I was disappointed to see the other reviewer who took the film to task for not being scientific enough, thus disqualifying it—by this person's standards—from being a real "documentary". Not to be glib, but I'm uncomfortable with another person appointing them self arbiter as to what is, and what is not, a real documentary.
A good documentary documents real life occurrences. Simple. This film is not a project that sets out to prove via hard science whether or not there is an afterlife. To approach the film from that perspective, which is what it appeared our first reviewer did, would completely invalidate the experience of the film.
The film is a personal journey. It is about a man who, after the death of a close friend—legendary editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, Forrest J Ackerman—finds odd things happening to him, things he is unable to put into the category of normal, everyday happenings. This man, Paul Davids, attempts to find meaning in these strange events through both science and mysticism, while also consulting with some of the preeminent genre writers, men who have given a great deal of thought to the otherworldly, men like writer Richard Matheson (Hell House, What Dreams May Come) and Whitley Strieber, whose book Communion left an entire generation with a bad case of insomnia.
To look at this film as some authority on the science of the soul is to do it a great injustice. The film is ultimately a buddy story. It is about a sweet man who wants nothing more than to chat with his friend one last time. It is a film that gives hope to all those who have lost someone dear.
So at the end of it all, was I convinced that Paul had actually been contacted by Mr. Ackerman? I will say that it was a fun ride. There were some truly strange events. When it comes right down to it I'm much like Fox Mulder: I want to believe.
A good documentary documents real life occurrences. Simple. This film is not a project that sets out to prove via hard science whether or not there is an afterlife. To approach the film from that perspective, which is what it appeared our first reviewer did, would completely invalidate the experience of the film.
The film is a personal journey. It is about a man who, after the death of a close friend—legendary editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, Forrest J Ackerman—finds odd things happening to him, things he is unable to put into the category of normal, everyday happenings. This man, Paul Davids, attempts to find meaning in these strange events through both science and mysticism, while also consulting with some of the preeminent genre writers, men who have given a great deal of thought to the otherworldly, men like writer Richard Matheson (Hell House, What Dreams May Come) and Whitley Strieber, whose book Communion left an entire generation with a bad case of insomnia.
To look at this film as some authority on the science of the soul is to do it a great injustice. The film is ultimately a buddy story. It is about a sweet man who wants nothing more than to chat with his friend one last time. It is a film that gives hope to all those who have lost someone dear.
So at the end of it all, was I convinced that Paul had actually been contacted by Mr. Ackerman? I will say that it was a fun ride. There were some truly strange events. When it comes right down to it I'm much like Fox Mulder: I want to believe.