Chase Masterson Stars in New Retro Sci-Fi Short R.U.R.: GENESIS

See Chase Masterson (Leeta of Deep Space Nine) like you’ve never seen her before: in a sexy, retro-futuristic science fiction thriller, R.U.R.: GENESIS. The short film, now available online, combines past, present, and future in the style of an alt-history 1969. Masterson stars along other Trek vets in a cast with a surprising number of Trek connections. Hit the jump to watch R.U.R.: GENESIS for yourself.

Robots, ray guns, and a whole lotta latex
R.U.R.: GENESIS is an indie sci-fi thriller based on some very early sci-fi stories and themes. In 1919, Czech playwright Karel Capek began work on what would become a seminal science fiction story, R.U.R.. The film was set 50 years into the future (well, 50 years into the future from the perspective of 1919, so sometime around 1969), and managed to accurately predict some key advances in biotechnology. R.U.R. has even been cited as the inspiration for Metropolis and Blade Runner, to name a few.

In the new short, writer-director James Kerwin (who brought us the award winning noir film Yesterday Was a Lie) takes a fresh yet faithful look at the classic work and shows us what 1969 was to 1919 (while adding in a little of that mid-century groovy we in the present are so fond of).

Chase Masterson Brings the Trek
Chase Masterson, known for playing Leeta on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, stars in R.U.R.: GENESIS along side Kipleigh Brown (Crewman 2nd Class Jane Taylor in Star Trek: Enterprise, “The Forgotten“) and Vic Mignogna (Capt. Kirk in Star Trek Continues). But, the Trek connections don’t stop there. Bonus points to the first person to spot Mission Log Podcast co-host John Champion and Glue Guns and Phasers co-host Mary Czerwinski (aka the Televixen).

“Stylistically, R.U.R.: GENESIS is by far the most fun of any project I’ve ever done — and that’s something that really counts for an audience,” says Masterson. “But what really sets the film apart from the vast majority of projects out there is the brilliant combination of story and timeless themes. Not many filmmakers’ work embodies both of those elements thoroughly. Whereas you found shades of black and white and gray in the noir of Yesterday Was a Lie, the colors — and issues — in the world James [Kerwin] has created for R.U.R.: GENESIS really ignite the screen. It’s sexy, powerful stuff.”


Chase Masterson (Leeta on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)


Kipleigh Brown (Crewman 2nd Class Jane Taylor in Star Trek: Enterprise, “The Forgotten“)


How many Trek connections can you spot?

R.U.R. GENESIS short just the beginning
The standalone short film is also a “teaser” for the full-length feature currently in development. “The full-length script is written,” Kerwin told TrekMovie. “The story in the short won’t fit into the feature film. We’re using it to show financiers what the feel of the feature will be, just like what was done to fund Mortal Kombat, Looper, and Tron: Legacy.” Kerwin says that feedback so far has been positive and hopes that as more good reviews (and YouTube views) come in, they will have traction to complete the final film.


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Looks like fun stuff. I WILL check it out.

Looks like crazy fun!

Looks good. I just have one question: What in the world does R.U.R. stand for?

In the original Czech play, it stands for “Rossumových Univerzálních Robotů,” or “Rossum’s Universal (meaning “artificial”) Workers”

I watched it. It certainly felt 60s to me – and with a Blade Runner vibe. I’m not sure what I would think of a full length movie, but what I saw was intriguing.

Well that was groovy in a Barbarella sort of way. Red-blooded male approves of scantily clad (or just un-clad) beautiful women.

I have no idea what was going on, though.

Awesome! I’ve always loved Chase, so sumptuous, sexy, and sultry.

I liked it! Plus, Chase looked smokin’ hot!! :-) So, count me IN!!

Great. Another Star Trek actress in a scantily clad outfit. And they even speak French. Oh, the humanity. It’s the end of Western Civilization. :-))

Okay, sue me. Chase Masterson is beautiful.

It reminds me of Barbarella. Very sexy. is this a robot society with humans as a minority or oppressed species? Perhaps, the robots may become organic. Had to read the post to figure what the filmmakers were trying to do with this short. It’s designed as a visual pitch to get funding for a bigger movie. I imagine the filmmakers will detail the story with video pitch so we are left in the dark. That’s why there’s a lack of exposition. With that, let’s wish them well. And I hope Chase is in it. I think I might have rated her as the “hottest chicken” (joke for our Harry Ballz) in Star Trek in a comment.

Thanks Basement Blogger, we appreciate the support. And yes, all will be explained in the feature. You can also check out the original play by Karel Capek, although we’ve taken a fair amount of liberties with the story.

Seen much better shorts sci fi…check out “Blinky”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLTmZjk2CaI

Very nice, I always enjoyed retro Sci-Fi movies & stories.
Well done.

Thanks for answering my question, James. I was wondering what it stood for, and now I know :)

I like the idea of updating this century old story but with a ’60s spy movie feel. It looks pretty nifty.

And having met Masterson at a couple of conventions, I can say she is an absolute doll. It’s nice to see her push forward in non-ST creative endeavors and I wish her much luck. She is very good to her fans.

A pic of her I took at a collectibles show a couple years ago:

http://m1knight.prekfun.com/cylon/ot/FrankAndSon_05.jpg

She autographed my wonderful ‘big damn DS9’ book (that thing is heavier than a phone book!).

@11. The Keeper – October 3, 2013

I’ve been meaning to ask you for some time now: is your pseudonym taken from the Terry Goodkind novels?

@ 14. Sebastian – October 3, 2013

“She autographed my wonderful ‘big damn DS9′ book (that thing is heavier than a phone book!).”

Is that “Deep Space Nine Companion” ?

The Book of Leviathan. Life is nasty, brutish, and short.

So… this is a comedy?

Anyhoo, Chase is yummy.

15. ObsessiveStarTrekFan

No

Retro scifi and sexy girls making out with each other. B movies don’t get much better than this. Count me in. ;-)

I dig it. As MJ mentioned retro 60’s sci-fi with sexy woman in go-go boots kickin butt, what more can you ask for?
So ya here’s hoping they can get the funding to do more with this concept.

@18. The Keeper – October 3, 2013

Thanks for your reply, and for satisfying my idle curiosity.

#4

I would just correct your translation a bit. (I am a native Czech speaker.) The original title is actually “Rossumovi univerzální roboti”. The name “Rossum” intentionally sounds just like the Czech word “rozum”, meaning wisdom or intellect, signifying the creative mental process behind the design of the robots. The word “univerzální” means just “universal”, which was a common word at the time the play was written for a machine capable of doing multiple tasks (as opposed to specialized machines, like a potato peeler, etc.). The word “robot”, in turn, is a derivative of the Czech word “robota”, meaning “labor” (also “work” in old Czech, and several contemporary Slavic languages). In effect, Čapek’s robots were laborers, or slaves, capable of performing a wide range of tasks. One of the main themes of the play, of course, is the overcoming of oppression and slavery.

That is awesome info, #22. Thank you! And yes, the workers in the play aren’t what we think of as “robots” — they’re not mechanical. They’re flesh-and-blood servants, trying to overcome their oppression. Thanks for the insight into “univerzální” as well.

For those who aren’t familiar with the original play, “Rossum” is the name of the scientist who originally founded the corporation where the artificial humans are born. As #22 points out, the word is similar to the Czech word for wisdom.

OMG!
No one has said anything Negative yet lol

This must be a first for Trekmovie.com

Looks cool. Dug the retro, dug the music, and of course Chase’s, um, assets.

@24. Hey man, this brings us all together!

I-DD-IC

LOL

@24

“The word “robot”, in turn, is a derivative of the Czech word “robota”, meaning “labor” (also “work” in old Czech, and several contemporary Slavic languages).”

And also etymological related to the German word “Arbeit”, if I might add.

Ahoi! :)

It is silly, I like it!

Of course, thinking of Čapek’s world (where, of course, WW2 as we know it never happened), I’d expect it to look more like GATTACA or Dark City. The 60s flair is unexpected… but not unwelcome. :-) I wouldn’t complain if it became a full TV series.

Holy hell, her hips have such a mesmerizing effect.

“I-DD-IC”

Yea — LOL^2

I met Chase Masterson one time at a trade show. A very nice woman.

Anyway, people interested in Čapek’s work should definitely read “The Absolute at Large”, in which the author tackles the topic of infinite power source, replicators and religion.

http://davemayo.is-a-geek.org/absolute/

“And let me tell you, God is not so infinite as the Catholics assert. He is about six hundred metres in diameter, and even then is weak towards the edges.” :-P

Also, “War with the Newts” is very much worth reading. It’s a nice fresh twist on your usual extraterrestrial invasion story, except this time, the aliens come invited (well, actually, they are hauled in and sold as cheap workforce). The “whole slave trade turned immigration, turned colonization” thing is getting surprisingly current, even though the book was originally inspired by the rise of Nazi Germany.

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/c/capek/karel/newts/contents.html

Glad she is doing this.

She’s a neat lady.

Where is a good place to discuss Chris Pine’s new and first trailer for Jack Ryan?

I think it’s good, and he’s quite good, but have a few concerns …

I went to a con a few years ago where Masterson embarrassed herself with multiple, shameless attempts to “join” other stars on stage.

She wasn’t even booked for a stage appearance at all. Just signing.

It was sad.

@36. I think you are looking at this ass-backwards. Shame on the con organizers for not including her on stage. They are the ones who embarrassed her.

I agree with MJ. Chase Masterson shows up at your convention, and wants to join others on-stage (for free!), and you can’t find a way to make that happen?

Sounds like a Creation con. :-(

Nah, that’s not what happened. I was at that con. TPTB at Creation added her to a DS9 panel at the last minute but it wasn’t in the program, and they forgot to tell the moderator. It wasn’t anything like you characterized it.

That trailer just goes to show how someone can make a movie with a budget of $450.

I mean, c’mon, every dollar was up there on the screen!

Impressive.

Ref: Khan was framed

What convention was that? And who got to be on stage?

It sounds to me that the con people treated Ms. Masterson very poorly.

The big budget version of R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) has already been made. It’s called ‘Terminator’.

Garret Wang is the kind of secondary Trek actor you try to keep off stage, not Chase Masterson.

Shame on those con organizers.

How could anyone say no to Chase Masterson?

@ 35. William Bradley – October 4, 2013

“Where is a good place to discuss Chris Pine’s new and first trailer for Jack Ryan?

I think it’s good, and he’s quite good, but have a few concerns …”

Only problem is, the guy on the screen looks more like John Clark than jack Ryan.

@36. Khan was Framed!

Shame on them for doing that to Chase Masterson.

R.U.R., or R.U.ain’t my baby….

# 16 Ahmed

Indeed it is.
I also have Rene Auberjonois’ and Armin Shimerman’s names in there too. When I die? It goes with me… all the way into the urn.

;-P

# 36 KWF~

What’s REALLY sad is that she wasn’t scheduled to appear onstage when she should’ve been! That was a mistake of the convention runners…

She’s also a good singer too; and she is wonderful to her fans. I used to watch her back in the ’90s on (then) SciFi channels’ scifi roundtable discussion show (can’t remember the title). She held her own with some major scifi geeks.

And these days, she’s kind of a one-woman entertainment franchise. I salute her!

*shrug* it seems nice enough but… hmm. However, the humor certainly does it for me. Barbarella-like indeed. I do hope something happens with this ‘idea’…

# 39 Harry Ballz

I like this new democratization the internet has given the entertainment world. Almost anyone with talent, HD cameras and a Youtube account can give themselves a push. It’s great!

Especially these days when most big budget scifi movies (but not all, thankfully) have pretty much deteriorated into lowest common denominator drivel aimed almost solely at 14 year old boys….