|
The Worst Sci-Fi
Sequel Ever!
|
||||||
|
|
download the web-release edition 84 mb download the movie with commentary tracks (Linux users only) 117 mb commentary tracks in mp3 format: Ted's commentary track 11 mb Willy's commentary track 11 mb Bitscape's commentary track 11 mb Ted and I went to work on creating the premise for the movie
before we even confirmed that Heather would be available for it. We
decided that the primary driving force for the movie, beyond storyline
or effects or even sheer campiness, would be references ad naseum
to all sorts of sci-fi. The Worst
Sci-Fi Prequel Ever! must hold a record for least original
material in a Wilhelm Pictures film. We were able to shoot The Worst Sci-Fi Sequel Ever
on the first Tuesday of my summer vacation, 2001. We continued in the
traditional style of Ted directing on the fly. I was held responsible
for the
"effects." I had fashioned a new sort of effects dolly, with a video
camera mounted on a tripod lashed to a skateboard. The skateboard was
mine, but I hadn't bothered to maintain it, and the wheels jammed
ferociously whenever we attempted a smooth tracking shot. Ted did his traditional style of directing, working without a screenplay, or even a treatment, making up the lines as we went along. We didn't bother to edit this one either, so we only had one take for each scene. That was a bad idea, since we made endless of mistakes during the shooting. Also, we had taped over footage of Ted's high school graduation, for some reason. Whenever the camera powered down completely, the tape skipped forward a bit, leaving obnoxious bursts of graduation footage between our scenes. The "world premiere" was later that day, with a whopping five
people in attendance (my family). As with the original, this sequel was
regarded as vaguely amusing, although our attempts at humor were
overshadowed by the intercut graduation footage. Also, we were
not altogether pleased with the acting, or the effects, or the fact
that we had only one take per scene. It didn't seem to bother us that
we were mostly lacking a story. The ending, as we intended it, was a "downer": the main
character (who now had a name: Captain
Logan) was captured, and space station *Hack!* was in flames. This gave
us an excuse to torch one of my cheap "spacedock" models
(which really was built from a paper towel tube and a manilla folder).
The plot was left hanging, unconcluded, necessitating a
trilogy conclusion. Or, in our case, The Worst
Sci-Fi Trilogy Conclusion Ever!,
the most ambitious geurrilla film of the trilogy.
|
|||||
| Copyright
2002-2007 by Willy
Logan. All rights reserved. willy@wilhelm-aerospace.org |