Comedian Mark Felgate and co-presenter of The Gadget Show Jason Bradbury have launched a kickstarter campaign to raise £50,000 to make a movie entitled Ctrl AI Delete in which gamers take on Artificial Intelligence
Producer Jason Bradbury explains: "I'm Jason Bradbury, speccy techy from TV's The Gadget Show - and I’ve written a film with one of my oldest friends, stand-up comedian, Mark Felgate. Ctrl AI Delete is a laugh out loud British comedy movie that aims to reignite the unforgettable film magic of the 80s and 90s with an original and timely story about retrogamers Vs a rogue AI - and we're confident you're going to love it!
If you recognise my name, it’s probably because you watched The Gadget Show back in the day (before you ask, no, the competition wasn’t fixed!). I left that most excellent tech review show and a twenty-year long TV career, precisely to do projects like this, independent, authentic, offbeat, niche creative passion-projects that mainstream TV and Film are no longer set up to support.
Evoking the nostalgic escapism of movies like Wargames, The Last Starfighter, Terminator and Hackers, Ctrl AI Delete is a love letter to the films many of us grew-up watching, and that younger audiences regard as cult classics - with a fresh, contemporary, narrative about a rogue super intelligence, that has turned the world upside down.
Ctrl AI Delete is a comedy hacker movie set in the present day, channeling the distinctive look, feel and humour of the classic 1980s and 1990s action and comedy movies you love. It’s a tech comedy with a bit of romantic entanglement - it’s a R.O.M com! Get it!?
35-year-old Smit is the son of a one-time speed running world champion dad. Ignoring his father’s advice, to use some of the games the old guy now restores in his garage and open a retro gaming café, Smit is out to conquer the corporate world – just as soon as he works out how to level-up from his crummy supermarket job. Meanwhile, the world has adopted an AI program that runs all connected services and with ‘AI Day’, the launch of a new update, fast approaching, even more critical infrastructure will soon ‘benefit’ from the system’s controlling algorithms.
The update happens when our quirky band of misfits are attending a retro gaming convention in sunny Skegness! Immediately, what were once minor glitches in traffic lights or malfunctioning ATM’s become a global blackout, as errant AI code plunges the developed world back into the dark ages. But as the crowds of protestors throw down their ‘F.U.A.I’ signs and morph into sinister rioters and looters, our plucky band of retro enthusiasts are safely ensconced in the event centre."
Bradbury is particulartly thrilled about the music content: "We are hugely excited that 90’s dance legends Utah Saints have agreed to curate the film’s soundtrack. Tim Utah and Jez Willis have sold over 2 million records worldwide, famously sampling 80s and 90s superstar vocalists Annie Lennox, Kate Bush and The Human League. They also have an impressive track record providing music for video games including Wipeout Fusion, Carmaggedon and recent retro beat-em up Final Vendetta."
Read more about the project here and find out what rewards you can get for making a pledge on their kickstarter page here.
