Mortal Kombat actors get film work

When Mortal Kombat burst onto the arcade scene in the early 1990s, many gamers were taken aback by how the characters looked like real people. Of course, they were real people--digitized and animated. In fact, the majority of the combatants were the models of two brothers, Carlos and Daniel Pesina. Carlos provided the likeness for Raiden, and Daniel played Johnny Cage, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile.

Now the brothers Pesina are getting back into the game...sort of. The two will be featured in Dark Maze Studios' game spoof Press Start. According to director Ed Glaser's blog, the Pesinas will be playing roles that "pay homage to the game characters for which they are so well known."

Press Start doesn't target one game for its low-budget slapstick but games in general--from classics such as Donkey Kong to modern first-person shooters. However, much of the flick will get its material and gags from the days of 8- and 16-bit gaming. The movie centers on a youngster who, with the aid of a cranky ninja and a hardcore space marine, must fulfill his destiny to save the world from a "tyrannical, but comically insecure, sorcerer."

"What we lack in money," said Glaser, "we make up for in poverty. So we're running on passion and ingenuity."

The movie is expected to be completed sometime this year. For more information and publicity photos, check out the film's official Web site.