Lunopolis

The independent South-Louisiana filmmakers who produce this film were pretty much spot on when it comes to low-budget documentary style filmmaking. You do have a lot of choices when it comes to documentary style films about the moon and moon conspiracies but I would say this is one of the ones to watch. The concept is great and does not attempted pander or talk down to its audience. The people being interviewed were spot on, great acting for non-actors. The director has potential but is still learning the ropes and could use some experience. But still pretty good ... For a low-budget film the cinematography was good and I found the film to be cut quite well. Again good job guys it's always nice to see a fellow Louisianian come up in the film industry. Rock on and keep it up ...

Quite simply, his is the best movie I have seen in quite some time, easily, the best movie I've seen in 2011.

Short of it: 10/10

This movie is shot documentary style with some amazing special effects when you consider how low-budget the film is. If you liked District 9, it's told in the similar style but it just doesn't have any Prawn Battlesuits at the end. This movie actually made me creeped out by some of the events that took place. In my book, that's a great sign of story telling, and the environment fit perfectly for this tale.

Lunopolis is a perfect blend of other movies and genres that delivers. Remember Blair Witch? It's like that, but has an ending 10 times better. It has elements of the unknown as the story slowly unfolds to reveal interesting tidbits that force our main characters to take action.

Another aspect of this movie that I loved was the sci-fi/conspiracy angle. They told a great story with just enough truth to make the non- fiction parts believable to fit within the context of the script. This movie has deservedly won a bunch of independent awards across the globe, but you cannot call yourself a sci-fi fan if you don't watch this movie.

Lunopolis is a superior and riveting sci-fi exploration into the docu- style which was soundly poured all over the popular film scene by The Blair Witch Project, and since carried on many times since. But, The Witch Project has absolutely nothing on Lunopolis. This film both pulls you wonderfully and helplessly in, yet also introduces a few mind bending quantum concepts (multi-verses, time travel, even what we call ghosts) into a gaping spectator style film perfect for the somewhat jaded elder infoweb generation. The story involves the crew who in their relentless curiosity, unlikely find an object which may alter space, time, and perhaps all of history. Still, this discovery becomes almost secondary to their genuine fear, insatiable childlike need to know, and pervasive want to bail out on the whole thing and save their asses after they realize that they are not alone. They do not want to believe, yet they are forced to run when pursued by a largely ineffective sorta Mormon-esque Scientologist Lunarian hit men squad (and why so merely verbally menacing? are they there to just push them forward?). They miraculously escape again and again. That they are spared does not detract from the inevitability of their quest. They meet strangely learned people, but they remain shrouded and not overly helpful. Thankfully, no cinematic, physics or sci-fi theoretical concept is slathered in sugar and dragged excessively across the stymied crew's faces too greatly, and the pacing is quite relentlessly perfect. It's an excellent film to gape slackjawed at, be a little wowed at, and yet still believe in it's possibility. X Files fans might definitely like this. The fourth wall, being broken by the nature of the film in the first place, never tires, nor is burdened by any overly prescient character narration. It's a great watch, a late night movie to enjoy.

Lunopolis had an interesting premise, and the writers and director show a lot of promise by telling a good, suspenseful story.

Unfortunately, the film is let down by it's obviously minuscule budget. The format of the film (documentary style) does lend itself to a low-budget production, but there are many points where the lack of cash is apparent enough to pull you out of the story.

For one thing, there are a few brief special effect scenes that have zero authenticity to them whatsoever. The director would have been better off finding another way to treat the material, because a bad effect is far worse than no effect at all. Another thing that pulled me right out of the film was the scene at the cult compound. They clearly had no money for extras, wardrobe or stylists, so instead of a scene featuring intimidating, creepy, authentic-looking security guards in black suits (as intended), you have a couple of dorks in cheap sunglasses and clothes that don't fit, trying their best to look tough (and failing). It was pretty bad.

Anyway, as I said, it's an interesting film. I do wish they had the money to execute properly though, because it could have been much, much better.

I picked this movie up late one night on Hulu, quite casually, not knowing a thing about it.

Fast forward an hour later and I'm watching the movie with a rifle across my lap, terrified to continue but too engrossed to stop.

It isn't perfect, you can tell it's low budget at parts, but that doesn't stop it from being better than it has any right to be. The plot may be out-there, and the characters and dialogue ripped from a college campus, but Mother of God is it entertaining. I can't really say much about what happens, but if you like a good story, and love being creeped all the hell out, then drop the hour and a half. You can't do much better.