I guess I will never learn to be careful of highly rated movies with not a substantial amount of votes. This film had 81 votes and a 8.0 rating. If you like the plot to consist of much talking and little else then this is the film for you. The idea is so intriguing and there was so much more that could of been done that it's a shame the filmmaker did not take advantage and make a more interesting and compelling film. I have to admit that an hour was all I could take and my frustration got the better of me, but it didn't seem to me that the film was going to utilize the main idea to make a better film. The one critic who wrote about the film mentioned that it was a sci-fi mumblecore. This is obviously a low budget film, but still so much more could have been accomplished here. It's a shame and a missed opportunity.
12 Reviews
A Modest Success
ted-peterson18 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler Alert. . .
Enjoy the movie by watching first if you don't want to learn about scenes and events of the movie.
Cinema Verite style has been used to give bad movies an edge but this movie is a modest success.
The budget must have been minuscule and there are some continuity problems but for a modest budget POV kind of movie. This sort of works.
The Belfast clock and the World clock were confusing at the beginning especially since the whole movie was shot in LA. But it holds together in a strange kind of way as the movie unfolds.
The Uriel Patterson actor overacted the creepiness factor and I think he would have been better served by playing the role straight. I have a feeling his "narrative" role was added as an afterthought. The "cowboy" leader of Lifetracker was a costume knockoff of LRH and there are some initial games being played with character/real life people but it's a minor inconvenience and probably one that is unavoidable given the nature of the subject matter.
Movie-making like this should be encouraged. The comparisons to Scientology methods and the nature of personal prediction tied disparate elements together nicely. The twist that Belfast didn't disintegrate on DDay and the subsequent world day destruction was a nice surprise and really unexpected. The writer/director shows that you can make a thoughtful movie full of ideas and social situations without CGI, big named actors and a huge budget. In fact, it seems that the larger the budget, the less intellectual the movie and that is sad. I would like to see this director get a bigger budget and see if he can stretch his legs a little.
Overall the acting was TV quality but that's not the director's problem. It is ours. By elevating reality TV "stars" to the same level as legitimate actors, we have lessened what we expect from the craft of acting. It's too bad but a sign of the times I guess.
Enjoy the movie by watching first if you don't want to learn about scenes and events of the movie.
Cinema Verite style has been used to give bad movies an edge but this movie is a modest success.
The budget must have been minuscule and there are some continuity problems but for a modest budget POV kind of movie. This sort of works.
The Belfast clock and the World clock were confusing at the beginning especially since the whole movie was shot in LA. But it holds together in a strange kind of way as the movie unfolds.
The Uriel Patterson actor overacted the creepiness factor and I think he would have been better served by playing the role straight. I have a feeling his "narrative" role was added as an afterthought. The "cowboy" leader of Lifetracker was a costume knockoff of LRH and there are some initial games being played with character/real life people but it's a minor inconvenience and probably one that is unavoidable given the nature of the subject matter.
Movie-making like this should be encouraged. The comparisons to Scientology methods and the nature of personal prediction tied disparate elements together nicely. The twist that Belfast didn't disintegrate on DDay and the subsequent world day destruction was a nice surprise and really unexpected. The writer/director shows that you can make a thoughtful movie full of ideas and social situations without CGI, big named actors and a huge budget. In fact, it seems that the larger the budget, the less intellectual the movie and that is sad. I would like to see this director get a bigger budget and see if he can stretch his legs a little.
Overall the acting was TV quality but that's not the director's problem. It is ours. By elevating reality TV "stars" to the same level as legitimate actors, we have lessened what we expect from the craft of acting. It's too bad but a sign of the times I guess.
Inane, awfully written, even worse acting
VoyagerMN198616 October 2013
I am generally quite tolerant of independent .
I don't mind lack of effects and other limits from small budgets.
But this film is an insult to the viewer in every respect.
The writing is utterly unforgivable. Not only is the dialog a childish string of inane clichés, overall story is so full of massive plot holes, that suspension of disbelief is impossible for anyone with an IQ above that of a hamster.
And really what is with these "actors"? Seriously, unknowns are fine, but abjectly untalented isn't necessary. There are plenty of unknowns with lots of training and talent that can be had for free. There was no reason to use people who could not act their way out of a paper bag.
And to the director: have your actors do something other than shouting and mumbling. OK? Yeah, you got no budget, so "documentary style" eg hand-held because you can't rent equipment or locations is OK. But you don't need to jutter the viewers, zoom and pan like someone who has never used a camera to emphasize that! Skip this film.
I don't mind lack of effects and other limits from small budgets.
But this film is an insult to the viewer in every respect.
The writing is utterly unforgivable. Not only is the dialog a childish string of inane clichés, overall story is so full of massive plot holes, that suspension of disbelief is impossible for anyone with an IQ above that of a hamster.
And really what is with these "actors"? Seriously, unknowns are fine, but abjectly untalented isn't necessary. There are plenty of unknowns with lots of training and talent that can be had for free. There was no reason to use people who could not act their way out of a paper bag.
And to the director: have your actors do something other than shouting and mumbling. OK? Yeah, you got no budget, so "documentary style" eg hand-held because you can't rent equipment or locations is OK. But you don't need to jutter the viewers, zoom and pan like someone who has never used a camera to emphasize that! Skip this film.
Probably the worst movie I have seen.
ethix-xihte16 October 2013
I am afraid this will not be a well worded considered review.
The acting seems to be forced. The actual story line and the way it is presented, is worse then the acting (if that is possible).
I see the another reviewer mention this movie in the same sentence as GATAGA.
I am afraid there is no comparison to be made between the two movies. Life Tracker is in no way comparable to GATAGA in any shape or form.
This would be one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
Not much more I can say about this movie. I recommend if you are even just looking for something to fill in some time, look elsewhere.
The acting seems to be forced. The actual story line and the way it is presented, is worse then the acting (if that is possible).
I see the another reviewer mention this movie in the same sentence as GATAGA.
I am afraid there is no comparison to be made between the two movies. Life Tracker is in no way comparable to GATAGA in any shape or form.
This would be one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
Not much more I can say about this movie. I recommend if you are even just looking for something to fill in some time, look elsewhere.
Perhaps the Worst Indie B Movie of All Time
The-Ambassador14 April 2015
Yes this film was a great idea. Someone somewhere came up with a cool idea for a movie. Other than that it's all downhill. What it appears like is that a bunch of stoner friends got together with some cheap cameras, had no access to a budget or good equipment, no access to producers or directors or studios or a cast of actors... So they shot it themselves over a weekend. The acting is beyond bad. It's gruelingly uncomfortable watching these homies attempt to clumsily "act" through this dreadful dialog. It's so annoying at times that you literally have to fast forward through it. The main actors are just so so bad. What's worse is that one worries that it is them who actually trying to direct it too. I would have loved this movie to be good. Unfortunately it's just dreadful.
Takes a while to warm, up but this movie was really well made once you give it the chance it deserves.
face-819-93372616 October 2013
This movie was quite dry, and very self defacing for the first 15 minutes or so at least. You have to get past that, and it is difficult because of the painfully bland character you experience first, and the way no one ever seems to treat him very nicely is not easy to watch either. However all of that is there for a reason it would appear. You need to feel really bad for this guy just so that when things get to the ultimate fun of the movie, which is when they get the first readings back from a licensed Life Tracker reader.
Once the first reads begin you start to understand that this movie is more than a 1 camera piece of bad steady cam crap,(because they continually upgrade equipment as the movie is made) but rather a much deeper story, that had to start out broke, because you have to have somewhere to call a bottom if you are ever going to make it to the top right? So I don't want to spoil the fun of this story for anyone, I just want you to know that getting through the first half of the movie will pay off for you with an original story, and some very good acting as the protagonists each learn new things they had not been expecting.
Honestly I am not sure if the casting selections were the best, but I think that the Director did get the best performances from each of the actors, even if I personally would have gone with a different line up.
You will enjoy this movie though, that I can say for certain, you will start to care about people who at the start of the film seem like the type of people you would not want to know, but fate, and time do as they must.
Enjoy, and be well.
Jesse of www.jesse.ca
Once the first reads begin you start to understand that this movie is more than a 1 camera piece of bad steady cam crap,(because they continually upgrade equipment as the movie is made) but rather a much deeper story, that had to start out broke, because you have to have somewhere to call a bottom if you are ever going to make it to the top right? So I don't want to spoil the fun of this story for anyone, I just want you to know that getting through the first half of the movie will pay off for you with an original story, and some very good acting as the protagonists each learn new things they had not been expecting.
Honestly I am not sure if the casting selections were the best, but I think that the Director did get the best performances from each of the actors, even if I personally would have gone with a different line up.
You will enjoy this movie though, that I can say for certain, you will start to care about people who at the start of the film seem like the type of people you would not want to know, but fate, and time do as they must.
Enjoy, and be well.
Jesse of www.jesse.ca
A thought-provoking and masterful science fiction film.
bosworth-nick16 October 2013
Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been fascinated by science fiction films that involve the
known reality that we all live and breathe in today. From CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND to CHILDREN OF MEN, looking at an alternate reality of the present or near future has always fascinated me and the big question of "What if?". For that reason, LIFE TRACKER had a big impact on me because not only did it move me but it also made me ponder the philosophical questions of "Would I want to know when I die?" or "Would mankind benefit from something like this?". LIFE TRACKER is a story which takes place during the present where one man's dream and scientific study combined have unlocked our DNA code and given us the ability to see into our future and what it possibly holds for us. Questions of what diseases we might contract, injuries, who we'll have our children with, when we'll die and many more are answered through these DNA "prints".
There's another incredible science fiction film that released all the way back in 1997 that you all might remember called GATTACA starring Ethan Hawke and Jude Law which was about a dystopian future where our DNA dictates how our lives will progress, what jobs we'll be fit for, what we'll most likely die of, etc. Our DNA was even alterable in the story to remove any faults but the main antagonist of the story was born naturally and defied the system to achieve his dream of space flight. This privilege was reserved only for the most elite of human specimens. The reason I bring this film up is because I almost see LIFE TRACKER as an amazing prequel story to GATTACA or an alternate and more real-life take on the subject of our own DNA affecting how we live and the decisions we make. Watching these two one after another would be an amazing experience that I'm sure I'll be doing pretty soon.
The story of LIFE TRACKER is told in a documentary style where our lead character Dillon Smith (Barry Finnegan) is attempting to make a change in his life by creating a documentary in California that chronicles the birth and development of Life Tracker Limited who supply the prints to citizens based on their DNA and personal information submitted. Dillon isn't very sure of himself at first because he's left so many things unfinished in his life but his strength and drive comes from close friends that he lives in an apartment complex with. The story for the most part focuses on Dillon, his friend Scott Orenhauser (Matt Dallas) and Scott's girlfriend Bell Osbourne as we watch their relationship go through many hurdles as the documentary filming progresses. This for me was a very powerful aspect of LIFE TRACKER as firstly the three leads did an incredible job acting wise and made the predicaments very believable which I won't spoil in this review. I believed their reactions to the Life Tracker Limited prints for themselves but also surprised at the same time as while some reactions could have been very clichéd, the writing never went there and that made the film very refreshing.
What I love the most about LIFE TRACKER though is the attention to detail especially when it came to the political and religious implications of such a technology being unleashed on modern-day society cause lets face it, humanity isn't ready for something like that nor do I think it ever will be. All of this being told through the documentary work of Dillon as he inter-cuts news media from the internet, his own interviews with those with a particular expertise and so on. I must applaud director/writer Joe McClean and his production crew for putting together excellent material for this independent film and for making sure that no detail be missed including news footage, graphics, etc. The interviews that Dillon has with religious experts, medical professionals and just ordinary folks in the streets were terrifically executed and this was helped greatly by a very well thought out script.
Once everything is said and done though, the strongest aspect that anyone would expect from a film like this is the human emotions and reactions of the lead characters which as I mentioned were very strong and believable. As I watched the film, I put myself in their shoes and thought to myself "Oh man, they shouldn't know this information!" or "I would probably react the same way." and to me those kind of films are special. This is the reason why so many larger found-footage/documentary style films of late don't work for me like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY while LIFE TRACKER does because the reactions of the characters aren't there just to serve the plot, they actually feel real and we can relate to them.
LIFE TRACKER makes you think and and to me there's no better kind of film. It takes the current state of humanity and mixes in this life- changing technology with results that I believe would be pretty much spot-on if Life Tracker was actual real today. From the political/financial/religious unrest to personal doubt and beliefs, LIFE TRACKER covers it all and even leads to a great conclusion that I wasn't prepared for. All of this combined makes LIFE TRACKER one of my favorite films of 2013 and I highly recommend it to everyone. Congratulations to all the cast and crew who have a bright future ahead.
known reality that we all live and breathe in today. From CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND to CHILDREN OF MEN, looking at an alternate reality of the present or near future has always fascinated me and the big question of "What if?". For that reason, LIFE TRACKER had a big impact on me because not only did it move me but it also made me ponder the philosophical questions of "Would I want to know when I die?" or "Would mankind benefit from something like this?". LIFE TRACKER is a story which takes place during the present where one man's dream and scientific study combined have unlocked our DNA code and given us the ability to see into our future and what it possibly holds for us. Questions of what diseases we might contract, injuries, who we'll have our children with, when we'll die and many more are answered through these DNA "prints".
There's another incredible science fiction film that released all the way back in 1997 that you all might remember called GATTACA starring Ethan Hawke and Jude Law which was about a dystopian future where our DNA dictates how our lives will progress, what jobs we'll be fit for, what we'll most likely die of, etc. Our DNA was even alterable in the story to remove any faults but the main antagonist of the story was born naturally and defied the system to achieve his dream of space flight. This privilege was reserved only for the most elite of human specimens. The reason I bring this film up is because I almost see LIFE TRACKER as an amazing prequel story to GATTACA or an alternate and more real-life take on the subject of our own DNA affecting how we live and the decisions we make. Watching these two one after another would be an amazing experience that I'm sure I'll be doing pretty soon.
The story of LIFE TRACKER is told in a documentary style where our lead character Dillon Smith (Barry Finnegan) is attempting to make a change in his life by creating a documentary in California that chronicles the birth and development of Life Tracker Limited who supply the prints to citizens based on their DNA and personal information submitted. Dillon isn't very sure of himself at first because he's left so many things unfinished in his life but his strength and drive comes from close friends that he lives in an apartment complex with. The story for the most part focuses on Dillon, his friend Scott Orenhauser (Matt Dallas) and Scott's girlfriend Bell Osbourne as we watch their relationship go through many hurdles as the documentary filming progresses. This for me was a very powerful aspect of LIFE TRACKER as firstly the three leads did an incredible job acting wise and made the predicaments very believable which I won't spoil in this review. I believed their reactions to the Life Tracker Limited prints for themselves but also surprised at the same time as while some reactions could have been very clichéd, the writing never went there and that made the film very refreshing.
What I love the most about LIFE TRACKER though is the attention to detail especially when it came to the political and religious implications of such a technology being unleashed on modern-day society cause lets face it, humanity isn't ready for something like that nor do I think it ever will be. All of this being told through the documentary work of Dillon as he inter-cuts news media from the internet, his own interviews with those with a particular expertise and so on. I must applaud director/writer Joe McClean and his production crew for putting together excellent material for this independent film and for making sure that no detail be missed including news footage, graphics, etc. The interviews that Dillon has with religious experts, medical professionals and just ordinary folks in the streets were terrifically executed and this was helped greatly by a very well thought out script.
Once everything is said and done though, the strongest aspect that anyone would expect from a film like this is the human emotions and reactions of the lead characters which as I mentioned were very strong and believable. As I watched the film, I put myself in their shoes and thought to myself "Oh man, they shouldn't know this information!" or "I would probably react the same way." and to me those kind of films are special. This is the reason why so many larger found-footage/documentary style films of late don't work for me like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY while LIFE TRACKER does because the reactions of the characters aren't there just to serve the plot, they actually feel real and we can relate to them.
LIFE TRACKER makes you think and and to me there's no better kind of film. It takes the current state of humanity and mixes in this life- changing technology with results that I believe would be pretty much spot-on if Life Tracker was actual real today. From the political/financial/religious unrest to personal doubt and beliefs, LIFE TRACKER covers it all and even leads to a great conclusion that I wasn't prepared for. All of this combined makes LIFE TRACKER one of my favorite films of 2013 and I highly recommend it to everyone. Congratulations to all the cast and crew who have a bright future ahead.
Excellent Film - More than just your average sci-fi
christine254816 October 2013
This was a fantastic movie! It played like an honest-to-goodness homemade documentary. Virtually every scene was viewed from the eye of the hand held camera. The characters were so believable and so natural that you really don't think of them as "acting". The plot was a little less believable, but I don't think this film was meant to imply that this technology would ever become a reality to that extent. Although some of the technology does exist at the present time, Joe McClean takes it to a whole new level. The film had me from the beginning. Some people say that you have to push through the first part of the movie to get to the "good part", but I found it interesting and engaging from the first minute. (although I really thought there was something wrong with my player during the first few minutes because of the poor quality of the video! Which just added to the realism.) I strongly recommend this film. It's a departure from anything else you have seen before and that alone makes it worth watching. 10 Stars & 5 Thumbs Up for this one!
This was phenomenal
befoulmetalroosa30 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
What can I say? Probably one of the best mockumentaries I've ever seen. It is also a testament to the downside of excessive technologies. It is a film in which a company, Life Tracker Limited, is able to predict a person's potential future, based on their DNA. It can even predict your death. Unfortunately, it predicts the exact same 'death day' for 99.9 percent of the world's population.
The actors treated this like a serious film, which it was. They were well chosen. All were personable, funny, good natured, and capable of raw emotion when the script called for it. The script itself was well written. It was understandable and relatable and very realistic. It's a very intelligently done movie, and good for a night in.
Don't let the running time fool you. It may say one hour seven minutes, but it's actually one hour forty seven minutes.
The actors treated this like a serious film, which it was. They were well chosen. All were personable, funny, good natured, and capable of raw emotion when the script called for it. The script itself was well written. It was understandable and relatable and very realistic. It's a very intelligently done movie, and good for a night in.
Don't let the running time fool you. It may say one hour seven minutes, but it's actually one hour forty seven minutes.
It was inside you all along!
zaphod-roberts21 October 2013
We found "Life Tracker" via On Demand's sci-fi selection of new releases. This movie has a synopsis that is intriguing: if your genes could predict your future, would you want to know? It is an original idea, with believable actors, and a surprise conflict (even to those desensitized and/ or jaded...) that kept my interest until the bitter end. I am not typically a fan of "found footage" movies, but I forgot about the filming style as it was deeply incorporated into the plot of the movie. Genetic reading is not such a far-fetched idea. Genetic research and it's scientific credibility has grown to be a powerful tool in medical and forensic fields. It seems to be the key to everything. The characters in this film are relatable and gripping. We watch their initial jovial disposition (regarding the genetic readings) shift into a tenacious and frightened need to know.
~Mary Ann @grabdmama and Shannon @feralthundercat
~Mary Ann @grabdmama and Shannon @feralthundercat
smart
Nothing2517 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
What I liked most about this movie was the fact that the director actually covered his bases with the whole "found footage" concept, which in my opinion has been done to death at this point. But here, there's an actual reason for it, and the quality gets better as the film progresses. Not going to give spoilers out as to how it was done, but I think it's done in a smart way and offers some originality to the "found footage" concept. It always bothered me in other movies like, "Paranormal 23489" or whatever number they're on now, as to "why the hell are these people holding cameras?? They would never do it in real life!" In Life Tracker they attempt to fix this which I appreciated. The movie is a little slow at first, but it didn't bother me. A little extra character development felt nice. I know all big budget movies use quick cuts and 30 second scenes to bypass solid story telling, but I like slower cuts. Besides, the movie gets more interesting in the second half so investing in the first half is worth it. It's not for short attention spans so I see why a big studio probably passed on it, but the concept is cool and and dealt with very scientifically. Again, the writer and directors covered their bases here which I appreciated. If your looking for "Face/Off," look elsewhere, but this movie offers some solid Sci/Fi concepts and good plot.
cool concept
gerisullivan18 October 2013
I was impressed be the " real people " feel to the characters. I could really relate to them. Maybe it was the director's use of new talent, with a few tried and truly talented familiar actors in the mix, but it really worked. The genetic theory was very believable. I think I even heard on the radio somewhere a doctor is very close or already has found a gene along these lines. It seemed a little slow at 1st, but caught my attention quick, and kept it all the way to the end. I would like to see more from Joe McClean. Even if you sort of guessed what was coming, it was really a "wow" feel to it. I will tell my friends about this one. I would also say watch it for yourself, well worth it.
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