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Marina Antunes [Celluloid 11.05.10] movie review news scifi documentary history

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Year: 2009
Director: Matthew Avant
Writers: Matthew Avant
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Ever wonder why we haven’t gone back to the moon since the 70s? Maybe there are structures on the moon that the government doesn’t want us to know about. Maybe they were put there by intelligent beings from another dimension. Or maybe the beings out there are humans who have travelled to our time from the future and are guiding our existence to make sure we don’t mess things up too badly.

Matthew Avant’s Lunopolis takes all of these conspiracy theories, along with many more, and rolls them into this “documentary.” It all starts with a phone call to a late night talk show not unlike Coast to Coast AM (even the fake-show’s website is reminiscent of CtC’s). A man claims that there are human beings on the moon controlling our actions. Strange? Sure, but not uncommon for a show like this one but when a box of unusual stuff turns up at the radio station, filmmakers Matt and Sonny are intrigued and set off to follow the clues which eventually lead them to the discovery of an underwater facility from which, under much duress, they take a piece of machinery that only marks the beginning of their journey. Chased by mysterious creatures who look suspiciously like humans, the two try to figure out what the machine they’ve taken does, along the way uncovering more and more mysteries that all point toward an ultimate “truth.”


If I wasn’t such a sceptic and so familiar with some of the conspiracy theories that Avant incorporates into his story, I’d be hard pressed to believe this wasn’t real. Avant builds an honest-to-goodness documentary style film complete with a pitch perfect cast of everything from off-the-wall definitely crazy guys to so-called experts who really sound like they know what they’re talking about (and that sell what they’re talking about as if it were possible and real). The film works because Avant is smart enough to realize that going off the rails too far will lose the audience. By keeping the stories close enough to what we’re familiar with and has been floating around for, in some instances, centuries, we’re likely to buy into his story and it works like gangbusters. On more than one occasion I shook my head at the genius of Avant’s script and his flawless integration of everything from Scientology to the Elohim. Yes, some will find many of the ideas presented here wacky but Avant is obviously familiar with the details of many of these theories and stories and manages to marry them all into one in an impressive and highly entertaining manner.

So sure, some of the effects are cheesy (the glowing green gem is a stand out but the goofy glow works with the idea that it’s otherworldly) and a few of the characters completely off-the-wall (not exactly anything new to conspiracy theories and enthusiasts) but Lunopolis is endlessly watchable. Not to take notes or try to figure out what’s real and what’s not (it’s fiction people) but for the huge amount of entertainment value that Avant and his team deliver in the film’s short running time. I wanted more but I’ll settle for seeing it again.

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Anonymous (1 year ago) Reply

Ummmmmm......we haven't been to the moon yet. 1969 and everything afterwards has been faked.

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Tommy Boy (1 year ago) Reply

The moon was faked, not the landing. Open up your eyes, there is no moon. Also, you're an idiot.

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Jonas (1 year ago) Reply

We might not have been to the moon, but how sure are we the moon hasn't been here?!! :S

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Anonymous (1 year ago) Reply

I am the second person to comment here

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(6 months ago) Reply

You're all idiots. The moon is the only thing that exists. His name is Ted and he likes boobs.

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vyse21 (6 months ago) Reply

WOW - Best movie I have seen in 2011.. maybe past few years. amazing how it ties basically every conspiracy theory out there to one basic ridicolous thing. I loved it, i dont believe in moon people no.. but dam was that enjoyable ride that makes you think days after you finished watching. please leave your comments about what you think happened at the end.
SPOILER:
I think it was all another test. the moon people are being played by someone more knowing and above them. I am not sure why Hilliard still went thru with shooting himself even after he knew it was a test they had already failed.. did he not finish the job and shoot him last time? or did he?
wow awesome movie lol


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