Forgotten Silver
1995 Directed by Costa Botes, Peter Jackson
Synopsis
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.
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Very funny! It makes me want to watch First On The Moon by the Russians, which tells the story of how the Soviets landed on the moon back in the 1930s.
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Como mockumentary: meh.
Como presagio de la megalomanía chovinista Jacksoniana: diez cerrado.
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Absolutely brilliant film! I can only imagine how much fun it must've been to make. This is Peter Jackson's forgotten gem.
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"Forgotten Silver" no es mas que una elaborada broma, tan bien ejecutada que uno desearia que fuese real. Es una cinta disfrazada de documental que nos introduce a Colin McKenzie, un director neozelandés olvidado por la historia y cuyas contribuciones al medio fueron verdaderamente revolucionarias (al parecer introdujo el close-up, las tomas en movimiento y el color).
Lo mas efectivo de "Forgotten Silver" es que se toma muy en serio su historia (la cual es tragica) y a la vez crea un gran tributo a los pioneros del cine. Este mockumentary fue co-dirigido por Peter Jackson y representa una inventiva y original propuesta. -
A simply extraordinary mock-documentary covering the life and exploits of legendary New Zealand film pioneer Colin McKenzie. I was given this to watch by a friend, and it's simply a delight to watch. It also recalls a time when Peter Jackson made films that I actually wanted to watch. I urge anyone with the slightest interest in films, Peter Jackson, New Zealand, or very, very subtle satire to find this at watch it at your earliest convenience. Do another low budget film Peter. It would be good for your soul...
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Amazing documentary on a long lost filmmaker.
Ok, so it's fake, but it's still amazing!
Peter Jackson crafts an amazingly smart mockumentary about Colin McKenzie, a director that doesn't actually exist, though the film never tells you that. Showing found footage of McKenzie's, we learn that he invented many different filming techniques and various filming devices long before the historical record shows. Telling a story of his life, ambitions, accomplishments, failures, etc... Forgotten Silver is amazing for it's intense sincerity, never breaking character.
Highly recommend to film nerds around the world!
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Interesting mockumentary. Clever but unfunny.
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Well done mockumentary about one of silent cinema pioneers. How I miss Peter Jackson.
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Worth it just to watch Harvey Weinstein mock himself with a bit of a wink.