Lots of people would like to follow in the footsteps of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and make their own space opera, but few succeed in going even part of the way. Star Trek New Voyages and Star Wreck are among the few exceptions. A new addition to that list is Shubian's Rift, a grass roots feature length science fiction adventure that was inspired by Roddenberry's creation. It was completed late last year by Delta Airlines pilot Joe Dwyer. His dream didn't end with finishing the film, though. In January it was broadcast on his local television station, PMtv, and he is now preparing a sequel. Dwyer's achievements provide further proof that Star Trek's creative legacy lives on.

Joe Dwyer wrote the script for Shubian's Rift between 1999 and 2002, but his desire to make the movie goes back to his high school days, when he was filming Star Trek stories on 8 mm with his friend Ellsworth Hall. Rather than going to film school, though, Dwyer chose a different career. He attended the University of Maryland to do a degree in Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering and then joined the U.S. Air Force.

"The Journeyman interiors were all built in my upstairs studio in my home," Dwyer said. "The shuttle and Dragon Phoenix (an alien ship) sets were built in the Newnan Community Theater Company's building in downtown Newnan." The set designs are minimal but imaginative and hark back to the original series of Star Trek.

To say that the CGI effects in Shubian's Rift are a testimony to what amateur productions can achieve in this age of relatively cheap technology would be to give scant credit to their teenage creator, Casey Curtis. Curtis was a student at the Central Education Center (CEC), a publicly-funded charter high school in Newnan, when he was making the film. Given his age, equipment and lack of professional training, Curtis's work is outstanding. The ship designs are realistic and the textures and movements are convincing. The blue screen work is also well done.

Shubian's Rift was an ambitious undertaking, and it is a credit to Dwyer and his cast and crew that they finished it. It would hardly be fair to expect the result, in its entirety, to match the production values of Hollywood space operas.

This review is edited from a version I wrote for Hollywood North Report.

Shubian's Rift represents the tip of a film making movement that will change the way audience's access and appreciate the medium of film and film making. With a short budget, amateur cast and some basic film making technology Joe Dwyer has put his film up for comparison in the same genre as Star Trek, BattleStar, and even the most recent TV show Defying Gravity. As an audience we have no choice but to make direct comparisons to these high budget professional productions. Until recently no independent film maker could have even dreamed of making a film this ambitious with as limited resources as Shubian had and as far as I know no one else has even tried. There is a clean professional look about the film that simultaneously helps and hurts the movie in relation to its audience. Too often independent film makers use spoof, satire and sloppy film making to justify their films flaws. Shubian chooses to swing for the fences and present in every shot the most professional image possible. From a technical standpoint the film is very well made. However, this precision of image is also the films great liability. I could almost believe that Shubian was created by the Sci Fi channel (I refuse to use their new lettering) at a budget 10 times that of this film. The technical craftsmanship sells Shubian at a much higher level of film making skill and material than it actually represents. Shubian's Rift is a labor of love. Compared with the filler that passes as movies coming out of professional production studios Shubian is at the heart of what true creation should be. Shubian's Rift is an expression of Joy and Wonder within in the medium of film.

This film does have pacing issues and an overly complex plot. The CGI space battle sequences aren't dynamic enough to fix the attention of the audience. By the time we return to the dialog and physical sets the attention of the audience has lapsed and confusion sets in. The plot needs to be cut to its essence in order to fully function. Too much is put on the dialog and the actors ability to present the story through the spoken word. With too much dialog a science fiction audience will simply stop listening. Too much new information is presented in too short a time frame to keep it all straight. Each story element is understandable by itself but taken together the audience only hears a cacophony of jargon.

Independent film makers should be grateful to Shubian for striking out with courage and enthusiasm into the full potential of what digital film-making has to offer. By creating a robust original narrative without the snarky and cynical fan film base that we see too often on Youtube and elsewhere, Shubian presents what is possible for those willing to take risks. I bought this film on DVD at a Sci Fi convention a couple of years back. I have watched it several times. Each time I tell myself that I could make a film better than this one. But I haven't. Therein lies the point. If you haven't made a film as ambitious, technically savvy or as creative as Shubian's Rift I suggest you watch this film with the respect and wonder it deserves. Despite its flaws it this film can inspire and set an example for others to follow. The community of small budget, big dream film makers is lucky to have Shubian's Rift as a model to follow.

Commencing with a sublimely apt quote from Henry IV, the production adroitly conveys the difficult decision-making process exacted by the rigors of command in the midst of escalating cultural tensions.

The visual effects, sets and music serve the story; they do not detract from it. The enormous amount of effort involved in creating this epic is most evident inasmuch as this is an independent production without the benefit of a major studio's financial backing. The production is ambitious in its scope, yet pays attention to the character details which constitute in large part the motivations that fuel the conflicts. The actors bring these details to the fore; the physiognomy of the character Rudy Paine for example, is defined by his use of spectacles in a future era where they would only serve as an affectation.

To quote Thomas Paine, Captain Shubian must "... make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." Would that most viewers take note of this verity.

Wow! The CGI and blue screening was done almost singlehandedly by a high-schooler under Joe Dwyer's direction: Casey Curtis. Incredibly good work; imagine if he had access to higher-level tools and the hundreds of animation and compositing hands that Hollywood employs for scenes like these. Bravo! And I loved Joe's design of the starships; realistic and detailed. And the music by Ellsworth Hall is sweeping, and engaging, and carries the story from start to finish. The story itself is intriguing and well-conceived. I wanted A-list acting, of course, and faster action-editing, but there is no way we can dismiss what is being produced by independent filmmakers like Joe Dwyer and his team. I have since read the book and I'm significantly impressed with Shubian's Rift on many levels.

And in that I include Hamburger, the 80's non-classic starring Leigh McCloskey.

The pacing is terrible- five minutes of incredibly mediocre special effects, the acting is wooden, and the plot is incomprehensible. This movie is destined to be an MST3K victim, and it deserves it.

Characters are in space, out of space, running around on a random planet, and there is no clue or understanding how they got there, or why they are there in the first place.

The cast mostly endures, with various looks of disinterest and suffering, no doubt at the fact they are contracted to this steaming screen of tripe. The young actor playing the weapons specialist at least engages with his role, but it's impossible to tell if he's being ironic, or honestly is still trying to act. His zest for his idiotic role is at least refreshing.

The score is the best part of the film besides the merciful advent of the closing credits.

Joe Dwyer has presented us with an epic and exciting story that has been in his mind for a decent while. This only proves that even for us independent film makers, that a lot of hard work goes into a project like this. I commend him for his efforts, considering his extremely busy schedule, it takes a lot of patience and commitment to finish a project of this magnitude. As an independent film maker myself, he has shown me the basic principles of a "Do it yourself" Project, and for that I thank him.

As for the film itself, I'll be completely honest, I loved it. Sure, it's not Hollywood standard. The Special effects are not up to par with what we are used to seeing from films like Transformers and Star Wars. Considering that the CGI were done by a High school student with no Professional training, goes to show how much potential that these kind of films have. But that's not why we go see movies, at least I don't. I go for the rich story, exciting characters and to be apart of their world until the lights come back on. Joe has done this for me, exposed me to a wonderful story, with unique and exciting characters, ones that I can relate to and have a compassion for their plight.

Films like these are the ones that become acknowledged, because of their stories, not how big your wallet is. If you want to talk about that stuff, go watch Transformers, you'll get plenty of eye candy but that's about it.