Foundation Imaging’s Banzai Reel

done

When the art department gang put their shoulders to the effort to revive Buckaroo Banzai, Mike enlisted our pals at Foundation Imaging to put together a VFX demo reel. It appears as an extra on the DVD, but I know that many of you haven’t seen it, so here it is. The effort is ten years old, but impressive nevertheless. FYI, the frozen tundra is from the Voyager snow crash. (This is a high quality file, it might take a few minutes to load, so hit play and go get a cup of coffee)

(Below) Brandon MacDougall’s  Banzai Jet Car built especially for the VFX demo reel. By the way, liquidguitars.com is the website for Brandon’s beautiful custom guitars. Be sure and check it out!

For more on the Banzai revival effort, click here – http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/category/buckaroo-banzai/

Supersize Those Fries! Buckaroo Banzai!

That Buckaroo project was a whole lotta fun. For a while, it seemed like everyone in the graphics department was a volunteer member of the Banzai Institute! Doug did those great sketches, as well as a bunch of cool CGI renderings of Buckaroo’s new underground headquarters (built in an abandoned missile silo) and World Crime League central. Anthony built a miniature Jet Car. Our friend and colleagues at Foundation Imaging did an amazing CGI demo with glimpses of future adventures of Dr. Banzai. Other friends built some amazing props, including a couple of great oscillation overthrusters and a series of potato-energy guns designed by Doug for Dr. Lizardo.

(Above) John Litgow as Dr. Emilio Lizardo, determined to make the “monkeyboys” pay, and  Buckaroo prepares to drive the famous Jet Car through a mountain.

Buckaroo Banzai’s Complex 88

When Mike first approached me about doing some developmental work for a proposed Buckaroo Banzai TV series, he had me at hello. I was stoked. Banzai is offbeat, irreverent, and one of a kind. Once I read the wacky script, “Super Size Those Fries!”, I was nuts for it. Dr. Emilio Lizardo plans to steer the Earth out of it’s orbit like a big sailing ship, powered by the combined energies of the world’s potato fields (remember science class? Getting electricity from a potato? No kidding!). This is Banzai at it’s best. There is no money, says Mike, we’re just trying to give Rick (W.D. Richter) all the ammunition he needs to sell the series. Count me in, Mike! I’m there!

(Above) Buckaroo and his famous oscillation overthruster driven Jet Car. 

For those of you in the know, The Banzai Institute is in New Jersey, but  what most don’t know is that there is a Banzai West, and it inhabits several abandoned missile silos in the Arizona desert. That’s about one of the coolest things I ever heard! let me at it! I checked it out on line, and anyone can buy an abandoned missile silo! Not so crazy!

Click for a better look at the Banzai institute West.

For more Buckaroo at  drex files -

http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/the-banzai-trek-connection/

http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/the-buckeroo-banzai-that-never-was/

http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/supersize-those-fries-buckaroo-banzai/

The Banzai-Trek Connection

One of our readers, L.M. Oliver asked:

Was somebody in casting also a “Blue Blaze Irregular”?  I ask because at least two actors from Banzai appeared in The Next Generation’s first season (Robert Ito and Vincent Schiavelli).

We’ve enlisted Denise Okuda, our resident Banzai expert to comment on this musing.

The Buckeroo Banzai That Never Was.

“Come again, Mike?… it’s called what?” Mike grinned. “… Supersize Those Fries.”  “Ha!” I said, rubbing my chin. “Buckeroo Banzai with a vengeance. I love it… need illustrations?” Mike grinned. “I thought you’d never ask!”  More on the way…