Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Popcorn Fodder: Five Noteworthy Fan Films
Have some spare time this long holiday weekend? Stranded with family and no gaming console in sight? Check out GI’s playlist of fan films (perfect popcorn fodder) below.
Unwilling to wait for their favorite franchises to hit the big screen, these fans decided to take matters into their own hands. On the following pages you’ll find several standout series, all funded and executed by the extraordinary efforts of devotees. Some are a bit cheesy, while others have a flair for the dramatic. All of them are impressive in their size and scope, though, and an entertaining expansion to your favorite franchises.
Enjoy the marathon of footage below.
There Will Be Brawl
Runtime: 10 episodes, 10-25 minutes in length.
Release Year: 2009
Synopsis: “In a Dystopian Mushroom Kingdom, corruption and avarice reign supreme. Even the greatest heroes of the land have buckled beneath the overwhelming will of the amoral elite. When a series of grisly crimes pushes an unlikely champion to seek the truth, a mystery unfolds that could completely destroy everything he holds dear.”
Website: therewillbebrawl.com
Warning - this isn't the Mushroom Kingdom you remember. Not all content may be appropriate for children.
There Will be Brawl: Episode One
Mega Man
Runtime: 93 minutes
Release Year: 2010
Key Crew: Written and directed by Eddie Lebron
Synopsis: “In the year 20XX, Dr. Thomas Light, a Nobel Prize winning professor in the field of Robotics, creates a series of 6 revolutionary robots entitled the "Robot Master Series DRN" in an effort to use robotics as a mean to better mankind. As a personal project, Dr. Light creates 2 androids named Roll (a female) and Rock (a male) who are made to be as human as possible from appearance to behavior. Rock and Roll are, however, also created due to Light's goal to have the children he was never able to have. Meanwhile, after the creation of the series gains Light his Nobel Prize in Physics and notoriety, his partner and colleague, Dr. Albert Wily, grows enraged and jealous of Light's success. Secretly, a man who wants control and power. Dr. Wily decides to reprogram and steal the robot master series to do his bidding so he can wreak havoc and gain control of the city. As Wily begins to steal more of Light's creations, it becomes clear to him he has the resources to systemically gain more and more control in an effort to reach his ultimate goal: total world domination. With a strong sense of duty and regard for humanity, Rock volunteers to receive a battle upgrade in an effort to battle Wily's forces, thus donning the name 'Megaman.' The battle for humanity is now between Megaman and all the bots at Wily's disposal."
Website: megamanfilm.com
[View:http://vimeo.com/11554824:610:343]
Mega Man - Full Film
Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy
Runtime: 70 minutes
(Philanthropy is intended to be a three-part series.)
Release Year: 2009
Key Crew: Directed by Giacomo Talamini
Synopsis: "Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy is a movie inspired by the Hideo Kojima’s videogame series 'Metal Gear Solid.' It is not a Hollywood-style production, better a fan movie made out of the passion of some fans, non-profit and no budget."
Website: mgs-philanthropy.net, hivedivision.net
[View:http://vimeo.com/6784359:610:343]
Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy - Part One
Escape from City 17
Runtime: 5 minutes
(The second episode has yet to be released.)
Release Year: 2009
Key Crew: Directed by David and Ian Purchase
Synopsis: "The Escape From City 17 short film series is an adaptation based on the Half Life computer game saga by Valve Corporation. Originally envisioned as a project to test out numerous post production techniques, as well as a spec commercial, it ballooned into a multi part series. Filmed guerilla style with no money, no time, no crew, no script, the first two episodes were made from beginning to end on a budget of $500."
Website: youtube/purchasebrothers
[View:http://vimeo.com/3284737:610:343]
Escape from City 17 - Episode One
Modern Warfare: Frozen Crossing
Runtime: 15 minutes
(It's worth noting that the second part is a significant improvement upon the first. Stick around for it!)
Release Year: 2010
Key Crew: Directed by Niko Pueringer and Sam Gorski
Synopsis: Modern Warfare familiars (boasting updated call names “Spectre” and “Dust”) search for CIA operative Anya Aleskari, who’s fallen into enemy hands in the snowy tundra of Dagestan.
Website: corridor-digital.com/frozencrossing
Modern Warfare: Frozen Crossing - Part One
Modern Warfare: Frozen Crossing - Part Two
Looking for more fan tributes? Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Tears of the Dragon holds its own, as does the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. tribute KRYM.
Any contributions you’d add to the pot?
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
