Directed by Mike Zawacki, written by Zawacki and Nancy Derringer, produced by Connie Magilini and Micheal Einhauser, "The Wars of Other Men" brings you directly into the action as a five-man squad attempt to infiltrate their way behind enemy lines.  In this war, the enemy has created a poisonous super-weapon that our heroes must locate the source of, regardless of cost or sacrifice.  The problem then becomes, "what now?"

Scott Norman plays the Lieutenant tasked with leading his squad through destroyed industrial landscapes while dodging enemy dirigibles, tanks and more as he tries to keep his team alive long enough to complete the mission.  Tommy Beardmore, Stevie Robinson, Mitchell Koory, and Jonny Victor fill out the squad who's faith in their leader and mission comes under fire as things progress.

Filmed in Detroit with absolutely zero budget and an amazing crew of volunteers, "Wars" pulls off its mission of creating an textured world of desperate soldiers and deadly fog.  Set in a nebulous Steampunk/Dieselpunk spin on the World Wars, the ambiguous history opens the deeper question to wider application; Do the ends justify the means even when millions of lives are at stake?

"Wars," with a running time of just shy of 30 minutes has a vibe that reminded me fondly of the television science-fiction anthology shows from the 80s.  I could certainly see this sandwiched in with "Nickle Children" and "Aurora" presenting a veritable zoetrope of adventures, so don't be afraid to check out this indie steam/dieselpunk guerilla-made film.  In fact you can literally choose to invest in their upcoming promotion of the film by helping out with their Kickstarter campaign to pay for a publicity tour.

With some blood and violent death, this movie may not be suitable for young children.  Fans of war films should certainly appreciate this. In fact I look forward to the official release so I can show this to an older-generation veteran as a "gateway experience" into what a Steampunk experience can be when enough people get behind an idea and push.

Professor Upsidasium is a contributor to Steampunk Chronicle.  He uses the Visuatronic Audiographic Steampunk Archive to capture images and sounds of events he has been to and individuals he has had the pleasure of speaking with.  You can follow his ramblings on Twitter or explore the current iteration of the archives on YouTube.