Amazon.com essential video: This dryly funny mockumentary about the lost work of a pioneering New Zealand film genius is probably one of the best examples of the faux-documentary genre. In fact, it was so successful that when it originally aired on New Zealand television, hundreds of viewers bought the premise hook, line, and sinker. If you didn't know any better yourself, it's entirely possible you might be duped into believing the extremely tall tale of one Colin MacKenzie, an ambitious filmmaker who made the world's first talking movie (years before The Jazz Singer), invented color film, and created a huge biblical epic that would put Cecil B. DeMille and D.W. Griffith to shame. Filmmaker Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures) shrewdly inserts himself into the film via his documentation of the "discovery" of McKenzie's lost epic, which for years was preserved in a garden shed. This hidden gold mine, which Jackson likens to finding Citizen Kane in an attic, will forever rewrite the history of film--a fact to which both critic Leonard Maltin and studio exec Harvey Weinstein eagerly attest. Jackson chronicles MacKenzie's fame through newspaper accounts, still photos, and keenly inventive footage showing both the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of MacKenzie's Salome as well as clips from that crowning film achievement; if you don't believe the filmmakers, actor Sam Neill is on hand to vouch for its importance. Jackson has the self-importance of film documentaries down pat, from the "re-creations" of past events through photos and voiceovers (the film's narration is properly stentorian), and never tips his hand once through the interviews with film historians as well as MacKenzie's "wife." Even nonfilm historians and aficionados will be won over by Jackson's subtle humor and inventiveness--you'll remember the story of Colin MacKenzie for a long time to come. -Mark Englehart
A Clever Little Doc(Moc)umentary I watched this mockumentary having already heard that it was a hoax. I was curious to see if I would still enjoy it. I did. Knowing it was a hoax I was trying to see if there were any obvious clues to give it away. The only one that may possibly have had me wondering was the 20,000 stolen eggs, but that was with the benefit of hindsight. I'm sure had I watched unaware I would have swallowed that as well.
I gave it to my parents to watch, saying nothing about it and was rewarded with a hook, line and sinker reaction. They even had the case to look at. My mother started to tell me all about how fantastic Colin McKenzie was and what a shame he wasn't better recognised. It was almost a shame to have to burst their bubble.
I was even amused to read that in one of the reviews on this site the person still doesn't realise they've been hoaxed. It has been very cleverly made and a tribute to Peter Jackson and Costa Botes mischievious sense of humour. It is interesting also to see some of the actors from LOTR showing up in this although I don't think I would have recognised them without being told.
He was an unsung genius who had the courage of his beliefs. He was there filming man's first heavier-than-air flight. He invented a small motion picture camera which, in partnership with Stan the Man, anticipated the spontaneous hilarity of Candid Camera. For those, like me, who had never heard of Stan the Man, Stan was an inspired silent comic who specialized in attacking the unsuspecting. His pie in the face gag featuring the New Zealand prime minister resulted in Mr. McKenzie's filmed reaction of the prime minister's police escort, which was the forebear of the Rodney King cinema verite.
McKenzie's superlative creative achievement, of course, was his three-hour film of Salome. He built a vast city in the jungles of New Zealand (which was newly discovered and is being excavated). It took him years to achieve the financing and it resulted in a deep, permanent personal tragedy. Yet the film, newly restored, reaffirmed not only Mr. McKenzie's vision, but also strengthened so many of our feelings about silent films. Harvey Weinstein, then chairman of Miramax, reaffirmed Mr. McKenzie's genius and emphasized how happy Mr. McKenzie would be that Mr. Weinstein himself insisted that an hour be cut from the restored film.
Colin McKenzie was an unsung genius who periodically would disappear, then reemerge with new inventions and passions to over-awe those of us who now are familiar with his extraordinary accomplishments. Yet no one really knew him. His inventions never led to acclaim or fortune. His disappointments were great. His legacy, in fact, was accidently found in a locked chest in an old shed at the bottom of his widow's garden. There, two young filmmakers, Peter Jackson and Costa Botes, found reel after reel of film, stored and long forgotten in rusting containers. If it hadn't been for this chance discovery, we might never have learned of Mr. McKenzie's transforming impact on film making.
Mr. McKenzie died tragically during the Spanish Civil War, shot while trying to rescue a wounded soldier. How deeply inspiring it would be if those of us who love film could watch, and re-watch, and watch again, D. W. Griffith, Alfred Hitchcock, Louis B. Mayer or F. W. Murnau as they died. Thanks to the foresight of Mr. McKenzie, who set up his camera to film his rescue attempt, we can with this New Zealand...no, this world...genius of film. He died as he lived...with his sprockets turning.
Despite the deteriorated condition of so much of Mr. McKenzie's film record, Jackson and Botes have put together a compelling documentary. They wisely intersperse contemporary evaluations of Mr. McKenzie's achievements and the recollections of his widow with many examples of Mr. McKenzie's pioneering work.
But what of the young filmmakers themselves, who brought us the McKenzie story? Little is known of Botes. Jackson, however, can be found occasionally working on the fringes of filmmaking. His innovative use of New Zealand middle school students to film a fantasy about middle earth was well received by the students' parents. Unfortunately, his attempt to use advanced technology to solve the problem of filming a story featuring a gorilla which had been fed football steroids met with mixed results. Holding a magnifying glass in front of his camera lens while photographing a chimpanzee and pretending it was a giant ape was too advanced a leap for most movie ticket buyers.
Forgotten Silver looks just fine on the DVD edition and is a must for film students.
So detailed in its forgery, I tried to google Colin McKenzie with no success I originally caught the last half hour of "Forgotten Silver" when it aired on IFC 4 years ago. Eager to see the entire film, I scanned the program guide to find the next showing. Although it had an inconvenient start time (1:00 a.m.), I stayed up and watched the whole thing. I was mesmorized by this tale of family, struggle, love, loss, and redemption. Why had we never heard of Colin McKenzie, clearly a film pioneer in many areas?
The internet offered no help. No reference whatsoever of Colin McKenzie. It was only after looking for the film on amazon.com that the hoax was revealed to me.
This is a near-perfect practical joke for the pretentious film buff. I've loaned out the DVD to several friends and family members without the disc's case and cover jacket, which would provide clues as to the nature of what they were about to see. I only tell them to avoid the bonus features and see if they can figure out what's going on.
This is brilliant filmmaking and you get a glimpse at Peter Jackson honing his skills in special effects, set detail, and cinematography which would come in handy for the Lord of the Rings films.
Buy this film, but more importantly, loan it to unsuspecting film fan friends.
Great Spoof Exeptionally well done, has the viewer believing every step of the film right up to the end.A thoughly brillant excercise in the art of deception.
No CGI needed to see the brilliance of Peter Jackson!! To fully appreciate this film, you must consider two things. First, this is a MOCumentary. It is not a real story, but instead something created through the imagination of a very rich storyteller. Second, this film was released to the general New Zealand public without them knowing that this was a mocumentary and they completely felt that it was a real occurrence. They took the bait ... hook, line, and sinker. It reminded me of the fear that Orson Welles was able to conjure when he did "The War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938. Welles was able to create a mythological occurrence that was packaged so well that audiences bought it. This is the same with Peter Jackson's creation, Forgotten Silver. Jackson's attention to detail and excitement behind this project is seen with every digitized photo, every sound bite, and every word of the story.
The great idea behind mocumentaries is that you have the opportunity to create a world from the ground up. I think this was an aspect that I thoroughly enjoyed about this picture was every creative angle that Jackson took with his characters. They were flawed, but in a good way. They were real, yet in a sense very cartoonish. They gave you this dream about life that is normally missing in most films, yet these guys were never alive for you to believe in. It was funny how deeply rooted you could become with this film until you had to pull yourself away and say that it was just a work of fiction. For anyone to say that about a film means that the filmmaker is doing a spectacular job. The only director that I can think of that closely able to pull this off today is Christopher Guest, but even in his work you can tell that it is a mocumentary from the beginning. Jackson never gives you the opportunity to find the truth. Everything he hands to you has been researched and tested giving us the chance to believe in our man Colin throughout all of it.
Perhaps what I am trying to say here is that Jackson doesn't just create a story, he creates a world filled with emotion and chaos. It is easy to create a story, books are released everyday, but to put visuals with this story AND build a main character that the average Joe can relate to is much harder. While only pushing 60 minutes, Jackson had quite a bit of work on his hands. This was not an easy project. Jackson not only had to play director, but also put himself into the film that I think only helped build the mirage of truth. You kept forgetting that he created this story, yet was in it himself. It honestly takes away that feeling of cinematic rubbish that Hollywood releases daily and builds a true story.
The interventions between Harvey Weinstein, Sam Neill, and Leonard Maltin only help build more of that "truth" to the film. You hear these men from the industry talk about this fictitious man named Colin McKenzie, you begin to believe that perhaps he was alive and Jackson is just trying to tell the truth.
While I have spoken heavily about the amazing fake factoids that Jackson disperses through the film, what I found funny was the type of humor that Jackson placed intermittently throughout the film. The idea of Stan the Man is brilliant and his "Rodney King" moment proved that it is always possible for history to repeat itself. The jail time that Colin faced due to his "smut" film had me rolling in my seat. The exuberant size of the extras needed for this film kept me smiling throughout. There was just something about this humor that made me excited about my educational background.
Finally, I would like to say that the fact that the New Zealand public never realized that it was a mocumentary should already prove the worthiness of this film. I do not see why it didn't receive more press than it did, but this has been the biggest film enjoyment of the week. I remember a line from a film that went something like this, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist". Think of this line as you witness Jackson's film Forgotten Silver. It will make you curious.
Overall, I thought that this film was beautiful. Midway through this film you will loose track of reality and think that you are watching a true documentary, and that is when you can realize that you have a master director giving you a perfect "gem". This was not a film filled with violence and annoying Gollems, but instead cunning wit and satire. Jackson continually proves that he can handle so much more than just The Lord of the Rings with this film. No CGI is needed to see the imagination and brilliance behind this visionary. For those of you that are huge Lord of the Rings fans, you may not enjoy it as much, but for me this was Jackson in his truest form.
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