The Truth Is Out There

This documentary is an interesting story following Dean Haglund and filmmaker Phil Leirness as they journey through the world of UFO conventions and conspiracy theories. I was lucky enough to attend the Premiere in London, as part of the SCI-FI-London Film Festival (2011).

As some have already mentioned it isn't a definitive guide to the conspiracy theories at large, I don't think it is meant to be, there are just too many of them. The movie however shows a more "relaxed" side to a diversity of people who have strong beliefs in what they see as their own truth and as the documentary unfolds, we see Dean's own journey progress with each encounter. With interviews from interesting people from all over the globe, it's warm, funny and scary at times.

I like the way the movie seems to stay in neutral territory and allow the interviews to take on a life of their own, giving the individuals their own space to express themselves. With so many different, passionate stories, its hard not to be entertained and appreciate this piece of work.

Full disclosure: I know the director and count him as a good friend. I am not what you'd call a movie buff, and don't sit around thinking deep thoughts about character development or lighting. I gave it a nine because tens don't exist.

I went to the premier of this film in San Jose (perhaps Cupertino...but that only matters if you know where Cupertino is, and the people in Cupertino don't even know). I will tell all of you what I told Phil Lierness: I didn't stop thinking about the film for at least 24 hrs after seeing it. It was very thought provoking, challenging and it did indeed surprise me. My reaction to the people was wholly unexpected...much more accepting and a lot less dismissive than I thought. A good night, watching both the film and the subsequent podcast with Dean and Phil (who have an amazing rapport), and some lessons well learned.

And that's all I got to say about that.

Dean Haglund became something of a poster boy for conspiracy theories through his role as Langly in The X-Files and its spin off, The Lone Gunmen. Unlike any of his co-stars from the shows, Dean, an improv, stand-up comedian as well as actor, is the only one who still actively "investigates" conspiracy theories and the quest for truth, which is what this documentary is all about: Dean's quest to find out if there is any truth behind the conspiracy theories. This is a huge topic to cover in a single doc, or to arrive at any definitive answer. To a certain extent, this film only addresses the more popular conspiracy theories as Dean interviews lots of "experts" in the different fields, nearly all of whom, coincidentally, have something to sell, and some of whom are clearly a few cents short of a dollar, but they all given a forum to express their ideas.

Given his occupation as a stand-up comedian, Dean is a gentle interviewer and allows his subjects to speak openly and without interruption so they possibly reveal more than they would under closer scrutiny. While most of the film's investigation looks at outward manifestations of the quest for the "Truth", thankfully some people do point out that the real search is an inward journey. Unfortunately, this idea is often lost amongst all the other talk.

For anyone who has questions about what is going on in the world around them, and doesn't buy into the version we are sold by the mass media, this film is a perfect primer that covers most of the more interesting topics in a cohesive overview. There is no shortage of docs that go into more depth on the any of the subjects, but there is plenty here to pique one's interest and to seek these other films out, many of which are available on general DVD release.

Some people complain that at 141 minutes it is too long, but there are plenty of fiction features that exceed that and give you nothing more than flashy visuals and no substance. This is a veritable smorgasbord of information that is easy to digest but will probably leave you craving more - or at least it should for anyone with an enquiring mind.

To its credit, the film doesn't go in with any preconceived agenda it is trying to push, it simply asks the questions and listens to the answers and leaves the viewer to make their own decisions. it even presents conflicting ideas on the same subject. Such impartiality is very refreshing in this type of doc and should be seen as a strength and not a weakness.

This is an interesting film by an accomplished film maker (Phil Leirness). I enjoyed the film even though i had little interest in Dean Haglund. The first half of the film is more focused on the chaotic nature of Dean's life and the interest of his fans. As the film develops more time is given to the deeper concepts such as: Why do some people feel the need to dis-trust government so much? Whats important in life?

Also, the film considers questions like: Do some people behave in such a way because they have empty lives? When they get to the "answer" to their "question" will they feel better?

I found the questions and answers the film looked to answer and found to be helpful, and am happy that film makers have the time to make films that are able to question issues such as these.

At the end of the film i came to the conclusion (mostly thanks to the scenes of Dean's brother-in-law and sister) that life is short and the smaller we keep our view of the world the more likely our lives are to be happy. Complicating our lives with things we have no chance of changing or understanding only makes us unhappy.

Not what I expected...better! Dean is the perfect "investigator" for this subject - conspiracy theories! He brings his personal blend of insight, irreverence, honesty, empathy, and comedy to bear with a series of interesting (to say the least) conspiracy theorists! Even though the film is over 2 hours long, the pacing keeps you glued to the screen. The production quality is top notch, first rate. Every modern conspiracy theory you've ever heard (and a few you haven't) is explored with some explanations you know, and quite a few you don't! The documentary-style film is entertaining and educational and leaves you wanting more! See it!