"Unbelievable" was the headline for the scathing New York Times review of this inept independent production when it was released. And, it is appropriate -- this movie is almost unbelievably bad: amateurish at every level from the writing to the direction to the acting. The story has something to do with an insurance investigator named Paul Jackson who dies in a car crash and experiences life after death -- which apparently involves living in the woods. He tries to communicate with his wife and daughter and finally manages to do so through a dream.
That's about it for the plot. Frankly, the film is less interesting than the back story. Peter Ballbusch, who wrote the script and plays Stanley Jaeger in the film, was one of Hollywood's most successful montage directors with films such as "Singing in the Rain" and "An American in Paris" to his credit. He was also the leading figure in a loose group of film industry workers that included Andrea Farneses (who plays Paul) and Wesley La Violette (who wrote the music) who were believers in the afterlife. Merle S. Gould, who produced and financed the movie was also a believer, and "conceived the idea of creating a picture to bring the world at large proof of the survival of the human mind." How a fictional movie can bring "proof" of anything is not clear, but the whole endeavor is suffused with an earnestness that only adds to the overall dullness.
That's about it for the plot. Frankly, the film is less interesting than the back story. Peter Ballbusch, who wrote the script and plays Stanley Jaeger in the film, was one of Hollywood's most successful montage directors with films such as "Singing in the Rain" and "An American in Paris" to his credit. He was also the leading figure in a loose group of film industry workers that included Andrea Farneses (who plays Paul) and Wesley La Violette (who wrote the music) who were believers in the afterlife. Merle S. Gould, who produced and financed the movie was also a believer, and "conceived the idea of creating a picture to bring the world at large proof of the survival of the human mind." How a fictional movie can bring "proof" of anything is not clear, but the whole endeavor is suffused with an earnestness that only adds to the overall dullness.
