It's only because Danny Boyle gave us movies like Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Millions that I'm so damn psyched to see his next one, the futuristic science fiction thriller Sunshine. Well, Boyle's involvement and the rather nifty plot synopsis, that is: In the not-too-distant future, our sun is dying, and it requires a big-time rescue mission. Beyond that, I don't really want to know too much about the story. The good news is that IESB.net has just posted a whole bunch of new pics from the flick -- and those I can pick through without worrying about too many spoilers!

Starring Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans and Cliff Curtis, Sunshine comes from the generally (very) reliable team of director Boyle, screenwriter Alex Garland and producer Andrew Macdonald. Boyle and Garland previously collaborated on 28 Days Later and the Leo DiCaprio beach drama, appropirately titled The Beach. Last I heard, Fox Searchlight was planning a March 16 release date for the R-rated Sunshine -- but I've also been hearing rumblings that it just might get pushed back to a later date. (Fingers crossed that it doesn't!)

Okay, this is another of those weird pseudo-success stories that the magic of the internet seems to have made possible. This guy in Singapore wrote a short script, got together a few friends, rented out a bluescreen room, created his own props, and made an indie film short. The story would have probably ended there in generations past- with his film getting an audience comprised of his family and whatever friends he could talk into seeing it; maybe a small, local sci-fi convention if he was lucky. In these modern times, however, he has a website, and has been mentioned on quite a number of e-media outlets. He's gunning for a total of ten of these suckers eventually.

The story (titled Peaceful Knights of BuZen - Return from Corruption) follows two very jedi-esque monks who follow a path of peace and harmony. Its goal, according to the press release, is to "eventually be an education in charity, compassion and chivalry, and about the impact of non-violence and how that can bring about greater impact than violent aggression itself." It's not amazingly innovative or original, but it is impressive on some level that he managed to put it all together. If you live in the Singapore area and have access to a webcam, he's currently running open casting calls for the upcoming sequels.

My basic stance on this sort of thing remains unchanged: if you can do it, good for you. I love that the internet provides an alternate pathway for creative minds to get their material out to the masses. Sure, it means that alot of terrible material gets out as well...but I trust that the medium will eventually seperate the wheat from the chaff in the typical free market manner. That is to say if you can create a product that people will respond to, you've got a good chance at success. If you create something that nobody cares about, you'll dwell in internet obscurity where you belong. Thoughts?