Faces of Death: Fact or Fiction? (1999)* 1/2 (out of 4) Rather stupid and disappointing "interview" with FACES OF DEATH creator Conan le Cilaire who has his identity hidden and his voice altered because he claims there are people still after him. A fake reporter begins to ask him questions about what parts of the series were real and which ones were fake.This could have made for an excellent documentary but sadly it's just more pathetic lies and in the end a rip-off for fans. While the "creator" does talk about the monkey brain and puppy sequences were fake, he also doesn't talk about so many other things in the series. This was being sold as a definitive behind-the-scenes look at the series and its history but sadly it's just a fake interview that doesn't add up to very much.Conan le Cilaire is of course meant to be John Alan Schwarz and I seriously doubt he has people wanting to kill him unless it's angry fans who paid money for dumb stuff like this, FACES OF DEATH III or the other entries in the series with no new footage.

This annoying little time-waster begins with flashbacks to the opening credits of the first film. Oh, good. We're doing that flashback padding thing again, just like "The Worst of ...", and FOD part 5, and at least two versions of FOD part 6 did. So we are watching the exact same footage for about the ninth time here, in this bogus documentary about a bogus documentary, written by "Richard Head and Johnny Getchakokov," and produced by "S. Pew" and Thomas Jefferson, co-starring bug-eyed Louis Flellis, with a cameo appearance by his goofy as ever glowing red lava lamp. There is a difference between *satirical* and *stupid*. This is a bogus documentary detailing supposed life story of director Conan LeCilaire, played by writer/ director/ producer Alan Black, his voice distorted and his face nothing more than a silhouette in a darkened television studio. Like the supposed sniper from the first film, if they tell his name, why bother to distort his image and voice? That doesn't add "realism" or mystery to the proceedings, it just makes it annoying to watch and listen to. Mockumentary purports to tell the story of the making of Faces Of Death, but amounts to nothing more than yet another flashback-padded rehash of it, trying to cash in on the late 1990s reality TV craze. The wash-effect with lifeguard's white jeep with a surfboard on roof on the beach leading to end credits, was that supposed to be a segway? Did they plan on them driving in front of the camera like that?

Those looking for the history of the notorous FACES OF DEATH series or an explanation of the controversy regarding the validity of its footage--don't be fooled. FACES OF DEATH: FACT OR FICTION? doesn't tell you anything you don't already know. FOD director John Alan Schwarz (who insists on using the pseudonym Conan Le Cilaire) and the woman interviewing him carefully tiptoe around the main purpose of this tape, constantly becoming sidetracked with unfunny anecdotes, completely unrelated and long-winded rants, clips from the series itself, and sometimes flat-out lies about the FOD films. FACT OR FICTION? is not informative in the least, and resembles more of a promotional tool for the now-defunct series than it does an actual documentary about it. And with an appallingly hammy performance by the supposedly cancer-ridden "Dr. Louis Flellis", as well as end credits attributed to names like Richard Head and Johnny Getyerkokov, you can't help but feel insulted, disappointed, and ripped off.

This is an interview with the creator of the original Faces of Death, which doesn't really explain anything, only what we already knew, it was faked or 'simulated' as Conan Le Cilaire tells us. He appears under a dark shroud and with his voice distorted, and explains how the scenes were simulated. Also a very amateur and simpering actor plays Dr. Louis Flellis, who tries to throw some light on the film, but fails miserbly.