G.P.S. (2007)

I love no-budget thrillers and applaud every young filmmaker who opts for the genre route, resisting the too easy art-house choice. Indie thrillers sometime make such gems as The Following, Brick, Primer or to some extent Fermat's Room. In some cases, though, independent genre films turn out to be complete turd, like GPS.What enrages me in this case is the fact that the makers of this film have obviously talent. Photography is excellent, also the editing is inspired. Music is also good, but it's used way too much, and becomes amateurish after a while. Acting is more miss than hit - I give more credit to the actors and chalk it up for the inept directing and rubbish screenplay. The director obviously has talent too in staging action, blocking the scenes, choreographing but he apparently knows zilch about instructing actors. And he should definitely stay away from trying to write a screenplay.Putting so much talent and apparently a good deal of money into such a turgid story is a waste on so many levels that it frustrates me as a viewer. The screenplay completely lacks originality and gets stupider from scene to scene until such a ridiculously convoluted climax that it is mind-boggling. Every bad C-category slasher/thriller cliché is present from the masked stalker (really.... it is so tired it cannot be less menacing) to the characters becoming suspicious of each other, to the worst offence of all: the talking killer in the end, who explains everything at length while holding the other characters at gunpoint. And the resolution... let's just say it puts the most far-fetched soap operas to shame with its utterly non-sensical, melodramatic "reveal". What's worse, it's played completely straight, without a hint of irony (even with irony it would be lame, without it it's an embarrassment to everyone who has been connected to this fateful production).Owing to the zero characterization and completely predictable, silly plotting, there is little to hang on to for a viewer, thus any unfolding events generate less suspense than a shrug or a disbelieving groan. It's a pity, because the GPS gimmick sounded original, and there is even a neat visual - though seemingly dated - trickery tracking the protags' route in the woods.Let's hope these obviously talented filmmakers find a job working on others' films. Or find a good screenwriter asap. The world needs great indie genre films, but not uninspired knockoffs of already bad B-movies.

This movie kept me on the edge of my chair. The video quality gave it a feeling of reality which added to the suspense. The chemistry between the characters drew you into their history together from the beginning. This continued throughout the movie aside from one scene. The setting was beautiful. It was not the kind of movie I would normally see, but overall, the music was placed well with the drama, the dialog rarely faltered, and the stunts were well done. I have not seen a lot of independent films, so I'm not certain if the unique qualities of this movie are similar to other independents. It challenged my expectations of what a movie "has to be," and gave me something new.

I really enjoyed seeing this movie in Houston, Texas. The movie very well-written, well-produced, and well-acted. The script is a really unique idea, taking the well-traveled idea of a scavenger hunt and infusing it with modern technology. And like every good adventure story, the plot unfolds with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I actually found myself gasping at several key moments.Generally the movie reminded me a little of "Blair Witch Project" with a few significant differences: better script, better production, and better acting. The starring duo of Magill and Proios really had great on screen energy; I particularly enjoyed Proios's Jack Black-like antics in the front half of the film.You will have to see the film to appreciate its awesome surprise ending. You will never guess where it is headed!

I don't know a lot about "GPS hunts" or "Geocaching" or whatever it is called, but you don't need any experience with activity as the filmmakers introduce you to it in the opening scenes of the film. The story and dialog were top notch. The excitement builds throughout the movie to the conclusion that catches you off guard.I Was impressed with the quality of the production. It has a great story that reminded me of "The Contract" with John Cusack and Morgan Freeman with a some of the Blair Witch's frenetic quality thrown it. Scenes in the dark woods make you feel the suspense and fear the characters are experiencing. There are moments of levity that fit the characters and situations and brought real laughs from the audience.