REVIEW: Delta Blue – A ‘Bluespunk’ Pitch For More

It’s the year 2371 on Planet Delta. The skies are blue and the rolling hills are filled with the sound of gunfire and music. Did I mention the catchy, infectious rhythm of the music? Yes, we are in the world of the blues. We’re transported to the Deep South in the very first episode of this new “bluespunk”, sci-fi web series, DELTA BLUE.

DELTA BLUE is the story of three characters, Willie Ray Marmalade, Hoot Ryker and Miss Annie. This trio has teamed up to operate what seems like a backwoods speakeasy named Delta Blue in a remote area of the planet Delta. We quickly learn that there is more to their mission than just the speakeasy. It is clear something else is going on and it involves a mysterious force known as the “Capitol Corporation.”

Almost immediately, we’re greeted by several guitar chords and text that informs us that we have landed in the year 2371 on the Planet Delta which looks like the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, we hear the sounds of ragged breathing and foliage. We are not alone. A man dressed in black approaches as we are taken to the main title, DELTA BLUE.

It doesn’t take long to realize that something is wrong with this picture. Is the man sick or wounded? Is he turning into some sort of undead creature? No, we soon see that a strange device is attached to his neck. We see him collapse. An electronic burning sound signals a seizure-like reaction from the victim. The camera then tilts toward the sky, leaving the man twitching against the power of the strange device.

We then see another man, Willie Ray Marmalade (Collin Hauser), strolling down the road while strumming on his guitar. We find out quickly that the device doesn’t kill the poor guy in black that we saw moments earlier. No, it reanimates and controls him. Willie Ray perfectly describes the viewers’ reactions at this with his line, “Uh…nope.” He comes prepared. As the strange man runs toward him, he defies logic by pulling a high powered, blue laser packed pistol through the back of his guitar and shoots the man in black several times. If that doesn’t confirm to the viewers that this is a sci-fi series, I don’t know what will. Willie Ray then proceeds to remove the device from the dead man and continues about his way.

The neck prosthetic on the man in black looked challenging to attach given its location. I only wish that the edges of it had been flat and blended with the actor’s skin. It would have made the prosthetic look more believable especially since there were several close-up shots of it. The colors of the prosthetic were various shades of red. The color choices were nice as the pink tones made me think that an infection was spreading and causing the texture of the skin to be rough. The prosthetic piece is removed from the actor’s neck, so it makes sense for it to be loose. Perhaps there could have been a different way to achieve a believable prosthetic piece while still having the ability to remove it as envisioned by the director?

The music increases in volume and we’re given a few moments to rock out with the bluesy music scoring the next couple of shots. The episode title “Me and the Delta Blues” appears as we zoom in on a building resembling a barn covered in metal with a sign reading “Delta Blue.” I was very impressed with the following shot that features an aerial view of horses running through the countryside. The next shot takes us straight into the Delta Blue speakeasy.

We are introduced to the next group of characters, Booker and Miss Annie (Rebekah Lynn Bruflodt). The actor portraying Booker in this scene gave a great performance. He had a small part in this first episode, but he definitely stood out. In fact, all the actors and actresses in this first episode gave strong performances. Miss Annie tends to some of her customers, one being Fleur Kelly. We find out that the Capital Corporation is trying to take Kelly’s land. Suddenly, we’re greeted by another man visiting the Delta Blue in a suit and tie. It doesn’t take long to discover why he is there.

The man locks eyes with Miss Annie and a tense showdown between the two characters ensues. The man eventually challenges Miss Annie to a fight as he randomly raises his hands as if in a martial arts style. This was funny as it came out of the blue from such a tense moment. Miss Annie doesn’t waver, in fact, she calls over the intimidating bartender, Hoot Ryker (Benjamin Dennis), to take care of the man who now has probably wet himself.

Hoot pulls the “elected official” up by his collar, threatening to beat him up. Just when we think that Hoot saved the day, we find that this man also has a strange device and it is attached to his arm. The man presses the device, activating it and sending himself into a fit. A fight breaks out. Hoot eventually removes the device from the man’s arm and the man threatens everyone in the bar before leaving.

The second prosthetic piece was very well done. It was a smaller piece so it was easier to achieve a realistic look. It actually looked pretty gross especially when the actor “activated” the piece. The piece moved a little bit like skin would if it had grown up around the cylindrical shaped device. The camera cut to a different angle just in time so we weren’t able to see what the arm looked like after the device was ripped off. This same choice or something similar could have been used for the earlier neck prosthetic. There wasn’t an audible reaction from the man in the suit when the device was ripped off assuming something like that would really hurt. It hurts even having a Band-Aid ripped off really fast especially if it catches the hair on your arm, but that’s another story.

Willie Ray arrives and the show at the Delta Blue can finally begin. It’s clear that Miss Annie is also a burlesque dancer along with being the owner of the speakeasy. After the show, the three sit down and talk about their next move, starting with finding the body of the man in black that Willie Ray took down.

This web series was very enjoyable to watch. It was created, written, produced and directed by Cameron J. Smith. The concept for the series is credited to Cameron J. Smith and Josee Villenueve. It was well written and the dialogue felt natural. It seems like it would be challenging to write dialogue with certain dialects for some of the characters, but it was believable.

The music complemented the overall feel of the show and set the mood. It’s easy to sit and jam to the music while watching the show. It gave off a tough, Southern feel which is clearly the goal here, but it didn’t overpower the spoken lines of the actors. The sound overall was great. The dialogue was at a good volume and it was clear.

The choices made in the editing process were very interesting. The cinematography had the feel of an old film with a little distortion. It worked for the style of this show combined with the other elements including the music. When the two devices were activated, the screen flashed red, cut rapidly between shots and was very jarring. This was successful particularly for the first victim because I felt like I was experiencing something similar to a seizure just like the victim. It was cool to see that when the man in the suit activated his device, his vision was affected too. The blurry, slightly distorted effect really worked here.

The special effects used in this first episode were done well. It was fascinating to see a blue laser actually shoot from Willie Ray’s gun several times! The choice of defying logic by retrieving the gun through the back of the guitar as it glows didn’t seem too motivated. Couldn’t he have just carried it on him? After he shoots the man in black, he tucks the gun in his pants instead of putting it back in the guitar. Maybe this was a way of establishing future opportunities of defying logic? This is a sci-fi series after all.

The fight scene between Hoot and the man in the suit was well executed. It was a brief fight, but it was just enough. The way the scene was cut between moves was effective. The pacing of the fight would speed up time, then time would slow down and then return to normal. It made the fight come across as smooth and swift.

Again, the cinematography was really nice. The aerial shot of the horses running through the field was one of my favorite shots. Also, the first shot of Miss Annie dancing in their performance at the Delta Blue in front of the lights and the sunset outside Delta Blue were beautiful shots.

The costuming for this series was great. The characters have a mix of vintage clothing that includes what we would recognize as the current style today. These choices made sense. Willie Ray’s costume especially seemed appropriate as it gave a hint of an old fashioned, vintage Deep South feel that seems to come across in other aspects of the show. Miss Annie’s red outfit complemented her feisty personality and her makeup was appropriate for her also working as a burlesque dancer.

The first prosthetic that was located on the actor’s neck in the beginning was really the only issue that stood out to me. The second prosthetic later in the show on the other actor’s arm was much better. Sometimes you can’t go back and fix things as much as you wish you could. Oh, the joys of filmmaking!

During the credits, there was a video by the creator, Cameron J. Smith, addressing the viewers. This was a really cool gesture for the show to reach out personally and explain their campaign to raise funds in order to create more episodes. Along with the credits and the video, the messages included for subscribing were laid out nicely and were clear.

DELTA BLUE has started their next campaign to raise funds for Episode 2, 3 and beyond with IndieGoGo. The link for that can be found at the end of the article. The campaign started on July 30^th and will end August 29^th, 2014 at 11:59 pm PT. A goal has been set for $4,000.

DELTA BLUE is definitely an entertaining, “bluespunk”, sci-fi web series. For those that enjoyed Firefly, you all should check this web series out. It was done on a limited budget and the crew behind this project have done some great work. This just proves you can do so much creatively with so little. This is only their first episode so stay tuned for more action, character development, awesome gadgets and blues!

To donate to the series’ IndieGoGo campaign for Episodes 2, 3 and beyond, please visit:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/delta-blue-episodes-2-3-and-beyond

For more information about the show, please visit:

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/DeltaBlueSeries

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/DeltaBlueSeries

The official IndieGoGo campaign video for Episodes 2, 3 and beyond is embedded below: