Jason LeBlanc likes writing. He also likes pop culture. So, he decided to write a blog about movies, television, music, cartoons, crime fighters, robots, spys, ghosts, monsters that crush buildings, jazz hands, zombies, Muppets, zombie Muppets, TPS reports, magic tricks involving pencils, and other silly stuff. He hopes that you also like these things.
As much as I like to stay on top of the latest news in pop culture, sometimes things can slip through the cracks. Not due to laziness or indifference, but with so many different movies and TV shows being promoted and released every year, the more obscure bits of entertainment tend to get lost in the shuffle. For example, I would like to present “Mercury Men,” an online series that I discovered last weekend, but has apparently been available to view since July of last year.
Set in 1975, “Men” involves an ill-tempered government office worker (Mark Tierno) who stumbles upon a plot by aliens from Mercury to destroy Earth when he attempts to sneak out of work early. (Yeah, that old story.) This chance encounter leads to an adventure with square-jawed heroes, laser guns, glowing aliens, and an evil talking brain in a jar. While this may sound like a laundry list of overused sci-fi elements, writer/director Christopher Preksta keeps the series moving with a wry sense of humor and tight storytelling. Equally impressive is learning that the entire series was shot with a budget in the low five figures. When you see some of the visuals in “Men,” you’ll likely agree that Preksta put every dime of that money up on the screen.
However, there is a bit of a downside to “Mercury Men.” While there are ten episodes to the series, the main story wraps up with the ninth episode. The tenth entry hints at a proposed second season, but as of this time, nothing else has been produced. Considering how well-made “Men” is, let’s hope that we eventually see some more of these sci-fi stories from Preksta in the near future.
To catch up with “Mercury Men,” visit the official site: