costumes ever seen. One highlight was in episode four when Druinia fights off a swarm of CGI-created mutant bats which looks very cool considering the show’s zero budget. The filming is very nice and crisp and the sound and lighting are very good considering the show’s financial limitations. Ultimately what works for “Spellfury” is that director/writer Travis Gordon knows when to spend the effort on the production and when to go for a lighter approach which gives “Spellfury” a light and entertaining attitude that makes it worthy to watch.

A file from the “so stupid it must be true” category: this Canadian-based production features commercials from of all sponsors the United States Coast Guard—just another example of US-based taxpayer money leaving the country. Ficner is an aspiring puppeteer who had his work featured in the Hollywood production Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium as well as the Canadian TV show “Wingin’ It”. It appears that another one is planned as the character Kruskull appears on a YouTube video asking for donations equaling $9000 so that more episodes can be created. Whether the episodes will continue or not is yet to be seen, but “Spellfury” is an entertaining view for those looking for odd stuff to watch while the supervisor is occupied at work.  The longest episode is less than five minutes long, so “Spellfury” is a quick and fun view that will be fairly memorable for fans of internet-based series. All twelve episodes are on their website as well as production pictures, notes on the cast and crew, and a blog from Gordon.

* * * 1/2

–Mark

Web Series: Policeman vs Fireman

TITLE: Policeman vs. Fireman

YEAR: 2007-2011

GENRE: Comedy

WEBSITE: http://www.policemanvsfireman.com/

Internet-based series are gaining a lot of steam in recent years. It does not take a lot to create a series: a camera, some editing equipment, and a giant imagination is all one really needs in order to make an internet series. Getting it seen by tons of people is another animal, although series such as “Fred” and ‘Vexika” has been seen by millions thanks to YouTube and word of mouth through Facebook and Myspace. The “Policeman Vs. Fireman” internet series has been one of these success stories, as over seven million hits has been registered on YouTube for this series. “Policeman vs. Fireman” may be funny during the first couple views, but as the series drags on it relies on recycling its old jokes and ends up being stale and predictable.

“Policeman vs. Fireman” is the adventures of two sock puppets that live in the real world, and both serve the public. Perry is a police officer and a nice guy, to the point where he once helps his ex-wife move into her new home. Perry is not appreciated by the citizens of his city and struggles with his service and his lack of attention from woman. Jake is a fireman who has taken the opportunity of the heroism of post-9/11 firemen and using this by scoring with as many women as possible. Perry is jealous of Jake and his triumphs with the female persuasion, and at times the duo’s relationship is strained as a result of Jake’s constant bragging of his sexual conquests and Perry’s lack of female companionship.

These are about as simple as internet series can be: the set is almost exclusively an American flag with the two characters talking about their lives in front of the stars and stripes. The first couple episodes of “Policeman vs. Fireman” do have a humorous element as the two compare sexual escapades including Jake “pulling a train with three waitresses”. After Perry is at a loss for words Jake comes up with some silly slogan such as “give a hoot, don’t pollute” and Perry lets out a string of cuss words. This works well for the first couple one minute long episodes, but as the episodes mount the producers give out limited new ideas for their sock puppet heroes. The best episode is when Perry finally scores in a local bar, but later finds out that Jake had the same girl a few days previous. The producers do try to spice the series up here and there especially when the two do work together to confront a man in need of being arrested, but the jokes run sour fairly quickly. “Policeman vs. Fireman” is the perfect example of a one-trick pony, and that trick is fairly immature wih a lack of creativity.

One smart aspect is that the longest episode of ‘Policeman Vs. Fireman” is a whopping two minutes long, so fans will not feel like they wasted a significant amount of time in their efforts to watch this lowbrow series. One or two episodes on their own are entertaining enough, but “Policeman vs. Fireman” does not give enough creative ideas to warrant watching the entire series. Do yourself a favor and watch the first episode and the comical part 3, but leave the rest of the series alone. There are better videos on the internet to watch; come on, there has to be a dancing squirrel or a box of kittens on YouTube somewhere. There are a total of sixteen short episodes as of this writing with more in the works.

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–Mark

Web Series: Star Trek: Osiris

TITLE: Star Trek: Osiris

YEAR: 2009-present

GENRE: Science Fiction

WEBSITE: www.stosiris.com

When one decides to create a fan-based film product based on a world famous series it creates certain standards that a low budget production may not be able to meet. Star Trek is one of those series that has spawned a certain amount of internet series that have varying degrees of success. One of the best known series would be “Star Trek: Osiris”, an internet web series out of Detroit. Although not a perfect production, “Star Trek” Osiris” is one of the better productions coming out that salutes the grandfather of sci-fi fandom.

“Star Trek” Osiris” happens during the same timeline as “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. There is a civil war in the Federation’s borders and the crew of the Starship Osiris has spent their maiden voyage in the middle of the battle. In the episode “Penumbra”, the Osiris is parked in space port receiving repairs from the previous battle. Several storylines are happening in the aftermath of the attempted coup: Lieutenant Tanara Eban (played by Joy Huh) is a Trill who has been requested to take on a symbiote much to her dismay; several of the mutineers are being interrogated in efforts to find the kidnapped President of the Federation; and fresh-faced and recently graduated Ensign Kara Donovan (Mary Gibbs) is dealing with her conflicting emotions on how such a revolt could happen to the great and glorious Federation. Osiris Captain Kieran Bale (Jay Miller) holds his crew together during the rest in space port, but no song or revelry is happening with a crew dealing with repairs, rebellion and personal conflicts.

As fans know Star Trek is more of a true drama than a shoot em up science fiction adventure such as Star Wars, so the selection of actors and actresses is more crucial in a production that is used to selecting Shakespearean actors for their captains rater than the biggest stars available. “Star Trek: Osiris” fortunately knows this and has brought together a pretty good set of thespians, especially Gibbs who is an undiscovered gem of an actress. She plays her multi-dimensional character quite well and gives a stirring performance, especially at the end of “Penumbra” where she laments about some of her actions to Captain Bale which were forced at phaser point; this presentation takes out the speaking and superimposes an emotional muasical score (written by Matt Milne) which is quite powerful and memorable. The multiple storylines also flow together well, and at an episode length of 50 minutes the viewer can enjoy the tales in a fulfilling manner. The major criticism for “Star Trek: Osiris” is that its matting with green screen shots is absolutely terrible and there is an obvious electronic line around the actors throughout the production. This needs to be fixed in future productions as it detracts from the decent set construction and CGI effects. The immature side of me is saying this, but there also needs to be more action scenes incorporated into the writing as a limited spaceship battle is all this episode of “Star Trek: Osiris” offers up. I also like the fact that ‘Star Trek: Osiris” follows the tradition of using minority people into positions of strong leadship as the Hollywood series has done throughout its history, in this case having a homosexual captain.

There will be many fans who will instantly criticize this series becaused it does not have the budget or technical expertise of the Hollywood franchise, but “Star Trek: Osiris” is better done than I anticipated and deserves its spot in fandom. It may not be the special effects or visual extravaganza of the more acclaimed web series “Vexika”, but the producers understand that it is the writing and storyline that will make this series more interesting and timeless. I am pleased that ‘Star Trek: Osiris” has followed the tradition of quality storylines and character development, and fandom will be better because of their mature decisions. There currently are three full length episodes online with a fourth launching next month, plus the website also has blooper reels and pictures of the production.

* * * 1/2

–Mark

Web Series: Bus Pirates

TITLE: Bus Pirates

YEAR: 2007-2008

GENRE: Action Adventure and Comedy

WEBSITE: www.buspirates.com

As we have discussed before, internet series can be a mixed bag. Production values due to lack of finances are usually quite low in these series, so they must rely on unique ideas and a heavy dose of creativity in order to woo potential viewers to their site to watch their product. Many series do throw in a large amount of sexy content as well to attract less mature viewers, but this is not necessary in order to create a quality product worthy of repeated viewings. Such is the case with the web miniseries “Bus Pirates,” an entertaining and funny offering that is also well crafted and creative.

Meet Dan (played by Fred Maske), a local junior office executive whose vehicle is in the shop. He ventures onto the Los Angeles Transportation System and ends up on the bus. While trying to find his way around he starts some small talk with Kristi (Nikki Slater), an attractive blonde in the back of the bus. Little do they know that their transport is about to be plundered by Captain Jack Bonnier (William Bibbiani) and his band of pirates. Things are about to get worse as another group of scurvy dogs led by Redbeard (Adam Taylor) venture onto the same bus and kidnap Kristi. As Dan attempts to find Kristi he discovers the legend of the robot’s kiss, which he and Kristi may be a part of the folklore. Will Kristi be Blackbeard’s pirate bride, or will Dan win the hand of the fair maiden? Is the legend of the robot’s kiss true? Will Redbeard learn how to pronounce Bonnier’s name?

Alright, I will admit that the plot is ridiculous but “Bus Pirates” has put together a quality production that has a comical script. The banter between the actors is especially entertaining: for example, Redbeard states funny lines such as “As sure as traffic fines are doubled in construction zones you will be my pirate bride!” and Bonnier explains why they have to stop the bus to pick up Redbeard and his gang by saying “It’s a bus stop, not a bus go!” The production is very good considering they only spent about $850 an episode (mostly to rent a bus) and there are some very acceptable and hilarious sword fighting scenes throughout. She does not have a line, but the facial expressions of the bus driver (played by Brandy Davis) is especially enjoyable as she looks at all the fallacy as remotely normal on her route. The Black Oracle (Rob Walters) who holds the key to the legend of the robot’s kiss turns out to be a schizophrenic African-American homeless man at the back of the bus is also quite comical in his execution. “Bus Pirates” also does a great job with the stereotypical pirate-themed music, plus the opening and closing credits are well done especially at the end of the series. The acting overall is also pretty good and there are many quality performances through “Bus Pirates”.

“Bus Pirates” will not win any film festival awards, but it is a well written and entertaining romp through a fantasy world wrapped up in a normal setting for working class people and college students. It almost makes me want to board the local transportation system and do some pillaging and plundering myself I am hoping that these guys decide to do another series of “Bus Pirates” as they understand what they are doing and know how to create a web series that is sure to thrill, entertain, and create a few quality belly laughs at the same time. You can find the six episodes on their website and YouTube. Before watching make sure to pour yourself a mug of grog, put on that eye patch, and load your flint lock pistol to prepare a rollicking good time with “Bus Pirates”. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

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–Mark

Web Series: Vexika

TITLE: Vexika

YEAR: 2010 and 2011

GENRE: Science Fiction and Action/Adventure

WEBSITE: www.vexika.com

Getting viewers for a web series can be especially difficult. When competing with YouTube, Hollywood, and the independent film world it has to be difficult to get people to come over to your website and view your efforts. The creators of the “Vexika” miniseries have done an admirable job at that: they have been featured on “Attack Of The Show” on G4-TV plus “Vexika” has a very active Facebook page with over 12,000 fans as of this writing. Impressive enough, but marketing is desinged to sell a product, not necessarily reflect on its quality. In the case of “Vexika” the promotion serves as a smokescreen to cover up an inferior storyline and inadequate writing.

Vexika is a superior fighting machine with a tight leather outfit, and it seems that her mission is to whack ninjas in some mountaneous wasteland. Her only flaw is nanoids that coarse through her veins that need to be continually fed an organic compound to keep her alive. She slays the ninjas because they can feed her nanoids to keep her alive, but the goal is to find FR#0, the master ninja which should have enough nanoid food to feed her forever.

In order to give the reader a synopsis of “Vexika” I had to go to their website and read through the character biographies to figure out the plot, and there is no reason why I should have to do that. Nothing is explained well in the storyline and the film is more concerned about butt kicking than substance. That would not be such a bad thing, but the fight scnes are poor and lack proper choreography and the violence is not stylistic nor inspired. The filming is very nice for an independent but it is obvious that the film makers attended the Zach Snyder school of film as they are doing their best to copy the look of 300 and Watchmen. As a result, the filming is immature in the fact that every camera angle centers attention on Vexika’s (played by Miranda Stewart) boobs, butt, and other assets accented by the leather costume. The sexuality of the filming shows that the film makers are not confident in the story and instead uses sex to sell their products, which goes back to the marketing of an inferior product: sell to the lowest common denominator when needed. In addition, there are some alien-style faces that appear in the background periodically that are not explained adequately other than they are “always teaching and coaxing her to do the right thing,” and the extra-terrestrials seem to be a waste of time that do not add to the story.

The more technical film making aspect of the miniseries has some style and shows potential, but “Vexika” lacks a storyline or character development that would make the series memorable. The marketing for the series is well done and should be modeled by other indie film makers, but the producers of “Vexika” need to go to school and take some notes when it comes to making a more memorable product that has a storyline and some type of plot structure that does not require the viewer to search through their website to understand what they just watched. The story is a mess without the suggestive content, and hopefully “Vexika” will improve the writing with future episodes of this web series. The first three episodes are available to watch for free on their website. In the meantime, “Vexika” should not be a high priority on your watch list.

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–Mark

Web Series: Ninja Babes From Space

TITLE: Ninja Babes From Space

YEAR: 2008-2010

GENRE: Science Fiction and Comedy

WEBSITE: www.ninjababesfromspace.com

One of the beauties of owning your own blog is that you can venture out into unchartered territory and write about other subjects at times. Periodically I will also review internet-only series that are made by aspiring film makers around the country. This is to help these indie film makers promote their works and to give you, the reader, other alternatives to watch for free in the comfort of your own home.

Some science fiction is designed to make political or social statements about their time. Films like The Day The Earth Stood Still, Gattaca, and Planet Of The Apes (1968, not the Tim Burton one) are classic sci-fi fare that speak on important issues such as pollution, the destruction of the planet, and genetic engineering that get their point across in an effective manner. The theme behind the web miniseries “Ninja Babes From Space” is a bit more simplistic: hot girls with large boobs in skin-tight costumes with catty mouths are a fun escape from reality. This is definitely cotton candy in the food groups that are science fiction, but “Ninja Babes From Space” is a fun way to waste an hour or so.

Four of the Ninja Babes venture to a long forgotten temple to retrieve the Family Jewels, a set of precious gems that hold great mojo for all that hold them. However, one of the Ninja Babes named Raven betrays the group to get her clutches on the jewels for herself (who would have guessed the bad girl would be dressed in black?). The rest of the Ninja Babes have to fight their way through space to fight Raven , her blue skinned minions, and a robot. Obstacles are put in the way however, especially a prince named Kendrick who becomes lovestruck with one of the Ninja Babes.

“Ninja Babes From Space” has a good amount of items checked in its favor. The characters, considering the goals of director/writer Dan Lantz, are well developed and written especially Ruby (well played by Jessah Diaz), a rough and tumble Ninja Babe who is a bit irrelevant and punk rawk at times yet dedicated to the cause of the group. The special effects are very well done, the costuming is more professional than one would expect, and the fight scenes are fairly well choreographed; one would almost think that “Ninja Babes from Space” would have been produced by Spike TV or the SyFy Channel if one did not know it was purely indie in nature. The miniseries also stays within the realm of fairly good taste (no nudity, sorry guys) with the exception of the jabs the Babes make at each other and the numerous sexual innuendos (for example, Ruby blows up a spaceship with a large hand-held cannon and says with a grin “Yes boys, size does matter!”). The main characters are not the only quality participants as the writer does develop a few characters for a few laughs, especially Izzy who could have easily stepped off the set of Clueless (complete with a Chihuahua) if Alicia Silverstone wore skin tight breastplates and battled aliens in a single pilot spaceship.

Shakespeare it is not, but “Ninja Babes From Space” is an entertaining romp through the galaxy with several beautiful and thinly clad women as your captains. Those who enjoy a lot of cheese, beautiful women, and funny one liners with their science fiction should find “Ninja Babes From Space” a pleasurable and comical frolic through the universe. Nothing serious here, but definitely worth watching. All eight episodes are available on the website listed above.

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–Mark