Talkie Zoo: THE ECHELON CONSPIRACY

This is a fairly low budget film, yet it's intriguing throughout simply because it feeds our paranoia concerning the government and technology. The Echelon Conspiracy (2009; PG-13)was made for DVD and not the theaters, and it's probably a good thing. After all, I don't think it would have been a box office hit, though it is worth renting for an evening's entertainment.

In this story, Max is a computer technician who sets up highly secure systems for large companies. His security is so good that he is in demand around the world. He begins receiving text messages about ways to get rich - stocks in products such as acne scar removal treatment or oil companies, gambling leads, etc. - and the messages are right on target each time as long as he follows the instructions that are given to him. Eventually this leads to dealings with shady characters who, it turns out, are trying to take down a supercomputer that's headed down a path of human destruction.

Watch as Max becomes a key player in the government's role concerning the supercomputer.