Ultra!

Ultra! is a HoloReel directed by first time director Alanor Smitheen which created as part of the marketing campaign for the Quafe product "Quafe Ultra". It was created by Roebuck Studios.

Release and Reception

Upon its release on the 28th(Sunday) of March YC106 Ultra! quickly became a box office success, reaching No. 1 on the Gallente Federation box office charts and No. 8 on the Amarr charts, whilst barely reaching the Caldari and Minmatar Top 20. It was nearly universally panned by critics due to what many perceived as intensely lurid subject matter.

One reviewer was quoted as having said "Throw this reel into the jettison canister where it belongs."

The success of the Holo in Amarr markets was a surprise to many, with the Dean of the Faculty of Divinity at the Royal Amarr Institute and author of the Amarr bestseller Worlds of Thought, Ingotar Pfeiff, claiming that the commercials(Which were also controversial) played a large role in its success. He went on to say that it promoted Hedonism, and painted sacred Amarrian traditions as "pointless exercises in futility", and that it undermined the values that the Amarr hold dead for no reasons other than profit.

Controversy

A number of scenes drew criticism from various factions.

One that drew the ire of fundamentalists involves two of the main characters, an Amarr woman named "Nadira" and a Brutor man named "Okar", engaging in a bout of "severely salty reparteé" before engaging in strongly hinted at sexual activity. In another, the protagonist, a comely young Caldari woman, enjoys a sultry dance with two other women which culminates in a show of half-naked flesh that led to complaints from parents groups around the cluster. Many of the jokes are made at the expense of Caldari institutions and corporations, with many groups claiming that the implicit suggestions is that the Caldari way of life of discipline is one Quafe Ultra away from a frenzied party.

In total, the holo contains one-hundred and eleven mentions and displays of Quafe Ultra during its 89-minute running time, resulting in an average of 1.23 not-so-hidden advertisements per minute.

Tragedy

On the 31st of March, just three days after release, the convoy en route to gala screening of Ultra! carrying holoreel stars Helene Lavergne and Nazarine Ancelmo, was intercepted and slaughtered in the Amattens system. The only survivor was the convoy's escort, Balgor Blint, who escaped in his pod. An anonymous source in Quafe claimed that they had received threats from an organization called "UDI" or United against Decadence and Impurity, who demanded the holoreel be pulled from the market, and existing copies burned.

In honor of the memory of Helene Lavergne and Nazarine Ancelmo, all holoreels starring them were available at a temporary 13% discount at selected outlets.

The party itself also came under attack, leading to the destruction of the Rent-A-Dream Pleasure Gardens Complex in Elarel, and the loss of over six hundred Gallente Entertainment industry giants, including directors, actors, produces, cinematographers and agents. Cultural commentator Belle-Marie Jincroix of the Federation Tribune wrote:

"The effects of yesterday’s horrific massacre will make ripples in the entertainment industry unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Sure, most of these people have clones, but as we’ve seen time and time again people never turn out exactly the same as before, and the slight differences a clone transplant can effect have time and time again proven enough to break a movie star’s mojo. It will be interesting to see how the Gallente entertainment industry recovers from this massive blow."

President Souro Foiritan ordered a special investigation into the attack, which led to the arrest of UDI terrorist Goran Mitelek who was later extradited to the Amarr Empire.