Wizard of Speed and Time

Mike Jittlov has made his movie Wizard of Speed and Time available via bittorrent. At the time of this posting, I’m one of the seeders of that torrent. I got the files, and using the DVD burner from my work laptop I made my first actual playable-in-a-player movie DVD from a Linux system. Instead of the FBI warning at the beginning is a “karma statement” that as long as you aren’t profiting it, you are free to make a few copies for your friends.

I can remember Jittlov attending at least one of the Atlanta conventions I was at as a young science fiction fan. He was treated like a star and everyone knew about his movie but probably 2% of us or fewer had actually seen it. They probably screened the flick at these conventions, but I’ve never once in 20 years watched any lengthy video at any con. There’s always too much socializing to do to sit in the video room and watch movies. Thus, it makes me happy to have the DVD in my hands ready for me to watch it. As I gather from reading about it, the main villain of the piece is the big machine film industry so that’s right in my philosophical pocket for sure.

This is another case where it makes perfect sense to give away a movie. Jittlov is hoping to get enough attention from this to get some donations. If he builds up a little capital he then wants to redo some of the special effects and remaster it for a commercial DVD release. If all this comes to pass, the most obvious market to buy a spiffed up DVD are the people who downloaded the original release for free. If only he made this release “registerware”, with a request up front to register your email address with him then he’d be building up a catalog of people interested in his work. See how this ecology almost creates itself? The enemy isn’t the people who experience your work without paying the toll, the enemy is time and obscurity and an attention-starved world. I’d love to see Jittlov pull this off, get the mindshare and money and then release a killer definitive DVD. For us SF loving children of the 70s and 80s, this is a very cool blast from the past.

If you are at all interested, grab that torrent while it is hot.

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dave

Dave Slusher is a blogger, podcaster, computer programmer, author, science fiction fan and father. Member of the Podcast Hall of Fame class of 2022.

13 thoughts on “Wizard of Speed and Time”

  1. …I agree. Interview The Wizard, Spread the Word, and I will be first in line to snaffle up that improved DVD. I already have many versions of the movie, but having a spiffed-up version with a Jittlov commentary….Praise “BOB”!

  2. I grabbed the torrent, and it’s next in my download queue. It should start within the next 60 to 90 minutes. This better be good! 🙂

    I keep seeding, as long I see the Share Ratio in Azureus go up by even one hundredth of a percent in any given seven day period.

  3. Got the torrent downloaded. Watched it last night. I rarely find a movie I really enjoy anymore but this one was just pure fun the watch!! Jittlov has captured a feeling that I havent seen or felt since the first star wars movie when I was a kid. I will definently buy anything this guy produces.
    KUDOS!!!

  4. Got the torrent, prefer the Medusa Films version I have on VHS.

    Given then capacity of DVD’s a special edition set with multiple versions and all the internal “shorts” as features.

  5. Twenty(!) years ago, I was one of the dancers in this movie. We all knew the choreographer from various classes we all took together.
    Unfortunately I never got to see it until last year when I found out that Jitlov gave permission for it to be made available via BT.
    I’m glad to see there is a cult following for the movie. It’s so so very 80s and is a lot of fun to watch. There’s so much heart in this film. You can tell that the creator of the film loved his work.
    I hope one day there will be an official DVD.

  6. I too hope for a good DVD RE-RE-Lease, of this film, it inspired so many people, and Mike is a GREAT guy, just a NICE guy. Wow, and he lives in Hollywood?!?!?! The Wizard Of Speed And Time is a FAB blast from the past…I wish Mike could have made it to our radio show…-Ethan Tudor W.

  7. I once got to talk to Mike on the phone. He’s a wealth of information. It was a true pleasure. If you can catch him at a good time, he’ll talk for quite a while. He’s a little reclusive but at least not as aloof as most movie makers.

  8. Love the movie, but no one is seeding it anymore. Anybody feel up to it? Thanks.

  9. i loved the movie my kids loved it and can see it again and again — its quirky and fresh and i wish the Green Wizard all the best

  10. I’m STILL trying to get Mike on the show! I would highly suggest if you contact him, tell MIKE you would like to hear him on the LIVE broadcast. Here is the URL kids, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ethantudorw
    I’m getting REALLY busy these days not only with “The Neverhood Show”, but with being on “The Middle” every week over at ABC. So if YOU can get a hold of Mike, tell him YOU TOO would love to hear an interview! It’s LONG overdue, and it’s going to take more than just me asking to get Mike to come around….any ideas? I’m open to ’em..e-mail me ethantudorw@gmail.com

  11. This is simply my favorite movie of all time. There are plenty of other movies that I love and treasure, but none of them have as much heart as this one.

    I have a decaying VHS copy that becomes a little less watchable with each passing year, and I hope that Mike Jittlov will be able to produce and distribute a DVD. My best wishes to you, Mike, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Thank you for entertaining me, over and over again, year after year, with your joyful work of art.

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