It’s been eerily quiet in the Machinima community this weekend… the kind of “too quiet” that really can play tricks on a paranoid mind. So I’ve been spending the weekend distracting myself from that as much as possible. Here are the highlights:

- While exploring around for potential machinima outlets, I was browsing YouTube and stumbled across Ultimate Utopia XXIII in their video game channel. A cute little live-action w/ effects film (apparently made with FXHome’s products) that parodies Final Fantasy gameplay quite well. The more you’ve played FF, the more enjoyable/humorous it will likely be.

- I’ve been continuing to catch up on machinima from the past year or more, this weekend I watched several films by Britannica Dreams. I was particularly impressed by Michelle and Kheri’s eye for detail in their set and costume design. The whole look and feel of Visiting Scrooge and Happy Ever After were gorgeous and unlike anything else I’ve seen in The Sims 2. They are also venturing into story territory deeper and richer than average machinima, with tales like Scars & Souvenirs and A Different Song. Don’t let anyone tell you these women make “chick flicks”… once you see their work, you’ll know how preposterous that statement is.

- I finally got around to watching Kung Fu Hustle on DVD. What an absolute work of art! Stephen Chow’s approach to filmmaking, in both this film an previously in Shaolin Soccer, is a breath of fresh air. I would love to one day see a good kung fu machinima film; the freedom of locales available in machinima could make for some truly spectacular epics.