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STUDIO: Cinevolve Studios
MSRP: $22.95
RATED: Not Rated
RUNNING TIME: 71 Minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Highway interview
• Extended interviews
• More home movies
• Real estate tour of Scranton
• Music Video
• Photo Gallery
• Trailer
• Coming attraction

The Pitch

"Smokey the Bear wept."

The Humans

Narrator: John Lokitis
Directors: Chris Perkel, Georgie Roland

The Nutshell

In 1962, a trash fire ignited a seam of anthracite coal beneath Centralia, Pennsylvania, a once-thriving mining town of over 3,000 people. By the 80's the levels of carbon monoxide had rose to a dangerous level and it was not until a young boy, who had fallen into smoldering mine subsidence that the government was pressed into action. After estimating the costs the state decided to buy out the residents and shut the town down.

The Town that Was is a documentary that traces the history of the accident and how 11 residents refuse to leave.

The Lowdown

Note Since this DVD's release the remaining residents have now since moved out.

Occasionally I'll see on the news about how something as small as a spark from a campfire or a discarded cigarette is the root cause of hundreds of acres of forests to be ruined but this is the first time I've heard about a pile of trash fire would cause an entire town to be permanently relocated. Such is the case of what happened in Centralia in 1962.

John Lokitis is one of the remaining residents who takes viewers on a guided tour of the once bustling town. John knows every part of the town and does a fantastic job of bringing the town back to life with stories about some of the residents. The documentary also features throughout the film former residents who share some stories and what the town meant to them. The elderly residents are the saddest stories as they were part of the town when it started thriving into a town that was like any other town in America - sporting events, parades, picnics and it is during these reflections that you can see the sadness in their faces. Even though the residents got a good sum of money to move out they all still miss Centralia but have resigned to the fact that those times will never be.

What upsets the former residents is the fact that the trash fire accident could have been contained and right before it was the state gave up on taking care of the situation. The sobering moments are the silent shots of abandoned houses and crumpled up roads that are being taken over by weeds. Seeing archival footage of the town when it was filled with people going about their daily lives and then a shot of an empty building and road gives one a feeling of sadness.

Directors Chris Perkel and Georgie Roland do an excellent job utilizing archival footage of Centralia and blending those scenes with the current state of the town makes for a very effective documentary. No one is the bad guy here its just an accident that got out of control with nothing left to do but leave. Another sad thing about Centralia is that it will never be occupied by humans for a very long time. Most experts say the underground fire will not be extinguished for at least another 200 years.

The Package

A nice stack of extras compliment the feature nicely.

The Highway inteview with PA State Representatvie Robert Belafanti brings up the current status of the roads that lead into Centralia. The home movies of Centralia that were filmed in 1966 is the most compelling extra. The remaining extras are your standard items that are worth checking out.

7.5 out of 10