The Wizard of Speed and Time
| The Wizard of Speed and Time | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Mike Jittlov |
| Produced by | Richard Kaye |
| Written by | Mike Jittlov |
| Starring |
Mike Jittlov Paige Moore Richard Kaye Deven Chierighino Steve Brodie John Massari Gary Schwartz Frank LaLoggia Philip Michael Thomas Paulette Breen Will Ryan Stephen Stucker |
| Music by | John Massari |
| Cinematography | Russell Carpenter |
| Edited by | Mike Jittlov |
| Distributed by | Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment |
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Release date
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September 22, 1989 (USA) |
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Running time
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95 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,535,000 (estimated) |
| Box office | Unknown |
The Wizard of Speed and Time is a 1989 low-budget feature film written, directed, and starring animator Mike Jittlov, as well as a 1979 16 mm short film, also by Jittlov.
In the original short film, a young man in a green wizard costume runs throughout America at super speed, much like the superhero The Flash. Along the way, he gives a pretty girl a swift lift to another city, gives golden stars to other women who want a trip themselves. He then slips on a banana peel and comically crashes into a film stage, which he then brings to life in magical ways.
Jittlov is a special effects technician, and produced all of the special effects in the film himself, many through stop motion animation.
This short film originally was shown as a segment of an episode of The Wonderful World of Disney. The episode was called "Major Effects", and was aired to coincide with the release of Disney's The Black Hole in 1979.
The film segment then began to be shown at science fiction conventions around the country, gaining popularity, prompting Jittlov to eventually create a (semi-)fictionalized account of how this short film came to be, in the form of a feature film.
Years later, Jittlov was able to remake the short, as well as incorporate portions of some of his other short films (such as Time Tripper and Animato), into a feature-length 35 mm film. The feature version recounts the exploits of a special effects "wizard" (played by Jittlov) trying to fulfill his dream of making a full-length movie. The tricks of movie magic are exposed; but so are the tribulations of the independent moviemaker working around the heavily unionized Hollywood film industry.
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