| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Forgotten Silver (1995) |
| Director | Peter Jackson, Costa Botes |
| Writer | Peter Jackson, Costa Botes |
| Lead Actor | Thomas Robins |
| Cast | Thomas Robins, Peter Jackson, Costa Botes, Leonard Maltin, Sam Neill, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Thomas, Roy Billing |
| Genre | Comedy, Mockumentary, Drama |
| Release Date | October 28, 1995 (New Zealand TV premiere) |
| Duration | 1h 6m (66 minutes) |
| Budget | Approx. $500,000 NZD |
| Box Office | Television release; limited international screenings |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 7.6/10 |
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In the documentary Forgotten Silver, Peter Jackson (we all know who he is by now, right?) discovers a collection of lost film reels by long forgotten filmmaking pioneer, Colin McKenzie.
Through research and restoration of this archival material we learn that McKenzie was ahead of time, independently developing the techniques for color film, synchronized sound, and other cinematic techniques.
The documentary was first aired on New Zealand television to great public interest until the truth was revealed. Forgotten Silver is a hoax.
It’s an incredibly detailed and believable mock umentary about the history of New Zealand motion pictures. There are interviews with Leonard Maltin, Harvey Weinstein, and Sam Neill, all of whom express their excitement for these cinematic findings.
Even before Peter Jackson’s Academy Award winning WETA studios did their magic for The Lord of the Rings, it’s clear PJ strove to create as believable a special effect as he could. All the archival footage looks authentic right down to the scratches, blown out contrast, and bad framing.
And the story itself is far from unbelievable most times. Astute viewers, without knowing it’s all fake, could probably discern its fallaciousness pretty early on. (A telltale sign for me, at least, was an historical document displayed on screen that used typefaces that weren’t even invented yet)
It’s pretty fun for anyone interested in the history of filmmaking. It should be required viewing for anyone who sees Forgotten Silver.
Of Peter Jackson’s early work, it’s probably his most mature (with maybe the exception of Heavenly Creatures). No zombie babies or masturbating puppets in this one. It’s not spectacular, but it’s incredibly charming.
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