<p> Strange tiles, bearing a cryptic message, were found embedded in the asphalt of highways in many U.S. cities (and even in Latin America) since the early 1980s: “Toynbee Idea-In Kubrick's 2001-Resurrect Dead-On Plant Jupiter” they read. The “Toynbee Tiles” became the subject of fervid speculation among hundreds of enthusiasts who found each other online as they tried to link the message with UFOs, the book of Revelations, even Pink Floyd's <em>Dark Side of the Moon</em>. </p> <p>Filmmaker Jon Foy worked with one of those enthusiasts, Justin Duerr, to produce the documentary <em>Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles</em> (out on DVD). A talented Philadelphia artist, Duerr spent many years investigating this “art project,” piecing clues together and chasing leads down blind alleys. The “Toynbee Idea” is apparently a reference to an obscure thought in one of the great historian Arnold Toynbee's essays: that the molecules of the dead might one day be reassembled. But who was behind the tiles? And why? And given their placement, how? Frankly, I'm not entirely convinced by all of Duerr's answers, but his quest is a fascinating journey into the strange obsessions of contemporary times. </p>
