STUDIO: Virgil | DIRECTOR: Matthew Avant | CAST: Dave Potter, Jed Himel, Nathan Avant, Arte Richard
RELEASE DATE: 10/11/2011 | PRICE: DVD $24.99
BONUSES: commentary
SPECS: NR | 98 min. | Science fiction thriller | 16:9 widescreen | Dolby Digital 5.1
RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie
| Audio
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The pseudo-documentary trend is exhausting the possibilities and now, with the 2009 independent science-fiction thriller movie Lunopolis, they’re pretending to discover that the Moon is actually an outpost for human time travelers … and always has been.
It’s a revelation made possible by the ill-advised purloining of a backpack contraption pilfered from a secret laboratory under a Louisiana swamp. The theft sets off a series of cat-and-mouse chases — low-budget chases — that pits our erstwhile twentysomething filmmaker heroes Matt (Matthew Avant) and Sonny (Hal Maynor) against the government, lunar visitors and an army of goons dressed like 1960s IBM salesmen.
Actually, the filmmakers play their conceit very well and Lunopolis was rewarded with an armful of indie and genre film festival trophies. The movie’s first hook-laden half is a pretty convincing, fast-paced science-fiction conspiracy yarn, thanks in part to unbreakable acting by a largely amateur cast.
The story begins to gasp when it takes a wheel-spinning turn into satire instead of staying in thriller territory, with not-so-veiled references to Scientology in the guise of the Church of Lunology. The shark thus jumped, the film requires more patience on the part of the viewer to make it to the end. Having said that, Lunopolis is worth a look-see, but it’s slightly frustrating that there isn’t a bigger payoff.
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What you call satire, I would call a venture into a well-concieved all-encompasing lunar conspiracy theory. Honestly, this movie takes off where you fell off. I concede you have to be in the mood for a mind bender, but in no way does this movie simply taper off into the absurd “mockumentary” genre. It rockets into the possible, and that is where the finale takes sail.
I think you may have lost interest- thinking the filmmaker was making fun. I disagree with you. This movie is Sci-Fi for the hardcore, and is relentless in it’s authenticity. A veiled tip of the hat here and there for existing groups, but Lunopolis’s greatness in it’s ideas AND in the innovative use of existing media trends. The filmmaker has, indeed, made somethng out of nothing.
Sorry no transformers came out of the woodwork.This movie is about more thqn satire. And it does it with nothing but a poloroid, a funky gem, and (albeit) an I’ll driven flying car.
I give it kudos for originality and independent spirit over and above.