#sge movie critical

[snowberry-pie]

Even without all the context I saw the movie yesterday and just though "Hey Sophie gets away with things too easy doesn't she ?" Also some aspects of the movie ... like ... all the moment with the Billie Elish song (I know I'm gonna sound like an asshole but while I love when fan product use that song I just can't deal with official things come out with it)

I feel like it's a Howl's moving castle situation with big changements to the character

I relatively enjoyed the movie but as a purist of other series (by purist I mean that I am autistic and that theses are my special interests) I cab tottaly understand the hate the movie may get

Im curious though, what are other things that are changed throughout the movie from (what I assume because it would be logical to do one book at a time) the first book ?

im only halfway through the movie but i already have so many gripes. because the movie itself isn’t bad per se, my real issue with it is that it’s supposed to be a school for good and evil adaptation. and it barely is. it’s a fun movie it’s visually stunning and it LOOKS like an sge adaptation but it doesn’t FEEL like one.

changes-wise so far i haven’t seen SEVERAL character defining moments—i hear the circus of talents is there but it’s literally just backdrop for sophie and tedros dating, the groom room scene with agatha that made me cry like a baby when i first read it is also missing, the circus of talents aka the literal climax of the first book is just nonexistent, just so much shit that’s just gone because they had to cram it into 2hrs.

my biggest gripe so far has been sophie like ik her writing is pretty inconsistent in the books as it is but she’s portrayed FROM THE VERY BEGINNING as someone whose niceness is literally for her own benefit. her biggest good deed is literally befriending agatha THIS IS A LITERAL POINT OF CONFLICT BTW there is a scene where agatha calls her out on this. literally the first line of the book is “sophie waited all her life to be kidnapped” and the movie can’t even get that right it’s such a disservice to her character. like i hate her as a person but damn do i want book Sophie back lol

also everyone is too pretty i know that’s such a weird gripe but while agatha IS pretty she really is they don’t really show how her perception of herself affects how other people see her aka THE FUCKING GROOM ROOM SCENE and she CARRIES herself like an Ever. idk who directed the acting for this poor girl but would it kill them to like. make her slouch more? scowl constantly? idk little things like that can affect how a character appears SO much and it’s just ugh yughdbdbdb. ugh.

i have way more gripes but we’ll be here forever so for now! i leave you with this. im honestly so shocked it wasn’t a TV series because it would have been so good if it was but no. no.

[azural83]

The school for good and evil should've been a show made by people who actually care about the source material

[aspirationatwork]

Whoever's job it was to approve scripts for this movie needs to be blacklisted from the film industry

[yellowbluemoonshine]

About A School of Good and Evil

I watched this movie yesterday and despite not really being ‘gray story’, it still caught me and make me continue because of dear protagonists of the movie. The relationship between Sophie and Agatha is one of the sweetest thing i’ve ever seen.

*Be carefull for the spoilers for movie and book*

(When i heard those names, first thing came to my mind was Sophie and Agatha from Witch Hat Ateiler, lol and both series is about witches so it was weird but anyway.)

Ok, i do know that this movie is adaptation of its book (Btw, i really like the drawing and painting of book) and they changed a lot. Such as Sophie and Agatha is twins sisters, Sophie is actually ‘meaner’ in book etc etc. But i honestly dont care about the book because i think movie is kinda better, not everything but some part of it.

For example;

There is this consisting writing in many stories that ‘if a girl acts fake, which means they are evil.’ meanwhile ‘tsundere, rude girl is actually honest and sincere so they are good’. I mean, i get the point here but thats is not that simple. We are living in a society where we are supposed to act like ‘certain normal way’, we all pretend at some point. Not because we are evil but because we are scared of being rejected or judged by other people, sometimes, it is for survival. I am not saying that its heathy behavour, it is unhealthy but still, it definitely doesnt make people bad and people who just say whatever they think in their mind with the name of ‘honesty’, they are far more awfull than person showing ‘fake kindness’ to not be disliked. Because one of them act fake because they are scared, other one is simply just doesnt care about what other people thinks. Of course, this is not always the case but most of the time, this is the case. Because people are people. This is why i kinda dislike this type of writing. This is why i like movie version better than book version.

I dont really have problem with book Agatha, it seems similar anyway (kinda like book Agatha apperance better cause she looks more like witch but while movie Sophia’s apperance fits better to story, i thnk) but well, i like Movie Sophie far better. She is literally my favorite character cause of the way she was written and i think it fits better to plot cause people are just people. Apperantly, in book, those girls are written as beatifull girl with ugly heart and ugly girl with beatifull heart but in movie, they BOTH were good girls with opposite personalities and apperances.

Sophie is girly girl who care about her apperance, she has manners, she is in love with fairy tale stories and she wants to be like one so that she can be ‘special’, just like her dead mother told her. She wants to be rich, special and i think there is nothing wrong with that. She has just immature way of looking world which is understandable since she doesnt like her current life. Even later her realizing that she is already special without ever needing to have ‘fairy tale story’ life, that she learns to be okay with normal life.

Meanwhile, Agatha is more like tough girl. She has more realistic and mature world view. She is rude and couldnt care less about what others think about her. She is fine as long as she has her mother and her dear friend. She doesnt have much expectations from world, she just goes with it. She also has her own taste (ghost stories etc).

Even the way they met with each others is so sweet.They both are outcasts, despite being so different. Because they are both ‘weirdos’ for others. Sophie cause she lives in dreamworls and Agatha cause she looks like a witch. But they have each others.

Honestly, this writing far better than its book so i would like to see this one as original.

And i personally didnt like the ‘romance’ in movie. Not saying that straight relationship shouldnt happen but i just didnt like the relationship between Tedros and Agatha. Not the ‘you are not like the other girls’ talk, ooof. If Sophie was gonna be together, it should’ve been with someone who loves him (not the evil x evil bullsht cause i think she is good). And if Agatha was gonna be with someone, i wish it was Gregor because they fit better. He could be her prince but they made mr charming as main male protagonist cause well, it is. (Dont get me wrong, i think Tedros is fine guy, he might be really good guy, i just didnt like their so called romance).

And another thing i dont like about both movie and book is that all that ‘nothing is black and white or good and evil’ conversation only to end up with ‘well they are evil and we are good so’ which is condracts with itself. It could’ve written a lot better.

I could literally watch whole show about Sophie and Agatha’s adventures, movie felt short, well, it has book for a reason but since i didnt like the way book continue and handled its story, i just like the movie.

And romantic or not, i dont care, Sophie x Agatha forever, they should be together. They are each other’s true love no matter what.

[plushpinkfox]

ok fine

so i know i already did a whole "i'm so excited about this!!" post but i wanted to flesh one out a little bit more now that we're down to less than six hours till the movie releases.

i think i first picked up a copy of the school for good and evil in 2015, but it could have been earlier. i found it on the shelves of my local library while i was still in middle school, and i was TRANSPORTED. and every time i open a copy nowadays, i can still remember that feeling.

i remember being so invested in the initial twist. i remember my heart racing while i read through the trial by tale. i remember a big smile on my face when agatha realized she was beautiful all along. i remember getting so excited and wiggling around while i read the ball proposal scene. i remember putting my book down in shock as sophie and agatha disappeared.

and most of all, i remember the girls. i remember identifying with both of them: sophie's pathological need to be loved and agatha's incredible lack of self-confidence. but also, how much they did ultimately love each other, despite their whole fairytale trying to pull them apart.

so i bought all the books (even red school! a terrible sacrifice). and i made an account on the website. and i watched entv videos. and i wrote goodreads reviews. and i waited, patiently, as did so many others, for news of the universal pictures project to finally follow through on the rights they purchased. when the netflix announcement came through, i celebrated. i made friends with kate in august of 2020 and we've been talking ever since. i became mutuals with soman chainani on twitter and spoke to him with the golden ticket contest. i made a tumblr fan account and accidentally helped shut down the entire forum section of the sge website. i made analysis posts and promised to make more that i just completely forgot about. and i had such a damn good time doing it all.

hearing the netflix news was so exciting and it hasn't stopped since. we are FINALLY at the end of the road for the first film. to be frank, i couldn't care less if it does well critically. i think paul feig put his all into making an adaptation that caters to what the fans want to see. i think the cast tried their hardest to emulate the characters we all know and love. i think this movie looks absolutely gorgeous, and i am so excited to see all the cringe and camp and camaraderie and care that comes from it. i am so excited to see the culmination of the last seven-odd years of fandom devotion that i have been waiting for.

this isn't a "last post" sort of deal, but i feel like this is the end of an era so to speak. maybe we'll get movies in the future, and i'll come right back here and get to make this whole dramatic speech again. maybe soman will continue the series somehow in more corny ways and i'll get to rag on those for years to come. maybe i'll outgrow it all and abandon this account and never come back! (not today, but someday i suppose). in the meantime, i will just enjoy this moment. i will get back to you with movie feedback after i am done watching it at 3am est.

with love.

[imgrimm]

Ok after my initial excitement from the movie has passed and I’ve started revisiting the books and remembering all the shit I forgot- I now understand all the criticism.

here’s the main thing that I… question the production choice on.

Why does no one in Gavaldon seem to know about SGE??????? ESPECIALLY SOPHIE? Why waste precious movie time when you could’ve used the characters pre-existing knowledge to push the beginning of story along faster (so then we can have more time for the stuff that comes LATER) ????

I mean, THINK ABOUT IT! It would’ve been so much easier to introduce the movie plot and start it off where upon Sophie waking up, they played a scene where we get to see her getting ready despite Honora’s nagging. They could’ve scripted an inner monologue during a montage of her staring at herself in the mirror, doing her hair/makeup, explaining WHY she acts the way she does . i.e, she puts so much effort into her beauty because it’s her life long dream to be the next chosen Reader for the School of Good.

In the book if I remember correctly, Sophie makes it very clear that this is her DREAM. ever since she was a child. It’s completely sculpted her into the character that she is and I think movie Sophie doesn’t have that passion or history explained very well. It appears like she’s incredibly naïve, easily swayed and doesn’t have a sense of identity at all.

Which, I guess in a way, book Sophie doesn’t know herself that well either, but I feel like the “sweet and kind” facade she creates for herself is much stronger and evident and makes her negative character traits pop out even more. She has goals and desires and doesn’t want anything to get in her way. Idk, maybe that’s just me being picky.

Regardless, I do think all the actresses and actors did a fantastic job with what they were given. I do not think the movie is bad, if anything I actually really enjoyed it!!! I do understand why some things from the book couldn’t really be translated into the movie, but, hey, they tried. It’s okay.

I just hope for the sequel the movie team will pay attention to reviews and what can be done better!

[kikoslefteyelid]

SGE CHARACTERS AS GHOSTS HAUNTING SHIT HEADCANONS

agatha:

- would probably definitely scare the shit out of old bigots

- shed fr go up to them and scream ‘SATAN IS COMING FOR YOU’

- her and nicola would have a competition on how many old white cishets they made cry

- old man: JESUS CHRIST

- agatha: QUITE THE FUCKING OPPOSITE ACTUALLY

sophie:

- would haunt all the cute guys and make them insecure

- they’d walk up to a girl nd be like ‘hey mamas lemme get that snap’ she’d say ‘your mommy issues are showing pipe down christian mark david the third’

- would spend half the time impressing pretty girls

- if any male tried to spike a drink or just be dodgy she’d drop kick them

tedros:

- he’d be the bitch hiding in closets (LAWL) and jumping out nd thinking it’s hilarous when someone screams

- sophie and tedros (bi king nd queen) would sit in an apple orchard lowering the branches for the pretty people

- apple bobbing god, no further explanation needed

- would scream in the middle of a bigots wedding or smth, ruining the vibes bc fuck them

hort:

- unironically enjoys black liquorice and gives it to ghost children. he has no friends.

- he lost the tail off of his wolf costume in year three and still hasn’t recovered

- wears a bedsheet over his face despite being an actual god. anyone who tries to make him aware is threatened to death by the coven and sophie

- probably cries more than moaning myrtle

hester:

- is an absolute asshole of a ghost

- i mean she’d probably trip kids over and put worms in their candy and steal all the good shit (ALL THE FOCKIN FREDDOS)

- definitely laughed at an old person falling over that’s why satan almost sent her to hell

- her ani and agatha try and find the biggest asshole in a city and whoever finds the worst person gets to have the other two haunt them

ani:

- actually a nice ghost; helped the old person that fell over and slapped hester for laughing

- is really scared of scarecrows ??? idk either dude

- likes tea, but can only enjoy it for 10 mins before she throws it in horts face

- sophie dyed her hair bright orange as a halloween prank, and no one heard from her for months. she came back and was mute for about 3 weeks. still hasn’t told them what happened

dot:

- CHOCOLATE PUMPKINS !!! EVERYWHERE !!!

- so good at making psl and no one understands why.....

- if she saw someone give a child an apple or some shit for trick or treats she would literally turn their house to white chocolate

- her yara and kiko would have ghost book club and read only wlw books bc theyre gay. no i will not take criticism.

nicola:

- would greet everyone with ‘boo!’, successfully scaring tedros each time

- WOULD HAVE A SWORD. BC SHES HOT. SOPHIE WOULD CRY.

- dresses up as a pirate every year, gets drunk, and starts arguing about The Dress™️ with hester. it ends with physical combat.

- took sophie to a scary movie drive in thing and learnt about 12 new curse words

will:

- carves pumpkins but they look shit.

- would go to church on halloween night with agatha and scream ‘HAIL SATAN’ v loudly

- broke his tooth on a toffee apple once

- him and bogden went viral on tik tok for doing the ghost photo shoot thingy bc they’re CUTE

bogden:

- BLACK NAIL POLISH AND HALLOWEEN MAKEUP OH LORDY

- ate a whole pumpkin pie in one bite once

- haunted his bullies and got nicola and sophie to cuss them out. they literally pissed themselves with fear

- him and will just spend their whole time as ghosts sitting in fields and watching sunsets bc they’re cottagecore lesbians

[witchofrvnswood]

Watch, they all going change their mind about all the sge actors once they all in makeup and costumes. Sadly to think that people won’t hesitate to criticize the sge cast online but as soon as they see them in movie. They be like “ oh they so great” “ I don’t know why people hated them in the first place” that what’s going to happen once sge comes out. A bunch of clowns they are . 😑

EXACTLY 👏 i’m going to be so angry when that happens, i’ll bet everyone who criticized them is going to be like “huh i guess they weren’t bad after all” like??? of course they’ll look so much better and fitting once we actually see them as the characters. i can’t with the people who IMMEDIATELY judge them by their headshots/selfies/appearances in other shows/movies because obviously they’ll look like their characters once they’re in costume and have stylists? there was absolutely no need to immediately rip them apart and if people used their critical thinking skills more, they’d know it was too early to make assumptions and to give the actors the benefit of doubt until we get more information.

[itsjusta]

March 1. (Mon)

my damgos were idiooots i had 2!!!! grrrr issa da first one was so sad and scary doe cos there were 3 of us in a room. it was me, mom, and a friend but idk who doeee and naa nisulod nga gunman tas gipusil niya sila duha and si mommy doe kay critical and grabe ang awas sa dugo so ako gihiktan sa cloth pero grabe na ako hilak doeee :(( and gitawagan nako si daddy doe but wala sya nituo iya rako pasagdan huhu and gitawagan tka doeee tas nianhi ka but u didnt help doeee u just left doe :((( i was so hurt doeee issa i felt betrayed cos wa gyd mo nitabang and mommy was dying doe :(( tas atong nakasakay nami sa tricycle going to hospital issa na see pa gyd tka sa dalan and gitawag tka but nag meet up man diay mo saimo uyab wth doeee i just cried a lot doe i was so scared na mamatay si mommy and i was alone HUHU and nakamata ko doeee and naa na gyd tears sako eyes :((( naka cry jd ko in real life huhu dat was so scary and so sakit doe!!!

da 2nd damgo also an idiot doeee cos kaslon na daw ko doe but di gyd ko gusto cos young paman kooo but daghan politicians nangadto doe and daghan gyd people naa pa gani ka hahha idk who’s my groom doeee but before ko nisulod sa church kay nang hangyo ko sko friend nga itakas ko doe so gikuha namo car ni Unabia and we drove away doeee HAHAHHA but then i got konsensya doeee luoy au mga people so ana ko balik nalang mi but i will explain na di gyd ko magpakasal doeee!!!! issa gi chat pa gani tka ato dayon doe i informed u nga mubalik ko aish but when we went back issa ang groom napd nawala doeee hahahah idiooot!!!

dis was a kapoy day doeee nag do ko smol acads lang then nag sleep lang and watch2 kdrama and tv heheheh i also realized na 9 months nata bulag omg?!?! so fast ang panahooon 🥺

March 2 (Tues)

issa an okay daaay langgg doeee issa 8 kapin ko kamata so early doeee aish so i hd iced coffee chour!!! issa nag acads pd ko hehe also nag gmeet mi ni claire for our midterms doeee and issa ordered mcflurry and fries yummy doe hehehe just watched tv with mom lang dayon after doee!! nag play pd ko codm with friends but kadjot lang 3 games laaang hehe and balik lang dayon ko room mom doeee tambay lang ko while watch sya tv heheh

March 3 (Wed)

issa an okay day lang alsooo doeee but dugay au time now!! issa after lunch i wanted to sleep doeee but so igang in my room and naa pajd ga videoke sa silingan and my mind also active aissshhh 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ issa watch nalang ko movie and then nag do midterms with claire doeee hehe

issa amo midterms doeee kay murag mag interview mi about samo personal problems jd doeee shy ko tell kay claire sako problems like sa family doeee and kato self harm aishhh ikaw ra baya nakabalo ato doeee :((( but its okay aishhh for da grades and issa klarye raman pd doeee i can also trust dat idiot heheh i also talked about our break up doe naka cry ko laytch uy!!! hahahah

when mommy arrived issa watch pd ko rv saiya room doeee

also i’m like an idiot doeee gi mute baya tka sa ig but sge ko adto saimo profile to see if naa ka story?!?! and maybe if naa dayon ma hurt dayon ko HAHAHHA issa so tiring to be an idiot 🤦🏻‍♀️

March 4 (Thurs)

i dont like this day doeee heavy ako heart since pag wake up and cry ko a looot and overthink ko a looottt 😔 just an extra hard daaaay today!!!! so hard to pugong the tears doeee 🥺🥺 (wrote dis before u sent pa dat msg doeee omg very emotional day gyd!!!)

issa sayo ko ka sleep gahapon doeee mga 11 hehe but aish 10 pa nag start naman ko sleep doe cos sleepy nako and bored na au ko doeee sleep nalang ko but my mind so activeeee many ko think nga sad tots issa idiot mind making me cry a litol!! hahah issa 11 na nuon ko ka sleep 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ issa wake up pd ko 7 kay naa ko class doeee issa not nice ako sleep uy issa ga damgo2 ko doeee and my latest damgo was classmate ta doe and di ka ga bali2 saako like imo ko gina avoid doeee issa idiooot bahala ka uy!!!! making me not feel good huh!!!! even when i woke up issa not ko feel good bcos of dat hmppp issa heavy ako heart pag wake up today!!!

issa ordered pancake and iced coffee from mcdo doeee palibre ko mo ako gi eat after class then nag do dayon ko isa ka activity heheh issa mga 10 am dayon nag walking mi sa dogs outside doeee kami pretprot and babas but mga 5 mins lang cos init!!!

issa cried pa more in the afternoon doeee issa mag nap unta ko but aisshhh my mind is thinking of a lot of things doeee :((( i feel like a lot will change doe and changes scare me doeee :(( i feel like u dont want to talk na doeee cos idk issa lahi imo vibes nooow murag feel nako gaka pugos rakag reply hahahaha and it makes me cry cos cutting off commu is going to be a big change gyd but again, i know nga if the time comes, i will have to accept man gyd and i know that time will come doeee but even if i know nga muabot doe kay its so sakit gihapon doe and its so scary :((( das why thinking about it doe just makes me cry hahah and aishhh i feel jd doe dat youre tired of talking to me HAHAHHA i even went to mom’s room doe para di nako cry but cry man gyapon ko uyyyy idiot

u know i’ve accepted najd doe nga di gyd ma return ako love and effort saimo but sometimes issa it just hurts so much doeee to not receive it back and days like these i ask for strength jd doe nga makaya nako ang kasakit 🥺🥺🥺🥺 (dis was before pa u told me to cut off doe omg issa strong gut feeling jd)

anddd yun na nga issa nag ask najd diay ka mag cut off and aisshhh it was scary gyd doe and sakit but no choice :(((( it’s for the best gyd sguro doeee cos maybe i’ll get in trouble and maybe mag away pd mo doe ion want u to be sad doeee if u get away :((( u know gyd na i will always kaya everything basta its for ur happiness doe 🥺🥺 i wish u only the best doeee even if kailangan mulayo ko saimoha doeee hehehe thank you for calling me!!!!! don’t miss me too much ok!!! bleh!!

if u feel overwhelmed na gyd with acads u can chat me ok!!!! and if u want to learn to edit vids doeee inshot is a good app heheh

March 5 (Fri)

issa woke up before 9 doeee idk why nga 1 naman unta ko ka sleep 🤦🏻‍♀️ grabe kahubag ako eyes doeeee so idiot huhu issa i saw pd irian’s tiktok when i woke up doeee cos i went man to ur profile issa u look good and happy together doe 🥺🥺 you guys are bagay doeee and i like seeing you laugh in the vids doeee issa makes me happy na inana ka ka happy 🥺🥺 i want u to be happy lang uyyy no no sad!! i pugong na not to cry doeee cos i cried a lot na kaayo gabii and my eyes so big naaaa but writing dis issa makes me cry a litol hahahha issa when i see raba stuff lyk dat dugay kaayooo mawala sako mind doeee unhealthy mind mani but aish im practicing gyd not to think about the stuff i see about u guys 💆🏻‍♀️

anywaaay today is day 1!!! ahhahah char 🥺🥺 im scared doe but idk alsoooo im just really thinking na its needed doe 🥺 im doing this for you gyddd doe cos i want u to have a happier relationship doe issa u know i would sacrifice a lot for ur happiness heheh i will also do this for myself doeee i will try not cry a lot and miss u alooot ok but i think gonna be hard esp the first weeks doeee so dont kasaba me if i cry a lot ok!!! :(((( u know i cry easily hmpppp

alsooo doeee my new tiktok is: displaylangsatiktok.a

u cant follow gyd me diay doeee its ok ako nalang gi public ang vids doeee im shy hahah but para ma see nimo doeee and unfollow nalang pd tkaaaa para not sya maka see sa ako profile okayyy but idk doe im shy man uy maybe ako ra i friends again issa di ka maka see aishhh bleh

i had iced coffee at 9:30 am doeee hehe i divided one medium iced coffee sa mcdo into 3 para mulast sya 3 mornings cos u know i palpitate if i drink a lot of coffee doeee hehhe at lunch time we went to laguidingan doe kami mom and daaad hehe we uban pretprot and babas kay luoy man pretty if sya lang alone 🤦🏻‍♀️ issa chivas doe sge pangaway sa mga dogs outside nya mga big raba jd doe and many pa gyd sila but isog au da smol dog!!!

issa i’m justi doing things that help me pass timeee doeee now issa nag draw2 ko kadjot doeee hahah and watch movie alsooo i just have to get used to this again doeee whenever i get the urge to cry doe i tell myself no no nooo huhu but idk if i can hold dis doee later if mag sleep nako

update: 9:58 and i cannot hold it na doeee cry na gyd ko cos i can see that u really love her doeee and aish sana ol 🥺🥺 u r a great person doe and she’s blessed to have youuu 🥺 and im so sorry if i bother you doeee :(

dis my last weekly update na okaaay i will do an everyday diary naaa so dat u will always be updateeed 🥺 maybe around 9-10pm every night ko post okaaay heheh

[jittlovist]

UK Press Kit (1988)

This is a transcript of the UK press kit for the theatrical release of The Wizard Of Speed & Time (1988), scans of which can be seen here.  This version of the press kit is notable in that it was written without Mike’s input; he would go on to extensively re-write it for the US theatrical release, as detailed in this newsgroup post:

The original “Wizard of Speed and Time” (herein aka “WIZARD”) Presskit was written by somebody at Shapiro Glickenhaus Entertainment (SGE) and (from all typoes and disinformation) by my esteamed business partner (e.b.p.). When I discovered what SGE was sending out, I used my short breaks during the filming of “Ghost” to quickly research and rewrite the entire Presskit.  It was yet another fun-filled challenge, to diplomatically please SGE et al, and still get most of the truth to the Press.  As usual, some data and facts are creatively embellished so that everyone can seem equally powerful, and useful.

You can read Mike’s version of the press kit either in the link above or on Z Team Productions’ website. 

RICHARD KAYE Presents

"THE WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME"

A Jittlov/Kaye Productions. Inc. Rochambeau Productions, Inc. Production

In Association With SHAPIRO GLICKENHAUS ENTERTAINMENT

A Film By Mike Jittlov

Starring: MIKE JITTLOV PAIGE MOORE RICHARD KAYE

Special Guest Appearance by PHILIP MICHAEL THOMAS

Music by JOHN MASSARI

Director of Photography RUSS CARPENTER

Sound Design by STEVE MANN

Executive Producer DON ROCHAMBEAU

Producers RICHARD KAYE DEVEN CHIERINGHINO

Written, Edited, and Directed by MIKE JITTLOV

THE WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME Cast List

MIKE (Special Effects Filmmaker) ................... Mike Jittlov CINDY LITE (Aspiring Actress) ...................... Paige Moore HARVEY BOOKMAN (Studio Producer) ................... Richard Kaye LUCKY STRAEKER (Studio Director) ................... Steve Brodie BRIAN LUCAS (Mike's Manager & Sidekick) ............ David Conrad STEVE SHOSTAKOVICH (Musical Genius) ................ John Massari MUTTON (American Thug) ............................. Frank LaLoggia GEOFF (Canadian Thug) .............................. Gary Schwartz MICK POLANKO (Policeman) ........................... Philip Michael Thomas MINNIE SMITH (Policewoman) ......................... Lynda Aldon PLUTO (Policedog) .................................. Baron C.C. de SCHWARTZ ................................... Ben Kronen HAROLD (Nephew of Mogul) ........................... Harvey Alperin BLONDIE (Harold's Groupie) ......................... Missy Sauppe TINA PRIMADON (Cindy's Friend) ..................... Arnetia Walker MARYLOU TREW (Studio Secretary) .................... Michelle Roth DORA BELAIR (Assistant Producer) ................... Angelique Pettyjohn VIRGINIA SLIMM (Studio Receptionist) ............... Paulette Breen MURIEL BOOKMAN (Harvey's Wife) ..................... Joan Leizman MOM (Mike's Mother) ................................ Marie Jittlov GREG (Mike's Brother) .............................. Greg Jittlov UNION CLERKS (All of Them) ......................... Will Ryan MACTAVISH (Studio Accountant) ...................... Paul Barselou S. CHESTERFIELD (Studio Choreographer) ............. Steven Stucker PAULA MALL (Studio Saleslady) ...................... Cynthia Frost MULBORO (Studio Gateguard) ......................... Ben Lum THE RIOT ACT (Studio Comedians) .................... Pat McGreal, Rob Reed, Amy Rose, Mark Conlon, Chuck McCollum LAURIE (Bellydancer Actress) ....................... Laurie Rose PATTY (Artist Actress) ............................. Patty Ryan CONVICT ACTOR ...................................... Donovan Scott ViDEO TRANSFER MAN ................................. David McGharren VIDEO EDITOR ....................................... Steve Ecclesine BOUNCER ONE ........................................ Nick Worth BOUNCER TWO ........................................ Frank Davis ROLLIE (Harvey's Friend) ........................... Bob Basso HOLLYWOOD TOURIST .................................. Chris Barczak YING & YING (Pizza Diner Managers) ................. Jeff Knoerle, Smokey Ochoeu

SYNOPSIS

Special-effects filmmaker Mike Jittlov is summoned to Hollywood by TV producer Harvey Bookman and director Lucky Straeker and asked to create "a whirlwind special effects tour de force" for their upcoming major TV special.  The catch is that Mike can't be officially hired for the job (he's unknown and non-union), but if his work is good enough it can be bought as stock footage. It's the chance of a lifetime -- to create his finest work, and have it seen on nationwide TV.  He has three weeks.

Mike contacts his filmmaker friends, who decide to pool their ingenuity and savings to create a spectacular showcase.  Mike will act as a magical wizard who brings an entire film studio to life via 22,000 stop-motion animation moves and who then raves to Hollywood at 500 mph to perform a marathon of effects miracles. As their adventure builds, a love interest also evolves between Mike and Cindy, an aspiring actress who met him at the studio and at the expense of her own job has helped him succeed.

The small crew struggles to film through rain, storms, throngs of tourists and a totally unexpected sabotage of their efforts from within the studio confines. They are unknowingly the subject of a $25,000 bet between Straeker and Bookman -- who is wagering they won't produce anything usable. A sneak preview proves the opposite. The work of an eccentic unknown steals Bookman's big-name show. The producer goes wild.

Streetwise thugs disguised as policemen are sent to stop the filmmakers at all costs. What follows is a madcap comedy chase through downtown Hollywood, as Mike is pursued on a motorized camera dolly by Bookman's thugs, and by real police.  The incredible footage is delivered to the studio, but stolen by Bookman, and lost until the producer's double-crossing is exposed at a huge studio wrap party in the Hollywood Hills.

The movie concludes in a flurry of triumph, excitement and surprises, as Mike and his friends are accepted into the complex and congratulated by Straeker, who never lost confidence in the filmmakers' talent and courage.

PRODUCTION NOTES

Mike Jittlov's award-winning animated short, "The Wizard of Speed and Time" returns to the screen as an inventive and daring feature, combining live-action satire and ingenious animated pyrotechnics.  Four years in the making because of the elaborate nature of the special effects, Jittlov's comedy/adventure is a heart-felt homage to those creative special effects artists who make the films work from behind the scenes.

"This film was made to convince studios that special effects artists are able to make feature films," Jittlov explains.  "The film is about special effects artists getting together to make a TV special about the history of special effects.  I play an unknown filmmaker discovered by a producer (played by Richard Kaye, producer of "The Wizard of Space and Time") and director.  The film co-stars special effects artists playing special effects artists.

"It's a whirlwind tour-de-force comedy about the studios, but it's not a bitter film. Yet effects/animators rarely get credit for their work.  Only their companies do.  It's very difficult for us to make our own films.  We're not taken seriously by studios and we're in a 'Catch 22' situation with unions."

Jittlov, who writes, directs, stars, edits and designs all the special effects, has been typecast as an animator by the industry. He has been forced to transcend his image as an outsider.  Thus, "The Wizard of Speed and Time" is a highly personal film.  It is the story of a struggling special effects wiz who is summoned to Hollywood in the 1970s to make a TV special about special effects wizards.  The catch is that he can't be hired for the job becuase of union regulations, so he makes the film on spec with the promise that if his work is good enough, it will be bought as stock footage and it will be seen by millions.

"It's almost like a fable," producer Kaye suggests.  "On the other hand, it's a semi-documentary.  The character of the wizard is Mike's alter-ego.  They can't be separated.  Mike fully believes that he's a film wizard.  And I do too.  He's a painstaking perfectionist.  I think he sees things in his own work that others don't.  He's very critical of his work and most of the time he's right."

The making of "The Wizard of Speed and Time" resembles a fable, one fraught with frustration, disappointment and joy.  Kaye met Jittlov in 1982 and was so impressed with the original short that the two decided to expand the concept into a feature.  Kaye purchased an option and attempted to get financing while Jittlov wrote the script.  He was unsuccessful, but tried again a year later with a second option.  This time, armed with script and short, he succeeded in raising the financing by selling the project at Cannes and the American Film Market.

Principal photography commenced on September 22, 1983 and lasted 18 weeks.  Jittlov then began work on the elaborate "Wizard" sequence, which was shot in the Bay Area and Nevada.  This is an expansion of his short, in which the wizard races magically through time and space throughout the Bay Area to deliver the print.  The four-and-a-half minute sequence consists of a multitute of trick shots.  Stop motion animation is Jittlov's specialty and he achieves it through pixilation and rotoscoping, among other amazing montage effects.  Jittlov has been working on the sequence intermittently for years, attempting to perfect it to the best of his abilities.

Jittlov says it was Kaye's idea to reshoot the "Wizard" sequence rather than inserting the original short.  "Richard's faith in me was quite remarkable," Jittlov continues.  "We were on location and he said we should start redoing things.  I told him I wasn't sure I could do it as quickly as we needed, and he said he believed I could do it."

According to Kaye, some of the film's structure has changed, but the most vital change has been moving the "Wizard" sequence to the climax of the story.

Nineteen eighty-six saw three weeks of reshooting, and 1987 provided a full year of post-production activity.  One of the interesting sidelights is the fact that the film co-stars Philip Michael Thomas on "Miami Vice" fame.  The actor was a relative unknown when production began, and now ranks a popular star.  A friend of Kaye, Thomas lent his prestigious Miami dubbing facility to help with the post production activity.

Jittlov explains that his original intention was to make a cross between a Disney film and a Monty Python film.  The result is actually simpler in terms of special effects, but complicated in its overall execution.  "We started out thinking we were going to insert scenes from my shorts, but it became more complicated.  It's a good thing I did the work of 169 people."

Among the more obscure functions performed by the versatile writer/director/effects master on "Wizard" were the tasks of toy wrangler and bike-o-cam operator.

Jittlov says that the experience of making "The Wizard of Speed and Time" has been tremendous emotional. "I was more of a happy-go-lucky guy before we made this film.  Now I have more of an edge because of the pain.  But I have fought to keep the edge out of the film.  The film has to be balanced."

"I think the overall effect is a basic entertainment piece," Kaye adds.  "It is designed to make people feel good.  Both Mike and I are in agreement on that.  I'd say the film is a campy portrayal of Hollywood, and contains the broadest range audience in a long time.  It's for young people and older people.  It's visually exciting and very moral.  The cutting style is similar to MTV, but it's not derivative.  Mike has his own frenetic rhythm that takes you along.  It's very trippy.  There's a lot of upfront visual information as well as background information that is hard to notice at first glance.  Mike has provided some new technique as well--such as split second shots where you see a complexity of images.  He's very strong on montage."

The filmmaker is intrigued with subliminal experiments in film.  However, he wishes to impart hopeful messages that make filmgoers feel good.  In "The Wizard of Speed and Time," Jittlov utilizes subliminal messages on various occasions to uplift filmgoers.  "One person can make a difference is our subliminal message.  I only use positive subliminal effects, such as 'Advance the Creative Spirit.'  Since the mid-1970s, I've experimented with subliminal techniques.  I have several feature ideas that make use of what I've learned through these experiments.  I can make people feel smarter or feel good for about an hour or two."

[azural83]

Genuinely disappointed with the way agatha was handled in the movie

Agatha went through an amazing self discovery journey and managed to truly understand her goodness in the book

She had very low self esteem at first to the point that she despised to look at the mirror,when she got her "makeover" she believed that she got to be beautiful for the first time in her life because everyone were shocked at the sight of her,but then she saw herself in the mirror and realized that she's exactly the same and was just smiling;she realized that she was beautiful all along. Agatha from then started to take care of herself more

Along with her appearance her opinions also got to change over the time. The moment she arrived in the school she described it as hell in the movie and...it never gets resolved? In the books Agatha only studied to not fail,she was also helping sophie as well, but as the time went Agatha truly learned to enjoy her lessons in the school! She learned to enjoy Fairytales and passionately read about heroes who defeated their villains

And the most important thing that wasn't in the movie: AGATHA DIDN'T PROVE HER GOODNESS TO ANYONE

Literally everyone suspected her,even after everything she did. Even she doubted herself but the moment she shows her talent and reveals the truth about the fairies and wolves to both schools everybody were shocked. That was her most important moment and it wasn't even in the movie.

I recently saw a post on reddit about someone who only watched the movie and asked whether if it was a mistake that agatha went to the school of good or not- I can't believe how they managed to mess up the adaptation this bad it's 2022 for god's sake

[plushpinkfox]

going through mr. dominic's account on instagram after all of his silly comments holy shit i've never found stranger sge criticism

also, fucking shocker, it's tagged #toxicdiversity ?

[plushpinkfox]

poster musings

saw this while illegally scrolling my phone in a steak n' shake drive through and i (already a victim of slightly shaky hands) almost threw my phone out of excitement. i did not, but i did dm kate immediately. this is INSANE! IT'S REAL!!!

absolutely so insane to see this. like i knew it was real beforehand but seeing this on official netflix accounts is just the strangest thing for someone who's been waiting since like 2015 when i first picked up a copy of sge and it doesn't feel like a real, tangible thing that is going to come out and be seen by hundreds of thousands of people

watch out sge. the tiktok editors are coming. been thinking about this one a lot lately; the fact that sge is going to be a mainstream fantasy film is going to prompt so much... CONTENT. like so much. probably not a lot of book-related stuff but the movie is absolutely going to revitalize the hell out of this fandom and i have a feeling the edits will be out of this world

so proud of netflix for making a real poster that isn't another goddamn celebrity tower! celebrity towers are such cop-outs imo because posters are such a cool way to introduce story elements and draw in an audience so it's cool to actually Have a Poster Design

also the fact that it looks GOOD on top of that is, you know, also nice

have to agree with the (i think it's popular) opinion that the font looks just a bit strange. like i don't know what kind of font i would have chosen to replace it, maybe something a little more similar to how it looks in the cover of the books (not because i'm a stickler for book loyalty in most cases but because it just Looks Better), but it's not AWFUL so i'll forgive it i guess

was hoping for a specific release date (maybe tmr with the teaser??) but it is a bit sad that there's a confirmation of a fall release date. ah well. it is a school movie i guess i was just hoping it'd be more of a summer blockbuster sort of situation

so so so adorable to see sophie and agatha on the bridge staring at each other even though they're too microscopic to actually. Be Seen! like there are my girls!! our girls!! they're coming!! (now where's the Boy.)

loving the tagline too idk it's not a big deal but i like it

also just another little satisfying thing: obviously they were going to list sophia anne caruso and sofia wylie above everyone else because they're sophie and agatha but also. a little part of me was like: oh god what if they do the big huge stars first. please don't. but they DIDN'T! it's our girls first! our girls!! (i'm so happy)

i guess overall the more they hype this movie up and release official netflix branded content for it, the more i'm just PRAYING it's not a flop. like there's been so much put into this that i think it'll be a commercial success for netflix's standards no matter what but i really hope that critically it's a success too. not that i wouldn't enjoy it no matter what, but i want it to be a Good Movie!!! a good one! (please!)

i'll be back with teaser analysis tmr i suppose as soon as i can after i'm home from my theatre workshop

GUYS IT'S REAL!!!

[plushpinkfox]

Your honest opinion on if the sfgae movie is going to do well once it comes out next year?

if i’m being totally honest, i am not sure.

i know soman and the rest of the movie-making gang want to treat this like the next big franchise and the thing that lives on for years because it resonates with its audience and the next “harry potter” but i don’t think sge has that sort of ability? sge is a good book series, sure, but it has a TON of technical issues. harry potter has plot holes (and jkr) too, but that’s overridden by the real quality of the characters, story, and overall work. everyone knows sge has plot issues and character inconsistencies that stretch entire books (see agatha’s characterization in some parts of the camelot years), and that’s harder to adapt than a book series that has already gotten itself figured out while it’s on paper.

i would love for the sge movie to do well. i have loved these books for years and i would love for the fanbase to expand beyond our wildest dreams. but sge has started off with a small, intolerant fanbase and i really can’t see it expanding more. unless the movie is a huge critical success (which i don’t really see happening because it’s an adaptation of a children’s book), i don’t think it’ll be one of netflix’s giant successes. i’d like it to get bigger than at least to all the boys i’ve loved before, but again, i’m really not sure.