recommended

Dreadfully Boring

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Fundamentally, the programme seemed to provide a dumb-ed down version of previous History Channel (now plain "History," according to my Wikipedia glance) programming on the same subjects. As an example, I'll cite the "Ku Klux Klan" episode. History did a fairly thorough show about the Klan years ago. The "Book of Secrets" episode recycled some footage from the older show--some charming Klansmen yelling about having all non WASP types using colourful language. The "Book of Secrets" Klan programme also used a lot of archival footage having nothing to do with the actual group. There were "God Hates Obama" signs clearly designed by the Westboro Baptist Church. Similarly, the programme used generic footage from right-wing groups who I think would be appalled to be cited as Klansmen. Also, the narrator/narration had an irritating habit of rhetorically asking whether X had a more sinister/secret/special reason for occurring. As an example, using the Klan episode, the narrator asked about why the FBI only investigated Klan-linked murders starting in 2007. However, the show then moved on past this apparent triviality.

Yes, it would be relatively easy to quickly and significantly increase America's average Intelligence Quotient. Here it is. Select people by finding if any person believes in ONE item presented on the H2 series America's Book of Secrets. A supposed fact, a conspiracy theory, any one thing at all. Belief in anything involving extraterrestrials counts as especially qualifying. Take these people and periodically deport them to Cuba, a sort of Marielista Exodus in reverse. But instead of getting criminals, perverts, and psychopaths like those sent here by Fidel, they'd get persons of proved idiocy! I would not be vindictive, I'd limit the minimum age of deportees to 13yo. But you young folks reaching the teen years had better beware! Oh, and make the port of embarkation Area 51 in Nevada... That would be so ironically appropriate, wouldn't it?

History Channel (and H2) once got a bad reputation for being the "All Nazi ALL The Time" or The Hitler Channel. They have overcome that, which at least was based on actual history, by veering into every ridiculous conspiracy theory currently running. UFOS (numerous shows), Bigfoot (at least 2 or maybe three), Knights Templar/Holy grail, and of course the evil government. America's Book Of Secrets falls into the latter category. They wander around the edges of the real world. The kicker for me was a recent episode about **possible spoilers (sadly)** a supposed vast network of underground trains between military bases, and the topper, a secret passage for submarines from a lake in Nevada to the Pacific Ocean. This supposedly natural formation crosses at least 6 major faults (which are really not faults, I learn) and somehow manages to maintain near hydrostatic equilibrium despite the fact that the surface of the lake is **4000 feet** above sea level. If true, it would drain itself like a toilet, in about the same time!Things like this don't seem to phase any of the deeply inquiring minds interviewed on the show. They drone on like Art Bell callers, mixing their strange delusions and perfect conviction. One is left with the impression that they genuinely believe what they are saying. That's either Sir Laurence Olivier-level acting, or they are frighteningly deluded. In a way, of course, it's entertaining, but not in a good way.

Occasionally they have good stuff about cults etc. But then they go right back around and make some stuff up just for the ratings.They continue to talk about conspiracy theories that have been debunked like "Fake moon landing" and "freemasons" and "Gold conspiracies" and EVEN BIGFOOT. I MEAN SERIOUSLY?!?! Bringing up nut cases like Ron Paul. Talking about Fort Knox conspiracies. It's just things they don't know so they make up a story behind it.It's so easy when someone doesn't give you access to something so these people make up stories about these things for fun and there's always an audience to believe in it. Just gotta find the right audience.These theories and ideas accomplish nothing. It's like Nostradamus predictions. Even if Nostradamus got one thing right so what? He made thousands of guesses--you're bound to get SOMETHING right just by GUESSING.But you don't guess for entertainment, that's just pointless waste of everyone's time if you turn out to be wrong.