A pseudo-documentary from Peter Jackson (Dead Alive, Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners), Forgotten Silver tells the story of pioneering New Zealand filmmaker Colin McKenzie, the unheralded inventor of the tracking shot, color film, and synchronized sound. McKenzie, of course, never existed, but this doesn't stop Jackson's film from paying loving homage to him, his inventions, and his lost epic, Salome. Jackson does a terrific job simulating the look of early films, creating a dead-on, straight-faced parody of modern film documentaries—complete with contributions from Sam Neill, Harvey Weinstein, and Leonard Maltin. If there's a problem with Forgotten Silver, it's that it's sometimes too straight-faced, with the stretches between laughs a little too prolonged. It's still entertaining, however, especially for those familiar with the period. No film knowledge is required to enjoy the tape's bonus short film, Signing Off, which is an intricate, well-staged bit of slapstick comedy concerning an elderly DJ's last day on the radio. It's also from New Zealand, and it's a nice throwback to the silent comedies parodied in Forgotten Silver.