Manborg

{{Infobox film

| name = Manborg

| image = Manborg-film-poster.jpg

| alt = Manborg, a soldier who is part human and part machine, fires his weapon, while the face of the evil Count Draculon appears in a mushroom cloud behind him.

| caption = Manborg film poster

| director = Steven Kostanski

| producer = Steven Kostanski

| writer = Steven Kostanski
Jeremy Gillespie

| starring = Matthew Kennedy
Adam Brooks
Meredith Sweeney
Conor Sweeney
Ludwig Lee

| music = Brian Wiacek

| cinematography =

| editing = Steven Kostanski

| studio = Astron-6

| distributor = Raven Banner
Ultra 8 Pictures
Astron-6

| released = {{Film date|df=y|2011|9|22|Fantastic Fest}}

| runtime = 70 minutes{{cite web | url=http://prdp1.chts.gov.mb.ca/FCB%5CCatalog.nsf/0/A255D0E5A7F0BBD486257A9F006FC9D0?OpenDocument&type=All | title=Manborg | publisher=Manitoba Film Classification Board | date=22 October 2012 | accessdate=4 November 2012 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110151/http://prdp1.chts.gov.mb.ca/FCB%5CCatalog.nsf/0/A255D0E5A7F0BBD486257A9F006FC9D0?OpenDocument&type=All | url-status=dead }}

| country = Canada

| language = English

| budget = approximately $1,000 ({{CAD}})

| gross =

}}

Manborg is a 2011 Canadian science-fiction action film, directed by Steven Kostanski, and released by Astron-6.

Plot

Count Draculon (Adam Brooks) and his Nazi vampire forces seek to take over Earth during the Hell Wars. A soldier (Matthew Kennedy) is killed attempting to fight the Count, then transformed into Manborg after his body is fitted with robotics. After Manborg becomes active in Mega-Death City, he meets with resistance fighters against Count Draculon. Justice (Conor Sweeney) is a gunfighter who resembles Billy Idol with an "Australian" accent who is joined by his sister Mina (Meredith Sweeney) and martial arts expert #1 Man (Ludwig Lee, voice-dubbed by Kyle Hebert).{{cite news |title="MANBORG" and "BIO-COP" (Movie Reviews) | first=Dave | last=Pace |url=https://www.fangoria.com/index.php/reviews/movies/8086-qmanborgq-and-qbio-copq-movie-review |work=Fangoria |date=2 November 2012 | accessdate=4 November 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704051814/https://www.fangoria.com/index.php/reviews/movies/8086-qmanborgq-and-qbio-copq-movie-review |archivedate=4 July 2013}} {{rating|3.5|4}}

Cast

Matthew Kennedy as Manborg
Adam Brooks as Count Draculon and Dr Scorpious
Meredith Sweeney as Mina
Conor Sweeney as Justice
Ludwig Lee as #1 Man (voice dubbed by Kyle Hebert)
Jeremy Gillespie as The Baron
Andrea Karr as Shadow Mega
Mike Kostanski as Little Guy

Production

Production began in 2009 (with most of it shot in the garage of the director Steven Kostanski), with approximately one year of filming followed by two years of post-production. Chroma key backdrops were used for most filmed scenes.{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/gore-of-yore-175741351.html | title=Sci-fi parody embraces '80s schlock | first=Randall | last=King | newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press | date=25 October 2012 | accessdate=4 November 2012}} Production costs were approximately $1,000 (CAD).

In an interview with Monsterpictures.com Steve Kostanski said a lot of the movie was shot in his parents' garage. The costumes for the film were made of garbage and oftentimes he would glue them back together during production. Most of the set pieces were built with scraps the team found in dumpsters. Steve was also quoted saying a lot of their props are "cannibalized" and reused in other scenes.{{cite web |title=MAN TO MANBORG – AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE KOSTANSKI |url=https://monsterpictures.com.au/features/1850/ |website=Monsterpictures.com |access-date=24 March 2021}}

Release

The first public screening of Manborg was on 22 September 2011 at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. It was then released on DVD on 11 Feb 2013.{{Citation|title=Manborg DVD (United Kingdom)|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Manborg-DVD/78559/|access-date=2021-10-21}}

Reception

Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail took a favorable view of Manborg, declaring it "cheap and cheesy, no doubt, but with some real tang and, occasionally, a strong bite".{{cite news | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/manborg-the-plot-is-low-but-the-camp-is-high/article4818435/ | title=Manborg: The plot is low, but the camp is high | first=Rick | last=Groen | newspaper=The Globe and Mail | date=2 November 2012 | accessdate=4 November 2012 }} {{rating|3|4}} The Toronto Star's Peter Howell deemed the film "a marvel of DIY makeup, costuming and special effects" although he believed the production "would have been a much better movie without the cheese".{{cite news | url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/article/1281246--manborg-review-a-makeup-master-s-shoestring-sci-fi | title=Manborg review: A makeup master's shoestring sci-fi | newspaper=Toronto Star | first=Peter | last=Howell | date=1 November 2012 | accessdate=4 November 2012 }} {{rating|2.5|4}}