Dec 18 2008'Echelon Conspiracy' is a Classic Omniscient Phone Thriller
We have an early entry into the competition for stupidest movie of 2009! From what I can tell, it's about a sentient phone that's sort of magic, maybe. Here's the trailer for the Robert Ludlumesque-titled Echelon Conspiracy:
I love the classic misdirect. Leads you towards "oh, so this is the one phone off the monitoring grid," then hits you with "plus it's the best phone ever, but also the most deadly." I keep trying to decide if the phone is:
a.) Controlled by some former government agent now working to bring down the system.
b.) Controlled by Martin Sheen using a woman's voice.
c.) Haunted.
d.) Magic.
e.) Eagle Eye 2.
f.) Just a really phenomenal phone.
Like the internet, mobile phones are still such a new and bizarre concept that I would readily believe any of those explanations.
Reader Comments
1. David - December 18, 2008 4:21 PM
I'm always suspicious of any movie that isn't on IMDB.
2. Teresa Electro - December 18, 2008 6:36 PM
Didn't an episode of "Alias" already cover this?
3. Brian - December 18, 2008 7:03 PM
Ummmm.... uhhhhhh.... yeahhhhh,,,,, ummmmm.... ok
4. Jess - December 18, 2008 8:09 PM
The guy is cute, tho :) and I love Ed Burns :)
5. 34fsdfs - December 18, 2008 8:39 PM
hey, u heard of the new iphone app?? I-RULETHEWORLD????
Eagly Eye without LeDouche? better, but still not gd enuff.
6. Nick - December 19, 2008 3:23 PM
I don't understand. Why does the phone speak in a really boomy/echo-y feminine voice that probably everyone should be able to hear?
7. sully - December 19, 2008 8:54 PM
@6
You didn't see his "black guy bluetooth" device? Come on.
Also, don't you think Shane West should have more than one line in the trailer? That's just what I think, though.
8. Nick - December 22, 2008 11:11 AM
As far as I can tell, he didn't have one in the casino scene.
9. Woll Smoth - December 22, 2008 3:49 PM
Gee that's pretty terrible. It looks like one of those movies from the 80s dealing with technology, when they didn't really know yet how computers and mobiles worked (and they had really bad CGI).
10. Sara - December 23, 2008 1:38 PM
Oh, Shane West.... Gotta love him :) and I think this is going to be a good *action* film... keyword: action... aren't they meant to just be fun with explosions and stuff... :-P
11. jez - January 5, 2009 4:46 PM
God damnit this is Eagle Eye all over again. And who'd want to see that shit ever again?
12. . - January 5, 2009 5:23 PM
I'd believe any of those A-F options as well. Hot damn, they just get more and more brilliant.
13. OH - January 30, 2009 11:02 AM
This reminds me of the cellphone movie scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall...funny stuff. Not this movie tho, it'll be balls.
14. Melissa - February 3, 2009 4:24 PM
Shane West! Look at that face! :) I will watch this movie and imagine that he is my boyfriend. :)
15. Danniboy - March 29, 2009 12:12 PM
Does any of you know what echelon is? no...didn't think so. The phone is controlled by echelon and echelon is a "super computer" that surveillance call, emails, sms etc.. And the Echelon wants to upgrade itself and uses different people to complete the mission. But it terminates itself because of the freedom rights of the USA.
16. nosilla - April 19, 2009 11:10 AM
What was the very ending about? We're those guys brothers?
17. Julekmeister - June 15, 2009 6:41 PM
Actually, Danniboy, in real lige Echelon is not a single computer or programing, it's the whole surveilance system. In the late '90 it was brought to attention of general public that a system of this kind existed and it was codenamed Echelon. Dunno how much of it is true, it might have been some kind of an urban legend but I think this movie is just about that. Asking a question "what if". Although it is based on real life facts it's nothing we haven't seen before: Eagle Eye is one exaple, but there were like 15 more titles made during the Cold War regarding the same subject.