The Controller: Armchair Combat Professionals

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Unlike the Minesweeper video from yesterday, The Controller is in fact a real movie … a fact I’m still having a hard time believing. The movie follows William Fence, a CEO and Founder of Ciromsoft. He’s become so successful in his career, his life has become very boring. That all changes though when his wife is kidnapped and he is forced to play a videogame to safe her life. 

Hit the jump for the full synopsis of the film.

THE CONTROLLER is the story of William Fence (Bob Rue), CEO and Founder of Ciromsoft. His domination of the computer industry has made his life dull; “I always win” he proclaims with disappointment. But, the abduction of his wife changes everything.

Now, he must play an online videogame called Liberation Force Earth, a game which his company created, and a game he must win within eight hours if he wants to see her again. Unfortunately for William, he has never played a videogame in his life. So he recruits a small team of the top-ranked videogame players from around the country. This oddball bunch of characters, each sitting in their own homes, separated by hundreds of miles, and communicating to each other only through an online headset, embark on a unique online odyssey across a virtual world, filled with breathtaking landscapes, monstrous aliens, and generous portions of combat.

With a controller in hand, and from the comfort of a chair and a television, they wage war against a merciless adversary. However, they must do more than just conquer the game; they must work together as a team, and keep the real world at bay if they want to survive. For only if they win, will William see his wife again and the true identity of The Controller be revealed.

Directed by Frank Michels, THE CONTROLLER is from an original screenplay also written by Frank Michels, and produced by Nansi Michels. This family-friendly film stars Bob Rue (NETHERBEAST OF BERM-TECH INDUSTRIES, INC.), Tank Jones (THREE KINGS, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY), Lolita Sahwany (REX STEELE: NAZI SMASHER), John Dobradenka (THE WHISTLER), JEFF NIEMOELLER (debut), Vince Reign (TRANSAMERICA) and Carin Sprague (PATCH ADAMS).

The movie’s format, a combination of Live-Action and Videogame Imagery, wraps itself around a pioneering story with quirky yet likable characters. This groundbreaking motion picture creates a new synergy between the motion picture / videogame entertainment relationship.

Frank Michels, the director of the film, intentions seem to be really genuine as he says “I wanted to make a film that would debunk some of the negativity that seems to be projected toward videogames. Videogames are a misunderstood medium and I will say there is much good that can be taken from playing the games.” The only problem is, this movie looks like shit. The acting seems like it will be worse than that of a soap opera. Not to mention the graphics of the game they are playing is no where near cutting-edge as they’re proudly proclaiming

As far as a release date goes, the site doesn’t say. After doing some digging around though, it turns out the movie was shot in under three weeks back in 2005. 

As bad as this movie looks, one thing is for sure, it will still be better than Alone in the Dark


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