Forgotten Silver (1995)

The film deals with the career of a supposedly forgotten pioneer of international cinema, Colin McKenzie, who was allegedly born in rural New Zealand in 1888.

Directors:

Costa Botes, Peter Jackson

Writers:

Peter Jackson, Costa Botes

Stars:

Peter Jackson, Jeffrey Thomas, Costa Botes

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Jeffrey Thomas	...	Narrator (voice)
Costa Botes	...	Himself - Film Maker
Marguerite Hurst	...	Herself
Peter Jackson	...	Himself
Leonard Maltin	...	Himself - Film Historian
Johnny Morris	...	Himself - Film Archivist (as Jonathon Morris)
Sam Neill	...	Himself - Actor & Director
John O'Shea	...	Himself
Lindsay Shelton	...	Himself
Harvey Weinstein	...	Himself - Miramax Films

Storyline

Forgotten Silver is a mockumentary which details the prodigious life of "lost" filmmaker Colin McKenzie and his incredible advances that were lost to history...until now. This supergenius filmmaker, posthumously inducted into the pantheon of cinema greats, made incredible advances in filmmaking technology, supposedly making a talkie in 1908 and using color film in 1911, but madness and poverty and the usual industry tolls drove him into obscurity.

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Plot Keywords:

new zealand | mockumentary | filmmaking | directed by several directors | two word title | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

3 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Colin McKenzie

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$650,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,740, 3 October 1997

Gross USA:

$26,459

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand On Air, WingNut Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

53 min 70 min (DVD)

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the DVD commentary by Costa Botes, one shot from 'Salome' showing dozens of extras fighting on the palace steps swallowed almost half of the film's overall budget, even though digital compositing was used to make it seem like the size of the set and number of extras were much greater.

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Goofs

Colin's synchronized sound film is supposed to have been released in 1908. If we are to believe that it was the first film to feature synchronized sound, we would have to discard the lesser known, but still earlier work of Arthur Gilbert and John Morland, and others, who had all produced and exhibited sound films at earlier dates.

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Crazy Credits

Archive Stills Courtecy of Hannah McKenzie

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Connections

Featured in Wilde Salomé (2011)

User Reviews

Fabulous hoax

Peter Jackson and Costa Boeates decided to make this great mockumentary about a man called Colin McKenzie, a man who invented such things as color film, audio film and above all, made the first full length feature movie.

Apparently it was quite a successful hoax in New Zealand, people really did buy it. And I really can't blame them, as most of the fabricated film material really looks like almost hundred years old, almost destroyed film.

And there are some very convincing famous film people, like Sam Neil, telling their knowledge of this McKenzie.

Even the tone of the film isn't actually very funny, even thought there are some things in it that are so absurd, that they make you laugh.

Over all well made mockumentary.