Hermit’s Online Cinema

Now Playing in Cinema 11: Saving Grace

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Aug 222011

The Earth is slowly dying. The population is living underground.

In an attempt to find a new home for humanity, teams of one human and one Artificial Intelligence Companion are send out into the vastness of space….

This is the story of Grace.

I was going through a number of machinima films I have downloaded over the years and came across “Saving Grace.” I watched it and, as I remembered doing when I first saw it, enjoyed it. It was only then that I realized I had never placed it anywhere on Cyber Hermit. That is a definite slight that needed immediate correction.

“Saving Grace” is a perfect example of how a good story must be the foundation of any production. “Saving Grace” was uploaded over 3 years ago. Though, in some places, it shows the limitations and roughness of the technology and techniques of the time, these are more than compensated for by the intelligence of the story, a strong script and interesting visuals. If you have never watched “Saving Grace,” do yourself a favor and do so now.

I have also placed “Saving Grace” in Cinema 11 of Hermit’s Online Cinema.

I still can’t believe I never posted this here… it’s gotta be the age thing… or the tequila.

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Now Playing in Cinema 4: "Clockwork"

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Oct 092010

“Clockwork” is a gangster film in the style of 1940s film noir and the first story in a noir series.

Frank Sorelli joins the Marcheaza crime syndicate, run out of Paul Vasconti’s Italian restaurant. He partners with Vinnie “The Gun” Moretti, the mafia don’s favorite hitman. But when Frank decides to leave this life of murder, he learns that the mob isn’t willing to let him go without a fight.

A solid plot, good scriptwriting, tight editing and excellent voice talent. What more can we ask for? Though it has been in release since 2008, if you’ve not yet been lured into the fray by ABP’s “Clockwork,” take the plunge now. You will not regret it. Excellent.

Now Playing in Cinema 8: "The Nobbit, Part I"

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Sep 182010

The Nobbit is an irreverent take on JRR Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.”

It follows the story line fairly closely, but with more warped characters such as an ill-tempered, foul mouthed old wizard, a reluctant nobbit and a vain aristocratic dwarf.

I waited a bit for this to play on sites such as Vimeo and TMUTheater that truly support the work of independent film makers, animators and machinima before posting it here so those sites could benefit from the initial release. They’ve been around the community a helluva lot longer than I.

A death in the family last week prevented me from attending the premiere of “The Nobbit” on the 12th at TMUTheater. However, during a quiet moment when I just wanted to sit, forget the goddamn outside world and maybe even chuckle, if not laugh, I took the opportunity to watch it on Wednesday.

I have tried to think of the best way to describe “The Nobbit” in a single sentence other than simply stating the obvious that it is a parody of “The Hobbit.” So, I’ve decided to do the “movie blender” routine. If you take “The Hobbit,” “Cheech and Chong’s Up ‘N Smoke,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Monty Python’s Jabberwocky” and “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” mix them together, add just a pinch of “Blazing Saddles” and then blend using the purée setting, you have an idea what to expect in “The Nobbit.” If that isn’t enough to get your curiosity tingling enough to watch it, I don’t know what will.

And, as I have stated before, if you are of the belief that any parody of classic literature is “blasphemous,” you may want to take a chill pill and keep your snobby ass away from “The Nobbit.” Oops…

Now Playing in Cinema 7: "Hard Requitals"

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Jul 312010

Hard Requitals

I haven’t the slightest idea how to prepare you for this short film. Let me just say there might be something said for karma. If anything, this shows what can done when the idea or premise is original and good, when the writing clicks and when the voice acting hits the mark. Oh, and when the filmmaker knows how to slam you with the unexpected.

You start to feel rather uneasy about 90 seconds into the film and it doesn’t stop until the end. Get nightmares easy? Don’t watch. By the way, this was done with Moviestorm.

I decided to place Mefune Akira’s “Hard Requitals” into the cinema because, well… uh… it is one of those films that I just keep thinking about. It deserves to be shown as an example of stories that can be told through machinima and with software such as Moviestorm.

Now Playing in Cinema 6: Reich and Roll

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Jun 102010

Reich and Roll Made by Scintilla Films in 2005-2006 and using iClone. One of the first iClone animations I ever saw. Actually, I am not sure what version of iClone it used, but I want to say it was probably 1.5x. Unfortunately, it is not in the highest of resolutions. It is still a good example of what can be done in iClone and it does give a rather… different spin to the history of a war and of music.

Now Playing in Cinema 5: Red Dead Redemption

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Jun 102010

Red Dead Redemption

The 30 minute short is a glimpse inside the life of partially reformed outlaw John Marston as he journeys through the vanishing American west seeking out his former brothers in arms, all in the name of justice. A varied cast of characters and morally ambiguous situations greet John at every turn, continuously testing his resolve and commitment. Playing out against the modernizing frontier and the emergence of the federal government, John’s story takes him everywhere from the American west to south of the border in Mexico. Using only in-game assets and original camera work and editing, Hillcoat re-imagines the massive world of Red Dead Redemption and brings the story to a brand new audience.

I decided to make this even easier to find and place it in Hermit’s Online Cinema. It is entertaining, of course. However, I think there is a lot to be learned from watching what is a professional machinima production. Lighting. Blocking. Timing. Camera angles. Camera setups. Location selection. Watch this and learn while you also enjopy and are entertained by a well-made machinima.

Now Playing in Cinema 4: CHANEL untold - A Preview

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May 072010

There are two major motion pictures released this year about the legendary fashion designer, Coco Chanel. Yet neither of them tackles the most controversial, scandalous, part of her life. This one does.

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Now Playing in Cinema 1: Animal Farm

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Apr 162010

Based on the classic novel by George Orwell, Animal Farm tells the story of a group of farm animals who successfully revolt against their cruel human owner, only to be enslaved anew by the unscrupulous pig Napoleon, whose slogan is “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

If you’ve never read the book, you should. If you’ve never viewed the film, you should… and here is your chance. The film shows it’s age, but is still very viewable. It is worth your time and effort.

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Now Playing in Cinema 3: Clear Skies 2

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Apr 092010

To introduce Clear Skies, I will quote James Egan from Massively.com as he put it far better than I could have:

“Clear Skies follows a trio of down-and-out misfits who’ve seen no end of bad luck. John Rourke is the obstinate captain of the Clear Skies, a Tempest class battleship manufactured by the downtrodden Minmatar race of New Eden. Rourke’s attitude toward his hazardous chosen lifestyle is cavalier, although this does not sit well with his friends among the crew. Solomon Burke is the pessimistic ship’s engineer, while Charlie Fodder — a gunner with an ironic name — does his best to keep the crew alive. Typical of life in New Eden, Fodder is doomed to remain a rather busy man.

These likeable dropouts from the entrenched corporate lifestyle of New Eden eke out a meager living on trade runs and the odd courier job here and there. Still, they manage to find humor in their grim lot as they narrowly avoid being blown out of the stars by pirates, hired thugs, or whatever threat awaits them on the other side of the next jump gate. This is life aboard the Clear Skies. It’s not a comfortable lifestyle by any means, but the crew is free to live and die by their own terms. Of course, their exploits do make for some good stories.”

Little more to add other than what was said for the original “Clear Skies.” An excellent and entertaining production. An excellent example of what can be done with this new medium called machinima. Action, drama and humor galore! If you loved “Clear Skies” you will love “Clear Skies 2.” I did!

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Now Playing in Cinema 5: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

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Apr 022010

Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges lead a strong supporting cast in this offbeat crime caper about a colorful group of bank robbers determined to break in the fortress-like Montana Armored Depository.

I still consider this to be one of Clint Eastwood’s better films. Jeff Bridges and George Kennedy are great in supporting roles.

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