First announced back in May of 2007, Iron Sky was pure genius from day one. Everyone loves a good sci-fi battle flick, and everyone loves to see Nazis get their asses kicked, so a flick featuring space Nazis leaving their swastika-shaped moon base and swarming towards Earth seems like a no-brainer. Here’s the official synopsis of Iron Sky.
Towards the end of World War II the staff of SS officer Hans Kammler made a significant breakthrough in anti-gravity. From a secret base built in the Antarctic, the first Nazi spaceships were launched in late ’45 to found the military base Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) on the dark side of the Moon. This base was to build a powerful invasion fleet and return to take over the Earth once the time was right. Now it’s 2018, the Nazi invasion is on its way and the world is goose-stepping towards its doom.”
Iron Sky is a Finnish/German co-production from the creators of the internet sensation, Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning. Yeah, I’ve never heard of it either, but it apparently managed to reach over eight million views online because people really, really like their Star Trek parodies. The past three years have seen a handful of video teasers, concept art, and promises of geek greatness but little else. Until now. Well, not really… it’s just another teaser. Watch it, and then be prepared to get out your checkbook…
Send us your money? That’s as hilarious as it is brilliant.As far as the rest of the teaser goes it’s impossible to form an opinion on the actual film as it hasn’t even started filming yet. These scenes and images were shot strictly for the video to help drum up funding. At this stage it looks closer to Simon Hunter’s Mutant Chronicles than it probably wants to, but again it’s difficult to say what look the final film will actually take. The actual cast hasn’t stepped on set yet, but the names attached include Gotz Otto, Julia Dietze (as the hottest Nazi ever), and famed Dieter Laser imitator, Udo Kier.
The film’s producers make a detailed and impassioned effort on their website to raise funds for the project with a wide range of ways for you to help. Some of the options include War Bonds consisting of numbered set of Iron Sky propaganda, mouse pads, t-shirts, posters, and more. My favorite item? The Cheap Test Product for one euro. What do you get for that euro? How about “the satisfaction of knowing the [Iron Sky] store works and is trustworthy.” But if you’re serious about contributing to the cause they have even bigger opportunities for you too.
This is your chance to take part in this groundbreaking movie project. We have been successful in financing 86% of the budget, and to cover the missing 900,000 euros we are looking for individuals and companies to invest and share the possible profits from Iron Sky. We have created various equity investment packages from 1,000 € and 5,000 € all the way up to 20,000 € and more, which include different additional advantages for the investors. These range from a guaranteed ticket to the premiere through a private screening to an associate producer credit ‐ and everything in between.”
You can’t fault them for trying I suppose, but it’s fair to wonder if this project will ever truly see the light of day. It’s been talked about and teased for three years now with little to go on aside from these very brief video teasers and images. There’s no doubt the film-maker’s intentions are legitimate, but movies aren’t made on desire alone. (Although they’ve certainly been made with less.) Money, time, and (hopefully) talent are also required before a worthwhile final product can even get started. But these are space Nazis, so somehow we have to find a way to make this happen.
As of now Iron Sky is scheduled to begin production this fall. And the scheduled world premiere of the finished film? August 2011. You may want to hurry up and write that check…
Are you anxious enough to see Nazis in space that you’d be willing to send your hard-earned scratch to Finland?
