Showing posts with label Beyond Best Evidence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beyond Best Evidence. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Unified Field Radio appearance



My recent appearance on the Unified Field Radio program with Justin Brown is now available - you can listen in to the episode here. We chatted about Beyond Best Evidence, Best Evidence, ghosts, UFOs, Stan Friedman and the ETH, Mac Tonnies and the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis, and all sorts of other stuff.

The program airs on 88.1 FM (CKDU) in Halifax, Nova Scotia - well worth checking out.

Paul Kimball

Friday, June 17, 2011

Beyond Best Evidence - 24

The final twenty-four hours of the Indie Go Go fundraising campaign for Beyond Best Evidence are upon us, and while we're well short of our goal (an understatement), we're still plugging away!




Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far, or may contribute in the final hours.  Thanks as well to everyone who has plugged the fundraising campaign! Tim Binnall and I are going to make a great film, even if it now takes a bit longer to pull it together. If you want to hear what it's all about, I recommend the current episode of Binnall of America, where Tim and I discuss it at length.

And now, because I'm a huge Paul McCartney fan, I leave you with a favourite song of mine - Macca at his cheekiest.


"Hmm..." some may wonder. "Is Paul trying to convey some hidden message, or deep meaning, or something else, with this selection?"

Nope. It just rocks and rolls, which for me is always more than enough.

Paul Kimball
aka the Mongoose of Ufology

Monday, June 13, 2011

Binnall of America - Paul Kimball & Beyond Best Evidence


I make my return this week to one of my two favourite podcasts, Binnall of America (the other favourite being Radio Misterioso, of course). Here is the description of the episode from Tim:
Full Preview: We kick things off by diving right in to discussion on Beyond Best Evidence, as Paul talks about the 2 month fundraising campaign we have organized and reflects on the process and how things have gone so far. Paul also responds to some specific critics and criticisms of the campaign by explaining more about the origins of the 'crowd sourcing' concept for the film. He then addresses the future of the film, considering the tepid response to the fundraising campaign. Wrapping up the focus on Beyond Best Evidence, Paul then talks about the thematic goals of the film and why it stands apart from the standard cable TV UFO fare.
The conversation then leads to discussion on UFO research, in general, and Paul talks about the 'underground war' between 'Michael Bay Ufology' and the people who are looking at the phenomenon from a different angle. This leads to Paul talking about the paradox and challenges of UFO disclosure that he believes are being ignored by most Ufologists. We then ponder the idea that perhaps the human race, and America in particular, was actually better equipped to deal with the UFO phenomenon back when the modern era started in the late 1940's and 50's. We also examine the issue of Ufology's malaise of recent years and Paul talks about what sort of aspects of the field still excite him.
We then get ultra meta on Ufology and the paranormal by discussing the problems surrounding specialization, trying to understand the unknown, and attempts to win over the mainstream, whether it is science or public interest. Paul then talks about how examining the issue of a non-human intelligence could lead us towards becoming an 'empathic society.' Paul then talks about how people who don't vote don't have a right to complain and draws comparisons from that perspective to the paranormal community, at large.
This leads to some discussion on how some laypeople in the paranormal expect researchers and members of the media to sacrifice their time and money for the 'higher calling' of chasing these mysteries. Going down a different path, we get Paul's take on 2012 and the hype leading up to the big day. Paul ends up discussing Peter Gersten's 2012 suicide plan and the backlash against it from the UFO community. He also talks about how 2012 could allow for personal growth for many people, regardless of what actually happens. In turn, we also examine the question of whether or not the vast majority of people, nowadays, are even capable of that kind of introspection.
Paul also talks about the paradox of perceived power and how the influence of people who create ideas and concepts often outlives the contributions of their contemporaries who wield political power. Given that Paul says this is his last interview regarding Beyond Best Evidence and that BBE will be his last UFO film, we ask the natural question of whether or not this means he is leaving the paranormal behind for good or if he has other plans.
Heading toward the close of the conversation, we break the 4th wall and address the interview, where Paul seemed to talk much more than Binnall, and discuss podcasting, in general. We also talk about where Beyond Best Evidence goes from here, now that the fundraising stage of the project is coming to a close. Wrapping things up, we find out how people can donate to help Beyond Best Evidence get made and things then break down as we talk about BoA:Audio dropping our 'popular' theme music intros as well as the BoA thongs we used to sell when the website first started.
Listen to the full episode here.



As always, great chatting with my good friend Tim, who was doing the podcasting thing before just about anyone else, and thanks to everyone who has contributed to Beyond Best Evidence so far.

Paul Kimball

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Roswell Solved!!

Now that I have your attention...


The choice is yours. Join the team and help Tim and I start a new conversation about what the UFO phenomenon might be, and how it might impact us... or keep talking about things like Roswell, and "disclosure", and government cover-ups. As noted in the previous post, about Bergman and Bay, it's the difference between simply being a consumer of a product (and if you don't think Roswell etc. is a "product", then you should probably move along now...), and being a participant in the creation of something new.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." - John Cage
It's up to you.

Paul Kimball

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Beyond Best Evidence & The Ability To Think For Ourselves



There is now less than a month left in the fundraising campaign for Beyond Best Evidence: The UFO Enigma, and the response has been very disappointing, I'm afraid. I remain hopeful that this home stretch will see a jump that moves us further towards our goal, if perhaps not all the way there, but despite myriad radio appearances to talk about the project (and over 8,000 visitors to this site since the campaign started), and nice write-ups from folks like Greg Taylor at The Daily Grail and Greg Bishop at UFO Mystic, the support hasn't happened (note: many thanks to the hardy "band of brothers" who have contributed so far).

Crowd fundraising developed as a way for filmmakers (and other artists) to maintain an independent voice in a world where media consolidation has diminished the ability to make those voices heard. As I've said before, a film like Beyond Best Evidence, with a thoughtful and intelligent discussion about the UFO phenomenon and all of its possible facets / explanations, simply isn't going to get made in the mainstream media system these days (note: if someone can do a similar film in the same way, I'll happily admit I was wrong). Networks don't try to enlighten these days - they are solely concerned with selling advertising, and sadly, in our consumerist society run amok, that imperative has trumped any other considerations when it comes to documentary filmmaking in particular, especially where it concerns a subject like the UFO phenomenon, which has been tabloidized and commercialized virtually to the point of no return. As a result, we get "reality TV" and what the networks call "factual programming", which is about as close to Orwellian "doublespeak" as you can get.

But maybe that's the world we live in these days. Maybe people are happy to sit back, not get involved, and just digest the grey glop that the multimedia conglomerates feed them. Maybe they don't want to be challenged. Maybe they don't want to think, or confront uncomfortable subjects. Maybe they've forgotten how.

In the New York Times yesterday there was a great opinion column by Charles Blow. In "A Summer to Simmer" Blow wrote:
At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee about oil subsidies, John Watson, C.E.O. of Chevron — which reported last month that first-quarter net income rose 36 percent from the same period last year to $6.21 billion — said that “I don’t think American people want shared sacrifice. I think they want shared prosperity.” The problem is, Mr. Money Bags, that you and other corporate interests are the only ones sharing in the prosperity. For Americans on the lower end of the income spectrum, it’s all sacrifice. 
The people who run these massive corporations - like the health insurance  companies that want to raise health insurance premiums while reporting record profits for a third straight year, even as people forgo critical care - don't want an informed populace. They want slaves to the system.

But what does this have to do with the UFO phenomenon?

On the surface, nothing. But underneath, where free thought exists even in the worst of times, it has everything to do with the UFO phenomenon, because UFOs are something that can't be controlled by those giant monopolistic corporations, and the politicians who have sold their souls to those corporations. UFOS represent something subversive - possibilities that they would prefer we not think about, because if we do, then just maybe we'll start to take a different view of our world, and our lives. In short, we'll start to think for ourselves again.  

Whatever UFOs might be (including the possibility that they can all be explained in prosaic terms), just considering them in a serious and thoughtful way is dangerous to the existing order... and we live in a world where we need a lot more dangerous thinking, because we've been placed in an existential trap, and it's time we tried to find a way out.


Is Beyond Best Evidence: The UFO Enigma going to get us out of that trap? Of course not.  No film can do that, regardless of the subject matter. But it will be a small step in the right direction of reclaiming our ability to imagine a world other than the one that we've been told is the right one, and that's what I've always tried to do as a filmmaker. I don't try to encourage people to agree with me, or anyone else; rather, I encourage them to think for themselves about the world in which we live, even when their conclusions might be different than my own.


Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO Sightings from Paul Kimball on Vimeo.

I wrote at the beginning that I'm very disappointed by the response this campaign has received. The reason isn't because it will take profit away from my company (all profits from the sale of iflm will go to charity), or because I particularly want to spend months traveling and conducting interviews and then editing the film (not exactly the most profitable use of my time and talents), but because I think the film would be important, on a number of levels not just related to the specific question of "what are UFOs?"

Those are the kinds of films that I think should be made. The disappointment stems from the fact that not very many people seem to agree with me...yet. I'm asking for your help over the remaining 27 days to change that, so that we can move forward together,  to raise a little hell.



Words of wisdom from some fellow Canadians!

Paul Kimball

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Journey is the Destination



Posting will probably be a bit less frequent over the next three weeks, as I'll be in Los Angeles on a mix of business and pleasure. A couple of programming notes:

I'll be on Radio Misterioso with my good pal Greg Bishop (and hopefully fellow traveler Walter Bosley as well) on Sunday, June 5th. As always, 8 pm - 10 pm PST / 11 pm - 1 am EST. House of Pies to follow!


Also, a reminder that the IndieGoGo fundraising campaign for Beyond Best Evidence is still going, like the Energizer Bunny. Films require funding, and we need your help on this one, because it's the kind of film that you're just not going to see from the dreaded mainstream media. Come join the team, and help start a new conversation!



In the meantime, stay true to your school, keep your eyes to the skies, and your feet in the clouds. Or something like that!

I'll leave you with a poem I wrote on a previous trip to California:


Remember - if you're not enjoying life, then you're not really living it.

Allons-y!

Paul Kimball

Monday, May 09, 2011

The Other Side of Paul - filmmaking


It isn't all UFO documentaries for me - indeed, as I explain almost everytime I get interviewed, the films I've made about the UFO phenomenon are only a small part of my resume.

Currently, besides Beyond Best Evidence, my company is developing a couple of feature films. I've mentioned the first, Doing Time, here before (it's based on the scifi play I co-wrote with the late Mac Tonnies in 2007). It's taken a back-seat at the moment as we press forward with the other one, a supernatural thriller called The Grey Wall.

Here is the synopsis for The Grey Wall:
The Grey Wall is a supernatural love story about two people who have to find their way out of the purgatory they have created for themselves.
On the surface, Sarah and Sam seem like the perfect young couple. But when Sarah gets her big break as an aspiring actress and begins to spend less time with Sam, he begins to wonder whether he’s good enough for her, particularly as he’s stuck in a dead-end job at a collection agency. Events develop which lead Sarah and Sam into a maelstrom of betrayal and mistrust.

Things take a supernatural turn with the appearance of Lawrence and Lorelei, two supporting characters in Sarah’s play who reveal themselves to be much more than they appear. The world that Sarah and Sam believe to be real is turned upside down, and everything they thought they knew about their lives, and each other, comes unraveled, as the evil Lorelei uses her mysterious powers to set them against each other. Meanwhile, Lawrence offers cryptic advice and help, but refuses to become directly involved for his own reasons.

Ultimately, Sarah and Sam arrive at a moment of truth, where they’ll have to look beyond the “grey wall” of the anger and hurt that they have built between themselves, to once again believe in each other and their love in order to find their way “home”.

If they don’t, Lorelei and an eternal darkness are waiting for them…
Beyond Best Evidence is probably the last film I'll make about UFOs, assuming we raise the money we need. One should never say "never", of course, but there are a lot of other things that I want to do, and at the moment I can't imagine anything about UFOs after I'm done Beyond Best Evidence that would be interesting enough to warrant the year or so that it takes to make a good film.

Paul Kimball

Beyond Best Evidence on the X-Zone


This is an excerpt from my appearance on the X-Zone radio show with host Rob McConnell on Friday, May 6, 2011, wherein I discuss the documentary for which we're currently running a fundraising campaign, Beyond Best Evidence: The UFO Enigma. The conversation goes on from there to cover UFOs in general, and how they might relate to art in particular.

Paul Kimball

Paranormal Cafe appearance



My recent appearance on the Paranormal Cafe radio show, with host Rob Simcox.

Paul Kimball

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Paul Kimball on UFO Encounters with Jim Harold



UFO Encounters, hosted by Jim Harold, is a subscriber-based podcast that I appeared on last week, but Jim has been kind enough to send me the link to the MP3 of the episode for posting. It was a good chat, as we discussed Best Evidence, Beyond Best Evidence, Roswell, the RB47 case, extraterrestrial life, and other subjects. Check out all of Jim's shows at his Paranormal Podcast Network.

Listen to the episode here.

Paul Kimball

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Mac Tonnies in Beyond Best Evidence



In many ways, Mac Tonnies was the inspiration for Beyond Best Evidence. One of the things that we used to discuss frequently was the prospect of a sequel to Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO Sightings, and how it would be structured. My original idea for a sequel was to put together another top 10 list, with the best cases that didn't make the first one, including some of the more "high strangeness" cases. This would have taken it into different territory, but Mac was of the opinion that it didn't go far enough - that it had to leave the cases behind, and talk more about the theories and possible explanations.

While I agreed in principle, I explained to him that it would be a tougher sell to get that kind of film made by a television network, but he didn't relent - he said that I should make the right film, rather han the film that fit what some network might want "right now". I agreed, and put the project on the back-burner, always with the intent that if the time and circumstances were right, I would move forward with it as an independent documentary, with Mac involved from the beginning. He was going to be the narrator, bridging from his appearance at the end of Best Evidence, into the more theoretical realm that he preferred. It was one of the many projects we were working on prior to his tragic death in October, 2009.


Fortunately, Mac will still be an integral part of the film, and not just in the spirit behind it. I'll be digging into the archives of conversations I had with Mac about the UFO phenomenon over the years, and using them as narrative framing segments within the film. Mac was one of the few truly original and open-minded thinkers when it comes to the UFO phenomenon, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to place those views in front of the widest possible audience one more time.

Paul Kimball

Monday, April 25, 2011

Beyond Best Evidence


Join the team, and be part of the journey of discovery from the beginning!

Paul Kimball

Saturday, April 23, 2011

The UFO Dialectic


The whole idea behind Beyond Best Evidence is to examine the primary hypotheses for the UFO phenomenon (ETH, PSH, EDH, time travel, perhaps a couple others), and see which ones might work.

So, here's your chance. Anyone reading this probably has a preferred hypothesis. It's time for you to test it against a particular case, one that is well documented and still unexplained.

Take the 1957 RB47 case, for example.

Here are some resources to get started:

1. The synopsis of the case as contained in Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO Sightings






Feel free to use other resources as you see fit.

Post your thoughts here in the "comments", or on your own blog or website (although a link in the comments here would be great, so everyone can follow along). But I  encourage everyone not to simply say: "this is what it is". Rather, look at all of the possibilities, and measure them against each other.

In short, leave the "belief / disbelief" debate behind, and engage in a dialectical conversation, with yourself, and with each other. Challenge yourselves to look for the truth, even if at the end of the day that truth is a simple "I'm not sure" or "I don't know". The point is to embrace the possibilities.

And most of all, have fun with it!

Allons-y!

Paul Kimball

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Beyond Best Evidence - update


Like the Boston Red Sox, the community fundraising campaign for the documentary Beyond Best Evidence: The UFO Enigma that Tim Binnall and I started a couple of weeks ago has gotten off to a slow start (many thanks to all of those folks who have already made generous contributions). The film is a sequel to my 2007 documentary, Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO Sightings - where that film looked at the "what" of the UFO phenomenon, the new film will examine the "how", "where", "who" and "why" questions.

I have to admit that while many people in my industry have embraced the concept of community fundraising, largely because of the media consolidation which has squeezed small and mid-sized companies out of the traditional financing models and forced them to look for new and innovative ways to raise the funding required to make a film, I was a bit apprehensive about using it for this new film.

But Beyond Best Evidence is a film that I believe should be made, because I think we need an informed and intelligent discussion of all of the possible explanations for the UFO phenomenon, and we just haven't had that yet. I've managed to make all of my previous UFO-related films under the traditional system (pre-license from a broadcaster, with various government investment and tax credits), but things have changed since 2007 in terms of the kind of programming that is getting funded in the traditional system, and Beyond Best Evidence is a film that requires a new way of getting it done, because it doesn't fit the "reality TV" box that the networks are looking for these days. In short, it requires a community of people who believe that the project has merit, and want to help make it happen outside the mainstream system, at whatever level they can contribute.

So, Tim and I are asking for your help to make this film happen. In return, we'll put together a groundbreaking film that draws on our 20 years of combined experience dealing with the UFO phenomenon and the media. That's our guarantee to you, because that's our vision, and that's how we roll!

Paul Kimball

P.S. If anyone has any questions about Beyond Best Evidence, feel free to contact me directly at paulkimball@redstarfilmtv.com.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Kevin Smith Show - tonight!


Just a reminder - I'm on the Kevin Smith Show tonight, 10 pm to Midnight EST.

Paul Kimball

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Kevin Smith Show - April 13th


A programming note - I'll be on The Kevin Smith Show tomorrow night, April 13th, from 10 pm to Midnight EST, to discuss Best Evidence, Top 10 UFO Sightings, Beyond Best Evidence: The UFO Enigma, Ghost Cases... and anything else that pops up. Feel free to call in!

Paul Kimball


Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Dr. David Clarke to appear in Beyond Best Evidence



I'm happy to announce that one of my favourite UFO researchers, Dr. David Clarke, has agreed to appear in Beyond Best Evidence to discuss the psychosocial hypothesis, and the UFO phenomenon in general.

David has done excellent work over the years, particularly in researching British UFO cases, and government files. I look forward to finally meeting him in person, talking about UFOs, and then sharing a few pints!

Paul Kimball

Friedman, Randle in Beyond Best Evidence



An update on the Beyond Best Evidence front, "casting" department:

My good friends Stan Friedman and Kevin Randle have signed on to appear in the film as the proponents of the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Having worked with them both on other films in the past, but not since 2006 (when I interviewed Stan for Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO Sightings), it will be great to work with them again, and get their insights on why they think the ETH is a valid explanation for at least some UFO cases.

More "casting" news as it becomes available.

Paul Kimball


Saturday, April 02, 2011

Beyond Best Evidence - IndieGoGo campaign has launched


The fundraising campaign for Beyond Best Evidence: The UFO Enigma, launched today. A co-production between Tim Binnall and yours truly, the film is a sequel to my 2007 documentary Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO Sightings.

You can read about the campaign, and contribute, at our IndieGoGo page. We've offered various "perks" at the different levels which we hope folks will find worthwhile.

A couple of quick notes.

1. In the "Universe" and "Multiverse" levels, you'll see reference to my forthcoming book, The Other Side of Truth. Several months ago I finally decided that if my good pal Nick Redfern can write a book every other month, then the least that I could do would be write one book about my last ten years filming and researching various aspects of the paranormal. Part memoir, part investigative journal, and part no-holds-barred behind-the-scenes "tell-all", it will be available at the beginning of 2012.

2. In case anyone is wondering, it costs money to make a good documentary. The IndieGoGo campaign is only one part of the financing for a film that will come in at just over CAD $100,000, when all is said and done. We're committed to making the best film that we can.

3. All net profits earned by my company, Redstar Films, from the sale of the film after it's done will be donated to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada, a charitable cause near and dear to me. Just in case anyone was wondering.

4. I'll be posting various updates here throughout both the fundraising and then the filmmaking process. Some will be serious; some, like "Pitch Imperfect" will be anything but serious. That's because while I take my work seriously, I never take myself seriously.

And that, as they say, is that. Thanks to anyone who feels inclined to contribute, at any level. If you think this is a worthwhile project, Tim and I would also appreciate it if you could help spread the word to your friends, family, and anyone else you think might be interested in the film.

Keep your eyes to the sky, and your mind open!

Paul Kimball