"OPERATION ISCANDAR" REVEALS NEW SCIFI ADVENTURE, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW...

The Woodlands, TX - Years of feature film and web series experience in developing new and inventive projects, has brought the studios newest science fiction effort to the forefront of this years line of planned production.

Operation ISCANDAR [Is'-kander] is fallout from a plethora of scripts, that stretched out over thirteen years but under a different title. The initial series fell under few tweaks and re-writes to ensure that if it would launch again, it would have to be rooted under a original project, distancing itself from other well known and established television shows and series.

What surfaced during an intense re-write of the original scripts and screenplay was an interesting dark tale of intrigue that embroiled a story of the aftermath of a galactic war, fought many light years away, but one that still endangers the lives of countless worlds on the outer edge of the known universe. This idealism became the basis for ISCANDAR's message; captured, presented, and aimed at a broader new fan base filled with a need for a solid, darkly cerebral SciFi series.

This reinvention required a new title and also a new way to market and advertise the series in this age of multimedia where just about anyone can produce good entertainment in videos just thirty seconds long and successfully present them on several well-known platforms. With Houston's amateur independent film community now floundering in the scraps of "what was," the studio spent two years studying on how to develop shorter scripted video content by building plots and storylines to target viewers with viral content, building a solid trend to better harness the attention of potential new fans. This new format is planned to deliver the shows message with "direct impact" story telling, but without lengthy or drawn out dialog that can slow episodes down.

How the studio developed the new shows title. Ten years ago, the studio considered many titles during the initial development of the series, the first being MINOTAUR, that was presented as a fan based Star Trek spinoff. Over time with changes in the scripts, countless changes in cast and locations occurred, it was evident that the title for the project also needed to be changed. The studios CEO [D. R. Quintana] happened to be studying the Arabic language when he stumbled upon several words which he used since his youth, that caught his attention. 

One word, "Iscandar" [originally pronounced as Is'-kan-'Dahr] was one of the familiar words, used to identify the name a distant world in an old SciFi animated series called "Star Blazers" that ran on American television in 1979; but in Japan it ran under the name Space Battleship Yamato five years earlier in 1974. The CEO found in his studies that in Arabic, and under pronunciation of "Is-kander," the word fell under the new meaning of "the protector of men." Using the newly understood pronunciation of the word, the studio re-wrote the title of the SciFi project and a different vision of the series began to form. Operation Iscandar would be produced to define the series as a mission to guide mankind towards a peaceful and productive future, to be protected at all cost. There would be no need for space ships, no Federation, no empires.  

Vast changes in the news series scripting also demanded that new talent to be cast. Due to the name change and now the shows direction, the studio began developing new characters to fill the show. After an intense casting call of which over 75 local Houston actors responded to, the studio found its lead actor. Leading this series would fall to the talented and capable hands of Victoria Yap of Waller, Texas. 

Yap quickly proved to be an established actress in the local indie film community with extensive training and skills, working with some of the most talented Houston based independent actors and film teams. She has a strong history in acting, but also as some impressive experience as a producer which can help the series develop further in future episodes planned for production.

The studio team was truly impressed with Yap's video submissions for her  audition which separated her from a short list of finalists. Yap insisted that she was captivated by the series script and felt that she was up to the challenge of bringing the character of Aria Vista to life. A first time meeting with the show's director, proved to present a strong chemistry between the actor and the show's creator. Shortly after the first meet and greet, the two began working on taking larger steps to get the series into production in a shorter time span than originally planned.

The new SciFi project demanded a talented "sidekick" for the lead character in the series, so the studio cast Tiffany Anders to fill that position. Anders originally submitted an audition for the role of the fictitious Aria Vista, but was given a secondary role which she took with excited glee. The project director [Quintana] was completely mystified by the amount of audition videos that Anders had on file. He felt that she has a unique ability to change her personae in a dazzling and almost chameleon-like approach; something that casting directors often look for in high quality productions. According to studio scripting and episode plotlines, she will be playing the part of a FBI agent who is searching for her missing partner.  Anders is currently also partaking roles in other films and commercials, even landing a few roles as an extra on current television projects being filmed in the Houston area.

To build up the dramatic side of the series subplot and add a little comedy to the series, the studio cast Valjean Eskridge as a missing FBI agent who holds the key to some interesting plot twists within the first season of the series. He will be required to play the roles of at least five to six different characters during the shows run, each one having a different intellect and colorful background in an attempt to develop the character who lives in a deranged state that keeps the character interesting. Eskridge has worked with the studio on several past projects, including an extensive rewrite of this SciFi series itself, adding changes to the scripting of the screenplay and taking big part in filling the shoes as an Assistant Director. 

Eskridge currently has a role in the horror short film entitled Quantum Eclipse, which is currently in production, pairing up with some new talent which will give him more opportunities to expand his acting prowess.

Every good SciFi series needs a deadly bad guy or evil woman to ruin the progress of the heroes plan to save the universe, so the studio cast Stacie Rowe to take the role as the antagonist, whose only purpose is to literally disrupt the progress of good intentions towards the end of the first season. She is a new comer to SciFi projects, mainly accepting castings for western genre short films, features, and the like. She submitted a casting video for Iscandar, and even though her submission was received a week after the submission deadline, the casting director saw something dark in her video submission that could be used in the show, but for another darker and sinister role. After submitting her video audition, Rowe was concerned that the studio didn't reach back to her right away. 

"I get this audition request from this man who I didn't even attempt to pronounce his last name," recalls Rowe. "Time passed and I emailed him asking if the role had been cast. A little later I received a reply and got a 'Oh, good to hear back from you, I will call you tomorrow morning' and I thought to myself, 'Awe damn, I’m pushing it!' But when I got the call the next day as he promised, the director said that my audition reminded him of a ten year nightmare he'd been having and I thought to myself, 'Stacie, you really blew it!' But he explained his reasoning, adding that my audition was BADASS in more ways than one. So yes, he had me at BADASS!"

Rowe has also accepted the lead role and has been cast as a Sheriff in the studio horror film, QUANTUM ECLIPSE, which is currently in production.

The studios "go-to-girl" has always been Saira Ramos, now a charter member of the studio. She has been working with Quantum Storm Pictures since 2009, taking part in almost every studio project working either as an actor, a camera operator, having assistant producer duties, or also step in as a studio model. She has partook in every genre of independent film projects from SciFi to horror to comedy to dramatic works, played key roles in The Secret of Angelika5, Pair of Aces, and Zero Zero One. Working along side the studio with director [Quintana] in studio projects for over 15 years, becoming a veteran actress that can fill any role at any time. 

In Iscandar, Ramos will play an "Agent" that has been missing for several months, forcing an alien presence to send another agent, Aria Vista, to investigate her disappearance. In the original first run of scripts for this SciFi project, she was planned to play the role of a First Officer onboard a starship, which was eventually re-written. A secondary project, Grey Panic, was also rewritten and added into Iscandar to extend a subplot within the show.

 

"The challenging part of Saira's role will be that her fate will change the direction of the series to a more darker sub plot by the end of the first season," says Quintana. "If we play our cards right with the quick paced [but planned] screenplay, the show will deliver a powerful and dark message that will carry the series into a second season."

Yap will have a talented core of actors to assist her in the series. The actors, Anders, Eskridge, Rowe, and Ramos have all signed on board to launch the first season of ten to twelve episodes for a strong start this fall. The series has not been rated, but it will be produced in 6K format with 7.2 Surround Sound quality. 

A teaser trailer has been released on both Rumble.com and on the studios Facebook page, with a planned trailer release before the end of August 2024. The Quantum Storm .357 E-Magazine will promote a feature issue with more details and behind the scenes production photos in June.

"BABY REINDEER" IS A CEREBRAL MINDFUCK!...

🎥🎞️Series Review🎞️🎥 - BABY REINDEER [2024] - Netflix - [R] - Directed by Weronika Tofilsa and Josephine Bornebusch. Produced by Matthew Mulot. Written and created by Richard Gadd. Starring Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau, and Tom Goodman-Hill. Produced entirely in the United Kingdom.

Based on true events, Comedian Donny Dunn [Gadd] is a struggling artist, just trying to live the dream of being a successful comedian in a field full of strong competition. He's been lucky to have people help him along the way, sometimes having the changes of a lifetime land his way, then things just seem to crash down on him hard. One day at his real job, a bar-tending gig, he meets a barfly named Martha [Gunning] who turns his world around by becoming a relentless stalker who seemingly begins to turn up everywhere he goes. She emails him constantly and it increases to an absurd attraction after she gets his phone number. Due to some circumstances that occurred in his past, Dunn becomes consumed with trying to understand why Martha has chosen him, opening up his own traumatic past which only makes things worse, and he struggles with every inch of his being to find a way to escape Martha's control over him.

THE GOOD - The writing and screenplay are mesmerizing and hard to believe. The deeper and deeper the story goes, the more and more draining of life is taken from the lead actor. You see the actor [Gunn] deteriorate along with the story, each event that transpires, and his transformation is truly and starkly breathtaking. Gunning's performance of "Martha" is a far cry from hope against a real lady who truly does exist. Her performance as the deranged Martha is noteworthy for award and applause. All of the extras in the seven part series are well performed and presented as either strong supporters of Dunn's claim or friends who question his failure to shut Martha down from the very beginning.

THE BAD - There is a dark part of this series that just caught me off guard. It deals with date raping, and even though it is important to see what actually transpired to understand the lead characters mindset, it was tough to watch.

POST MORTEM - This is one mind fuck of a mini series. If you've never been stalked before or bullied by persons who were beneath you in stature, this is one hell of a series to watch and try to learn from. Kudos to all involved!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [4.5 of 5 Stars]

"THE IRON CLAW" HITS THE MAT AND CRAWLS TO THE ROPES...

🎥🎞️Movie Review🎞️🎥 - THE IRON CLAW [2024] - PG13 - HBO MAX - Directed and Written by Sean Durkin. Produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Angus Lamont, and Derrin Schlesinger. Starring Zach Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, and Lily James. Budget $15.9 Million.

In 1979, during the hayday in the growth of televised Championship Wrestling, a legendary wrestler, Fritz Von Erich [McCallany], known in the early circles of wrestling lore as a “maniac fighter,” was not only proficient in the sport, he was considered a master wrestler who never got to win a Championship title in his career as an active wrestler. Later in life, he prepared three of his sons to carry on his legacy. These three young men would change the path of wrestling forever, but the family was cursed with bad luck, which seemed to step in at every attempt to secure a championship within the family. One by one, the sons began to die of under strange circumstances, including the overuse of drugs, committing suicide, and dealing with serious injuries that forced them all to live with considerable pain. This movie concerns Kevin Von Erich [Efron], who at the end of his wrestling career, distanced his personal family from the "Von Erich" curse by changing his family name.

THE GOOD - The transformation of a few actors [Zefron and White] were extraordinary. The addition of Harley Race [played by Kevin Anton] was completely mind blowing. Very good use of vintage vehicles.

THE BAD - The cinematography was atrocious. Too many closeups and not enough open-panning of the wrestling matches giving a wide view of what was happening in the wrestling ring. The screenplay was weak, most importantly, there wasn't enough character development between the brothers, except that they were brothers and that the father was a borderline self-centered narcissist who demanded nothing but success and competition between his sons. Even though Zefron is a talented actor, I feel that the emotional toll being felt by Kevin Von Erich during his darkest time was way beyond his ability to grasp the performance; just looking sad doesn’t cut it. The production team seemed unable to bring the 1980's back to life, even incidentally filming scenes of today's downtown Dallas skyline, trying to pass it off as what was once seen in the early 1980s. ***On a special bad note, the casting of Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Rick Flair was a complete embarrassment to the actual wrestler man/personae.

POST MORTEM - I was raised on watching Texas wrestling on television. This film would have been better off as a made for television movie. The intensity of Fritz Von Erich didn't match the acting result of emotion from the other actors and the wrestling spots were too short. There were so many questions to the real events that occurred to the Von Erich family, that the script and director seemed to only gloss over important events and show a softer side of the story telling to keep the real family members from reliving certain dark experiences. If this film was based on real events, the fans and viewers deserve to see what really happened. I also think that the ending to this semi-indie film was just a little looney; showing three brothers meeting each other in heaven after two committed suicide and one died of a drug overdose. If this truly was an attempt at making the end of the feature an emotional moment, it was badly planned and poorly executed. This is an okay film to watch on a Sunday when you have nothing else to do.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [3.5 of 5 Stars]

"GHOSTIES [2011]" IS RE-RELEASED ON RUMBLE.COM!

The Woodlands, TX - Quantum Storm Pictures has remastered and again released the summer of 2011 hit, GHOSTIES: THE WITCHES SPELL on Rumble.com. During the short films initial release, the film was a hit with pre-teens and teenagers who filled a 400 seat capacity movie theater with over 550 children and their parents, which still hold the record for the largest audience attendance for a low budget film on it's premier in Texas independent film history. The film was masterly prepared with the perfect pitch in marketing that targeted the local youth.

GHOSTIES stars Tanner Fontana, Jessica Yanker, Haley Coker, Emily Thompson, Alan Berkowitz, Fabritzia Faustinella, and Matthew Jasso. The movie was produced in five days during the late spring and early summer of 2011 with a low budget slightly exceeding $8500 and shot entirely in Montgomery, TX. Many of the crew members on the production team were the mothers of the actors; the most prized mothers who assistanted the director were Joan Yanker Scardino, Jamie Coker, Yvonne Fontana, Tina Carroll, and Darla Redwine.

The film was presented on the big screen four times in four different cities, Katy, Texas being the debut city which brought in the most attendance to the short film. With the help of t-shirt, movie poster and DVD sales, the movie paid off the films budget plus a whole lot more. During the time of it's release, GHOSTIES was the first successful film produced entirely with young teenagers as lead characters who partook in a film that succeeded past a rivalry of slasher and zombie films, all were released during the same time, but Ghosties crushed those other films in ticket sales and attendance. The marketing for this film was well planned and theater attendance [on its premiere night] proved that targeting teens was a move never attempted before in the local Houston area.

Only a few of the little teen actors maintained a successful acting status after Ghosties fell off the mantle of film success. Tanner Fontana has progressed as an actor taking part in a long line of television commercials, films, and even leading roles in theater stage plays; for a short time he was also working on a singing career. Director David Quintana was impressed with Fontana's skills in front of the camera, and with strong support from his parents, the director thought that there was very little that the young actor couldn't do. "Tanner was a handsome man and a true gentleman on and off the set of the film," recalls Quintana. "With just a wink from his eyes, this kid could capture your heart and bring a smile to an entire room. He knew how to use his gift and I was amazed by the reaction of the audience when he did his part to bring his character to life." Tanner continues to work on a career in acting.

Jessica Yanker was also a big part of the Secret of Angelika5 series that was on season hiatus during the release of Ghosties. Quintana brought Yanker into the film due to her needing to bolster her filming resume at the time and he felt that a part in this teen thriller would be perfect to build her confidence in front of the camera. "Jessica came to the set well prepared and delivered her part like a veteran actor," recalls Quintana. "She spent time with the other teams helping them to prepare prior to the cameras rolling. Having her on the set was a treat and I feel like she learned as much from the young actors as she was giving them little insights on how to deliver their lines." Yanker is now a college grad, married and a mother to be.

The main cast of actresses in the film have all grown up and have gone their separate ways. Some still work in video projects, others have become rodeo queens, college graduates, and even naturalists. "During the time of film production, none of these little ladies were under pressure or had a worry in their minds while filming," recalls Quintana. "After the first night of filming, everyone was tired and wanting to hit their beds. In the morning the cast had a huge breakfast at the Magnolia Diner in Montgomery, Texas and we were back to working on the film. The mothers did a fantastic job keeping the girls and Tanner organized and prepping them for each new scene. There was so much positive energy during the filming of this little gem. Some great memories were created."

This re-release of the GHOSTIES movie also has something new to offer the viewers of the film. During the initial release of the film, some ghost sequences were re-produced to give the film an updated ghost effect which was not present in the initial release. "Because this was a kids film, during the time of the initial release I decided to 'dumb down' the ghost effect on a major scene so that the youngsters watching the film weren't mentally freaked out by seeing something ghostly," says Quintana. "I wanted everyone who watched this film to enjoy it on it's release. Some of the sequences were considered too harsh and too mature during parent screenings of the film. The reason for the film jumping in rating from 'G' to "PG" were because of the more mature story parts of the film and the addition of the visualized suicide that occurs during a flashback scene."

The director would enjoy four more movie debuts with four new film premieres, but GHOSTIES would prove to be his lone plateau of success on the big screen. The director says that a sequel to GHOSTIES was attempted with an all new set of little actors. But even though the script, the production was again fun, funny and exciting, it was only successful at delivering the product as a sizzle reel. 

"Some people say we waited to long, some say that the magic was all used up," adds Quintana. "I think there's another movie left to tell the tale of the little ladies and the ghosts that haunt their local cemetery, but maybe the story should be told as grown ups, as they are all grown up now...but you never know."

Casey P. Costelloe
Contributing Writer.

THE QUANTUM STORM .357 E-MAGAZINE FOR MAY 2024 IS RELEASED!!!

 

QSE.357 ISSUE 32 dtd 5/1/2024

32 Pages

ON THE COVER - Broken Glass
Photo by D. R. Quintana

MAIN ARTICLES

The Star Trek Franchise is not what it used to be - Quantum Storm Pictures adjusted a feature project to distance itself from the creative writing format known to many SciFi fans. 

Faking success in indie films, meet some local experts! - From Houston to San Antonio, to Austin, to Dallas, film teams have tried to fake success by entering questionable film festivals, paid for awards, & claimed top notch films, when they weren't even close.

Are indie film directors really a dime a dozen? - Is hiring a film director is as easy as picking out a pair of new socks? Meet a few narcissistic producers who made some bad decisions.

The mastery of wardrobe, you can up your game? - We interview professional wardrobe specialists who have worked on Western and SciFi projects.

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