esjay

This excellent short film deserves a much bigger audience, and hopefully is on its way to getting one. It has everything going for it, after all: good scripting, wonderful cast, remarkable production values (even considering its budget) and the perfect cross-over appeal. There's nostalgia for all of us who remember Blake's Seven the first time around, mixed with a brilliant cast of high-profile, slightly more modern, acting talent to attract the hip young things who are too young and trendy to have any idea exactly what is being parodied/homaged. And there is no need to know anything about Blake's Seven to enjoy this little masterpiece; its early eighties targets are caught with a wide and subtle enough stroke to work as a perfect evocation simply of Sci fi of the period, or even of t.v. of the period. I'm not saying the characters are stereotypes, per se. Archetypes, perhaps. But easily recognisable to non-fans almost as much as to fans, certainly.

Of course, if you do remember Blake's Seven, there's a lot more humour to be found in the details, and some hidden gems for the real fans to spot. There's even an original cast member in there! And - whatever you may think of Blake's Seven, or eighties memorabilia, or Sci fi - this is worth seeing just for Mackenzie Crook as a Servalan to rival Servalan herself, even if you don't know who that is...

My only complaint about this short film would be that it's short. It leaves you wanting more - and yet its length is perfect.