Set in San Francisco in the 1800’s, Cowboys & Engines will be a short film featuring Walter Koenig of “Star Trek” fame and Jeffrey Cannata from “The Totally Rad Show”. There are just a few hints as to what the movie will actually be about, something involving a dangerous device that has been stolen by an evil baddie and now the goodies must save the day! Sounds like a pretty standard action-adventure story with a Steampunk twist.
They’ve started a Kickstarter to help fund the project and have a ton of rewards for backers. I’m interested to see how they are going to use Steampunk to tell the story, I hope it adds to the overall experience and isn’t just an excuse to glue a bunch of gears on things. I think this is a great opportunity to use a style to help tell a story. I hope they pull it off.
Cowboys & Engines is an ambitious steampunk adventure that follows Cade Ballard (Jeff Cannata), the war-weary former ambassador from the nation of Texas as he meets Guinivere Wheeler (Libby Letlow), a woman who proves to be as dangerous as she is charming. When they encounter Professor Nicholas Timéon (Walter Koenig), and learn that his temporal engine, a machine with incredible destructive power, has been stolen by would-be conqueror Dr. Clay, Cade and Guinivere set off to save San Francisco from total destruction.
This film is a labor of love, and an attempt to create something completely original and visually stunning. The movie will be something we can all be proud of; a fun, exciting ride that never becomes silly or tongue-in-cheek. The script is extremely tight, with sharp dialogue and great characters. The cast is first-rate, and though the creative professionals behind the camera might not be household names, they’re a respected team capable of working miracles.
Hollywood has failed miserably in its attempts to bring steampunk to the screen; we’re going to do it right. Cowboys & Engines is a festival piece that will redefine steampunk for the world at large as a way of re-imagining fantasy adventure.
