I can see how some people are annoyed by crop circles. Anything that seems difficult to explain could throw them into a panic of uncertainty or cause them to fear that too many people are losing their wits and too many others profiting from it. OK. There is no reason, though, for divisive arguing over movies. I found the Mel Gibson vehicle fun, even thought provoking, and let it go at that. This documentary is fun, too. Being a documentary, though, it tends to raise questions that are not that easy to answer, even questions that should be answered. For instance, is everybody in this movie lying? They would just about have to be, or there is something uncanny going on. Either way, it's nice to see the signs of strangeness presented graphically for a change. The aerial photography really helps, as do the pictures of oddly effected plant stalks. The characters we meet along the way are personable and more-or-less convincing. The director has said that this movie took about two years to make, so I trust he did not get on the band-wagon just for the money, or anything. Put it on the biggest screen you can find and just enjoy.
13 Reviews
Worth the money
fphinney23 September 2002
Was hesitant to see this film. It got a "C" rating in the local paper. Was very glad I went. The professional review I read was by a person that I think was ASSIGNED to review it. Obviously, he had no enthusiasm for the film.
I think this type of review is very unfair to the general public.
This was a documentary. I thought it was very well done. The director interviewed on camera, a wide variety of experts in this field. It became rapidly obvious, that these people were very serious & most of them added a lot to the documentary. A good deal of them had impressive credentials.
The documentary covered almost 20 years of crop circles. This amounts to maybe thousands of circles.
For me, the story just kept on getting more & more interesting. Quite a few times, I uttered amazement out loud. I couldn't help myself.
The director's film convinced me, that most (if not all) circles are NOT man-made. The circles he displayed became more & more intricate with each passing year. The circle near the end of the film should convince most that at least this particular one was not man-made.
While his film didn't interview any human crop circle makers, he did show why most COULDN'T be man-made.
I think this type of review is very unfair to the general public.
This was a documentary. I thought it was very well done. The director interviewed on camera, a wide variety of experts in this field. It became rapidly obvious, that these people were very serious & most of them added a lot to the documentary. A good deal of them had impressive credentials.
The documentary covered almost 20 years of crop circles. This amounts to maybe thousands of circles.
For me, the story just kept on getting more & more interesting. Quite a few times, I uttered amazement out loud. I couldn't help myself.
The director's film convinced me, that most (if not all) circles are NOT man-made. The circles he displayed became more & more intricate with each passing year. The circle near the end of the film should convince most that at least this particular one was not man-made.
While his film didn't interview any human crop circle makers, he did show why most COULDN'T be man-made.
A Skeptic No More
jotomaya28 February 2003
I challenge anyone with a skeptical opinion about crop circle phenomena to watch this film and, afterward, continue to hold onto their pre-film opinions. This film has the capacity to change even the most hardened skeptic's mind about crop circles. I, myself, without ever really researching the topic, had always suspected human involvement in these events. This film very convincingly discounted this theory and presented several other very sensible theories put forth by competent scientists across the full spectrum of scinetific discipline from physics to biochemistry. It inspired me to do further research into the matter to develop a more educated opinion on whether the world's population is handling this phenomena with the necessary amount of respect and openness. I never realized before watching this film that there are so many hundreds of these circles and designs appearing year after year all over the world, and my pre-film assumption (probably a common assumption) that there are only two prevailing theories - humans or aliens - was dead wrong.
The director appeared for a post-film question/answer session at the screening I attended in Ann Arbor on the campus of the University of Michigan. He was very knowledgeable and exhibited professionalism while he explained why he was convinced that only some of the thousands of crop circles are man-made. The audience was largely U 0f M faculty, students, and alumni whose questions were extremely thoughtful and articulate and he responded very intelligently on their level. In fact, one of the biochemists cited (but not interviewed) in the movie as a proponent of one of the alternative theories (the most sensible one, in my opinion) was a top researcher at the U of Michigan. I think a lot of people left that theater with their minds changed about crop circles.
A definite must-see.
The director appeared for a post-film question/answer session at the screening I attended in Ann Arbor on the campus of the University of Michigan. He was very knowledgeable and exhibited professionalism while he explained why he was convinced that only some of the thousands of crop circles are man-made. The audience was largely U 0f M faculty, students, and alumni whose questions were extremely thoughtful and articulate and he responded very intelligently on their level. In fact, one of the biochemists cited (but not interviewed) in the movie as a proponent of one of the alternative theories (the most sensible one, in my opinion) was a top researcher at the U of Michigan. I think a lot of people left that theater with their minds changed about crop circles.
A definite must-see.
The Best Crop Circle Documentary I have Seen!!!!!
tovenaar-110 March 2005
This is the definitive DVD on Crop Circles. For those with an open mind this excellent documentary will surely convince you of this magnificent phenomenon. Along with excellent images of the various circles, they give all the facts about what makes these circles so special, right down to the molecular structure of the plants. There is no WAY in this World that a couple of old men are creating the intricate images in the fields, without being caught after 30 or more years. Just look at the images and there sizes. I'm not sure about the US version DVD, but the Australian version has nearly 2 hours of extra interviews and images of Crop Circles. Highly recommended.
May be the most important film you ever see
howard.schumann16 March 2003
Complex geometric linear and circular patterns in which vegetation is squeezed flat against the ground have appeared overnight in wheat and cornfields in 70 countries worldwide over the last 25 years. These designs, generically referred to as crop circles, seem to be created out of nothing and originate from nowhere. They are exquisite works of art but who is the artist? In his documentary, Crop Circles: Quest for Truth, Oscar nominee William Gazecki (WACO, The Rules of Engagement) interviews researchers, scientists, philosophers, and laymen in an attempt to unravel the mystery of their origin and nature. Gazecki does not approach his subject from a journalistic framework, presenting pros and cons in a conventional matter, but as a filmmaker who is telling a story with astounding implications. There are no easy answers. The formations seem to reflect a Sacred Geometry incorporating the Phi or Golden ratio that exists in ancient architecture and art and throughout terrestrial biology including human body structure. As one researcher states, "there is a force or energy at work that is governed by principles that are beyond the capacity of human beings".
Crop Circles: Quest for Truth begins with archival footage of single circles from the 1980s, and then continues through the next decade, showing the deepening intricacy of the pictograms. The patterns have now evolved to the point where in August 2001 a formation appeared at Milk Hill, Wiltshire containing 409 circles making up a wheel design that is larger than two football fields. The film displays the largest collection of crop formations ever seen on screen and includes footage of strange balls of light hovering above the ground in areas where crop circles later appear. Though the documentary is a bit academic in places, tending toward the scientific and technical, the formations themselves are so breathtakingly beautiful that the film becomes an awesome experience.
Gazecki interviews scientists who look at changes in the plants or soil that are both physical and molecular, characteristics that have yet to be reproduced by man-made designs. They also discuss germination anomalies, cellular anomalies, intricate and well-structured lengthening of the nodes, exploded nodes, burn marks, and even unnatural radioactivity, all of which cannot be the result of simple mechanical flattening. The documentary considers alternative theories such as plasma vortex, the circles as three-dimensional shadows of a four-dimensional object, and electromagnetic energy from the Earth but does not spend much time with them. Also mentioned but not probed is the possibility that the patterns are man-made. It would have been interesting to hear from those who openly create circles and see how and why they do what they do. One researcher mentions that if crop circles were to be hoaxed, they would all have to be done night after night without any mistakes or partial designs and completed in five hours. This is without being discovered, leaving footprints, or being detected in any way.
Gazecki is not in doubt that some kind of conscious intelligence is at work, dancing with us, playing with us, allowing us to confront what is possible in the universe. The film, however, does not support oversimplified hypotheses like ETs or UFOs but prefers to view the phenomenon as simply an unknown. As one researcher explains, whether or not we ever succeed in unraveling the code, the very act of asking "why" allows us to expand our consciousness, and this may be the real purpose behind it. The crop circles may indeed be "mandalas of the mind", a term that Buddhists describe as "a representation of the universe, a consecrated area that serves as a collection point of universal forces guiding man towards a state of enlightenment or awakening".
Whatever its ultimate source, the appearance of the formations has made us aware that we live in a universe that is full of mystery and wonder, that science and conventional religion may not have all the answers, and that we all have a cosmic source that is now beckoning to us. Crop Circles: Quest for Truth is not a slick entertainment package and it does not flow smoothly, but it is an intelligent and probing look at one of the most intriguing mysteries facing our planet. If you see this film and I recommend that you do, please watch it with an open mind. It may be the most important film you ever see.
Crop Circles: Quest for Truth begins with archival footage of single circles from the 1980s, and then continues through the next decade, showing the deepening intricacy of the pictograms. The patterns have now evolved to the point where in August 2001 a formation appeared at Milk Hill, Wiltshire containing 409 circles making up a wheel design that is larger than two football fields. The film displays the largest collection of crop formations ever seen on screen and includes footage of strange balls of light hovering above the ground in areas where crop circles later appear. Though the documentary is a bit academic in places, tending toward the scientific and technical, the formations themselves are so breathtakingly beautiful that the film becomes an awesome experience.
Gazecki interviews scientists who look at changes in the plants or soil that are both physical and molecular, characteristics that have yet to be reproduced by man-made designs. They also discuss germination anomalies, cellular anomalies, intricate and well-structured lengthening of the nodes, exploded nodes, burn marks, and even unnatural radioactivity, all of which cannot be the result of simple mechanical flattening. The documentary considers alternative theories such as plasma vortex, the circles as three-dimensional shadows of a four-dimensional object, and electromagnetic energy from the Earth but does not spend much time with them. Also mentioned but not probed is the possibility that the patterns are man-made. It would have been interesting to hear from those who openly create circles and see how and why they do what they do. One researcher mentions that if crop circles were to be hoaxed, they would all have to be done night after night without any mistakes or partial designs and completed in five hours. This is without being discovered, leaving footprints, or being detected in any way.
Gazecki is not in doubt that some kind of conscious intelligence is at work, dancing with us, playing with us, allowing us to confront what is possible in the universe. The film, however, does not support oversimplified hypotheses like ETs or UFOs but prefers to view the phenomenon as simply an unknown. As one researcher explains, whether or not we ever succeed in unraveling the code, the very act of asking "why" allows us to expand our consciousness, and this may be the real purpose behind it. The crop circles may indeed be "mandalas of the mind", a term that Buddhists describe as "a representation of the universe, a consecrated area that serves as a collection point of universal forces guiding man towards a state of enlightenment or awakening".
Whatever its ultimate source, the appearance of the formations has made us aware that we live in a universe that is full of mystery and wonder, that science and conventional religion may not have all the answers, and that we all have a cosmic source that is now beckoning to us. Crop Circles: Quest for Truth is not a slick entertainment package and it does not flow smoothly, but it is an intelligent and probing look at one of the most intriguing mysteries facing our planet. If you see this film and I recommend that you do, please watch it with an open mind. It may be the most important film you ever see.
Beautiful pictures and dubious science
quantumpeep5 November 2004
I was disappointed with this movie. Despite the tagline 'Quest for Truth,' William Gazecki focuses primarily on a number of 'author/researchers' (as many of the descriptions seem to say) who all very much believe they are supernatural or extraterrestrial without much discussion of them as possible hoaxes. The science was dubious at best, but unfortunately, many of the statements were framed as scientific. Discussion of geometry and magnetic anomalies sound convincing without saying too much. Patterns do appear in nature, but they are also based on physical law, and didn't I see some humanoid forms in these geometrical crop circles? In one frustrating example, a researcher shows a linear plot consistent with the Beer-Lambert law (which she does not state accurately) and says that the cause is therefore radiation. The plot, with its compressed y axis and fairly low R-squared value, is not clearly linear, and even if it were, no true scientist would then conclude that it *must* therefore be a radiation effect. There are many examples of jargon thrown around a little too loosely. Although the science is shaky, there are many beautiful crop circles shown amazing even as works of art -- and some interesting discussion about their origin. Unfortunately, it was discussion amongst people who essentially agree with each other.
the best money can buy
boopi30 June 2005
This is by far the best and most complete compilation of crop circles in a movie that can be found - OK, when there were over thousand crop circles out there it becomes obvious that even this represents only a little part of it, but the different figures are in it - even if there will always remain people discussing the scientific aspect of those 'over-night-happenings' and losing all senses for the circles themselves there cannot be much doubt that they are not human made, even if there was 'dad & son' claiming they had done all the crop circles, as well in the United Kingdom and probably all over the rest of the world and this for the last 25 years now...but why did all the media stop at almost the same time to report about it? Even if some of them were hoaxes, or even if they ALL were hoaxes, the media often don't know anymore about what to report to fill up the 'summer hole' - so why not at least once a year report about the newest circles, to show how wonderful they are? why not make calendars with it? everything is commercialized, so why not the circles ( i don't talk about the local store...)? I remember having seen this on TV-news some 20 years ago and was convinced that this had only happened at that time...after doing some research i was astonished to see that this happened ALL the time over and over again and nobody talks or even knows about it. At least strange, isn't it?
Premise is a total lie (contains spoilers)
truthsee14 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
As someone who has made crop circles watching this documentary was a must. It claims it is a "movie" yet is shot roughly on low-definition video so does not deserve that title. Then it claims to be a "quest for truth" but only looks at one side of the argument - the side that says crop circles cannot be made by people, yet neglects to interview any of the people who make them. Clearly this is more a quest for Bias then! Some of the characters interviewed in this docu have in the past have been exposed for title fraud. Prof Glickman wasn't a professor and Dr Levengood wasn't a Doctor.
I met William Gazecki (the director) when he was making this film. Firstly he did interview circlemakers but got a researcher to do the interviews hiding the fact that this was for this documentary so we were interviewed under false pretences. Then the producer (Suzanne Taylor) was soon after our interviews boasting that those interviews would NEVER be included as she was paying the money for the project. I asked Gazecki if our interviews would go in the finished piece. He said absolutely they would as he would not be controlled by Taylor the producer. Did the interviews appear in the finished piece... No they did not. So clearly this was a paid for piece of biased vanity press.
If one wants to see a classic example of why crop circles have never been taken seriously be any REAL BONAFIDE scientists then listen to the presentations put forth in this video. Natural biophysical effects such as Phototropism ( a plants ability to correct itself back up towards the sun after being laid flat), this is described as UFO electromagnetics and microwave power. Total poppycock! Why would any real plant scientist take any of it seriously when this is the mainstay argument these circles believers put forth? If I had my way this type of obfusaction of evidence would be taken off the shelves because it is fraudulently taking your money to peddle you snake oil concepts which are well known to be wrong by people who have been exposed as liars in the past.
I personally would not pay to see this.
I met William Gazecki (the director) when he was making this film. Firstly he did interview circlemakers but got a researcher to do the interviews hiding the fact that this was for this documentary so we were interviewed under false pretences. Then the producer (Suzanne Taylor) was soon after our interviews boasting that those interviews would NEVER be included as she was paying the money for the project. I asked Gazecki if our interviews would go in the finished piece. He said absolutely they would as he would not be controlled by Taylor the producer. Did the interviews appear in the finished piece... No they did not. So clearly this was a paid for piece of biased vanity press.
If one wants to see a classic example of why crop circles have never been taken seriously be any REAL BONAFIDE scientists then listen to the presentations put forth in this video. Natural biophysical effects such as Phototropism ( a plants ability to correct itself back up towards the sun after being laid flat), this is described as UFO electromagnetics and microwave power. Total poppycock! Why would any real plant scientist take any of it seriously when this is the mainstay argument these circles believers put forth? If I had my way this type of obfusaction of evidence would be taken off the shelves because it is fraudulently taking your money to peddle you snake oil concepts which are well known to be wrong by people who have been exposed as liars in the past.
I personally would not pay to see this.
This film WILL change you
fineanimal22 February 2004
Unlike most modern documentaries, Crop Circles: Quest For Truth does not attempt to provide viewers with a balanced look at both sides of a controversial issue. Instead, it focuses almost exclusively on the side you will never see in the mass media, and that is perfectly appropriate in this case. For the evidence provided is so overwhelmingly compelling that any attempt to balance it with the mass media "hoax" theory would have been an utter waste of time.
Crop Circles is everything a great documentary ought to be: it annihilates your pre-conceived notions of the subject under consideration and leaves you faced with the indisputable truth whether you like it or not. Even if no scientists or researchers had been interviewed, and if no history of crop circle appearances were presented, the sheer volume and complexity of the crop circle images themselves make it obvious to any thinking person that these are not hoaxes. Unless you assume that these images and, indeed, the film itself were a hoax, the viewer simply cannot deny that something we don't understand it as work here. This is not a fuzzy 16mm film of Bigfoot walking through the woods. What William Gazecki gives us is a comprehensive visual catalog of every type of crop circle geometry that has been found over the past 30 years. Every time you think you've seen it all, the patterns become even more intricate and beautiful. An absolutely stunning display of natural--or perhaps supernatural--phenomena.
Although some researchers offer their opinions as to the origin of crop circles, none seem particularly dogmatic, and all seem open to new ideas. I was actually quite surprised by the credibility and sensibility of these researchers. The mass media would have you believe these people are kooks, like the UFO landing site researcher in Waiting For Guffman. Yet another reason to avoid the mass media when you're interested in truth.
The DVD special features add even more to the intrigue with film footage of military helicopters harassing researchers. Why would the government want to stop people from researching a hoax?
As a film, Crop Circles: Quest For Truth has several flaws, from interviews filled with distractions to lengthy scene transitions that repeatedly make you wonder whether your DVD player has frozen. Most frustrating of all, the sound level is very low, and I had to connect a different amplifier to get a comfortable volume. But the content here is so extraordinary that none of this matters. Gazecki's film is a masterpiece because it completely unravels in less than two hours a "hoax" theory that has taken the mass media/government/skeptics years to foist upon the masses.
Watch it and be changed.
Crop Circles is everything a great documentary ought to be: it annihilates your pre-conceived notions of the subject under consideration and leaves you faced with the indisputable truth whether you like it or not. Even if no scientists or researchers had been interviewed, and if no history of crop circle appearances were presented, the sheer volume and complexity of the crop circle images themselves make it obvious to any thinking person that these are not hoaxes. Unless you assume that these images and, indeed, the film itself were a hoax, the viewer simply cannot deny that something we don't understand it as work here. This is not a fuzzy 16mm film of Bigfoot walking through the woods. What William Gazecki gives us is a comprehensive visual catalog of every type of crop circle geometry that has been found over the past 30 years. Every time you think you've seen it all, the patterns become even more intricate and beautiful. An absolutely stunning display of natural--or perhaps supernatural--phenomena.
Although some researchers offer their opinions as to the origin of crop circles, none seem particularly dogmatic, and all seem open to new ideas. I was actually quite surprised by the credibility and sensibility of these researchers. The mass media would have you believe these people are kooks, like the UFO landing site researcher in Waiting For Guffman. Yet another reason to avoid the mass media when you're interested in truth.
The DVD special features add even more to the intrigue with film footage of military helicopters harassing researchers. Why would the government want to stop people from researching a hoax?
As a film, Crop Circles: Quest For Truth has several flaws, from interviews filled with distractions to lengthy scene transitions that repeatedly make you wonder whether your DVD player has frozen. Most frustrating of all, the sound level is very low, and I had to connect a different amplifier to get a comfortable volume. But the content here is so extraordinary that none of this matters. Gazecki's film is a masterpiece because it completely unravels in less than two hours a "hoax" theory that has taken the mass media/government/skeptics years to foist upon the masses.
Watch it and be changed.
a definite must see
widescreenguy9 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
I live in London Canada, not the other London so alas, I cant check out a crop circle for myself. But this film is the next best thing.
I remember a news item about the crop circle hoaxers and that had made me a skeptic but luckily I decided to rent this video and I must say I am a complete convert. So much so I went out and bought the video at full retail and plan to lend it to family and friends.
The film leaves many questions unanswered and once you get past the opinions and views of the interviewees in the film, the one prime question remaining is 'where did they come from? An interesting aspect brought out in the video is that the circles are becoming more complex in their design. One investigator shows via 3D animation how the circles are 2 dimensional representations of 3 dimensional objects. Alignments with magnetic north and major archeological artifacts is also explored.
Crop circles are appearing around the world, in different seasons, and in increasingly complex patterns. You have to see this documentary at least once and if you *ever* get a chance to check out an authentic circle then do so, they only last a few weeks on average.
Spoiler !
Bent stems, microscopic spheres embedded in the grain, no mistakes, no unfinished designs, no practice work ever found. Perhaps one day we will discover or be shown the source of these magnificent works of art..
I remember a news item about the crop circle hoaxers and that had made me a skeptic but luckily I decided to rent this video and I must say I am a complete convert. So much so I went out and bought the video at full retail and plan to lend it to family and friends.
The film leaves many questions unanswered and once you get past the opinions and views of the interviewees in the film, the one prime question remaining is 'where did they come from? An interesting aspect brought out in the video is that the circles are becoming more complex in their design. One investigator shows via 3D animation how the circles are 2 dimensional representations of 3 dimensional objects. Alignments with magnetic north and major archeological artifacts is also explored.
Crop circles are appearing around the world, in different seasons, and in increasingly complex patterns. You have to see this documentary at least once and if you *ever* get a chance to check out an authentic circle then do so, they only last a few weeks on average.
Spoiler !
Bent stems, microscopic spheres embedded in the grain, no mistakes, no unfinished designs, no practice work ever found. Perhaps one day we will discover or be shown the source of these magnificent works of art..
Great documentary! The special features on the DVD are really sweet especially the Photo Gallery!
Movie Nuttball12 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The Documentary program called Crop Circles: Quest for Truth is great program! Colin Andrews and many others investigates the phenomena of the Crop Circles and shows the people talking about the extraterrestrial activity and many of the people express their feelings and opinions on what they they really are. There are countless crop circles today and there has been for thousands of years. The programed has many, many beautiful crop circles and more! I believe the footage of these signs are legit and are real. This is really a great program. If you love Crop Circles, Aliens, UFOs, and Documentaries this I strongly recommend that you go to Amazon.com and purchase this DVD!
Movie Nuttball's NOTE:
On the DVD there are many special features a special Photo Gallery which is not your normal gallery as it is live shots shown from the a chopper with some of the greatest music playing to fit the spectacular signs Also other features includes Colin Andrews talking about the CIA, Helecopters and the mysterious Balls of Light, interviews with the director William Gazecki and more!
Movie Nuttball's NOTE:
On the DVD there are many special features a special Photo Gallery which is not your normal gallery as it is live shots shown from the a chopper with some of the greatest music playing to fit the spectacular signs Also other features includes Colin Andrews talking about the CIA, Helecopters and the mysterious Balls of Light, interviews with the director William Gazecki and more!
Space Between Circles
tedg19 March 2011
The documentary is an elastic category that doesn't know itself. Like the crop circles that are the subject of this one, they in more or less intriguing and attractive manner, secure that our need for a "message" will impose a narrative.
Nominally, documentarians are journalists, the vanguard of history. Often that means that this viewer imposes an alternative narrative, because the one presented by the filmmaker fails. I recently saw an award-winning film on the financial meltdown and I was channeled into a revery about the attractiveness of fundamentalist religion and politics.
Now here we have that very story: some extreme supernatural intelligence is giving us a message. And you know what, I liked it because it was so transparent. Especially toward the end, it resembled the Hale-Bopp videos of the soon-to-commit-suicide members of Heaven's Gate. It may be that this filmmaker decided to make a film about delusion. After all, the crop circles follow exclusively human trends and fashionable design trends. Many of their makers have come forward, and signs of their construction are obvious. Some of the more prominent former believers have admitted defeat, so this decision must have been conscious.
Then the whole film merged with another award winning documentary, another goof. This one ("Exit through the Gift Shop") was also a hoax perpetrated with the assistance of an on screen character. It was an exploration of the power of anonymous art, deliberately puzzling and confrontationally and surreptitiously put in the public eye.
Narrative has power. It moves from film to film, being to being, truth to desire overwhelming whatever constraints are placed in its way.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
Nominally, documentarians are journalists, the vanguard of history. Often that means that this viewer imposes an alternative narrative, because the one presented by the filmmaker fails. I recently saw an award-winning film on the financial meltdown and I was channeled into a revery about the attractiveness of fundamentalist religion and politics.
Now here we have that very story: some extreme supernatural intelligence is giving us a message. And you know what, I liked it because it was so transparent. Especially toward the end, it resembled the Hale-Bopp videos of the soon-to-commit-suicide members of Heaven's Gate. It may be that this filmmaker decided to make a film about delusion. After all, the crop circles follow exclusively human trends and fashionable design trends. Many of their makers have come forward, and signs of their construction are obvious. Some of the more prominent former believers have admitted defeat, so this decision must have been conscious.
Then the whole film merged with another award winning documentary, another goof. This one ("Exit through the Gift Shop") was also a hoax perpetrated with the assistance of an on screen character. It was an exploration of the power of anonymous art, deliberately puzzling and confrontationally and surreptitiously put in the public eye.
Narrative has power. It moves from film to film, being to being, truth to desire overwhelming whatever constraints are placed in its way.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
Awesome! Absolutely hilarious!
smhill20 May 2007
If you liked Spinal Tap you'll love this, very similar in style. It plays like a documentary, presenting the most ludicrous opinions and over the top exaggerations of academics, yet plays it serious and with a straight face the whole time.
One of my favorite bits is when describing how folks in the "olden days" would have attributed these to the devil or supernatural evil out of ignorance, people today do the same by assuming it is... wait for it... a hoax! Brilliant timing in the delivery.
Some of the dialog is a little over the top and drags out a but, but still funny.
The caricatures are brilliant, they hit all the classics. The smoking, gravely voice lady spouting pretend science about unrelated minutia with her boxes of "evidence". The British 'philosopher' who continually spouts 'deep' thoughts in what he clearly thinks profound, (kind of plays it like a Hugh Laurie creation from A Bit of Fry & Laurie), but utter nonsense. The 'Glickman' character at the beginning and end who is a classic stereotypical paranoid/ delusional who at home pushing a shopping cart around a downtown area asking for change and complaining about the transmitters in his teeth. (his bit at the start about being affronted by thing represented by initials). And last but not least the computer geek, with his talk about 5 dimensional space and silly animations. All the talk about the "advanced math" is just great. All these apparently educated, academic types who are just amazed and astounded by grade school geometry. Almost a Monty Python feel at that point.
And ironic fun with title is brilliant as well, "quest for the truth". I don't think once they ever mention or bring up or dismiss the simple truth, but instead have 5 dimension crafts flying through the earth and every other crazy other explanation they can dream up.
It also reminds be a bit of Comic Book : The Movie. In the sense that while they are completely mocking the crop circle nuts, they never really get mean about it. It is funny and light hearted.
Definitely a fun watch. My only minor complaint is that is a little long in parts.
One of my favorite bits is when describing how folks in the "olden days" would have attributed these to the devil or supernatural evil out of ignorance, people today do the same by assuming it is... wait for it... a hoax! Brilliant timing in the delivery.
Some of the dialog is a little over the top and drags out a but, but still funny.
The caricatures are brilliant, they hit all the classics. The smoking, gravely voice lady spouting pretend science about unrelated minutia with her boxes of "evidence". The British 'philosopher' who continually spouts 'deep' thoughts in what he clearly thinks profound, (kind of plays it like a Hugh Laurie creation from A Bit of Fry & Laurie), but utter nonsense. The 'Glickman' character at the beginning and end who is a classic stereotypical paranoid/ delusional who at home pushing a shopping cart around a downtown area asking for change and complaining about the transmitters in his teeth. (his bit at the start about being affronted by thing represented by initials). And last but not least the computer geek, with his talk about 5 dimensional space and silly animations. All the talk about the "advanced math" is just great. All these apparently educated, academic types who are just amazed and astounded by grade school geometry. Almost a Monty Python feel at that point.
And ironic fun with title is brilliant as well, "quest for the truth". I don't think once they ever mention or bring up or dismiss the simple truth, but instead have 5 dimension crafts flying through the earth and every other crazy other explanation they can dream up.
It also reminds be a bit of Comic Book : The Movie. In the sense that while they are completely mocking the crop circle nuts, they never really get mean about it. It is funny and light hearted.
Definitely a fun watch. My only minor complaint is that is a little long in parts.
See also
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