APOLLO 18

WELL, THIS ONE WAS INTERESTING.

The latest in the seemingly endless succession of currently-popular CINEMA-VERITE PUKEFESTS, just released summer 2011, directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, takes us with a team of astronauts in old-time Snoopy hats and moon boots to the Lunar surface on a TOTALLY SECRET visit to the moon's South Pole. They have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA why their mission is being kept quiet or what, really, they are even doing up there. IMAGINE THEIR SURPRISE when they find evidence that the Russians have been to this spot first. They soon find out the same thing the Russkies did about this particular piece of airless real estate. WILL ANYONE SURVIVE?

CLIFFIE'S NOTES:

>> I have to say, this was kind of a fun one. For a start, you get a sense of what it's like to float upside-down in a phone booth with two other guys for a week or so.

>> THERE'S NOTHING NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE MENACE IN THIS MOVIE. I won't spoil it for you, but bear in mind that I'M REVIEWING THE FILM HERE AT CLIFFIE'S NOTES. 'Nuff said?

>> You couldn't call this a flawlessly-executed story. The camera angles are far too dramatic and the cuts are too timely for this film to feel authentic. Often you get the sense that there's an extra guy on board the landing craft, never seen in the course of the movie, with a shoulder-pack camera, wedging himself into the best corner to capture the action on film. The way the astronauts talk is far too 1990s to be in any way convincing. Their mannerisms are just slightly wrong. It's all just...a little...off.

>> I'm sorry to say there are no current plans down at R&D to make something like this happen. Please continue to put any ideas you like the sound of into the Suggestion Box.

But overall, I liked this one. I recommend it.