Wizard's Way is a 2013 comedy film starring Socrates Adams-Florou, Sadie Frost, and Joe Hartley. The debut feature of a director known only as Metal Man, the comedic faux-documentary was shot on location in Manchester on a budget of £400.[1]
When a battered video camera sold to a Manchester pawnshop, a remarkable tape is found inside. The film details the mundane lives of two friends, Barry Tubbulb and Julian "Windows" Andrews, as they attempt to live in the "real world" after their all-consuming passion - the on-line video game, Wizard's Way – is closed down. The plight of the two gamers and the insular world of multiplayer online gaming, is documented by two young film-makers, Joe (Joe Stretch) and Chris (Chris Killen), who hope to make an award-winning film about the gamers' social failure and the demise of Wizard's Way, an antiquated online multiplayer game with a rapidly dwindling fanbase. Even with Barry's guidance, the workings of the early-generation game remain somewhat obscure, involving Medieval wizards, dragons and various rural townsfolk competing for points in an extremely rudimentary game, characterized by poorly pixilated imagery, limited color options and painfully slow game action.
The film-makers are especially keen to find the game's undisputed master, known as "Windows," who happens to live in the same town. But before they can interview Windows, aka Julian, at home, they have to get past his overprotective flatmate Barry (Socrates Adams-Florou), a bearded layabout who lives and sleeps in the flat's bathroom. Barry warns them against disturbing Windows when he's "in-game", and hogs the camera to describe Wizard's Way and his friendship with Windows, whom he describes as being "the Michael Jackson of Wizard's Way - but alive."
When Windows (Kristian Scott) turns up, it's clear that he's a shy, ordinary guy who just likes to play video games for hours at a stretch. He doesn't seem keen on being interviewed, but puts up with the film makers - until their visits become too intrusive. As he begins to lose his grip on the project, Joe come up with a few strategies to draw Windows from his shell, but he fails to anticipate the consequences his disruptive film making may have on the game's loyal fans.
While acknowledging that the film's prankish perspective is hardly original, reviewers praised its offbeat characterizations, performances and a tone which teeters between aggrandized student film project and potential breakout cult documentary.[2]
In 2014 it was announced that American actor Jack Black had acquired the rights to develop a remake of Wizard's Way.[3]
Awardsedit
Wizard's Way was screened at London's BFI, as part of the LOCO LONDON comedy film festival 2013, which honoured the film with its Discovery Award.[4] The film's multi-platform release in 2013, was accompanied by the release of a playable version of the lost classic game, Wizard's Way. The film also picked up the London Independent Film Festival 2012 award for Best Comedy feature film.[5]
wizard, 2013, comedy, film, starring, socrates, adams, florou, sadie, frost, hartley, debut, feature, director, known, only, metal, comedic, faux, documentary, shot, location, manchester, budget, film, posterdirected, bymetal, manwritten, bysocrates, adams, fl. Wizard s Way is a 2013 comedy film starring Socrates Adams Florou Sadie Frost and Joe Hartley The debut feature of a director known only as Metal Man the comedic faux documentary was shot on location in Manchester on a budget of 400 1 Wizard s WayFilm posterDirected byMetal ManWritten bySocrates Adams FlorouChris KillenJoe StretchProduced byElectric DynamiteWizard s WayStarringSocrates Adams FlorouSadie FrostJoe HartleyCinematographyIsmael IssaEdited bySocrates Adams FlorouChris KillenChris DickensTim MossProductioncompaniesTempleheart Films Northern Girl ProductionsRelease date25 January 2013 2013 01 25 Running time76 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglish Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Reception 4 Awards 5 References 6 External linksPlot editWhen a battered video camera sold to a Manchester pawnshop a remarkable tape is found inside The film details the mundane lives of two friends Barry Tubbulb and Julian Windows Andrews as they attempt to live in the real world after their all consuming passion the on line video game Wizard s Way is closed down The plight of the two gamers and the insular world of multiplayer online gaming is documented by two young film makers Joe Joe Stretch and Chris Chris Killen who hope to make an award winning film about the gamers social failure and the demise of Wizard s Way an antiquated online multiplayer game with a rapidly dwindling fanbase Even with Barry s guidance the workings of the early generation game remain somewhat obscure involving Medieval wizards dragons and various rural townsfolk competing for points in an extremely rudimentary game characterized by poorly pixilated imagery limited color options and painfully slow game action The film makers are especially keen to find the game s undisputed master known as Windows who happens to live in the same town But before they can interview Windows aka Julian at home they have to get past his overprotective flatmate Barry Socrates Adams Florou a bearded layabout who lives and sleeps in the flat s bathroom Barry warns them against disturbing Windows when he s in game and hogs the camera to describe Wizard s Way and his friendship with Windows whom he describes as being the Michael Jackson of Wizard s Way but alive When Windows Kristian Scott turns up it s clear that he s a shy ordinary guy who just likes to play video games for hours at a stretch He doesn t seem keen on being interviewed but puts up with the film makers until their visits become too intrusive As he begins to lose his grip on the project Joe come up with a few strategies to draw Windows from his shell but he fails to anticipate the consequences his disruptive film making may have on the game s loyal fans Cast editSocrates Adams Florou as Barry Tubbulb Sadie Frost as Escort Joe Hartley as Lee Woodend Chris Killen as Chris Marc Lunness as Marc Andrew Ross as Andrew Kristian Scott as Julian Windows Andrews Joe Stretch as Joe Jessica Treen as Elen EdwardsReception editWhile acknowledging that the film s prankish perspective is hardly original reviewers praised its offbeat characterizations performances and a tone which teeters between aggrandized student film project and potential breakout cult documentary 2 In 2014 it was announced that American actor Jack Black had acquired the rights to develop a remake of Wizard s Way 3 Awards editWizard s Way was screened at London s BFI as part of the LOCO LONDON comedy film festival 2013 which honoured the film with its Discovery Award 4 The film s multi platform release in 2013 was accompanied by the release of a playable version of the lost classic game Wizard s Way The film also picked up the London Independent Film Festival 2012 award for Best Comedy feature film 5 References edit Britflicks com Hollywood Reporter review Variety January 2014 Loco London Awards 2013 London Independent Film Festival 2012External links editWizard s Way at IMDb nbsp Wizard s Way at BFI Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wizard 27s Way amp oldid 1215928641, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
