Our ongoing series covering web-based productions in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror genres. If you have a recommendation for a web original that we should look at, contact us at mail@axiomsedge-scifi.com.
By John J. Joex
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
The creators of The Third Age web series refer to it as a “magical realist” tale and they mix ancient mythology with the modern world in a story about mortals trying to harvest the power of the gods. Sounds like a tall order for a web series, which tend to work on a much more modest scale, but the producers manage to pull it off in this engaging series that mixes real world grittiness with the cosmic scope of the supernatural and embellishes it all with some grand psychedelic flourishes giving us a tale at times reminiscent of the works of Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, and/or Grant Morrison.
The series follows a drug-dealer named Christopher who stumbles across a girl on the street who seems helpless and confused. Going against his instincts, he decides to help her even though she cannot tell him her name and does not even seem capable of speaking. Meanwhile, a scientist, Jerrod Woolf, has a mysterious man in captivity who he extracts blood from in an attempt to create a miracle drug that will elevate human consciousness. As Christopher tries to unlock the mystery of the girl he has now named Morning, he seeks out the aid of his ex-girlfriend who dabbles in spiritual and mystical matters. But little does he realize that this strange girl actually has connections to the man in Jerrod’s custody. And Jerrod finds himself in a bit over his head as the apparent deal with the devil he previously made comes back to haunt him.
It’s all pretty heady stuff with the viewing experience made all the more intense by the quick-cut, music video style editing as well as the trippy psychedelic asides that establish the look of the series and give it a dark, moody atmosphere. And that all works for the better early on, but the series starts to get a bit muddled as it progresses and it almost seems to derail into new-age mysticism at times. Plus, the two antagonists, Alicia and Seth, give the series almost a camp feel in the later episodes as they ham it up while looking like second tier villains from some low-rent superhero’s rogue’s gallery. But the creative team does manage to hold the story together for the most part across the thirteen episodes of the series and ultimately delivers a rather professional looking production that elevates itself well above many of the more amateurish web entries out there.
The creative team, which includes Patrick Meaney (Writer/Director/Editor), Jordan Rennert (Writer/Director of Photography), and Amber Yoder (Producer), is comprised of mostly new talent with a minimal of professional work on their resumes. But they have managed to put together an impressive, if a bit far-out, production here that has great potential. And according to the show’s website, a second season is in the works and should be available in the coming months. I will definitely keep an eye out for that because Season 1 left me with a lot of questions, but also left me with the desire to continue watching and see where they take the story from here. You can watch the entire first season at the show’s website.
SciFinal.com – Offering a comprehensive directory of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Web Series with over 200 listings.Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
On the opposite end of the spectrum from The Third Age, we have Zombie Roadkill. A series that is not in the least bit cryptic or obscure. This six part web entry gives us a group of kids going on a trip who run over a squirrel in the road and as it just so happens any living creature that dies along that piece of highway comes back to life . . . and is pretty pissed. And that’s the story. Teens running scared from re-animated, and mostly mutilated, cute little critters aiming for revenge. What more can you ask from a web series? How about perennial supporting man Thomas Haden Church stepping in as Ranger Chet?
This fun little romp was produced for Fearnet.com by Ghost House Pictures, Sam Raimi’s company that did The Devil’s Trade web series as well as several of his films. Zombie and horror fans will love this one as it offers a great send-up of many of the clichés of those films, and anybody looking for a cheap laugh will enjoy it as well. Coming from Ghost House it has mostly professional production values, though the zombie animals and gore scenes can be pretty cheesy. But no more so than your average low-budget horror flick. And it only runs for six episodes of about 3 to 5 minutes each, so it’s a quick watch; good enough to pass the time for about half an hour and get a few guilty pleasure yucks. The full series is available for viewing at Hulu.com.
