Septem8er Tapes

Me so gullible, actually thought this a real documentary.

Stark Afghan locales are very real, but alas the story ain't so much.

Contrived story and amateur acting give it away. But . . . still tense, involving, ultimately moving. Be sure to check out "Behind the Scenes" in DVD's Special Features: the true tale of filming a feature -- illegally -- in this war-torn faraway unknown pocket is almost as fascinating as the fictional story.

The "money shot" here is every scene captured in the forbidden netherworld of the former Taliban. Apparently, this is the first -- and only -- feature film ever shot here, and you will definitely feel yourself visiting a world unknown.

I couldn't help to be blown away from this little movie. I see the obvious comparisons to Blair Witch, but films that choose to tell their story through the device of fabricated documentary have few options in which to work. I think that the characters were original and the acting was so good that I kept forgetting that I wasn't watching a documentary. Towards the end of the film I could really feel the actors' terror. I think that the film dealt with some touchy political issues and did it without being too prescriptive or heavy-handed. The main character was a little foolhardy at times, but he needed to be for the film to work... I would strongly recommend this movie, and I often do at the video store I manage.

I think this film was very engaging, the documentary style narrative makes it easy to get attached to the characters, making the film all the more suspenseful when they wind up in a tight situation. I would like to clarify something, I have read other users reviews saying that it didn't look believable that they were shooting in Afghanistan. Well I saw this film at Waterfront film festival and had the privilege of hearing some Q & A from the director. And they really did fly to Afghanistan to make this film, and all of the interviews are not staged. I think the director did a good job of keeping the documentary side consistent and seamless with the narrative.

I was prepared to give this film a vote of 8 until I read all of the negative reviews. I gave it a 10 instead.

Anyone who would give *any* film that makes it to general release on DVD a vote of 1 is making a political statement rather than an artistic evaluation. On its technical merits alone the film is far better than most of the studio films that came out in 2004. But it gets extra credit in my estimation for its low-budget ingeniousness and its courage. The film is fiction, not documentary, but the film makers really did go to Afghanistan at a time when it was extremely dangerous to do so.

Yes, echos from Blair Witch abound. So what? The differences far outweigh the similarities. I admired Blair Witch but, frankly, September Tapes is a better (and much more interesting) film.

I wouldn't have bothered to make a comment were there not so many negative reviews. I felt obliged to jump to the film's defense.

Just for starters, YOU take a small crew to Afghanistan, shoot a film, and get back to me. That India served as a base of operations for this film is no different than Sydney doubling for San Francisco. Get over it. I don't know what the previous reviewers are on, but I can only assume they'd be happier watching 'Independence Day' while stuffing their faces with popcorn. This film says 'Drama' right on the box. That anyone mistook it for a 'Documentary' is their own doing. In my humble opinion, this film embodies the true spirit of indie film-making. The gun play alone puts many multi-million dollar schlock films to shame. Given their limited resources, I was not at all phased by the rare weak moment in the film. To note that this film condones an 'America rules' sentimentality is ludicrous. This is a story about one man's will to seek justice for himself, and what he believes is a serving of justice for all humanity. You don't have to agree with it - you just have to accept this character's objective for what it is. As an actor myself, I would have been thrilled to have worked on this project. What a roller-coaster ride it must have been to get this in the can. I don't just take my hat off to the makers of this film - I'm throwing it up in the air too. A commendable effort that should be rewarded with due recognition if you ask me.