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September 8th, 2015, 01:19 AM
Wheel of Time fans have a fan film franchise of their own. Here is a short film that was released earlier this year.
Watch Flight From Shadow (WHEEL OF TIME fan film) from YouTube
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The acting is a bit over the top but the production quality is not bad.
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September 9th, 2015, 07:03 PM
The production quality is pretty darn good for a fanfilm that presumably won't make a dime in revenue. Do they have lightning sfx's in a box now you can just buy and plug into your movie? Somebody put up a lot of money for this, even if the actors were all volunteers! Was someone perhaps "lobbying" for a chance (i.e. funding and backing, a major studio to take notice) to get in on making a series of Wheel of Time movies?
I know well that Rand Al'Thor is supposed to be tall and lanky and red-headed unlike his fellows from Two Rivers ( and the reason why) but Light illumine us, this guy looks and acts like Ron Howard playing Richie Cunningham from Happy Days!
The opening scene had a rather ridiculous premise; I assume the Black Ajah Aes Sedai was added. I couldn't understand why she decided to pick a fight with a Myrdraal there; even if it was an ordinary Myrdraal, it is still perilous for humans, even the Chosen never mind ordinary Aes Sedai, to channel so near the not-quite-sealed entrance to the Dark One's prison. Shayol Ghul in the distance looks way cool but like it is wide open, not still nearly sealed.
While the Myrdraal was well done and quite creepy, it is supposed to move more like a snake, its white eyeless face is supposed to be smooth, and its cloak must never be blown by a breeze. Instead of wasting it on that pointless scene, maybe it should have been shown "fading" into or out of shadow at Four Kings .
I fear that Monty Python has permanently warped my mind whenever I see a quasi-medieval video scene nowadays. When the (non-book) "false dragon" was being exhorted and sentenced by the village headman, I kept expecting someone to pipe up, "He turned me into a newt! ... uh, I got better!" Interesting method used for execution; looks like the poor guy got his head "Gallaghered" (off-camera) by the huge mallet wielded by Strom!
Interesting take on the "Dancing Cartman" on the inn's sign, that this cartman did his "dancing" at the end of a rope. One would think it might be offputting to potential guests, but in the book Hake and his 'bouncers' are such nasty customers and his inn is so dirty I'm surprised they have any.
Mat's extraordinary luck didn't manifest in the books until later in the series, after his affliction from Shadar Logoth had been, er , "stabilized" by the Aes Sedai, but it was pretty neat the way Mat's presence made Jak's dice arrange themselves in highly unlikely ways (that presumably would have won Jak any pot if he'd been playing against anyone for a bet at the time. Doubtless this was one reason he was so peeved). Mat also took out the dagger he got from Shadar Logoth, which should have been able with one scratch to take down Jak, Strom, Gode, or any others that bothered them. Why he didn't do so in the book I can't fathom, other than he wanted to keep the dagger hidden.
Gode, the Darkfriend merchant, by the way with his lean stubbly face looked more like Strider with no hood than the velvet-clad soft dandy described in the book. He did manage to convey menace and the sense he was speaking for his dark master.
I always attributed the "lucky" lightning strike on the inn storeroom to the boys' status as ta'veren (that is, persons with whom the Pattern, or destiny and the universe, were especially concerned) . It was interesting that in the video it seemed to be attributed to an instance of Rand inadvertently channeling the One Power under stress (sort of like Thomas Covenant unconsciously triggering the wild magic from his white gold ring under duress and the influence of some other power), which is certainly possibly what Jordan intended.
Overall, interesting, well-done, and I wonder what if anything is supposed to come of this.
Don't let Peter "Embellish and Bloat" Jackson get hold of it, or the 13 books of the Wheel of Time cycle will turn into a generational series project with as many episodes as the old Bonanza TV series thru its life!
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September 12th, 2015, 03:09 PM
A lot of the better made fan films are actually made by film industry professionals. They do put up their own money for equipment rental and other fees, but they don't have to struggle with learning how to use sophisticated equipment because they are paid to use it in their day jobs.
I don't know anything about the people behind this movie. I have not read the books, either, so I cannot comment on the quality of the adaptation. But as someone who is a complete stranger to this universe I have to say that it's an entertaining film. I have seen far, far worse.
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November 14th, 2015, 02:40 AM
I wonder if Peter Jackson is interested in it.
Don't insult the precious, my precious!:book:
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November 17th, 2015, 01:49 PM
badlands you do seem to be hoping that Peter will take an interest in this project, don't you?
