#john massari

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

Have you seen The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988)?

Yes

No

Haven’t even heard of this movie

Voting ended onAug 6, 2024

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Wizard of Speed and Time (1989)

There will never be another film like The Wizard of Speed and Time. Even if Mike Jittlov hopped in a time machine, reassembled the original cast, used the same equipment, the same locations and shot the film using the same techniques on the same budget, it could never be duplicated. Difficult to track down unless you know where to find it - at which point it becomes ridiculously easy to view - it’s got that “lightning in a bottle” quality.

Based on his original short film, writer, cinematographer, animator, composer Mike Jittlov plays himself as he attempts to create a short film highlighting his DIY special effects techniques for a TV network special. He’s a complete unknown and more than a little odd, prompting the executives to place a bet on whether Jittlov will meet the deadline.

A childlike sense of enthusiasm, giddiness and pleasant naivete radiates from every frame of The Wizard of Speed and Time. As you might’ve guessed, Mike Jittlov is essentially playing himself. He creates and then sells the film he made in 1979 to a system which has stomped all potential for off-the-wall thinkers and radicals with its unions, business models and rules. He’s ambitious and gullible. Of course making a movie isn’t as easy as he expects it to be. Although the obstacles standing in his way are recognizable to us onlookers as completely necessary - although perhaps a little restrictive - he nonetheless brings you to his side. You want nothing more than for him to overcome the odds and show the world what wild abandon can do.

You know the movie is going to get made because you’re watching the movie the real-life Mike Jittlov made. This makes his triumphs feel like your own. The meta aspect turns The Wizard of Speed and Time into an experience rather than a story you simply watch. If he can make his dream come true, so can you. You can “see the strings” in all of the special effects sequences - that’s to say you know how they were done - but it doesn’t matter. Your jaw drops seeing them because you know this man did it all on his own. More than that; he invented the techniques. Particularly striking is the stop-motion animation - the best of which features Jittlov himself as the titular Wizard.

This picture is inspirational and hilarious. It’s big and wild and colourful and cheerful and clever. Watch it a half-dozen times and I bet you’ll still discover previously unseen jokes tucked away in the corners of the screen. Rather than self-congratulating and self-important, it’s a humble little picture that never takes itself too seriously and takes every opportunity to make fun of how crazy it is.

The number of successful gags makes the film’s lack of a proper DVD release even more disappointing. You want to be able to pause and take a look at what’s written on those sheets of paper on the wall in the background, or turn on subtitles to make sure you don’t miss a thing while the room is filled with laughter. Be honest; you’d never heard of this movie before and it’s largely faded away… except to the die-hard fans who, frustrated with the studio’s utter lack of enthusiasm when it came to a new home release, created a version you can find online - all with Jitlov's approval.

The Wizard of Speed and Time isn’t just a movie. It’s has romance, humour, likeable characters, crowd scenes, chase scenes, special effects, etc. but they're used in wholly original ways. To watch it is to open up an old cardboard box in your attic and rediscover your favourite toy all over again. (On VHS, May 10, 2019)

[beepbonk]

The Wizard of Speed and Time (1988) | Mike Jittlov

All the films that could have been, and all the dreams that I could spin

[catluniscia]

The art process video is available on YouTube, links in my blog because tumblr is a dick when it comes to links. I am also open for commissions.

You know this is was just a doodle I did during a D&D session aka my character wasn't there and there fore I dont need to really listen...besides the group doesn't like me. Any way I doodled a killer klown from outer space and it didn't look crap so decided to make it into something more complex with shading and stuff.

I was planning to sell it as prints at this fair I am going to, but one its kinda obscure, and 2 a big 2 its gonna have kids there, besides people want Pennywise it seams, and in more than one way oh gross.

[brokehorrorfan]

Composer John Massari has reworked his Killer Klowns from Outer Space score with an orchestra. The resultant album, Killer Klowns from Outer Space; Reimagined, will be released on CD and digital on May 18 via Varèse Sarabande Records.

The soundtrack features contributions from composer Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead, Battlestar Galactica) and The Dickies, the punk band responsible for the 1988 cult classic’s theme song.

[thebiscuiteternal]

[beepbonk]

the wizard of speed and time soundtrack (2019 vinyl press) | https://www.discogs.com/release/14197788-John-Massari-Steve-Mann-Mike-Jittlov-The-Wizard-Of-Speed-And-Time

[carpenter-synth]

John Massari showed up to comment on a KKFOS soundtrack cue on Youtube (he discussed something he was thinking when he wrote it) and y’know, parts of our technological dystopia aren’t that bad when delightful confluences like that can happen