Loop

This is the kind of movie that you don't just walk away from. It stays with for days, even weeks afterward. I loved every mind altering thought provoking minute of it. I can't recommend it enough.

Pericles has done more than just created a movie here. This is a true work of art. And as a work of art it's subjective. I'm sure some people might not want to go to the places that this movie takes you. Others may welcome the journey. I certainly did.

Beautifully shot, directed, and composed. The special effects are pretty mind altering as well.

Watch it!

Loop has to be one of the best films I've seen this year, and certainly one of the most important. To give a synopsis of this film wouldn't do it any justice, and would only take away the experience of actually viewing the film first hand. Written and directed with intelligence and pure gusto by Pericles Lewnes, this film is a scathing social commentary on how we are as a society after 9/11, and how we lost our identity as a nation of the now. The last 30 minutes of the movie has some of the best dialog I've ever seen. This is the kind of movie you watch twice, first for the experience and second for the details and meaning. This is a masterpiece of low/no budget film. A must see . . . . .

My brain is scrambled! This film definitely taunts your brain and keeps you guessing the whole way through...by the time you get to the end and it all begins to unravel you cannot help but feel you have been on some crazy "trip". What's even more amazing is that, as intriguing as it is, you begin to feel that there is no way to resolve the movie...but the answers indeed come and slam you when they do...I love discovering movies like this that operate on such a cerebral level and are done with so much painstaking detail. Once "you're in" you cannot turn it off...you just have to see what's coming next...Can't wait to see Lewnes next film...the guys a genius.

I've just finished watching Pericles Lewnes' LOOP for the second time, and I find myself struggling to form words, as my mind is still reeling (looping?) from the experience. How can I adequately express my love for this remarkable film? LOOP is obviously a deeply personal reflective and observational journey, causing one to wonder how autobiographical the film is and how urgently Lewnes should be put on suicide watch. Based on my own humble interpretation of this rich tapestry of image and idea, I have to conclude that the tortured genius is safe, at least for now. While some Kurt Cobains turn to the pistol, Lewnes prefers to shoot his brains out with a camera.

And so he does in grand fashion. On the surface, LOOP is abundant with Lewnes' signature psychedelic imagery and eccentric, often mysterious characters, propelling the viewer through a semi-psychotic narrative that fluctuates between socio-political awakening and fever dream. Visual effects reach far beyond their budget to create a landscape both surreal and hyper-real. The film's rare flashes of humor are absurd and subtle, falling perfectly naturally amidst the bleakest moments of anguish and despair. Comparisons to Lynch, Cohn Brothers and early Raimi come easily to mind.

But the vortex of this rabbit hole winds deeper still. Frantic motion and Daliesque composition augment LOOP's Rubik's cube chronicle of a man desperately trying to make sense of a world he cannot comprehend because the logic of decency and morality do not apply, where the concepts of mind and humanity are shattered and reformed, where it would not be a surprise to find Kafka waiting impatiently for Godot, or perhaps Clinton battling Obama for leadership of the allegedly free world.

LOOP is a visual and cerebral roller-coaster, both thought-provoking and brain-blasting, twisting and spinning back on itself with dazzling visions and conceptual mindfreaks until all the puzzle pieces come together with a bang, leaving me personally needing desperately to do SOMETHING dammit, whether it's break out my inner activist to fight for change, kick back with a bongload of kind bud, or blow my f*cking head off. Or maybe just watch LOOP again.

I've just finished watching Pericles Lewnes' LOOP for the third time, and I find myself struggling to form words, as my mind is still reeling (looping?) from the experience

20 years ago Pericles Lewnes directed Redneck Zombies, one of the first shot on video features to get a major release when Troma picked it up. Anyone expecting a return to that style of extreme comedy horror will be amazed at Lewnes second fictional outing. If a film could be imagined that would be the exact polar opposite to Redneck Zombies it would probably look a lot like Loop.

Too much description will spoil part of the enjoyment of the film; for most of its running time the viewer is in the same state of confusion as the protagonist (Lewnes, effective as a man questioning his own sanity). Fans of Vonnegut and Philip K Dick should appreciate the twists in the plot's journey.

Technically the film is near flawless. Low budget to be sure but it's hard to imagine how the story would have been much improved with Hollywood flash and gloss. Above all, this is a film of ideas; those looking for a movie to watch causally should look elsewhere. If you have people around you who like to wander off for a few minutes and then come back and ask what happened you'd be well advised to lock them out of the house.

One more observation--if you are one of those folks who is a die hard partisan on things like politics or Iraq you will probably get angered--Lewnes doesn't spare anyone and offers no easy answers. It's rare to find a political film that is more concerned with thinking than with scoring easy propaganda points. It's rare to find a film that so defies easy classification. And it's very rare to find someone who is able to achieve that on such a small budget. Here's hoping that it won't take 2 more decades for Lewnes to tell another story.