Before I begin this review, I should state that the producer of The ParaPod Movie, Bil Bungay, co-authored “The Black Monk of Pontefract” with me, and I consider him to be a friend. With that being said, when he asked me to watch his new documentary film and share my thoughts, I resolved that if the movie was poor, I would make a polite comment (something in the vein of, “er, very interesting, Bil”) and leave it at that. It’s embarrassing to tell a fellow creative that their project sucks.
Fortunately, I was never put in that position. The Parapod Movie far exceeded my expectations, and I’m convinced that it will do the same for you.
The concept is a simple one. We have two opposing viewpoints, the paranormal skeptic and the believer, as embodied by Ian Boldsworth and Barry Dodds, respectively (Boldsworth also directed the movie). Boldsworth isn’t remotely convinced that ghosts are real. Dodds, on the other hand, is utterly certain that they are, and is determined to prove it to his naysaying partner in crime. The result is an epic road trip across the length and breadth of Britain, driven in a souped-up hearse dubbed “the Parapod.” What follows over the movie’s hour-and-forty-five minute runtime is a rollercoaster ride, with peaks of hilarity and fear, interspersed with troughs of frustration and even conflict between our two unlikely heroes.
The Parapod Movie took me by surprise, not least because it does such a good job of subverting the viewer’s expectations. Things start out with some blokey good humor, and we go along for the ride as Ian and Barry exchange plenty of rib-tickling banter as they start to hit some allegedly haunted locations. There’s a definite “paranormal Top Gear” vibe, and there are plenty of chuckles to be had — usually at the expense of poor Barry, who at times seems to be channelling the spirit of Karl Pilkington, while Ian pulls his strings in a very Ricky Gervais-like way.
I won’t spoil the surprises, because this movie is the sort of thing you want to unwrap like a gift, but let’s just say that things soon turn serious when the duo may (and I emphasize *may*) have a close encounter with something ghostly that leaves one of them in a state of absolute terror. It’s at this point that the viewer realizes all bets are off. Will the trip spin out of control, putting the two lads at each other’s throats? Will one of them throw in the towel before the quest is done? Can a die-hard skeptic ever truly be convinced to change their mind…and if so, what would it take for that to happen?
The Parapod Movie had me on the edge of my seat at times, sometimes laughing, sometimes in eager anticipation of what might happen next. Yet despite all this, perhaps the best thing about the movie is that it somehow manages to both treat the subject matter with respect, while simultaneously not taking itself *too* seriously. In a market glutted with so many para-“reality” shows, many of which emphasize the sinister at the expense of a genuine search for truth, The Parapod Movie comes as a breath of fresh air. As the tagline says, it really is “a very British ghost hunt,” and I encourage you, friends and readers to check it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
