Red Dead Redemption

John Hillcoat’s RED DEAD REDEMPTION Short Film

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 8th, 2010 at 1:33 pm

Director John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) short film based off the video game Red Dead Redemption aired on Fox a few weeks ago.  You can now watch it online.  What you need to know about the film is that all of the footage is taken from scenes in the game.  Nothing new was created.  It’s more like a compilation that takes you through the first act of the story.  However, I think the brevity shortchanges the expansive world of the game and how much there is to see and do.  It also illustrates a point I like to make whenever I get the chance: movies based on video games will always be worse than their source material because it’s more fun to play a game than to passively watch it.  Watching Hillcoat’s short film, I wanted to pick up my controller and play the game even though I’d already beaten it.  I think that speaks to the success of Red Dead Redemption and perhaps to some extent, the success of the marketing, which is really what Hillcoat’s film is.

Ultimately, even though Hillcoat’s name is attached to this film, I’m not exactly sure what he directed other than a few establishing shots and music choices.  But check out the video after the jump and decide for yourself.

Trailer for John Hillcoat’s RED DEAD REDEMPTION Short Film plus Matt’s Thoughts on the Video Game

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 26th, 2010 at 2:47 pm

As we previously reported, director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) was hired to make a short film made from Rockstar’s new video game Red Dead Redemption.  So what does “made from” mean?  It means that the movie was created in game rather than animated from scratch.  However, the trailer for the short film leaves me confused as to whether or not the short will feature the characters in the game or be done using the characters you can create in multiplayer.   The trailer shows off a lot of clips that are in the game rather than something new, so I’m confused.

The short is airing on Fox this Saturday night at midnight.  Since I imagine not a lot of people will be up to see it, I hope that Fox puts the film online not long after.

Hit the jump for trailer along with my brief thoughts on the game.

Director John Hillcoat to Create 30-Minute Trailer for Video Game RED DEAD REDEMPTION

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 23rd, 2010 at 10:34 am

One of my most-anticipated video games of the year is Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption.  At its most basic level, the game is Grand Theft Auto but in the Western genre.  That idea alone is amazing.  And to bring more attention to the game, Rockstar has hired director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) to helm a half-hour trailer for the game using machinma.  For those who don’t know, Machinma is a story told by using a video game’s assets.  You’re basically creating an animated film, but you’re doing it in-game.  The most famous machinma is the Halo-based Red vs. Blue series.

Hillcoat’s a strong director and The Proposition shows he has the chops to do a western (and it was probably one of the big reasons why he was hired for the gig).  It will be interesting to see what he does in such a niche genre of animation.  The trailer/short film will air on Fox on Saturday, May 15th.  Red Dead Redemption will be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 18th.  Hit the jump for the trailer and the game’s official synopsis. [The Futon Critic via Kotaku]

New Trailer for Rockstar San Diego’s RED DEAD REDEMPTION, Which is GRAND THEFT AUTO as a Spaghetti Western

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm

If the idea of a sandbox-style spaghetti western video game, doesn’t appeal to you, then we have nothing to talk about. Ever again.  A new trailer for Rockstar San Diego’s Red Dead Redemption has come online and it makes the time until the game’s release date feel like an eternity.  I know I should try to employ some wider and less vocabulary in my writing but “completely fucking bad-ass” is the best way I can describe this trailer.  It kept reminding of the 2005 video game Gun which was such a great first step of a western sandbox game; it just required a bigger sandbox, some more side quests, and a more balanced leveling system.  Oh, and a final boss fight that wasn’t complete crap.

For those who don’t know, Rockstar is the company behind the Grand Theft Auto games.  However, the GTA series is specifically by Rockstar North while Rock Star San Diego is known for the Midnight Club series as well as the previous Red Dead game, 2004′s Red Dead Revolver which received mixed to positive reviews.  Hit the jump to check out the new trailer and remind yourself that April 27, 2010 is only five months away if you’re a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 owner.  If you only own a Wii, tough shit.

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