Phenomenon: The Lost Archives

I've only watched two episodes of this series of supposed government suppressed secrets finally revealed. The first thing that comes to mind is Dean Stockwell must have had lots of open time in his schedule as this certainly isn't going to help his resume'. It's a low budget affair to be sure, however it brings up broad validity that inquiring minds have known and wondered why there wasn't more interest in.

I say supposed secrets revealed because they intimate that the information comes from recently unearthed files. What files? There is never an actual reference to any particular information revealed in any particular document by what mechanism...Did someone seek something using the infamous"freedom of information act"? If the producers are going to insinuate this they need something more concrete for credibility sake. As general information it's fine...As entertainment it's revealing. In fact, it's the revealing nature of the show that partially redeems it. The show addresses issues that shouldn't be swept under the rug and others that demand our immediate attention. There is some "gold" in several of the quotes in the first episode regarding the joint Soviet and U.S. collaboration on the hilariously y named "International Space Station". Wally Shirais on camera telling us it was designed as the Taj Mahal and ended up an outhouse. I couldn't have read tens of thousands of pages of evidence myself and come up with a better synopsis. Dan Goldin, at the time the head of NASA, tells us exactly what NASA should be providing unbelievable irony as to what the first Bush and Clinton administrations turned NASA into during their watches. If you remember the part of what Goldin said when watching a much later episode regarding Tesla's quest for zero point energy you will get the feeling that if monies wasted on the joint space debacle were spent in achieving limitless free energy we wouldn't be worried right now about impending $5 gallon gas and transportation costs that are driving everyday staples, most obvious groceries, in the stratosphere. Also, Goldin's quote on NASA's to understand weather and natural calamities better is eeirly much more painful as the world has endured a five year period of unprecedented catastrophes in just these areas. Where is the understanding he said NASA has as part of its mandate regarding any of these occurrences? So, this show, though sloppily produced and noticeably underfunded, does have some value as to bringing up very pertinent holes in the way our government has squandered the mandate it has to serve and the populace. It is mostly entertaining, but, hopefully it will serve as a "wake-up" call to use our resources much more wisely in a way that will point to a better future. Bottom line: If we fail to learn from our mistakes we are doomed to repeat them. Time has a way of making repeat mistakes exponentially worse too. Recommended with caveats.

The stories here are clearly intended to be thought provoking and entertaining. Where else might one see an episode reporting on how many nuclear bombs have been lost over the years and in another episode, get a newtake on cult suicide, like what happened in Jonestown, Guyana. The shows don't seem to have access to the most compelling visual b-roll, in some programs, while in others the footage secured around obscure and under the radar programs like HAARP are inspiring. In having read some of the reviews here, it's clear that those making their comments are looking for straight forward documentaries, while these shows very clearly, through tone and through narration, bill themselves as "torn from the pages of history" not as actual CNN type reporting. F for Fake was an iconic motion picture by Orson Wells that taunted us by providing factual evidence of conspiracy, than creating convolution with fictions that were plausible, however unlikely. Phenomenon: The Lost Archives can't be referred to as fake news, as one rather silly reviewer stated, as it clearly is not news. It is a sensational look at what has been and what could be, were the facts to be considered from another perspective. Ina ll, it is what it was intended to be, an entertaining conspiracy theory series with some inspired and visionary moments.