Enter the Freeman
October 12, 2012 8:28 AM Subscribe
Enter the Freeman is a short film based on Half Life.
More about the creation of the film. Videos, commentary, and the creation of the suit.
More about the creation of the film. Videos, commentary, and the creation of the suit.
God, I love what you can do with fanfiction these days.
posted by mhoye at 8:38 AM on October 12, 2012
posted by mhoye at 8:38 AM on October 12, 2012
I loved the fact Freeman is almost mute and cackled goodly as he looted the dead zombie for ammo.
Most cool! Thanks for the share.
posted by Samizdata at 8:45 AM on October 12, 2012
Most cool! Thanks for the share.
posted by Samizdata at 8:45 AM on October 12, 2012
This is the best one I've ever seen, even though it doesn't fit in with the continuity of the game. Really excellent! I would be totally comfortable if Gordon actually sounded like that. Very reasonable sounding voice.
posted by Krazor at 8:52 AM on October 12, 2012
posted by Krazor at 8:52 AM on October 12, 2012
Expecting it, and still jumped at 2:44
posted by Old'n'Busted at 8:53 AM on October 12, 2012
posted by Old'n'Busted at 8:53 AM on October 12, 2012
Just recently bought and played HL2 - since I saw it was actually available for OS X. Alas, I can't seem to figure out if there's a way (without emulating Windows or using Bootcamp) to play HL1 on OS X.
So.. I don't really know the backstory. Will watching this ruin the fun?
(separately - any fellow OS X users know how to run HL1?)
posted by revmitcz at 9:05 AM on October 12, 2012
So.. I don't really know the backstory. Will watching this ruin the fun?
(separately - any fellow OS X users know how to run HL1?)
posted by revmitcz at 9:05 AM on October 12, 2012
The HEV suit had too many open areas, but apart from that, this was cool. I am convinced Newell is behind it, though. He gets off on tormenting us with these occasional titbits and reminders. He really needs to be dealt with most severely.
posted by Decani at 9:25 AM on October 12, 2012
posted by Decani at 9:25 AM on October 12, 2012
That was really quite good. Good enough to give me "flashbacks" to when I was Gordon Freeman. My brain was all like "yeah dude-- remember when we ran past that little group and a scientist was pounding on the console screaming for someone to for Heaven's sake open the silo door?" I know we had an FPP a while back about "fake war stories", and this one made me recall one of my own.
Amazing what they did with a $4K budget. My only (tiny) quibble was that the doctor's apartment was made of really old and badly peeling lumber, which doesn't seem to quite fit in with the rest of Black Mesa decoration scheme. But hey, maybe this is an older leftover sector repurposed from when Black Mesa was a WWII ammunition depot? (I just made that up in my head to justify the location.)
And for all you haters who shrilled, "this never happened in the game!", I think you meant to say it never happened in your game. I spent a surprisingly high number of hours in the winter or 1998 trying to rescue and protect the random guards and scientists that accumulated in my wake. Even after I figured out that the game didn't care, and it wasn't a primary objective of the designers, I still did it. It was fun to have a goal that the programmers hadn't considered, and it made the experience much harder (therefore more fun), but most of all I like to think that is how I would act in real life.
posted by seasparrow at 10:33 AM on October 12, 2012 [5 favorites]
Amazing what they did with a $4K budget. My only (tiny) quibble was that the doctor's apartment was made of really old and badly peeling lumber, which doesn't seem to quite fit in with the rest of Black Mesa decoration scheme. But hey, maybe this is an older leftover sector repurposed from when Black Mesa was a WWII ammunition depot? (I just made that up in my head to justify the location.)
And for all you haters who shrilled, "this never happened in the game!", I think you meant to say it never happened in your game. I spent a surprisingly high number of hours in the winter or 1998 trying to rescue and protect the random guards and scientists that accumulated in my wake. Even after I figured out that the game didn't care, and it wasn't a primary objective of the designers, I still did it. It was fun to have a goal that the programmers hadn't considered, and it made the experience much harder (therefore more fun), but most of all I like to think that is how I would act in real life.
posted by seasparrow at 10:33 AM on October 12, 2012 [5 favorites]
but most of all I like to think that is how I would act in real life
I have the same problem in WoW - my wife knows that we have to do our rescue quests and get the hell out, because otherwise I'll stay and rescue the respawns. She also thinks I'm insane for hoping Blizzard comes up with a way to be Neutral rather than Alliance or Horde, which I would do instantly, even (perhaps especially) if it were harder than being one or the other.
posted by Mooski at 10:43 AM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
I have the same problem in WoW - my wife knows that we have to do our rescue quests and get the hell out, because otherwise I'll stay and rescue the respawns. She also thinks I'm insane for hoping Blizzard comes up with a way to be Neutral rather than Alliance or Horde, which I would do instantly, even (perhaps especially) if it were harder than being one or the other.
posted by Mooski at 10:43 AM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Also, thanks for the link, ersatz. That was an awesome piece of work.
posted by Mooski at 10:46 AM on October 12, 2012
posted by Mooski at 10:46 AM on October 12, 2012
I'm waiting for the enhanced wide-screen version. (seriously, what's up with that aspect ratio?)
Minor quibble, but the first 2 gunshots sounded like the Magnum revolver, but in the next shot, he's using the automatic.(the subsequent gunshot sounds are correct)
Also, Gordon, you're supposed to lead with the pointy side of the crowbar!
Very cool how they managed to match the game's visual palette very well. Even the actors themselves had sort of a "video gamey" look to them.
posted by ShutterBun at 11:04 AM on October 12, 2012
Minor quibble, but the first 2 gunshots sounded like the Magnum revolver, but in the next shot, he's using the automatic.(the subsequent gunshot sounds are correct)
Also, Gordon, you're supposed to lead with the pointy side of the crowbar!
Very cool how they managed to match the game's visual palette very well. Even the actors themselves had sort of a "video gamey" look to them.
posted by ShutterBun at 11:04 AM on October 12, 2012
She also thinks I'm insane for hoping Blizzard comes up with a way to be Neutral rather than Alliance or Horde
The Pandaren start out neutral, don't they? (granted, I think you have to end up choosing a side eventually, but at least it demonstrates that you're not alone in thinking a neutral race could be interesting.)
posted by ShutterBun at 11:09 AM on October 12, 2012
The Pandaren start out neutral, don't they? (granted, I think you have to end up choosing a side eventually, but at least it demonstrates that you're not alone in thinking a neutral race could be interesting.)
posted by ShutterBun at 11:09 AM on October 12, 2012
This is awesome.
posted by pwally at 11:59 AM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by pwally at 11:59 AM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
This is pretty great. I would watch 120 minutes of this movie. Especially with some real budget for props.
posted by maxwelton at 12:06 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by maxwelton at 12:06 PM on October 12, 2012
You know, it was pretty short, so there isn't a lot to go by - but that seemed to me to be some damn good acting, by everyone.
I was also digging the old school lighting, it looked very retro. What a great, gritty look. The peeling paint was a distraction, though. Funny how little details like that don't escape notice.
posted by Xoebe at 1:37 PM on October 12, 2012
I was also digging the old school lighting, it looked very retro. What a great, gritty look. The peeling paint was a distraction, though. Funny how little details like that don't escape notice.
posted by Xoebe at 1:37 PM on October 12, 2012
Since I don't have anything helpful or original to say about the movie other than, "Thanks!", I'll contribute something related I also liked a lot: When Gordon met Chell (youtube)
posted by mrettig at 2:23 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by mrettig at 2:23 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
Wow, this is really quite well done. loved the dark shadowy look to it.
Could have done without the slow motion bullet,,,it has just become too cliché.
...want more, two thumbs up.
posted by quazichimp at 3:08 PM on October 12, 2012
Could have done without the slow motion bullet,,,it has just become too cliché.
...want more, two thumbs up.
posted by quazichimp at 3:08 PM on October 12, 2012
Everyone knows about Black Mesa, right? Half-Life 1 in the Half-Life 2 engine, only not shitty like Half-Life Source? Surely that's been on the Blue. I don't know, I don't have a lot of time for Metafilter these days.
posted by Caduceus at 5:41 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by Caduceus at 5:41 PM on October 12, 2012
Yep! Previously.
I'm a fair ways through it, and it's gorgeous.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:12 AM on October 13, 2012
I'm a fair ways through it, and it's gorgeous.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:12 AM on October 13, 2012
« Older PS | Argo and the Canadian Caper Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by leotrotsky at 8:33 AM on October 12, 2012 [5 favorites]