The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005)

Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself.

Director:

Anthony Lucas

Writers:

Mark Shirrefs (screenplay), Anthony Lucas (story)

Stars:

Joel Edgerton, Helmut Bakaitis, Tommy Dysart

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Joel Edgerton	...	Jasper Morello (voice)
Helmut Bakaitis	...	Doctor Claude Belgon (voice)
Tommy Dysart	...	Captain Griswald (voice)
Jude Beaumont	...	Amelia (voice)
Richard Moss	...	Kovaks and Additional Voices (voice)
Lewis Fiander	...	Engineer Kemp and Additional Voices (voice)

Storyline

Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his Plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself. The chance discovery of an abandoned dirigible leads Jasper through unchartered waters to an island on which lives a terrifying creature that may be the cure for the Plague. The journey back to civilization is filled with horrors but in a shocking climax, Jasper discovers that the greatest horror of all lies within man himself.

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Plot Keywords:

alternate world | australia | creature | industry | steampunk | 

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Taglines:

"Do you wish to see a miracle?" Dr Claude Belgon, Aerial Biologist from the Academy

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in 2005 Academy Award Nominated Short Films (2006)

User Reviews

Fantastic visually and very effective

The short film form restricts the storyline of a film, making it very intense and preventing huge amounts of plot detail. To be effective the director Anthony Lucas has to be very creative, and The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello does this remarkably well. The silhouette style creates a perfect Gothic, industrial feel and is very effective in transporting you immediately to a distant but still familiar world of huge lumbering airships, cogs and smoke, and mysterious creatures. It is a fantasy that is also very real; it draws on the 'what-might-have-been' of steampunk, blending the genre's idea of advanced Victorian society with the dark imagery of Lucas' Shadowlands.

The extras on the DVD are also very good - included are other short films by the same director and his commentary about the making of the film (very interesting). Well worth it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jasper Morello

Box Office

Budget:

AUD600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

3D Films, Film Victoria, SBS Independent

Technical Specs

Runtime:

28 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1