This week on And Now For Something Completely Machinima, Phil Rice, Tracy Harwood and Damien Valentine dive into Michael Is Very Vintage’s hilarious Garry’s Mod space comedy An Astounding Tale from Outer Space. What begins as a simple spaceship emergency quickly spirals into absurdity when an incompetent captain decides that cloning himself is a better solution than actually fixing the problem. The team explores the film’s brilliant use of slapstick comedy, satirical storytelling, inventive sound design, and surprisingly sophisticated filmmaking craft. From Alien and Red Dwarf influences to hidden Easter eggs, classic action-movie tropes, and the unique creative possibilities of Garry’s Mod, this episode celebrates one of the most entertaining machinima films of the year. Along the way, the discussion turns to Michael’s growing signature style, the role of game-engine accidents in comedy, the future of machinima creators working in platforms like Garry’s Mod, iClone and Unreal Engine, and whether works like this have a place beyond YouTube in archives, festivals, and cultural collections. This week's pick is a love letter to inventive machinima, creative chaos, and the enduring power of comedic timing. 01:16 – Damien introduces the film and explains why he picked it 04:05 – Tracy’s reaction: why this is her favourite film of the month 05:00 – Cloning, delegation, bureaucracy and the film’s satirical core 06:30 – Garry’s Mod humour, slapstick physics and six personalities from one character 07:45 – Alien, Red Dwarf, Futurama and classic sci-fi influences 09:26 – The ending, anti-climax as comedy, and why it works 10:00 – Outstanding sound design, voice acting and comic timing 12:32 – Phil’s review: comparing the film to Ridiculous Ties and other animated comedy machinima 13:12 – Why Michael Is Very Vintage is developing a distinctive creative voice 14:20 – Hidden Easter eggs, visual gags and blink-and-you-miss-them details 15:15 – The film’s unique soundscape: cartoon logic, meme culture and deliberate absurdity 18:30 – Recognising an auteur style in machinima filmmaking 19:14 – Deep dive into the film’s references, props, set dressing and visual jokes 23:30 – What the Easter eggs reveal about the creator’s influences and generation 27:55 – Michael’s rapid output and growing body of work 29:24 – Behind-the-scenes videos and custom set construction in Hammer Editor 29:50 – Cinematography highlights and impressive in-engine camera work 30:52 – A broader question: what future exists for talented Gary’s Mod filmmakers? 32:20 – Can skills developed in Gary’s Mod transfer to animation, virtual production and film? 37:15 – Damien on iClone, animation principles and platform-specific comedy 38:35 – Does Gary’s Mod itself become part of the joke? 39:24 – Happy accidents, bugs and creative inspiration in machinima production 44:00 – From software glitches to award-winning films 45:04 – Physics engines, experimentation and unexpected outcomes 46:44 – Final thoughts and audience feedback invitation 47:11 – Closing remarks If you've ever wondered what would happen if the least competent person on a spaceship cloned themselves five times to avoid doing their job, this episode is for you. Credits -Speakers: Phil Rice, Damien Valentine, Tracy HarwoodProducer/Editor: Phil RiceMusic: Phil Rice & SunoAI
