Before I jump in, I have to plead with filmmakers – please, please, PLEASE when you are mixing your films make sure any music you have in the mix that it doesn’t drown out the dialogue.
There, that feels better.
OK.
It’s always fun to find a sort of found footage film I haven’t seen before. I have seen a lot, like, a lot-a lot of these movies, so when I see something that’s off the beaten path, I really appreciate that. Sure, sure, it’s a pseudo-doc (lord, how I hate the term mockumentary), but the subject matter is pretty unique and interesting.
LUNOPOLIS is posited as a documentary about mysterious footage of a mass disappearance that was caught on film but almost immediately erased after being released. When some friends get their hands on some mysterious information linked to a strange call a paranormal radio program received, they decide to investigate it out of curiosity. What they discover is an underground base, strange technology, and the dawning reality that there could be people living on the moon. With access to technology and information they shouldn’t have, the friends find themselves trying to unravel a mystery that could be centuries old before they are silenced, and they are making sure they get everything on video.
As I mentioned, this is a really fun found-footage movie. It firmly planted its flag in sci-fi and explored some fascinating ideas. The pace is frenetic, the acting is well done, and, yeah, the ideas are great. You can tell that they were bumping their heads on the budget a lot, as there are some sequences that feel a bit cheesy or just off. The biggest fault with the film is the sound mix, though, which really damages what they are trying to do. There will be scenes with some important exposition, but the background music is pushed to the front, and it drowns out what they are saying. They overdid the music, and it really brings down the film. Considering this is presented as if it is a documentary, there’s no reason for this much music and the style seems a bit aggressive.
If you can get past the sound issues and the occasionally awkward special effects—and overacting—you’ll have a really fun time. This is a really good found-footage movie and one worth checking out. There are a lot of big ideas here and a lot of tin foil for your hat, but man, it’s a really interesting idea at the core.
Definitely one to check out.
3.75 out of 5
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 