IMDb RATING
6.1/10
8.4K
YOUR RATING
In 1967, four undercover CIA agents were sent to NASA posing as a documentary film crew. What they discovered led to one of the biggest conspiracies in American history.In 1967, four undercover CIA agents were sent to NASA posing as a documentary film crew. What they discovered led to one of the biggest conspiracies in American history.In 1967, four undercover CIA agents were sent to NASA posing as a documentary film crew. What they discovered led to one of the biggest conspiracies in American history.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 13 nominations total
Andrew Appelle
- Andy Appelle
- (as Andy Appelle)
Joe Thomas
- James Webb
- (voice)
- (as Joe J. Thomas)
Joe Anastasio
- Scientist
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I can't understand how anyone can not like this. It's ridiculously well written, the acting is incredible and the way it shifts tone is so uncomfortable, in the best way. This is a thinking person's film. If you aren't prepared to fully imerse yourself in it then you aren't going to enjoy it.
Operation Avalanche proposes that in 1967, a small group of young filmmaking CIA agents were responsible for 'faking' Apollo 11's landing on the moon by shooting it on a sort of makeshift movie set. In conclusion, it's not very good.
Seen at the Viennale 2016: It seems that Matt Johnson, an exaggerated enthusiastic filmmaker, had a lot of fun doing this movie. He was able to transfer his enthusiasm onto the movie and the movie was able to transfer it to the Viennese audience. There are a lot of meta levels in the making of this mock documentary. The movie content is based upon the crazy conspiracy theories surrounding the first moon-landing. The main level just shows a documentary that shows the tricks that had to be played that the whole world believed that the landing was real. One sub level is that Johnson interviewed the real NASA in tricky ways to get answers in the right direction, so he was able to include that footage into his movie. Another level is the story of the camera team that develops this story in the movie itself. Johnson is the director of the film crew in the movie and also the director of The Avalanche. Another story is about politics and the power of state to hide its secrets. Even footage of Stanley Kubrick could be used. Quite entertaining. But most impressing: the pictures showing the moon mission of Apollo itself. The result is a homage about this great decade of the US flying to the moon. The mock documentary is not faultless, but quite good entertainment. And also added is a low-budget car chase - a real highlight to see.
Finally, the faked moon landing conspiracy nuts get their proof, and then some.
Not only does "Operation Avalanche" tell the cold war truth of America's ridiculous claim to lunar escapades, but it's also a nifty espionage thriller, complete with gun play and classic car chases. A pair of documentarians, originally hired to sniff out a Russian mole, soon hatch a plot to film the impending (impossible) moon landing with some clever cinema magic. A tricky plan for sure, but when spy agencies heat up the cold war plans, our filmic nerds are in for the ride of heir life.
Filmed on crackly old stock, old school, old film, "Operation Avalanche" captures the bizarro undercover adventures of the CIA, when the fate of everything America felt near and dear to her heart rested on conquering a barren, grey hunk of space rock.
Could this found footage documentary be the real deal? You decide, and along the way, enjoy the greatest in-car filmed chase since "Bullitt".
Not only does "Operation Avalanche" tell the cold war truth of America's ridiculous claim to lunar escapades, but it's also a nifty espionage thriller, complete with gun play and classic car chases. A pair of documentarians, originally hired to sniff out a Russian mole, soon hatch a plot to film the impending (impossible) moon landing with some clever cinema magic. A tricky plan for sure, but when spy agencies heat up the cold war plans, our filmic nerds are in for the ride of heir life.
Filmed on crackly old stock, old school, old film, "Operation Avalanche" captures the bizarro undercover adventures of the CIA, when the fate of everything America felt near and dear to her heart rested on conquering a barren, grey hunk of space rock.
Could this found footage documentary be the real deal? You decide, and along the way, enjoy the greatest in-car filmed chase since "Bullitt".
Operation Avalanche is a mockumentary/found footage genre movie which really twists the genre around and brings along an interesting point of facts. Some people call it the most illegal movie ever made which it does almost live up to.
This movie focuses how the USA could not land a man on the moon and how 2 CIA agents find this out and how they think up of an idea which really makes you wonder. The film consists of many funny moment, an intense car chase and a cluster of interesting ideas from the 1960s and references to the future.
The fantastic actors, clever script and good plot make up for the low budget it had.
Definitely a must watch!
This movie focuses how the USA could not land a man on the moon and how 2 CIA agents find this out and how they think up of an idea which really makes you wonder. The film consists of many funny moment, an intense car chase and a cluster of interesting ideas from the 1960s and references to the future.
The fantastic actors, clever script and good plot make up for the low budget it had.
Definitely a must watch!
Did you know
- TriviaExcept for the opening black-and-white sequence which was shot on actual 16mm film stock, the rest of the movie was filmed digitally on RED and Blackmagic Cameras and then printed onto 16mm film in order to achieve that grainy film look. Matt Johnson dragged the print on the ground in order to artificially age the print.
- GoofsAt around 60 minutes into the movie, Matt marks Friday the 17th of April (or of another month with only 30 days) as a deadline date, on a wall calendar that has the 1st of January on a Wednesday. The scene takes place in the year 1969. However, although 1 January 1969 is indeed on a Wednesday, 17 April 1969 is on a Thursday, not on a Friday.
In fact, there is no "Friday the 17th" in the year 1969 except in January and October, which are months with 31 days. And the only calendars that have 1 January on a Wednesday as well as 17 April on a Friday, are calendars of specific *leap years* such as 1936, 1964, 1992 and 2020.
In other words, the scene reveals that the filmmakers used a calendar of the wrong year as a prop.
- Quotes
Matt Johnson: Movie special effects can be very convincing, especially when you don't know you're watching a movie.
- ConnectionsFeatures Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902)
- SoundtracksThe Bomb Run
from Dr. Folamour ou : comment j'ai appris à ne plus m'en faire et à aimer la bombe (1964)
Written and Performed by Laurie Johnson
- How long is Operation Avalanche?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Çığ Operasyonu
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,250,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $31,585
- Runtime
- 1h 34m(94 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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