Back before everybody was on the internet, crazy people had to get creative to be heard. Sure, you could rant on a street corner, but that’s ephemeral. No one will remember that decades later (also, what if you’re shy?). No, the best way to do it is to somehow leave a mark, a thing that people will notice on their own. The mysterious creator of the infamous Toynbee tiles had that all figured out. In the 1980s, 90s and 00s, he imprinted his message directly onto the pavement all over Philadelphia, surrounding regions and even in South America, everywhere from city sidewalks to the middle of busy freeways. Each message was in a consistent style and said the same thing, “TOYNBEE IDEA / IN MOVIE 2001 (sometimes KUBRICK’S 2001) / RESURRECT DEAD / ON PLANET JUPITER”. His only mistake: No one knew what the hell he was talking about.
Until this documentary, which pieces it all together. This doesn’t merely present theories, either. The team of Justin Duerr, Steve Weinik and Colin Smith—three ordinary, seemingly sane guys in jeans and T-shirts who met on the internet over a shared interest in the mystery—became serious amateur detectives over this, talking to people, doing research, finding strange connections, going to a short wave radio enthusiasts convention, sorting out their suspects and coming to some airtight conclusions.
There’s nothing about this story that’s going to change the world, but it is exciting and worth telling. They lugged a video camera around every step of the investigation so we can see the revelations as they happened. It looks like fun. Also, the film wisely settles for leaving a few unanswered questions (out of necessity, not sloppiness) lingering at the end.