Wings of Steam

It’s been a while since I presented any videos on this blog, so this time around I decided to show an entire web series.

Wormtooth Nation is a loose steampunk adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream which premiered between May and June 2008. Being a low budget film by a couple of college students, this series is amazingly well-done. It has won Openfilm.com’s Filmaker of the Month Award and is expected to be a nominee for Best Drama in the first annual Streamy Awards.

Be sure to check out the series’ website where you can find more info on the setting and characters, and buy a DVD of the series re-edited into a feature length movie.

There is no doubt music plays a large part of any subculture, and as steampunk culture grows, we will certainly see more steampunk bands which collectively will carve out their own aural identity that we will be able to call “steampunk music.”

Abney Park, Dr. Steel, and Vernian Process are three of the most prominent musical groups pioneering a new genre. In this episode, we will explore their origins and listen to a bit of their work.

Abney Park:

Dr Steel

Vernian Process

Here’s a few steampunk horror films for your Halloween…

First up is Jasper Morello, the first episode of an animated series available only in New Zealand. A worldwide release is expected after the four episode series is complete.

Following this is Fallen Art, a super twisted CG animation from Poland. In an old forgotten military base far from civilization, a group of deranged military officers nurture their insanity.

Final is The Macabre Opera of Elysium Grove, an artistic student film in five parts, shot on a $5000 budget. Unfortunately, this is a film where each part needs explaining and doesn’t make sense otherwise, so please read the description for each part before watching it.

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello

Fallen Art

The Macabre Opera of Elysium Grove: The Scorned Bride

A man alone and wrought by his need for love creates a bride for himself out of previous wives he has married and murdered on his wedding night. However, when he sees what he has created – it is not as pure as the memory he is trying to bring to life … jaded by this, he rejects his creation in search for another bride.

See the rest of The Macabre Opera.

I’m introducing a new recurring feature in this blog called “Victorian Sci-fi Theatre,” where every so often, I will post the latest and greatest of Steampunk short films. Submissions are welcome by emailing me at captain_jules@wingsofsteam.net.

Our debut episode of Victorian Sci-fi Theatre features two films that were shown last weekend at the HP Lovecraft Film Festival. It doesn’t get much better than Lovecraft, steampunk crossovers.

First we have The Book Dealers about a couple of occult book collectors who use 18th century technology to fight an evil force unleashed on a prairie home. Following this, we have The Amazing Screw On Head, a witty show originally aired as a pilot to a series, by Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy.

The Book Dealers:

The Amazing Screw On Head: