Bill, the Galactic Hero (film)

Bill, the Galactic Hero is a 2014 science fiction student film directed by Alex Cox and six student co-directors based on Harry Harrison's 1965 novel of the same name.

Bill, the Galactic Hero
Directed byAlex Cox
Danny Beard (co-director)
Merritt Crocker (co-director)
Amanda Gostomski (co-director)
Alicia Ramírez (co-director)
Raziel Scher (co-director)
Jordan Thompson (co-director)
Produced bySultan Saeed Al Darmaki
Malcolm Edwards
David Stewart Zink
Brigid Igoe
Kaleb Tholen
Claudio Bottaccini
Kyle Curry
Charles Gill
George P. Snoga
Simon Tams
Steven Christopher Wallace
Written byAlex Cox
Based onBill, the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison
StarringJames Miller
Music byDavid Bashford
CinematographyRobert Ortega
Grant Speich
Edited byMia Debakker
Production
company
Biting Sheep Productions
University of Colorado Boulder
Release date
  • December 12, 2014 (2014-12-12)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot synopsis

Bill is a farm hand who is drugged and shanghaied into the Space Troopers. Bill initially works as a fuse tender but when his ship is struck by enemy fire Bill finds himself the only remaining soldier capable of firing on the enemy Chingers. He destroys an enemy fleet with a lucky shot and is proclaimed a hero. He becomes lost in a labyrinth of bureaucracy, eventually recruiting his own younger brother into military service to the chagrin of his mother.

Cast
  • James Miller as Bill
  • Devon Wycoff as Deathwish Drang
  • Jesse Lee Pacheco as Sixth Class Tembo
  • Kaitlin McManus as Bown Brown / Sgt. Ferkel
  • Eddy Jordan as X / Pinkteron
  • Hayden Winston as Chaplain / Laundry Officer
  • Brittany Handler as 1st Class Spleen
  • Nick Wagner as Old Sarge / Corp. DeSalius
  • Bradley Allf as Deplanned Outlaw
  • Lily Grisafi as Eager Beager
  • Pablo Kjolseth as The Emperor
  • Anneka Kumli as Mother / Officer 1
  • Susan Sebanc as All Robots (voice)
  • Frank Vidana as Surgeon
  • Shayn Herndon

Production

Alex Cox had initially optioned the rights to a film version of Harry Harrison's 1965 novel in 1983 as he was completing Repo Man. The project met with studio resistance and remained unmade until 2012 when Alex Cox had begun teaching film production at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He had the idea to have his students film an adaptation of the novel and suggested the idea to Harrison, who granted Cox an academic license to produce a student film[1][2] and was working with Cox on the screenplay for the film at the time of his death in 2012.[3] In March 2013, Cox launched a Kickstarter campaign, hoping to raise $100,000 to shoot the film. The campaign exceeded the goal and raised $114,957 from 1,106 backers.[4] Cox also succeeded in getting numerous film professionals to work on a royalties basis. The film went into production in October 2013.[5] Scenes were shot in university buildings. Iggy Pop, who wrote and performed the song "Repo Man" for Alex Cox's 1984 film, also wrote and performed the theme song for Bill, the Galactic Hero.[6]

Release

The film premiered in Boulder, Colorado on December 12, 2014. It gained positive reviews.[7][8][9] It was later shown on New Year's Eve at the Clinton Street Theater.[10]

References
  1. Rubino, Joe (16 October 2012). "Apollo-era replica space suits take earthbound trip across CU-Boulder campus". Daily Camera. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  2. "BILL, THE GALACTIC HERO". 10 February 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  3. Child, Ben (17 April 2013). "Alex Cox crowdfunds Bill the Galactic Hero film via Kickstarter". the Guardian.
  4. "Alex Cox directs BILL THE GALACTIC HERO". Kickstarter.
  5. Kickstarter campaign page for Bill, The Galactic Hero
  6. "Iggy Pop reunites with director Alex Cox for 'Bill, the Galactic Hero'". 21 January 2015.
  7. Casciato, Cory (10 December 2014). "Alex Cox on Bill the Galactic Hero, Biggest Student Movie of All Time". Denver Westworld. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  8. Casey, Michael (18 December 2014). "An independent fit for Boulder". Boulder Weekly. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  9. Fortune, Ed (19 December 2014). "Bill, the Galactic Hero". Daily Camera. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  10. "Special New Year's Eve Screening: BILL THE GALACTIC HERO - The Clinton Street Theater". cstpdx.com.
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