Bottom Line: A bit plodding, especially for a SciFi series about a power plant monster, but they use the time well, building up tension and diving into each character’s personality. Project X is not for someone looking for a pop corn slasher but for people who want a little more substance with their creature features.

A deadly creature is on the loose and the workers at Mt. Diablo Power Plant have no idea what’s headed their way. It’s the ultimate power struggle as they battle the monster, each other, and their own inner demons.

November 19, 2004, 10:00 pm — The night shift starts its work at West Coast Energy’s Power Plant 67. It was a Friday night, just like any other for these eight workers: the usual equipment problems, menial tasks, and squabbles with other employees. But just six hours later, most of the workers were dead and the power plant was in flames. What happened? The answer has been shrouded in mystery for more than two years.

West Coast Energy claimed the explosion was an accident—a tragic equipment malfunction. But federal agents—who were at the scene before any emergency personnel had arrived—inexplicably took charge of the clean-up operation. The cover story was widely questioned at the time, but the true story has never been uncovered . . . until now.

For the first time ever, the truth about the plant’s destruction will now be revealed. Based on the account of survivor David Scott, Project X tells the true story of what happened to Power Plant 67 and those eight workers on that fateful November night. Over the next three months, uncover the truth with us in each suspenseful and dramatic episode of Project X: The True Story of Power Plant 67.

Details

Cast: Jamie Hobert, Christina Rosenberg, Kalimba Bennett, Bart Shattuck, John Mellies, Kevin English, Dave Huber, Adriano Aragon, Kyle Vogt, Kevin Rock, David Mintz, J.T. Derwart
Website: Project X

YouTube: Watch Them On YouTube
Twitter: Follow Them On Twitter
Vote For It: Project X

Ratings

Style 3

There are entire episodes that go by where absolutely nothing plot relevant happens. I understand the desire to build suspense, but the writers have taken the concept a little too far in places. (Pacing 3)

A lot of effort went into building up believable, sympathetic characters. Sometimes this effort came at the expense of pacing, but it did lead to a story that outshines more shallow science fiction offerings. (Storytelling 4)

Polish 3.5

Watchability 3

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 3.41 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: If you remember the mid-90s television show Eerie Indiana then you have a pretty good idea of what you can expect from Normally This Weird. It’s a quirky story of what happens to an average, geeky couple who move into a town where the neighbors are even stranger than they are.

When two newlyweds, Simon and Vanessa, both in their mid-twenties and essentially grown up kids, decide start their lives together in a brand new town, little do they realize just how weird their neighbors are. The Smiths secretly practice dark magic, the Archevils (pronounced Ark-uh-vuhl) experiment with dangerous super-science for insidious ends, the enigmatic and eye-patched Swivey Dinkle lives his own brand of suburban adventure, all while FBI Agent Danford covertly monitors everything

“Normally This Weird” is a comedy web series that explores the humor and drama of normal people dealing with very strange problems … and strange people dealing with incredibly normal problems.

Details

Cast: Michael Peterson, Lauren Henschen, Grace Steinbach, Liam Thibeault, Norian Lenz, James Hoenscheidt, Adam Marshall Rini, Noah Klinge, Jared Washburn
Website: Normally This Weird

Store: Shop At Their Store
Twitter: Follow Them On Twitter
Facebook: Join Them On Facebook
Vote For It: Normally This Weird

Ratings

While we still haven’t seen them used extensively, the shows effects are strong, adding to the overall campiness of the presentation. (Style 4)

The show is shot more like a television show than a web series, which leads to slower pacing and less “joke density” than you might expect. That being the case, it leaves them time to explore characters in more detail than you might be able to on a shorter show. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 3.5

Polish 4

Watchability 3.5

The most impression part of this show is the characters, Simon and Vanessa’s neighbors are a screwball assortment of just about every science fiction trope you can imagine, and they play their parts impeccably. The only question that remains is whether future episodes will be able to make good use of this cast of crazies. (Novelty 5)

Overall Rating: 3.91 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: There are very few series I want to love as much as Riese, and I do like it a lot. The history and mythology they have woven is stellar and the overall story arc is rich and sophisticated. If any part of the formula has gone wrong it is that they seem to have shot a web series as if it were a television pilot, which can leave the viewer disoriented.

Riese is a world of moral ambiguity and political intrigue.

A decimated land populated by characters from dreams and nightmares. Loyalties are ever in question, suspicion in the minds of all. The realm, however, was not always so cruel. Everything began with a peaceful nation called Eleysia.

The Kingdom of the Wolf, Eleysia was once prosperous due largely to the influence of Empress Kara and Emperor Ulric. This all changed when a coup d’etat, orchestrated from the shadows by a religious cult, brought about a total regime change.

Taking the throne was Amara, the Empress’s cousin.

A power-hungry tyrant, Amara immediately utilized Eleysia’s wealth and power to begin colonizing the world, crushing nation after nation in order to unite the people under one banner. Even as she assaulted the world, an ominous, enigmatic group clearly wielded power over her. Called The Sect, they purported themselves to be the official religion of Eleysia, and began to spread alongside Eleysia’s borders.

Since the coup, the land has begun to die, resources are dwindling and compassion is fading. Humanity itself is seen as impure. People have grown restless, almost feral. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself.

The true horror of the world is not in how it ends, but what will become of mankind as it fractures.And yet, despite the impending doom, a single beacon of light shines in Riese. A mysterious wanderer, she travels with her wolf Fenrir across this barren land. Branded as heretics by The Sect, Riese and Fenrir will pause to aid those in need as they travel, but they must evade capture at all costs. As she flees, she’ll piece together her past and her destiny, in a conflict that will hold the fate of this world in the balance – and the once peaceful kingdom of Eleysia will be the battlefield.

This is the world of Riese.

Details

Cast: Christine Chatelain, Sharon Taylor, Patrick Gilmore, Ben Cotton
Website: Riese The Series

YouTube: Watch Them On YouTube
ARG: Play The ARG
Koldcast.tv: Watch Them On Koldcast
Twitter: Follow Them On Twitter
Facebook: Join Them On Facebook
Vote For It: Riese The Series

Ratings

The costume design is amazing, absolutely amazing. While there aren’t too many other flashy pyrotechnics to sink your teeth into, the costumes are some of the most well done I’ve seen in any web series. (Style 3.5)

These episodes are designed to be watched in one viewing. You can tell that this show is shot more like a television pilot than a web series, which works as long as you go into it knowing that fact. (Pacing 3)

I love the mythology, I love the setting and I think there is a ton of room for this show to grow and develop. In the end, I think the best thing that can be done to improve it is to tighten up some of the episodes and try to introduce a few more plot elements in each. I came into this series expecting a lot, and the early episodes seem a little thin. This isn’t a condemnation but rather a wish for change. (Storytelling 4.5)

Polish 5

If you want to love this show, watch it all in one sitting. If you want to be left feeling a bit unsatisfied, watch it episode to episode. (Watchability 3 )

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled action Thriller, look elsewhere. The plot of Vetala plods along, revealing its mysteries layer by layer and rewarding viewers with the patience to follow along. It’s an fantastically interesting ride for those who can make it through the slow points. My best advice is to take the time to watch this show all the way through. It’s designed for that type of viewing, and the structure works best if you see it as a coherent whole.

A supernatural thriller about a hostile, yet conflicted spirit from the pages of Sanskrit mythology, and the succession of people it travels through.

Season One follows Lily Callahan and Alex Reed, two college reporters who have become targets of The Syndicate, an organized crime group responsible for the trafficking of illegal guns. Alex’s obsession with exposing the city’s gun trade places both Lily and him in harms way, giving rise to The Vetala.

The Vetala hails from the Baital Pachisi stories, first written in the Indian book Brihatkatha of Gunadhya, first century A.D. The British explorer, writer and poet, Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) translated eleven of the Vetala stories from Sanskrit into English in 1870, and titled them Vikram & The Vampire. Burton believed this collection of tales and legends was the inspiration for The Arabian Nights, a book he would also famously translate along with The Kama Sutra.

Details

Cast: Candace Chase, Paul Mendel, Marina Pasqua, Leslie Mildiner, James Tyce, Tina Moore, Russ Ball
Website: The Vetala (RSS)

YouTube: Watch Them On YouTube
Twitter: Follow Them On Twitter
Facebook: Join Their Page
Vote For It: The Vetala

Ratings

Style 3.5

The plot moves slowly and methodically for a series with five minute episodes, at times you wish they would throw a few more carrots to the hungry audience. (Pacing 3)

Storytelling 3.5

The series is beautifully shot, with some well done effects and good use of gore. (Polish 4)

Watchability 3.5

The show has a really rich background history, which makes it sad that the early episodes don’t take more time to explore it. Too much screen time is given early on to elements of the story that aren’t particularly relevant to the overarching plot nor character development. (Novelty 3.5)

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

These are web series that show us that there are very few respectable professions that don’t somehow involve you wearing your underoos on the outside. Some of these are comedies, looking at the lighter side of the cape, others are as dark as your last trip to Arkham Asylum’s Day Spa and Grill; all of them involve average people doing extraordinary things with the aide of B-grade special effects.

Some of you web series aficionado’s may be wondering why Take 180’s In2uition didn’t make the list. Well, we are trying our best to avoid repetition and it’s already holding its own as one of our favorite supernatural web series.

Drawn By Pain

Summary: The story of a little girl pushed to the utter edge of sanity and the animated demons that are unleashed by her pure rage and fury.

Run Time: 10+ minutes
Genre: Superhero Thriller
See More: Drawn By Pain

[Read Our Review]

Reservation

Summary: A Community of young people with extraordinary abilities live in hiding, trying to lead normal lives. A black-ops government Agency is searching endlessly for them, hoping to utilize their gifts for the good of the nation.

As the Agency draws ever closer, this Community must come together in order to preserve their way of life- no matter what the cost.

Run Time: 4+ minutes
Genre: Superhero Drama
See More: Reservation

[Read our Review]

The Defenders of Stan

Summary: Stan is frustrated with being an everyman in a world full of supermen.

Run Time: 5+ minutes
Genre: Superhero Comedy
See More: The Defenders of Stan

[Vote Backstage]

Captain Alpha Male

Summary: Meet Captain Alpha Male. He’s a man’s man, Heros hero. He’s about to get the promotion he’s worked his whole career for. Or is he?

Run Time: 5+ minutes
Genre: Superhero Comedy
See More: Captain Alpha Male

[Vote Backstage]

Junior League of Superheroes

Summary: Imagine we live in a world where good battles evil … where ordinary people strive to leave their mundane lives and accomplish extraordinary things.

And within that world are six bumbling, wannabe superheroes who have no idea what they’re getting themselves into.

Run Time: 7+ minutes
Genre: Superhero Comedy
See More: Junior League of Super Heroes

[Read Our Review]

Chick

Summary: Chick is a comic drama that uses the superhero as a metaphor for exploring human potential. The web series follows the adventures of Lisa, a woman disillusioned with her life, as she sets out on a quest to realize what she believes is her destiny; to become a superhero.

Run Time: 3+ minutes
Genre: Superhero Drama
See More: CHICK

What are your favorite Superhero web series?

Bottom Line: While the pacing early in the series is uneven, this beautifully shot Hong Kong fantasy will draw you in the world of the mirrorspy.

LUMINA is an original web series written and directed by Jennifer Thym and starring JuJu Chan, Michael Chan and Vince Matthew Chung. Filmed on the RED One, the nine part web series is a dark, densely woven fantasy set against the sparkling backdrop of Hong Kong.

Lumina Wong is beautiful but works far too much; although she lives in a city of millions, she still feels lonely and isolated. Late one night, Lumina has a chance encounter with Ryder Lee, a handsome young man from another world that she can see in mirrors and darkened window reflections. She revels in the fantasy relationship until mirrorspy Eben Sanchez comes into her life, warning her of the treacheries of the people of the Dark Realm. Soon Lumina must choose between the safety of the world she knows and the deadly allure of the unknown.

Details

Cast: Juju Chan, Michael Chan, Jacob Ziacan, Shell Z. Zhu, Vince Chung, Emilie Guillot, Lawrence Milman, Kate Sullivan, Aisling Kinsella
YouTube Channel: Lumina
Website: Lumina
Support the Show: Watch Lumina On Koldcast

Subscribe

Feed: Feed
Facebook Page Lumina

Ratings

The entire series is beautifully shot in Red One, the “mirrorspy” effect is believable and the Hong Kong backdrop that we find ourselves in is one of the most stunning of any web series I’ve seen. (Style 5)

My biggest criticism of the show is that it skips around more than it should, in the first few episodes so many cast members are introduced that you never really get a sense for any of them. Even the “Prince” feels more like a sketch than a fully developed character. In a lot of ways it feels more like a problem with the length of each episodes than the writing, and as things pick up I’m hoping we’ll have more time to truly get to know the people we are following. (Pacing 3.5)

You can really tell that a lot of time was put into the mirrorspy mythology, the story is rich and the concepts they are drawing on make you hope they get past the somewhat uneven pace of the early season. In all, unlike a lot of other single-concept based web series, Lumina really feels like you have been drawn into a new,different and altogether compelling world. (Storytelling 4)

Polish 4

Watchability 3.5

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Super heroes, government conspiracies, and angst all wrapped up in a cocoon of solid writing and directing. While the story sometimes moves more slowly than you would like, this character driven super hero series rises way above most everything else in the genre.

A Community of young people with extraordinary abilities live in hiding, trying to lead normal lives.

A black-ops government Agency is searching endlessly for them, hoping to utilize their gifts for the good of the nation.

As the Agency draws ever closer, this Community must come together in order to preserve their way of life- no matter what the cost.

Told from the perspective of both the Community and the Agency, g14 productions presents “Reservation”, a new dramatic science fiction web series that explores how far people will go to protect their families and their country.

To learn more about the history and the people of the Community and the Agency, investigate the site and share your thoughts in our forum.

Details

Creators: Matthew Balthrop, David White
Blip.tv Channel: Reservation
Website: Reservation
Support the Show: Watch G14’s Other Videos

Subscribe

Feed: Feed
Twitter Page G14 Productions

Ratings

It’s a super hero series that actually has some pretty great special effects. They don’t pull any punches in Reservation and the show is better for it. Instead of sticking to powers that would have been easy to shoot, they have a wide range of interesting abilities and characters willing to use them. (Style 5)

While the overall speed of the story is brisk, they run into the problem that you often see with ensemble casts — there is this tendency to underdevelop characters. While they tend to base episodes around the actions of one or two of the characters, it’s still sometimes difficult to get a feeling for everyone’s motivations. (Pacing 4)

It’s hard to do a super hero web series for a variety of reasons. It’s hard to do a series with an ensemble cast for a variety of reasons. The fact that the creators decided to do an ensemble series about super heroes deserves a few points by itself. What they have managed to pull off, however, is even better — they’ve done this kind of series well. Certainly there are parts that could be tighter, especially with the interplay between the heroes and the government agency chasing them but in sum it is an absolutely enjoyable ride. (Storytelling 4.5)

Polish 4.5

Watchability 4

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Combining hand drawn animation with live action, Drawn By Pain delivers one of the most unique experiences you’ll have the pleasure of seeing on or off the Internet.

Young Emily once watched the world through blinders so the only thing she saw was the page on which she drew. Isolated, she tried to look away as her father gave her mother lessons in brutality from which she could only hide in her mind. But that rage, that fear growing deep within her would surface and once unleashed – could never be re-contained. Ten years older, the demons of old fuel her, empower her and push her to be the very thing she once feared: A monster in her own right.

A dramatic action packed 12-part series in a sea of comedic web content, “Drawn By Pain” engages its audience by leading them through an episodic spiral into one woman’s search for salvation as her animated madness fights for her sanity in the real world.

Details

Cast: Jesse Cowell, Erica Langworthy, Marissa Parness, Elizabeth Plevy, Guy Rader
Blip.tv Channel: Drawn By Pain
Website: Drawn By Pain
Support the Show: Visit The Drawn By Pain Store

Subscribe

Feed: Feed
Twitter Page Jeskid

Ratings

This is a series you have to see to believe. The way they blend live action with animation is absolutely stunning and my only qualm is I wish they had the time to do more of it. Also, the interplay between the main character’s younger and older self and the demons she faces down is the sort of thing you would expect out of a much higher budget production. In all, this is a brilliant piece of work. (Style 5)

Overall the story is fantastic but some episodes seemed to drift, this is especially apparent near the middle of the series when we start to question the protagonists sanity. While I understand what they were trying to accomplish, and they did a good job of doing so, if they had added more exposition it would have helped to flesh out the themes. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 5

Polish 4

This is a complete story in every sense of the word, you’ll find yourself stuck to your seat from beginning to end. Why the 4 then? Well, it’s also one of the darkest web series I’ve seen to date. It deals with issues of abuse, sanity and identity that wil make it difficult to swallow for some more sensitive viewers. If you can get past this you are in for a ride, I couldn’t give a stronger recommendation if I tried (Watchability 4)

Novelty 5

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

It’s a story about what the world looks like after the Zombie Apocalypse, and it’s a story about a boy named Jimbo.

Really it’s a story about growing up.

Sappy enough? Well, in the realm of movies about Zombies this does err on the sentimental side. While it does have the sort of casual violence you expect from the genre, the main plot points revolve around loss, loneliness and how people deal with change.

The production quality is pretty solid, the world looks blasted without being overdone and the violence is pretty darn violent. What I liked most about it though was the subtlety. Without spoiling too much, the final shot of the boy after the climactic event is cinematic gold.

If you like Zombies and having your heart string tugged rather than having your heart strings tugged out by Zombies, this movie is just your speed.

Creator’s Description

A bunch of teenagers in a ghost town, full of death and desolation, where adults have turned into zombies. Among them, stands Jimbo (Brad Ashby), madly in love with Sarah Jane (Mia Wasikowska). This is the second short film (the first being Spider) funded by Qoob. Directed by Spencer Susser, who also co-wrote the script with Australian author/director David Michod, this film has been selected in major festivals across the world (among which Sundance ‘08) and won 4 prizes so far.

Details

Cast: Brad Ashby, Mia Wasikowska
Vimeo Channel: I Love Sarah Jane
Website: QOOB

Ratings

Anytime you blow up a zombie with a flaming arrow you get most of your style points. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

A surprisingly sentimental trip into the Zombieverse, not at all what you might expect out a movie driven by the undead. (Storytelling 4)

Everything from the costumes to the setting is stellar. (Polish 4.5)

Watchability 4

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Sure the voice acting is uneven but with alien abductions, freedom fighters, robots and melodrama, this series has all the ear marks of a great space opera and it doesn’t disappoint.

What happens when a lone motorcyclist gets lost in the woody backroads of North Carolina at night? He gets abducted by aliens, of course!

Follow Stu Baker in the continuing series Star Quest as he begins an adventure in the vast blackness of space! Yes, there are ray guns and robots too!

Details

Cast: roguevirus, Ubernewbie, Act3scene24, yvedt, QueenOfHearts, Davidwww, Sisch, Gerald, armandoxthegreat, reptor7
Moviestorm Channel: Star Quest
Website: Hursto Presto
Support the Show: See More At Hursto Presto

Ratings

Style 3.5

Pacing 4

Even though alien invasion stories are classic Sci-Fi fare, you really see something this elaborate done as a web series. It was refreshing to watch it play out so well. Of course, there could always be a few more twists but the writing and setting were both solid, making this series a must see for Sci-Fi fans. (Storytelling 4)

The only problem I had was that the voice acting quality was uneven. It felt like the voices were recorded on a bunch of different mics. Some sound clear, some muffled, and others tinny. This really throws off the sense of immersion in places. Otherwise the camera work and animation are solid. (Polish 3.5)

It’s a Machinima Space Opera so expect a host of characters, laser fire and a lot of time spent developing characters. Even when the episodes cross the 10 minute barrier they move quickly enough to keep you engaged. They also manage to balance action sequences with slower paced segments of exposition. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Condition:Human is one of the most visually stunning and well executed Sci Fi dramas I’ve seen on the web. Once you get over how beautiful it is, you’ll still be drawn in by a story that strays away from the camp that marks many science fiction series’ on the web.

In the near future, man has begun to address the economic and environmental issues plaguing the early 21st century. Rapid technological advancements have changed life dramatically, especially the creation of advanced humanoid robots who have begun to play an integral part in everyday life. Takumi Kenji, the reclusive CEO of Kenji Electronics, and father of all things A.I. has announced the first ever ‘companion’ bots. A model of humanoid who’s interactive capabilities are remarkably natural. As robots continue to evolve their place amongst us we must evolve as well, and as we do society carries the responsibility of answering moral questions that come.

Details

Cast: Kristian Bakstad, Leah Tassey, Arnica Skulstad-Brown, Kasey Ryne Mazak, Josephine Savoldelli, Lloyd Davis, Lani Claxton, Pat Barker, Raymond Wey-Ming Ho, Rob Carpenter
Vimeo Channel: Condition:Human
Website: Condition:Human
Support the Show: Join The Facebook Page

Subscribe

Twitter Feed: Condition Human
Facebook Page Condition Human

Ratings

I really can’t get over how beautifully the effects are done in this show. They are dark, crisp and absolutely seamless. I don’t know what type of budget they had for this show but I haven’t seen a more fully realized world. If you plan to shoot a web series even partially on green screen, you should take notes from Condition:Human. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

Storytelling 4.5

The video quality and effects are absolutely top notch for a web series, however, the audio was a little low and muffled. Considering how interesting the show concept is, it’s frustrating to have to strain to hear it. Let me point out that none of this detracts from the fact that this is one of the most visually stunning web shows I have ever seen. The physical sets are fantastic and the digital ones are close to seamless. I wouldn’t ask for more if this was on network television. (Polish 4.5)

This is a deeply philosophical exploration of humanities obsession with technology and what it means to be human. It moves at a slow, deliberate pace and for some people that might make it difficult to sit through especially since each episode clocks in at over 10 minutes in length. That being the case, if you are looking for some tasty SciFi in the vein of Gattaca this is for you. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Four If By Space is a great spin on the buddy comedy motif.

Four If By Space, a web series created by Richard Lovejoy, Kent Meister, and Brad Raimondo. This sci-fi / comedy / road movie / adventure / sex farce centers around a pair of twin brothers. Each meets an alien. One alien is on the run from his own species. The other has his eyes on invasion…

The story alternates back and forth between illiterate novelist Quentin Elijah, who has befriended an evil alien General; and Evan Elijah, a shallow, well-to-do hipster who teaches the alien Guiradon about life on Earth. As Quentin and the General race across the country, Evan and Guiradon enjoy a fast paced hedonistic lifestyle in New York City.

You’ll scream as a ruthless alien General tries to impose Somnacracy on humanity! You’ll laugh as Quentin Elijah attempts to be the world’s first illiterate novelist! You’ll smile knowingly as Evan Elijah tries to educate the alien Guiradon about human social interactions. You’ll gasp as characters you care about die suddenly, violently! You’ll shudder as the alien fleet grows closer to earth! You’ll titter nervously as details about the alien anatomy are revealed!

Four If By Space has it all! Action! Comedy! Romance! Suspense! Thinly veiled allegories to the plight of America! Alien sex! Diaologue that borders on coherency! Alien Sex! And at least four or five other things!

Details

Cast: Kent Meister, Richard Lovejoy, Morgan Anne Zipf, Molly Pope, Ian Schoen, Laura O’Brien, Ricardo Perez, Max Seide, Jeremy Sumpman, Brad Raimondo
YouTube Channel: Four If By Space
Website: Four If by Space
Support the Show: Vote For The Show On Funny Or Die

Subscribe

Feed: Feed
Facebook Page Four If By Space

Ratings

Great Z-movie grade special effects add to the overall shlockiness of this entertaining alien comedy. (Style 4)

Pacing 3.5

“Is there anything more American than an illiterate man writing a novel?” This is a story of two aliens and two idiots and how their lives intersect. While it plays off of pretty much every comedy involving super-powered alien creatures, it has enough of that buddy-movie feel to it to make it stand out on its own. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 3

It reminds me of Mork and Mindy in the best possible way. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5 stars

Radical Rifle Icon is the story of an actor turned soldier who keeps getting killed by a ninja assassin and brought back to life by a sadist who likes to eat hamburgers while injecting red dye 24 into corpses.

It touches on issues of identity, death and the toll that war can take on the soul but honestly it’s also really, really campy. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing particularly funny about the script but after watching for a few minutes you can tell that Ramiro Bélanger (the writer/director) had his tongue pressed pretty firmly against their cheek.

Come on, the agency that is in charge of bringing soldiers back to life is called the “Death Rising Department.” I might not be involved with any government branding projects but that sounds a whole heck of a lot like something Umbrella would sponsor to speed up the production of Zombies.

Even the blood effects have that 70s kitsch that you can’t really take seriously, especially when you know the character will be back about 20 seconds later. Did I mention that the main character looks almost exactly like Guile for Street Fighter?

I liked this movie a lot, it combined melodrama with enough subtle camp that you can let some the minor execution problems (the jungle looks nothing like a jungle except for the plastic trees) go. If you know what you are getting into this is a ride that you will be happy to take.

Creator’s Description

Ex-actor turned commando Andy Frazer (Richard Zeman) is one of a few army men that can be brought back to life by the DEATH RISING DEPARTMENT. A reality with which his soul will struggle more and more.

Details

Cast: Richard Zeman
Vimeo Channel: Radical Rifle Icon
Website: Ramiro Belanger

Ratings

Pretty much entirely for the hamburger eating doctor and the 70s style blood effects (Style 4)

It moves a little too slowly for its own good. I know that they were trying to build up the melodrama but without breaks in the tension it occasionally felt like padding. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 4

Polish 3.5

This is really fun to watch, especially when you realize that you shouldn’t be taking it too seriously. (Watchability 4.5)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 3.91 out of 5 stars

Dystopias don’t do too well on a low budget. They almost always end up seeming too cheesy to really sell the theme. Oasis might be the exception to prove the rule. The story surrounds one man’s search for the Oasis, a legendary Eden that might restore man to his former glory, the real action though comes in the form of his fight against an opposing band of survivors and what he discovers about war, friendship and humanity.

It’s dirty, gritty and an all around good showing for the genre.

If you want Sci-Fi that doesn’t rely on camp, Oasis Terminal might just be your, er, Oasis.

Creator’s Description

25 years into the future, civilization has been destroyed by nuclear war. Andres, one of the few survivors, searches for a mythical place called The Oasis, the only hope for mankind.

Details

Cast: Andres Sandoval, Ruben Di Pietro, Rey Vazques, Catalina Navas, Julian Caballero
Executive Producers: Veronica Echeverri, Lucrecia Villa
Vimeo Channel: Oasis Terminal
Website: Pacifica Films

Ratings

Really good costumes, nice gunfire effects and an overall sense of oppression missing from a lot of other independent dystopias. (Style 4.5)

For a story driven primarily by action and flash backs it does move pretty slowly. There is probably a minute or two that could be cut out without effecting the strength of the narrative. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 4

Polish 4

Good characterization, good storytelling and top tier execution. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.91 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Brett Register is quickly becoming my favorite artists working in web series today, this show is only a small proof of that. The green screen effects are well done, the acting has the right amount of camp and the story is pure B-grade Sci-fi joy.

The Crew is comedy blending wit, situational humor and human interaction nestled in the environment of the space ship Azureas. If the characters from the hit television comedy The Office were the crew members on board the Star Ship Enterprise, our show is what you would get. RegisteredFilms’ Brett Register conceived the idea as a web series to leverage the Internet and mobile device’s proven ability to effectively reach insatiable consumers, consumers that will tune in at their leisure to view this web series.

With 15 episodes per season, averaging 5 – 10 minutes per episode viewers of The Crew have just enough time to get to know the characters and story, but are left asking, “When is the next episode coming?” The humor is dry, subtle as we massage the intellect and funny bone of a bright clever audience ready for a new comedy tailored for them. The Crew will provide consumers with free content they’ll love and advertisers with a demographic that justify spending money marketing their products with us.

Details

Cast: Philip Bache, Brett Register, Craig Frank, Ariel Lazarus, Amy Kline, Michael Hart, Michelle Exarhos, Angie Cole
Blip.tv Channel: The Crew
Website: The Crew
Support the Show: See Them On Koldcast

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Facebook Page The Crew

Ratings

I love the green screen effects. They are cheesy enough to fit the theme without being so cheesy that they become grating (you see what I did there?). If you’re going to do a SciFi series on a shoe string, you would do well to take notes from these guys. (Style 4.5)

The show moves at a slow, deliberate pace. Usually this would be a bad, bad thing for a web series but the dialogue is so well written you get drawn in. While the “joke ratio” is lower than some comedy web series, the storytelling is better and the characters are more likable. With a story like this, good writing can really pull the episodes together and make up for the fact that we don’t get to see starship battles or aliens with head tentacles every other episode. (Pacing 4.5)

Storytelling 4

Polish 4

Watchability 4

If this is anywhere else I would give it at least a 4, but on the Internet the idea is that everything is made better if you do it in space. They took the “wacky working environment” Office-esque high concept and moved it to space. It works really, really well but they don’t deviate too far from the script. (Novelty 3.5)

Overall Rating: 4.08 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: While the voice acting is uneven, the story has the kind of energy you expect from much higher budget space operas. This is worth a watch of machinima and sci-fi fans alike.

Chronicles of Humanity is an original science fiction series that takes place in the 24th century. The story begins after a mining accident on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, with the colonists protesting against the Government’s unwillingness to give them better working conditions. And that’s only the beginning…

Details

Cast: Charlie Allen-Wall, Damien Valentine, Elizabeth Cameron, Felicia Day, Gabrielle Pugliese, Ingrid Moon, Kim Genly, Richard Grove
Vimeo Channel: Chronicles of Humanity
Website: Chronicles of Humanity
Support the Show: Watch Bathtub Productions Other Films

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Ratings

They decided to go big with this one, taking a high concept like a space opera and doing it all using machinima. For all the minor flaws it has, it’s a stylistic feat. (Style 4.5)

Pacing 4

I can’t tell if my problem is with the script or with the voice acting. Actually I can, it’s with the voice acting. There are portions of the narrative that fall flat because it’s really clear that the lines are being read, which is a shame because overall it is a grand story concept. It’s hard to sync your acting with a character whose lips don’t even move, but compared to say, Red vs. Blue, there is a huge disconnect between what you’re seeing on the screen and the voices coming from the characters. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

Get past the pilot and you start to see a really interesting story begin to unravel. This is another one of those series where it helps to watch multiple episodes in a row, and if you do you’ll be treated to a top tier romp through space — rare for a web series. (Watchability 3.5)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: This is one of those series that you need to look at in its entirety to appreciate. The episodes are short and slow moving, but the high concept could make it worth the wait for some.

In a world where no one dies and the sun never sets, an ex-priest enlists the help of a rag-tag band of survivors to find the fabled last remaining entrance into paradise…

Judgment Day has come and gone. Most of the world’s population and all the children have simply vanished. Those remaining cannot die, and do not age. They exist on an Earth frozen in time, where all sources of power and energy have ceased; a world where daylight never ends, nothing works, and the ocean is poisonous.

100 years later, the last chance for redemption rests in an unlikely soul. Steven, a man once of the church, now devoid of all hope or faith spends his days wandering the desolate streets in an apathetic daze. That is, until today.

Welcome to the post apocalyptic world of “After Judgment,” nominated for 6 Streamy Awards! Watch Season 1 of this original sci fi web series, and then delve into the lives of the characters and uncover the clues by watching “Before Judgment,” which contains lost footage of the events leading up to the fall of humanity and the aftermath that followed, as seen through the eyes of the survivors.

Details

Cast: Joel Bryant, Jim McMahon, Taryn O’Neill, Stephanie Thorpe, Monika Jolly, Gregor Manns, Kristen Huff, Mick Theyer, Fesa Salillas, Samantha Colburn, Mike Davies Jr, John Curtis, Andy Gross, Beth Fisher
Blip.tv Channel: After Judgment
Website: After Judgment
Support the Show: See Captain Film’s Other Productions

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Facebook Page After Judgment

Ratings

Style 3.5

The episodes are too short, which makes the story difficult to pick up. Even after you watch a few you are still not really clear enough on what’s going on. Not only that but they have this thing about mixing up chronology which might work if the shows were longer but as it stands it just makes it confusing. (Pacing 2.5)

As stories go this is a really cool premise, the world has ended, the vast majority of people have disappeared and we get to see things from the perspective of the people who have been left behind. They can’t die — not easily at least — they can’t age and the sun never sets. Yes, it does bare a striking resemblance to a major plot premise in Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series but once you get past the first act it starts moving in a much different direction. As I mentioned earlier, what brings this series down is the pace, it’s really designed to be watched back to back and only works when you take large chunks of the story in at the same time. (Storytelling 3)

Polish 4.5

I just can’t give this show my strongest recommendation. I like the ideas a lot but the execution could have been better. The first 30 seconds is usually a recap of the last episode and the last 30 seconds are the credits. That leaves about 3 minutes to build a story, and a good portion of that is monologue or silence. Usually you get one plot element thrown in there, but the wonky chronology makes that hard to put into the wider context. If you like the premise you should give this one a shot, but if you aren’t completely sold on that you might want to look elsewhere. (Watchability 2.5)

The novel series and bad made for DVD movie not withstanding, this is a really original idea. I’d suggest watching Before Judgment along with After Judgment as it really fleshes out parts of the story that might otherwise go over you head. In general, this is an all or nothing proposition, if you aren’t willing to commit to the entire run you probably won’t get much out of this. (Novelty 3)

Overall Rating: 3.16 out of 5 stars

ARK is a visually breath-taking look at life, disease and society. When I say breath-taking I mean that in every possible way, the detail and depth of the animation can almost make you miss the strength of the storytelling.

That’s what really strikes me though, the storytelling. Without a word of dialogue director Grzegorz Jonkajtys drags you into this world of desperation, disease and madness. Even though there is almost no action until the final act, you can feel the tension as the protagonist circles around his final decision.

In the world of web animations this is a masterpiece. In fact, any world where this would not be considered a masterpiece leaves much to be desired.

Creator’s Description

An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population.

Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set off in search of uninhabited land. So begins the exodus, led by one man…

Details

Creator: Grzegorz Jonkajtys
Openfilm Channel: ARK
Website: Grzegorz Jonkajtys

Ratings

Remember when I said it was breath-taking? Yea. (Style 5)

Pacing 3.5

This is a cast study in strong visual storytelling. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 5

It’s very, very dark and it only gets darker as it enters the third act. If you are looking for hope and redemption, this is probably not your film. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: I have a soft spot in my heart for Zombies and zombie-related series, and this one is hard not to like. The story could move a little faster and there could be a few more Zombies shambling about but overall the series is an entertaining look at life after the Zombie Apocalypse.

Zomblogalypse is a sitcom about a world where Zombies have taken over. Don’t confuse this for a normal apocalyptic Zombie romp, in this series everyone seems strangely OK with the pack of flesh eaters that have invaded their world. Watch what life is like when people stop being friendly, and start eating brains.

Details

Cast: Hannah Bungard, Tony Hipwell, Miles Watts
YouTube Channel: Zomblogalypse
Website: Zomblogalypse
Support the Show: See Other Miles To Go Productions

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Facebook Group: Zomblogalypse

Ratings

Style 3

Pacing 4

There is a hole in the Zombie genre for something not quite as campy as Shaun of the Dead and not quite as serious as one of Romero’s films, a series like this fills that hole. The story feels like a realistic look at what the Zombie Apocalypse would be like for a group of normal people. (Storytelling 3.5)

They were going for a documentary style and they hit the nail on the dead. (Polish 4)

If you don’t like Zombies or need your Zombie Apocalypse to be dark and creepy, you probably won’t care for this show. Otherwise, there is a lot to enjoy here. (Watchability 3.5)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 3.66 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Considering how interesting the main character is I found myself wishing that I could see him in a more dynamic role. Even so, if you watch a few episodes you will find that Zerk’s gripes and moans will grow on you.

Three time fragments ago, Captain Zerks Ganymedewski, and his ship the Venturi 553, disappeared without a trace. What happened to Zerks and his ship? No one knew until the recent discovery of the Venturi’s log capsule – its “black box”. As the League of Outstanding Planets begins reviewing the evidence from the log, the truth will be revealed.

Captain Fantastic? Well, Zerks certainly thinks so! However, the reality is perhaps just a bit different! Watch and find out for yourself as Zerks Log is revealed in this 18 episode sci-fi comedy web series.

Details

Cast: Ben Alpi, Rob King, Beth Smith, Sarah Babb, Dave Condon
Blip.tv Channel: Zerk’s Log
Website: Storyforge
Support the Show: Read The Web Comic

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iTunes Feed: Zerk’s Log

Ratings

Great use of green screen, great costumes, and an interesting visual style add to the overall appeal of this show. (Style 4)

At times it’s a little meandering and it makes you wish there was more meta-story to stitch it all together (Pacing 2.5)

This is a “slice of life” series. There isn’t too much overarching plot, but in a lot of ways that works for it because it gives them more opportunity to come up with interesting things for Zerk to gripe about. The meta plot does begin to develop later in the series and you should definitely stick around to see that. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

Watchability 3.5

It’s a vlog aboard an alien space ship. You should be watching this right now for that alone. (Novelty 4)

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5 stars

This is the most fun you’ll ever have with mail delivery. Not only is the animation extremely well realized but there is a story here that is actually worth watching. The big problem with a lot of animated shorts is that they turn into glorified tech demos, in this case Asterokid and Jon have given us a living, breathing and entertaining look at what mail delivery might look like in space.

Creator’s Description

Galactic Mail is a short film I made in collaboration with my fellow friend Jonathan Vuillemin aka Motraboy. It was produced by The Mill which basically gave us some time to create it. We spent around four months working on it together from storyboards to compositing. Because of the time we had to complete the piece, we went for a different approach than Sigg Jones. On one hand, we had to make things simple and turn it at our advantage. On the other hand, I was keen to experiment a lot of things I had thought about using the 3D media.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Details

Creators: Asterokid, Jonathan Vuillemin
Vimeo Channel: Galactic Mail
Website: Asterokid

Ratings

Style 4.5

It’s a fun, kinetic concept piece. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 3.5

The animation is crisp, detailed and the musical score drives the action forward. (Polish 4)

Watchability 4

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars