Maybe i have become a biased Peter Jackson fan. The LOTR movies i consider the greatest achievement in the history of film. But this little gem is just so well crafted. I was lucky to just stumble upon it while zapping through the channels some 8-9 years ago. Thinking this was an interesting documentary about a person i had never heard of before (always been a great fan of documentaries). I guess this is an unlikely, but perfect, situation to watch it in. Thinking it is for real. As the movie went along, i frequently was going "incredible - why have i not heard of this man before" .. and a few times i went "this cant be true". But at exactly those moments a famous person (like Sam Neil) pops up and explain about this person as if he did exist, which kept me believe the story. I have to admit .. i believed the story till the very end. This was one of the great moments in my movie watching "career". I was lucky i saw it as if it was real. Knowing that it is fake i guess makes it at lot less interesting.

I simply don't care if this is "only" a MOCKumentary, it's by far the greatest DOCumentary I've ever seen! Superbly well done, and very touching. I remember watching this movie on TV when they first showed it in Sweden, I think it was in 2002. I was fascinated! I thought it was the most amazing incredible story I had ever heard or seen. I could not believe why I had never heard about this Colin McKenzie before, nor the movies he created. I NEVER thought of it as a possible hoax. I did'nt sleep that night, all I could think about was this movie, and all the suffering that Colin McKenzie got through. The next day I told all my friends about this incredible movie, and NO ONE asked if it could been a hoax. It took me over three years before I finally found out that it was a mockumentary. Ambarassing at first, then, when I saw that it was a Peter Jackson movie, I could only laugh. I watch this movie often- It strikes me every time as the most amazing story ever CREATED.Congratulations Mr Jackson- You got me completely fooled!

What is truth in film? Is there any? That's a question you ponder after many repeated viewings of Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures) and Costa Botes' (Saving Grace) Forgotten Silver, a delightful `Mock-umentary.' I remember the first time I saw this film, it was 1997 at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I remember the audience laughing, as I have never heard any crowd laugh before. This is a good natured and very funny film.The film follows the story of Colin McKenzie (Thomas Robbins) a pioneer filmmaker from New Zealand. Colin is a genius; he invented brand new emulsion techniques in 1902. He photographed the first human in flight, and it wasn't the Wright Brothers. He invented color and sound for film decades before anyone else, and in the end he mounted one of the greatest epic motion pictures of all time, SALOME: A Tale of the Bible.The movie is amazing. Any lesser film would track down stock footage to tell the story but what Botes and Jackson accomplish with grainy 16mm film and original photography is just amazing. The final 20 minutes of the movie is a painstakingly elaborate silent film that feels like real period silent movie. Colin McKenzie might not exist, but this film makes him alive.The story goes that they showed this film on New Zealand Television and many people bought the joke. There are enough markers to make the utterly impossible. My favorite, the steam powered film camera. But then there are great moments with Sam Neil (Jurassic Park), Leonard Maltin (TV's Hot Ticket), and Harvey Weinstein (An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn), that give this movie and air of credibility. I also enjoyed Beatrice Ashton's wonderful performance as Hannah McKenzie. It's done with all seriousness. There is no tongue-and-cheek in her naturally moving delivery of obviously fake lines.As I mentioned before there is a silent film that takes up the last 20 minutes of FORGOTTEN SILVER. Sarah McLeod (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of The Ring) plays May Belle, Colin's wife and leading lady, she is perfect. Her role as Salome is so good that you buy it. The camera love's McLeod's face, she has those soft pudgy features that are incredibly feminine, but also vampishly sexy. This film looks so easy, but had to be absolutely painstaking. But I'm glad Jackson and Botes took the time to make it. It's a wonderful film. Imaginative, beautiful, and well worth it's hour and fifteen-minute running time. Don't forget to spend some time with….FORGOTTEN SILVER.

Sadly disappointing mockumentary of about the quality and incisiveness of a particularly bad late in the day Saturday Night Live sketch. The humor is flat and the concept runs out of steam early on though it continues flapping for the full hour. The only point of interest on the DVD is the attached documentary on the mockumentary which gives a glimpse into the unattractively self- congratulatory Jackson talking about his use of silent film techniques (embarrassing as they are not convincing) and the amusing comments from New Zealand viewers who actually were fooled (wanting to heave bricks though TV New Zealands window). Shines an unfortunate light on the weaker parts of TLOTR when we understand Jackson is an unfunny geek with the self-satisfied confidence of a local film poobah made good in the big leagues. The failure of his humor has obviously benefitted his non-comedic projects ... lets hope he sticks tot hat now that he has his big franchise.