Alert (2006) User Reviews

One-man three-year tour de force

[antvolpe · 8/10 · 3 July 2006]

Alert is a colossal feat: an 83-minute collection of Flash cartoons and experimental movies made by Jim Ether over the course of 3 years. Unless you've been to Newgrounds or similar website, this will all seem new to you. Whatever the case, the movie serves as a showcase of Jim's musical talents (think Aphex Twin and Squarepusher), animation skills, artistic abilities, and sick sense of humor. One minute there's a kaleidoscopic test pattern set to ambient music, the next there are mutated, obese people with faucets coming out of them, the next there are photos people sent to him that were altered (and HORRIBLY mutated) in Photoshop set to a song called "'Sup, Cutie." The movie does have its slow moments in the second half, namely the "Dolls Across America" experiment (and even that has its moments), but overall this is an impressive accomplishment for one person to undertake. The rating of 8/10 could very easily be taken to a 9/10 when the entire DVD is taken into account due to its outtakes and secret "Laptop" music video. If you're in the Boston area and can catch a screening of it, do so. If not, you can get the DVD from Jim Ether himself for $10 and it's well worth the money.

a rare and unique treat

[princeconor · 10/10 · 30 June 2006]

ALERT is far more than a movie. It's a mostly-animated journey, an experience that can't accurately be described with words (at least, no words in my personal lexicon). It is audible and visual dessert. And it tastes so good. It leaves you feeling the need to watch it over and over, and every single time, it tastes better. It is hilarious, terrifying, awe-inspiring and downright gold. The animation, bright colors and great pictures blended with fun, busy and sometimes mellow electronic music creates such a great atmosphere that will never be matched by any other movie. By all means, show this to anyone and everyone you know. Loan it out. You won't regret it. (Though I regret that I haven't seen my copy for a month. I need to get it back and watch it again.) It is really one of my most prized possessions, and a treat indeed. Watch it as soon as you possibly can!

Alert is a fantastic nonlinear journey thorough a myriad of strange and wonderful visuals.

[asiarkiewicz-1 · 10/10 · 1 July 2006]

Alert is a brilliant and hilarious collage of cleverness, a symphony of unique and compelling music. A must see for anyone who enjoys art movies, motion graphics, Donuts and ciaos. I am no film critic so I am not really-sure how to write 10 lines of information without giving away the plot, but that's OK because there is no plot, or at least in the traditional sense. The movie really moves along and is interesting all the way through but the time line is not linear in the traditional 1,2,3 movement through time like we are used to seeing it. Jim Ether will include a personal friendly shot of a squirrel, follows it with a cartoon about an intellectual issue, and follows that by a completely different looking sequence about commerce, all with the use visual images that exemplify the story in a graphically designed whirlwind. The music is an entity in it self. Rich with emotion, Hip and carefree at times the music is the supporting roll in this movie. The sound track is tied so well to what is happening on the screen it tells its own story and ultimately is the glue that holds this 88-minute gem together. I would recommend it to anyone; you should stop reading and buy this movie immediately.

I like this movie lots.

[dangerjones · 5/10 · 30 June 2006]

I can't give Alert an objective rating. Alert is too special for a rating. The five star-rating above was selected over any other rating, because it isn't good or bad. It's just a rating. If I could give this movie an asterisk as a rating, I would give it an asterisk for a rating.

What I love about this movie is that it was animated and scored by the same guy, on his home computer, over the course of three years. This movie has more heart in its pinky finger than a person who is made entirely of hearts.

The quality of animation, and the quality of music, are just so enjoyable that I turn this movie on just to look at all the pretty colors and listen to all the neat noises.

That's what this movie is. People have asked me what this movie is about, and I can't give them a straight answer. It's not about anything. It's just an hour and a half of *something*. It doesn't try to be post-modern, or post-post-modern, or anything else that pretentious artiste failures will try to pimp off as the definition of "art". This movie is, and perfectly represents, something to watch.

I love this movie to death. It inspires me to no end. If I can some day shake Jim Ether's hand, or give him a nice, big hug, that would be really awesome.