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WoW Moviewatch: Ashbringer : The Return of Tirion Fordring
Have care! This movie has spoilers. Today's Moviewatch is also the featured movie for WarcraftMovies. It is Ashbringer : The Return of Tirion Fordring by Atraira. I didn't want to feature the same movie on the same day, but with the coming release of Wrath, the subject matter is pretty timely. This movie recreates the end of the Death Knight quest chain in video format. I really liked the story, voice acting, and lore. I watched the video once, enjoyed it, and then listened to the dialogue again while not watching the video. The script is very strong, and the dialogue fits the ambience of Wrath of the Lich King incredibly well. The camera work, though, didn't do a lot for me. I enjoyed the visuals, and there's only so much Atraira could have done recording scripted in game events. But they still felt a little static to me. We could have used some more dynamic shots, or maybe clever use of shooting angles to mimic the emotion we were hearing from the actors. Atraira admitted frustration while recording the events, and I definitely have sympathy for that. [Via WarcraftMovies.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Forgotten
Today's machinima scored second place in WarcraftMovie's Shrieking Shorties contest. Kilh Machinima created Forgotten as the trailer to a movie that will never be made. While the author had a much fuller story and script in mind, he had to basically toss that aside and start from scratch due to the contest's time limit. This trailer, like the Orchard, makes very good use of horror tropes. Tense scenes are filmed through short, jarring cuts. Since the viewer (presumably) is accustomed to WoW's graphics, slight alterations and surreal shots of the scenery provide a disjointed feel to what you're seeing. And, of course, the creator uses first-person perspective at the end to help provide the trailer's "shock." The story didn't really compel me, though I was definitely impressed by the visuals. But that's kind of how horror trailers work anyway, and I think Kilh did a great job using that style to compel the viewer. [Via WarcraftMovies.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Hallow's End Special
The Myndflame team is back with a just-in-time release for this year's Hallow's End. The Myndflame community collaborated on this machinima, and I think you can see the results of a team effort. Those folks are already known for their humor, and the Hallow's End Special isn't a let down. The basic setup is that it's Hallow's End, and everyone should have a good, scary costume. Thrall is having a bit of a challenge, and finds a book to help him on his way. (One minion tells us that his mom used to make him pretend to be scared of Thrall's costume.) I have to admit, my first thought was "Aww, poor Thrall." But, it turns out all right in the end. Like I said, Myndflame's already known pretty well for bringing the funny, and they didn't disappoint this time, either. I'm always amazed with how much emotion they get into the relatively static faces of WoW, and how their angles set up the humor of their work. Go and see it for yourself on Myndflame! Lastly, I'm fairly certain no actual kittens were harmed in the production of this movie. %Gallery-35793% Previously on Moviewatch...
WoW Moviewatch: Do you speak English?
This isn't EgadPit's first time on Moviewatch, as he'd previously been featured for his work with the Warchief Debates 2008. Using the soundtrack to a Simon Pegg skit, Do you speak English? tells the tale of a blood elf whose conveyance breaks down.
WoW Moviewatch: Dynamic Action Team Ep 3: Fitting In
Oxhorn's got a new series of movies out which he's posted under the name BMD over at WeGame.com. It's a bit of a hybrid movie for us to show here at WoW Moviewatch, since its premise revolves around three characters from Team Fortress 2 who try to find their way around our beloved World of Warcraft, but we love the nearly seemless blending of the two games. Let's just say their social skills come with a 3-day waiting period and their classes are definitely OP.
WoW Moviewatch: The Little White Poney Inn
More Hallow's End spirit to end your week, in the form of a little horror flick called The Little White Poney Inn from Olibith. It's a silent horror film that was originally made in French for Le Grand Prix MMO Machinima in 2007, which won the grand prize. (Anyone surprised? This guy eats awards for breakfast.) This version contains English subtitles over the French dialog cards (subtitles for the subtitles?) and a dialed-down "old film effect" compared to the version he entered into the contest. For this year's version of the same contest, Olibith won a finalist spot for The Noob Song.) If you like to be spooked, you'll have fun with this film and I have to admit that the ending made me laugh. Oh, and someone please go give the guy a chair so he can get back to work! We want more movies, dangit![Via Vimeo]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Redshift: Pursuit Trailer
Fresh off of winning an Oswald award at BlizzCon 2008, the filmmakers at Slashdance have released a trailer for their next movie, Redshift: Pursuit. Pursuit will be a sequel to their first movie, Redshift. (The award-winning Interlude was a prequel to the same movie.)The premise appears to be revolve around the conflict that arises when the clairvoyant Aislynn (a former Night Elf turned Undead) foresees the death of another Night Elf in her visions and tries to prevent it, putting her at odds with her fellow Horde. That's all the trailer really hints at, but it's a gripping teaser for what's to come. On their website, Slashdance says that the full film version of Pursuit will be released on October 31. We'll keep a look out for it.[Via Vimeo]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: The Grasshappa Chronicles
Happy Hallow's End! Today we bring you a fluffy treat from TRiBViDs called The Grasshappa Chronicles. The most recent installment to the series, Episode 4, is linked above. (Previous episodes are 1, 2, and 3.) These movies are all treat, no trick, like the G.N.E.R.D.S. handed out these days by Innkeepers. A tasty, not too filling, but definitely an enjoyable confection featuring two dudes who pay the price for ripping off intellectual properties in previous episodes. The guys are goofy and have amusing songs running through their heads starring Justin Timberlake and Vanessa Carlton. Oh, and there's also a Hello Kitty reference for good measure.I think we all have some guilty pleasures like this in our movie-watching closets. My favorite guilty pleasures contain ram-a-lama ding-dong, Brando singing, and R.O.U.S.'s in them. I know some of you out there are Goonies freaks. Confess! [Via Machinima.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: The Gnomeregan Revenge: Red Alert
The Gnomeregan Revenge: Red Alert is an original tale told in pre-Arthas Azeroth, the first of a new trilogy by filmmaker Odessa. The Gnomish race is cast in the role of Soviet revolutionaries against the Alliance. In this episode they use their technological superiority to stage a surprise attack on Ironforge. The Gnomes even speak Russian, albeit with English subtitles. The machinima is excellent and the handheld out-of-focus shots work superbly to convey the surprise and confusion of the first wave of copter attacks. Since I don't speak French or Russian, it's difficult to tell the quality of the voice acting but the other sound effects are deftly done. (The English subtitles need some work; there are a lot of typos.) Still, I think it's possible to follow the story just from the visuals. The cliffhanger at the end prepares us for the next two episodes which promise to show us the war and its outcome. From just this first episode, it's difficult to tell if the film will have an allegoric theme with a larger message or if this was merely a creative tangent invented by the filmmaker. The follow-up episodes should come before the end of the year, so I guess we'll find out soon enough. [Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Releasing the Beast II: Don't Call me Huntard
Warning: This video contains harsh language.Today we're featuring Releasing the Beast II: Don't Call me Huntard! by Sazabi. It's an intriguing, mesmerizing, hilarious, self-aware take on a PvP movie -- following up the hugely successful Releasing the Beast. Now, wait! Don't tune out if you don't like PvP movies. It's not actually a PvP movie, per se. It's a comedy all the way, including the filmmaker showing his own failures in the battlegrounds and making fun of his arena rating. It's certainly not a how-to movie. In fact, the story goes out of its way to demonstrate that it is NOT a model of PvP play tactics.The premise is this: after brutally failing during a PvE raid (with a very funny guest voice appearance from the star of Onyxia Wipe Animation) caused by his hobby as a Fraps-aholic machinima filmmaker, our hero decides to try his hand at the battlegrounds and arena scene at the urging of his main character, an Orc hunter. (Hence, the subtitle: Don't call me huntard!) The PvP scenes are interludes within the arc of the bigger story and are set to some great music, mostly from the Naruto Original Soundtrack. These battle scenes are slickly filmed with split-screen punctuations of the action. (My only complaint about them is at times the camera angle is too high to see well.) The battle fray is framed by the comedic conflict between the Sims 2 avatar of the filmmaker and his WoW creation (or so he believes), Sazabi. The story folds in on itself so many times that you feel like you're in a Möbius strip that's been flagged in enemy territory. But that's exactly the fun here. Even though the film is 27 minutes long, you need to wait for the twist at the end which presents a fine comeuppance for our hero. (Which hero you'll have to find out for yourself.) I also recommend downloading the FileFront version because the subtitles are a bit difficult to read in the streaming version and they help clear up some of the European accents at times.[Via WarcraftMovies -- Thanks Zac!]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Fruit of Elune
Warning: Parts of this film may be offensive to some viewers.It's sad that we have to end the Moviewatch week with the film Fruit of Elune by Tivas & Gobbler of Myndflame and Dementia Studio. The filmmaker's description is this: "Elune, diety of the night elves, rains love from the heavens creating peace." My take? No. It's neither love nor peace. It's just another commercial parody, this time without much imagination and with the same underwear joke over and over again. If it were merely immature, I would shrug it off, roll my eyes, and forget about it. But on top of not being very funny or original, the filmmakers attempt a joke about domestic violence which I find entirely unhumorous and offensive to boot. I'm astounded and saddened that the judges picked this film as a Runner Up in the Comedy category for the BlizzCon 2008 movie contest. If it hadn't won a prize in the contest, you wouldn't be seeing it here on Moviewatch. Not on my watch, anyway. Not cool, Blizzard, not cool at all.[Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Mercy of the Sea
Mercy of the Sea, Runner Up in the Action/Adventure category of the BlizzCon 2008 movie contest, is a long film, clocking in at over 23 minutes. The clip embedded above is only the first act of three acts total. You can watch the entire film by streaming it, downloading it, or watching the three YouTube clips in order. Sleeping Dogs Productions, headed by J. Joshua Diltz, which also created Rise of the Living Dead and The Island, now brings us the tale of High Priestess Elunari as she tries to rescue her kidnapped child from her power-hungry husband, the Arch Druid. Of the BlizzCon-entered movies I've watched this year, this one is my least favorite. While it is an undoubtedly polished production -- the voice talents, music, and sound design stand out in particular -- the story struggled to keep my interest, sometimes from plain confusion. The backstory takes up the first 3-1/2 minutes of the film and is told without animation, via what is essentially a slide show. It moves very slowly and provides little that we don't understand from context later. (As such, I would recommend axing the narrated backstory altogether.) Then, ironically, much of the action in the main portion of the film was difficult for me to follow. The battle scenes were too cluttered with closeups and blur-effects to make much sense to me. Most times I couldn't even tell what spells were being cast or who was fighting whom. I never figured out how the Priestess escaped, who died overall, or why the "core" meltdown occurred. Nor was I able to follow the action well enough to figure out how the Arch Druid caught up to the Priestess at the end of the film, much less why either of them were still alive after their fiery collision. Without adding spoilers, I also can't figure out how the ending events occurred either. There were too many quick cuts, too many out-of-context closeups, too much deus ex machina, too much backstory and not enough battle context for me to enjoy the film.Tomorrow we'll take a look at Fruit of Elune by Myndflame to wrap up our BlizzCon movie contest coverage.[Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Dead Rain 2: Deader
In case there was any confusion about yesterday's post, I intentionally linked only to the films featured previously here on WoW Insider. The other three movies will be covered as we go along this week and the original post will be updated as such. Today you'll see Dead Rain 2: Deader from Bear on a Trampoline, which took Runner Up in the Drama/Romance Category for the BlizzCon 2008 movie contest. Although I'm not a horror/zombie movie fan, I was incredibly impressed with this film, a sequel to last year's Dead Rain. Even though I love the Snacky films, I don't think it's fair that Dead Rain was included in the same category with those films since it's impossible to compare the two films. Deader's story picks up where the first one left off, with our two heroes mourning their losses and continuing to fight off zombies. There are so many things to like about this film: the grainy black-and-white film style, the high-contrast dramatic flashes, the genre homages (forced perspective camera angles, peeking through holes at the zombies, pop-up gotchas), and the wonderful cinematography. The only thing I wish is that the audio volumes were more stable. I had to ride my dial a few times to hear the dialog over the music or sound-effects. But the storyline was fantastic. The twist caught me completely by surprise and made me say, "Holy cow!" (Only, of course, "cow" was not the word I used. I live in a PG-13 household, so sue me.) I thought, "How the heck are they gonna get out of this?" Well, you have to watch it yourself to see.Tomorrow we'll look at Mercy of the Sea by Sleeping Dog Productions and Friday we'll see Fruit of Elune by Myndflame.[Via WeGame]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Snacky's Journal 4 wins Grand Prize at BlizzCon
Although the BlizzCon movie contest was hardly publicized at all -- no press releases about the contest or the winners -- it yielded the cream of the WoW machinima crop so we will be featuring the winning movies here at WoW Moviewatch for the next few days. The winner in each category, as well as the Grand Prize winner, received the newly minted Oswald award to put on their shelves. (I hereby dub thee The Ozzie!) Today we feature the Grand Prize winner, Snacky's Journal - Episode 4 by the typically brilliant Stone Falcon Productions. This film also won the Drama/Romance category (see below), even though I think it is better suited for the Comedy category. It's good, Snackish fun, with high quality film-making and acting, as all the Snackys are. I like the new fem gnome and I hope she continues in the series because she's a cute character and could make for a good foil for Snacky.Here's a list of the other winners, along with links to ones that have been already featured on WoW Insider. We'll feature and comment on some of the others this week. Action/Adventure Category Runner-up: The Future Soon by Spiffworld Runner-up: Mercy of the Sea by Sleeping Dog Productions Winner: Divided Soul by Falch Productions Comedy Category Runner-up: Fruit of Elune by Myndflame Runner-up: The Dead Murloc by KILH Machinima Winner: The Rumpus Machine by Oblivious Films Drama/Romance Category Runner-up: Dead Rain 2 by Bear on a Trampoline Runner-up: Redshift by Slashdance Winner: Snacky's Journal - Episode 4 by Stone Falcon Productions If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: WoW That's Irregular
Ever wonder what happens to your character when the boat or zeppelin goes out of your view as it zips across the ocean? Well, WoW That's Irregular is here to 'splain you, Lucy. The filmmaker, Wizeer, is a pal of Baron Soosdon's and a student of Machinima 101 and his third machinima makes it clear he'll be a force to be reckoned with. The movie is really two separate vignettes which both riff on the theme of unexpected outcomes. The first story shows an Undead Rogue capturing the flag in Warsong Gulch with comedic flair. There is little standing in his way except a rookie Gnome, a surprised Draenei, and a Dwarf Hunter who looks surprisingly like BRK. One of these three offers the rogue his comeuppance, which is amusing, but what actually happens is a bit difficult to follow. According to the film's notes, the rogue overused Sprint, but I'm not entirely sure what occurred. In the second half of the film, a Night Elf boards a boat and gets mobbed by a gang of Horde who apparently don't judge gender very well. The special effects on the boat ride showing us what happens when the boat hits the worm hole are splendid. The voice acting in this segment is also quite amusing. (Did you know that Orcs scream like little girls?) Give it a shot; I think you'll like this one.For those of you interested in the non-WoW music used in this film, Wizeer lists "Concerning Hobbits" (Lord of the Rings), "Lacrimosa" (Immediate Music), and "Ringtone" (Battlefield Heroes).[Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: What Happens in Booty Bay Stays in Booty Bay
(Warning: This video contains some harsh language.)Just in time for the weekend, like a quick junket to Vegas,we offer a movie called What Happens in Booty Bay Stays in Booty Bay. The filmmaker, Brigitte Swiftblade, calls this an "RP documentary." I love this format; it's very original. Since she's playing on an RP server, she decides to follow around her pal, Zaitzegrait, and film the consequences while he tries to meet chicks in Booty Bay. Apparently Zait is quite a famous character in Trade chat (US Twisting Nether-A), so it's like she picked a celebrity for a reality show. And, in a way, a "reality show" is really what this movie is since Zait is the only one who knows why the little Dwarf Rogue is following him around so closely. (Her POV is the camera's eye.) Everyone else plays their part to perfection, albeit unbeknownst to them. The subtitles offer insight into the documentary setup and a running non-RP commentary on the action -- or Zait's lack thereof. The result is a very humorous, original movie that contains themes of love, betrayal, honor, and cross-faction hanky-panky. I would love to see more of this kind of documentary movie-making from role-players![Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Unbroken - Prelude
Holy moly, Firebolt Productions just keeps coming at us with high quality films! We only recently just saw them win fourth place in the WeGame contest and now they've already got a teaser out for another film. Johan Vagstedt says that Firebolt is apparently in the process of making a "huge machinima project" called Unbroken and today's feature, called Unbroken - Prelude, is the teaser for it which they've entered into the BlizzCon movie contest. This film follows a council of Orcs led by the "very special" Gul'dan, set a short time after after the Dark Portal was opened by Ner'zhul, trying to decide if they will join the Burning Legion. Later in the film, we also see a glimpse of the Draenei side of the story. This film is, quite frankly, one of the most highly-polished pieces of machinima I've ever seen -- from the lighting to the camera angles to even the facial expressions. I highly, HIGHLY recommend -- no, I demand -- that you download the full version of this movie from Filefront -- it's simply incredible. I can't wait for the full version![Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Hoodoo Teleshopping - The Deadmurloc
Seen commercials for the ShamWow? Well, today Kilh Machinima brings you its Azerothian equivalent in Hoodoo Teleshopping - The Deadmurloc(tm), his entry for the BlizzCon movie contest. Be warned: you must reconcile yourself with the idea that, although this version of Azeroth has television, it doesn't have a better way to clean your house than with a rehydrated dead murloc. Hoodoo Teleshopping is a Troll-run version of Home Shopping Network which demos the Deadmurloc product (don't forget the trademark) right before your eyes and shows you how the murlocs are harvested in cartoony, gory detail. I found the background music to be too distracting, competing with the already-variable levels on the voice acting, so sometimes it was hard to follow the sales pitch especially from the gravelly-voiced Troll salesman. The visuals are well done, though, and the effect of putting the HSN-style border around the image is slick. Kilh says it only took him 4.5 days to finish the production in order to meet the contest deadline. But hey, you can't argue with getting a Big Flat Rock for FREE. Now what would you pay?If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: Flapping Feast
Here's an endearing little film called Flapping Feast from Tinkersmith Productions. It brings us that universally heartwarming story of a boy and his... um, chicken. Well, the chicken's a man, actually. And the boy is a middle-aged gnome named Falkireohan Tinkersmith the Second. But nonetheless! As I was saying... This film tells the tale of a gnome whose self-defense spell against a ganker goes horribly wrong and, in his guilt, Falkie tries to set things right as much as he can. The story logic is, assuredly, like a Grimm fairy tale -- the only way a man-who-thinks-he's-a-chicken can live happily ever after is if he has a pullet for a bride? -- and it has a feel to it without much of a character arc, but choosing a child to voice the 50-ish gnome and the folk-taleaccented English somehow works for me. And anyone who doesn't crack up laughing at the music which plays over the credits needs to get their funny bone examined. You may want to also view the sequel called Flapping Feast 2, but I didn't find it as charming as the original.[Via Machinima.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: The Rumpus Machine
The Rumpus Machine is the latest offering from Oblivious Films, of The Grind fame. It's the story of what happens when an easily-frightened dwarf and his friends stumble upon a "metal pig" which seems to grant their every wish. It's not a follow-up to The Grind storyline, but rather a new, self-contained story. It's kinda like what O. Henry would have written if he'd only lightened up a bit. The moviemaking here is top notch and the storytelling is quite funny with everything from sexy dancing girls to throwback dungeons. Make sure you stick around throughout the entire credits roll for some final jokes at the end.Drew "Drewbie" Syring from Oblivious tells Moviewatch that Macheath made this film for the BlizzCon machinima contest and, for you Diablo III fans, "yes, that is really the real Deckard Cain who was kind enough to lend his voice talents to our production." How'd they manage it? Just watch it, you'll see.Updated: In case it wasn't clear to anyone who watched the film: The filmmakers want you to know that they got the actual voice actor for Deckard Cain to perform in their film.[Via Vimeo]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
