Reviews

By inventively merging mind-bending science fiction with dark comedy, COUNTER CLOCKWISE delivers a hugely entertaining thriller about a befuddled time travelling scientist caught up in a murder mystery. Bearded scientist Ethan Walker is obsessively working on inventing a tele-transportation device. Instead he stumbles into inventing a time machine and recklessly zaps himself six months into the future. Ethen finds that the future has taken a sinister tone as men are out to kill him and the police are looking for him for the murder of his sister and wife. He now needs to try to return to the point right before everything went wrong and solve the mysteries. Easier said than done. An inventive, head-scratching, fast-paced American Indie time-travelling gem.

“…in the tradition of 12 MONKEYS and DONNIE DARKO…it may take a few repeat viewings – and even a few DIY charts on scrap paper – to begin to understand the deliberately convoluted narrative. Also check out the making-of extras and commentaries on the Artsploitation DVD release.” – ClevelandMovieBlog

“Dark humor with a nice mix of science fiction and thriller story telling….Time travel movies are always going to be a hit and even more so if they are done smartly like Counter Clockwise is.” – HorrorScreamsVideoVault

“Writer/director/producer/editor/cinematographer George Moise deserves a lot of credit for concocting a time-travel thriller which keeps upending expectations at every turn. Sure, Counter Clockwise eventually slips off the rails but for a good long while it keeps you intrigued with the saga of a scientist (Michael Kopelow) who sends himself six months into the future. Trouble arises when he discovers that his future self is wanted for murdering both his wife and sister. Even though it grows too complicated – and the ending turns unspeakably nasty – there’s enough invention here to impress even the most hardcore sci-fi fan. ” – Amy Longsdorf, TicketToEntertainment

“A bleak black science fiction comedy, Counter Clockwise, surprised me with its dark nature. Rarely do time travel films dwell in such dark and darkly uncomfortable places. Yea you’ll be laughing at some of what happens but some of the bits are just a tad unsettling. The result is a film I admire more than like – but which is good enough that I am actually looking forward to revisiting it when it’s not the wee hours of the night.” UnseenFilms

“Well-crafted…[with] an atmosphere of surreal weirdness….the timeline is exact and seamless, an impressive feat for an independent film. Worth a watch by fans of Sci-Fi and Psychological Thrillers… 4 out of 5 stars.” – CrypticRock

“Counter Clockwise is a good addition to the low budget time travel genre, one filled with classics like Time Crimes and Primer. The audience is left in the dark as is the main character so while he’s trying to figure out what the hell is going on, so are we. The movie is rough around the edges but it has a vitality to it that I really appreciated. It’s the rough homegrown quality that I liked. It has the true spirit of independent cinema rather than the overly slick vibe I get from so many “independent” flicks nowadays. I like slick too, but it’s nice to see something obviously made by folks with a passion, little budget, but a whole lot of guts. Thankfully there is no fat to trim on this one, it’s lean and it works. Counter Clockwise is an enjoyable indie effort from some new voices in film. Nothing here feels fake or contrived. It’s an honest film with the singular goal of playing around with time travel logic. It’s a debut film from director George Moise. I’d be interested to see what he does with a bit more money and bit more experience, especially if he stays with genre film making.” – ToxicPlayground

“Counter Clockwise starts off like many mad-scientist-in-his-garage sci-fi films, like Primer or Listening, then quickly turns into a dark action thriller as he’s thrown into a dangerous situation after next, each time learning a new piece of the puzzle unfolding in front of him. There’s a lot of weird and quirky elements that add to the film’s dark humor, mostly from the eccentric and bizarre cast of characters surrounding the seemingly level-headed scientist. The interactions with these atypical personalities add intensity to the already bewildering encounters. The cinematography was spectacular, with an eclectic array of camera and editing techniques from a wide range of genres. Quick swish pans and pulled zooms to accentuate the action, dynamic lighting on extreme close-ups to emphasize the drama, and sliding wipe transitions gave it a science fiction comic feel. George Moïse employs an impressive utilization of cinematic and storytelling craft in making this film. A solid powerful story told in an exquisite and captivating execution.” – WeAreIndieHorror

“Counter Clockwise [is] a rather excellent independent sci-fi-black-comedy-thriller…Michael Kopelow, who co-wrote the movie, is excellent and utterly believable as the poor beleaguered scientist. The Murderous Megalomaniac is terrific too. So deliciously evil…! I loved the muscular and handsome Bruno Amato as the hired thug. He seemed to be enjoying that scene of necrophiliac rape much too much, haha. The film has a terrific musical score and. Counter Clockwise is as filled with gripping twists and turns as my mantelpiece is free of Pulitzer Prizes.” – Sandra Harris, CinehouseUK

“Terry Gilliam meets David Fincher. Part sci-fi thriller part dark comedy, the adventure of Ethan’s misadventures ingeniously signifies a harsh outlook on the saltiness of our predetermined universe while encountering outrageous and weird characters along the time warp. Counter Clockwise is 91 minutes of time hopping suspense, packed with adversity and pitch black humor from start to finish and finish to start.” – ItsBlogginEvil

“George Moise’s Counter Clockwise has a great story and plot. The special effects are very good. I loved the clever use of the time travel to aid in Ethan’s investigation. Over the decades, we’ve had some pretty decent films with the theme being time travel: Donnie Darko, 2001; TimeCrimes, 2007; John Dies At The End, 2012

Coherence, 2013; Devil’s Pass, 2013. Counter Clockwise fits in snugly with this list of exhilarating time-travel films.” – DecayMag

“Counter Clockwise is a clever little indie science fiction film…This film has a million plot twists and the mood of the film is constantly changing. The dialogue this film uses is unique and very intoxicating sincere. You really get a sense with this film that the actors and actresses are anxious to show you what the next scene is all about, and they hope you are as excited. The last act of this film is really the gold of what this film offers. I am just so blown away at what they were able to pull off in this small little treasure. If you are sick of over-budget loud explosions in place of solid acting and great storytelling. This film is for you. It has a uniqueness about it, that translate well to the audience that hopefully will enjoy sitting down with it.” – WickedChannel

“A tight, intelligent indie time travel mind-warper that will keep you guessing until the very end.” – MonsterMovieApp

“The execution is really fresh, approaching the film’s topic with the right portion of humor without ever becoming really silly, and the story full of fine plot-twists that really fit the narrative and make good use of the time travel theme, even in standard situations like chase scenes. Plus for a change, the time travel aspect of the film seems to have been really thought through for a change, of course not from a scientific but from a logical point of view. And add to that some really well-paced storytelling, actors who fit their characters in all their unlikeliness and give fine performances, and a general all throughout fun feeling, and you’ve got yourself a pretty good movie!” – SearchMyTrash

“Counter Clockwise makes great use of the idea of time travel in what is a thrilling and quite tense adventure….The plot is quite clever and brain melting.” TheRottingZombie

“…take the leap, it’ll be worth it.” – Matt Boiselle, Dread Central

“A science fiction film that combines the genres of horror, action, crime, and dark comedic aspects…a fun sharp-edged thriller full of classic science fiction quirks and intelligent probabilities.” – HorrorNews

“A pleasant surprise. I can easily see this film being a future cult classic…” – The Nerd Mentality

“A fantastic slice of independent science-fiction mixed with some dark-comedy and simmered to just the right temperature. This project manages to serve up an interesting and intelligent story that left my appetite for movies more than satisfied….a compelling tale that was both visually interesting and mentally stimulating. George Moïse also needs to be commended for the visual effects, designs and animations. I thought he did a fantastic job with this. In particular the animation sequences for the teleporter/time machine. I loved the sequences the computer screens went through. Again, this had a real nostalgic feel to it and felt like something that would not be out-of-place on ‘Tron’. The 3D wire-frame of the teleporter was fantastic…excellent performances by a strong cast with Michael Kopelow and Frank Simms both standing out.” – MovieBlogger.com

Screenings

Awards

News

2015 - Eugene International Film Festival2015 - Miami Sci-Fi Film Festival2015 - A Night of Horror Film Festival2015 - Fantastic Planet Film Festival2015 - Action on Film International Film Festival2015 - Twin Cities Film Fest2015 - Maverick Movie Awards2015 - Orlando Film Festival2015 - Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival2016 - Stargate Galactic International Film FestivalEugene International Film Festival -Action on Film International Film Festival -Maverick Movie Awards -Fantastic Planet Film Festival -

Interview with Walter Moise, editor and producer of Counter Clockwise.

1. What was your inspiration for the story of Counter-Clockwise?

A Philip K. Dick short story where a character who’s living in a future world walks through an invisible time rift and goes back in time. Then I combined that idea with an idea of making a low budget movie where you could use locations again and again where you setup a character and a world, he went into the future 6 months, a whole crazy 2nd Act where things are dark and and dangerous and upside down and then the 3rd Act would be going back to the day it all went wrong and solving everything, or maybe not.

How is this different from other time travel shows, like Back to the Future and Doctor Who?

Compared to those works of sci-fi, ours is much more gritty and dark and weird.

What was the most challenging element of getting Counter Clockwise made?

Of course probably getting the money together but more importantly all of us putting in the hard work over many years. Putting in consistent, diligent hard work into something for years is incredibly hard.

Could you elaborate on the creative behind the fantastic teleportation animation sequences?

The graphics on the computer screens are all George. Brilliant work by him and he was heavily influenced by The Fly and Innerspace.

What was your most memorable day on set / and why?

For me probably the first day of principal photography, when all we had ahead was promise and a movie, having no idea how long it would take.

How was it working with Michael Kopelow?

Mike is a great producer, he was completely instrumental in making the atmosphere on set exactly to the rhythm of the director, and at the same time juggled a very hard role as an actor. I don’t know how he did it.

What would your ideal compliment be from an audience member who just watched Counter Clockwise?

I guess that they loved it like I love some of my classic favorites from Blue Velvet, to Alien, to Amadeus, to A Clockwork Orange. A film that they will obsess about and want to watch again and again.

Anything we should know about working with dogs in movies?

That sometimes they don’t do what you want them to do, at all.

If you knew then what you know now, what would you have done differently – if anything?

Have an assistant editor on set cutting while we’re shooting the movie to speed up the post-production process.

What’s next for George and Walter Moise?

George has written a great action/noir script set in the 80s that we’re making soon as well as putting together my next film, a science fiction home invasion film like Funny Games and A Clockwork Orange.

About the Director

George grew up in Atlanta, GA in a family of six. He studied in Paris and then attended NYU’s undergraduate film program where he acted in almost a hundred short films and directed many classics still beloved to this day. While still in New York he formed the legendary sketch comedy group “Fat Camp” in NY. Then he moved to LA and made the acclaimed short film “Out,” which played in numerous festivals all over the country including the LA Shorts Fest, the Atlanta Film Festival, and the Beverly Hills Film Festival. He went on to write and direct the now famous short film, “The List,” which also screened at film festivals all over the world. George was a freelance writer for Cinefex magazine and has worked with Christiean Audiger, Red Bull, Disney, and directed videos for Ebay. Counter-Clockwise marks his directorial debut. — IMDb Mini Biography By: Elvis Mitchell

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Credits

Director: George Moïse

George Moïse Producer: Michael Kopelow, Walter Moise, George Moïse

Michael Kopelow, Walter Moise, George Moïse Screenwriters: Michael Kopelow, George Moïse (based on a story by Walter Moise)

Michael Kopelow, George Moïse (based on a story by Walter Moise) Cast: Michael Kopelow, Devon Ogden, Kerry Knuppe, Joy Rinaldi, Caleb Brown, Frank Simms

Michael Kopelow, Devon Ogden, Kerry Knuppe, Joy Rinaldi, Caleb Brown, Frank Simms Cinematography: George Moïse

Product Details

Format: DVD

DVD Catalog: ART46

ART46 UPC: 851597006261 (DVD); 851597006407 (Blu-ray)

851597006261 (DVD); 851597006407 (Blu-ray) ISBN: 978-1-939196-68-2

978-1-939196-68-2 Number of discs: 1

1 Country: USA

USA Language: English

English Rating: Not Rated

Not Rated Year: 2015

2015 Length: 91

91 Color: Color

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