Do Androids Dream of Light Clerical Duty?

January 6, 2006 9:29 AM

Tempbot (QuickTime)is a new short by Neill Blomkamp. This piece combines the ultra-realistic robot CGI seen in Tetra Vaal and Alive in Joburg (QT) with a softer story of everyday alienation very reminiscent to Greg Pak's Robot Stories.
posted by justkevin (26 comments total)

That WAS Lynda Carter! AWEsome. Loved it.
posted by WolfDaddy at 9:49 AM on January 6, 2006

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posted by lemonfridge at 9:57 AM on January 6, 2006

haha wolfdaddy i had the same thought... watching it was "heeey... she looks kinda familiar...hmm...", then a double-take watching the credits :D

one little niggle i have with these films is that they never seem to get the "jittery hand-held camera" look right. It always looks fake. Oh well, I could still watch these robot CGI thingies for hours.
posted by slater at 9:58 AM on January 6, 2006

Horrible temp life flashbacks... ugh...
posted by klaatu at 10:04 AM on January 6, 2006

Huh, I didn't even recognize Lynda Carter until you pointed her out. Going back, I can't see how I missed her.
posted by justkevin at 10:07 AM on January 6, 2006

Wonder Woman's still hawt.. haha..

Why's it that this guy can make CGI look soooo much more realistic than a big budget Hollywood movie?
posted by pez_LPhiE at 10:23 AM on January 6, 2006

Direct Link or Mirror? Web server iz kaput!
posted by blue_beetle at 10:23 AM on January 6, 2006

Good CGI, dull flick.
Lynda Carter rules!
posted by Outlawyr at 10:34 AM on January 6, 2006

nice, thanks : )
posted by suni at 10:45 AM on January 6, 2006

Direct Link (quicktime)
posted by blue_beetle at 10:47 AM on January 6, 2006

That was fucking awesome.
posted by loquacious at 10:50 AM on January 6, 2006

This is great. I liked Joburg but this has more nuance and humor (OK, and Lynda Carter).
posted by doctor_negative at 10:52 AM on January 6, 2006

Apparently, Lynda Carter is not from Orgun.
posted by TonyRobots at 11:10 AM on January 6, 2006

Beautifully framed, and set. This was awesome. (Ooooh, has anyone mentioned Lynda Carter yet?)
posted by dejah420 at 11:25 AM on January 6, 2006

Lynda Carter was all right, but I prefered Wonder Woman when she looked like this.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:49 PM on January 6, 2006

it seems that Mr. Blomkamp was also responsible for that cool citroen ad (MPEG)
posted by Dr. Twist at 1:02 PM on January 6, 2006

[spoiler] I don't get it? Temp worker treated as second class citizen is introduced to humdrum cubicle life where morale sucks coz the boss is a bitch, new HR manager is not a bitch, morale improves…meanwhile tempbot is infatuated by the new manager because she's friendly; a while ago tempbot was seduced by drunk coworker, tempbot matches come-on actions of coworker with friendly actions of HR person, tempbot shocks HR person by inappropriately touching her in company situation, tempbot placed in a place where only bots work?

Need interpretation pls kthxbye.
posted by Firas at 1:42 PM on January 6, 2006

wtf Firas?

drugsarebadmmkaythxbye.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 2:09 PM on January 6, 2006

The director took a page from the "busy office workers" scenes in The Office!
posted by growli at 2:15 PM on January 6, 2006

Eh Baby_Balrog? I protest that I was in total control of all my faculties at the time of posting that comment! I was just wondering what the twist at the end was about.
posted by Firas at 2:35 PM on January 6, 2006

Well, I thought the main problem with the Joburg film was a lack of characterization and plot. They were trying to improve on that, but Blomkamp is no Mike Judge.
posted by dhartung at 3:14 PM on January 6, 2006

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posted by SanitarySewer at 7:59 PM on January 6, 2006

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posted by LeLiLo at 9:05 PM on January 6, 2006

Firas, I wasn't sure about the end either. My initial impression is that the new boss was replaced with a robot.

Like, he wasn't in trouble for touching her that way, but she was booted out for reacting poorly to his advances. Or something.

I could be totally, utterly wrong.
posted by beth at 11:39 PM on January 6, 2006

Why's it that this guy can make CGI look soooo much more realistic than a big budget Hollywood movie?
posted by pez_LPhiE at 1:23 PM EST on January 6 [!]

I'd argue that the motion is just right whereas in other films, the motion is just slightly off.
posted by juiceCake at 9:32 AM on January 7, 2006

I love the way the robot stands at the copy machine.

I think at the end all of other employees have been replaced by tempbots.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:32 PM on January 7, 2006