EXILE sci-fi movie is...done!

[Scoopicman]

No, don't compare it to STAR TREK! This isn't even ENIGMA (which I'm dying to see). This is a rough around the edges sci-fi feature that we made for 32K. Paid the actors $100 per day type of production. Shot it in 19 days, mostly around volcanic sites in Utah.

Anyway, I'm shamelessly promoting it. The DVDs just arrived. The movie is available at my WEBSITE If you check that link, right under the picture there are other links to a very good interview, that talks all about the production, a couple of reviews and a link of where to order the DVD.

The movie doesn't suck. I think people will like it. The script's emphasis is on story and pace. The acting and action is good. If I could change one thing, it would have been to add something to show the main character "saving the cat", as discussed in the Blake Snyder book. I sure gave him a lot of obstacles (he gets knocked around like Bruce Campbell in EVIL DEAD 2), but he doesn't save anything till the end.

There's a trailer HERE.

If you are a legitimate reviewer, please PM me for a screener. Otherwise....the first 5 people to post in this thread are welcome to a free copy. PM me your address, after you post.

-Mike

 

[indietalk]

Congrats, and good luck!
DavyG can review it.

 

[Scoopicman]

Thanks for the quick response and link!

 

[TheBuck]

looks a bit corny but then again all non hollywood sci fi flicks do. i wouldnt mind seeing myself.

 

[Scoopicman]

looks a bit corny but then again all non hollywood sci fi flicks do. i wouldnt mind seeing myself.

I'm hoping the people who want copies are ones who are interested in seeing it and might recommend it. There is some "corniness" about the cover and it's semi-intentional. A little bit of H.R. PUFNSTUF in that image. I'm not above poking fun at myself or my work. Don't think for a minute that while I was designing that cover that images like this didn't cross my mind:

Ha ha!

I got the idea because Thailand said they want the monster all over, for their cover. I figured - why not do the classic 2 or 3 floating head poster, but have one of them be the monster! It's just an attention getter, so that someone will turn it over and read the synopsis. If it ever gets picked up in the U.S., I'm sure they will have the main characters up front, while a big, semi-opaque monster head looms in the background, like Darth Vader.

As for non-hollywood sci-fi, there isn't a lot of it. The RECON 2020 movies, THE PLANET (from Scotland), oh yes, my own TERRARIUM, which its name changed to WAR OF THE PLANETS and got marketed a week before the WAR OF THE WORLDS dvd release and ended up boring mass audiences, who were expecting something with a budget. Ha ha!

It's kind of funny to see the lengths that Lionsgate went to make the comparison. They gave my trailer the same voice over guy as the Spielberg movie got!

Spielberg trailer

MY TRAILER with the same guy!


I figured if that movie could get that kind of mass release, I might do okay by gradually improving my sci-fi work. Honestly, I went for a good story that could be shot in one main set. But, I also set out to get some cool imagery. Since my DP just plain didn't show up (no call, no show), I literally grabbed the camera, brought the actors out to Utah, built fog tents and tried to make something unique, even if far from perfect.

 

[platinumdaughter]

War of the planets looks so much better than "exile" are they both by you? and which one came first?

 

[M1chae1]

looks a bit corny but then again all non hollywood sci fi flicks do. i wouldnt mind seeing myself.

I wouldn't really say that. Look at ENIGMA (http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=18244&highlight=enigma). That's micro-budget, and doesn't have the cheeze.

Sometimes cheeze is OK. Sometimes it's cheezy. You know what I mean. There is good cheeze and bad cheeze.


I think EXILE looks fun. I know how much fun these films can be to work on...and I love to see how micro budget filmmakers and actors deal with their lot...it's entertainment. Yes, there is a lot of crap out there...but sometimes even the crap is worth watching. Not that EXILE is crap...I'm just saying it has just enough positive cheeze appeal to be interesting.

Good luck.

IMHO: The vocal audio is too low in the trailer. I also would cut out that neck bleeding scene...it makes no sense to add it, the pacing is off, and it's gratuitous in a transparent force-fed way. Other than that...not bad at all. Kudos to all the work you put into this.

 

[Zensteve]

Gonna get me a copy this weekend.

 

[TheBuck]

Scoopicman: I do want to see but I would only recommend it if it was at least decent.

M1chae1: I know what you mean on the cheese. I'll have to check the trailer out later.

 

[indietalk]

Only take a free copy if you like the trailer. This is his blood, sweat, and tears. Don't just take one because it's free. He nicely offered five free, after that, pay up!!

 

[M1chae1]

I'll probably pick a copy up myself. Clearly--like Indie said--there is blood, sweat, and tears in ths project, and you can tell. I'm all about supporting those that go all the way with their dreams.

 

[Scoopicman]

I wouldn't really say that. Look at ENIGMA (http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=18244&highlight=enigma). That's micro-budget, and doesn't have the cheeze.

That looks like a wonderful piece of work. I can't wait to see it. The budget was 50K for 40 minutes.

As for what you think of EXILE, I'm all for honest opinions, the good, bad and the cheese. I don't want anyone stating something that isn't fact. As IndieTalk stated, don't just take the movie because it's free, grab one because you want to watch it. If you hate it, that is totally cool and please say so.

More later, I have to leave for work....

 

[TheBuck]

he offered some free copies? i must have missed that.
Trailers are normally all the best parts of the movie when it comes to mirco-low budget flicks. If he's offering a free copy I will watch it and be honest in the review I would write up about it.

 

[Scoopicman]

War of the planets looks so much better than "exile" are they both by you? and which one came first?

EXILE is the better movie, though WAR has a really good premise. I shot that several years ago. I declined the offer from a U.K. distributor (2 grand for their territory, I think). If you are really that curious, I'll send you both.

he offered some free copies? i must have missed that.
Trailers are normally all the best parts of the movie when it comes to mirco-low budget flicks. If he's offering a free copy I will watch it and be honest in the review I would write up about it.

I'm happy to send you one. The offer is in my original post, then read the very last line.

 

[knightly]

Are there still any of the first 5 available that haven't been claimed?

 

[Scoopicman]

Hey, Knightly. Look, I'm sorry, .......but there are only 4 left!

TheBuck is the only person to PM me with an address, so his DVD goes out in the morning.

 

[M1chae1]

They've probably already been claimed...but I'll take one of the free copies for sure. This should be fun. If they are all gone...I'll try and pick one up online.

 

[knightly]

If I could be so bold... where did the budget come from? I'd love to make my next shoot a budgetted effort, but where to start is a bit beyond me

 

[Scoopicman]

They've probably already been claimed...but I'll take one of the free copies for sure.

I'll put you down for #3, so message your address to me.. Surprisingly, only TheBuck and Knightly have claimed a copy. Two are left.

If I could be so bold... where did the budget come from? I'd love to make my next shoot a budgetted effort, but where to start is a bit beyond me

We shot this two years ago and my wife and I pulled the budget out of our home equity line. (This was before the home market really dived.) We just finished THE AWAKENING, a feature for $5,900. Because is was mostly volunteer, it took us the course of 7 months to shoot it!! (Sometimes 1 day per week.)

This time, I wanted permits, so we wouldn't get kicked off of location. We got permitted in Utah for $200 per day, stayed in a hotel, paid for the cast's transportation and food. We paid the actors, so that we would have a dedicated group and we could get it done, quick. We shot it in 19 days and took care of our cast and crew. It cost money, but this was actually done right.

I know, it's 2 years later, so you might be wondering why so long? I didn't know After Effects or any of that kind of software. The monster scenes weren't working and there were a lot of shot fixes. (All this is explained in the OFF WORLD 15 minute doc, on the DVD.)

It didn't help that two people who worked on EXILE, my father-in-law and another good friend, both died. One from aggressive cancer and the other from suicide. I became detached and unmotivated, so I left the footage on 3 hard drives and went on to do another project (a tutorial). More than a year later, I came back to EXILE, with a clear head. I learned After Effects and finally got it done.

 

[knightly]

In the trailer, the shot where the ship is flying/ skidding along the ground looks really good. The smoke could blend a little more cleanly, but the ship is convincingly comped! Very cool. This looks good and if I don't end up as the proud winner of a copy, I'll save up to buy one for sure.