Septem8er Tapes

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.

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.

The film is made in the style of a fictional documentary similar to Blair Witch but about a guy who wants to make a documentary by going to Afghanistan and searching for the truth about the war that has ensued since 9/11.

The style is gritty as if they were using hand held cameras, following around the main character and his interpreter through out the land searching for answers. There is decent FX, the story is easy enough to follow but with major flaw. A documentary is about a subject and not about the documentary maker so that's where the film could lost me and weakened the premise of the film entirely. If the camera were to be the main character, I think the film would have been more palatable for myself.

Even with this weakness the effort to try to make a film of this style is appreciated.

People are so critical. Yeah, it reeks of Blair Witch but so what? I actually thought it was a real documentary until about 3/4 of the way through. I had heard nothing about this film and picked it up on a whim. Try to remove yourself from any political bias and try to enjoy it for what it is... a nice piece of entertainment on a low budget that does not have the standard Hollywood trappings.

I noticed one user commented that this film was the worst he had seen in a year. That is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard. How about The Grudge? Make some sense out of that mess.

At least this film is topical and gives some insight into a part of the world most people would just as soon forget about.