Recently, I was in Chicago and watched Ebert & Roeper, which does for movie reviews what Stalin did for family picnics. Anyway, in a blatant attempt to replace Mr. Roeper (which would give me a great excuse to fly to Chicago and visit my family on a regular basis), here are two movie reviews - one for a movie in general release, one for a DVD release - both are documentaries, but won't bore the heck out of you.
The first is Super Size Me, which is about the fast food industry and its impact on our health. It starts with a simple premise - the director will eat only McDonald's for 30 days, and sounds like something from Michael Moore's reject pile. However, this film makes some serious points, suggesting that the fast food industry engages in a "get-'em-while-they're-young" strategy, much like the tobacco industry. It's almost like a movie version of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation, and is - almost ironically - a primer in addictions. (I defy you to watch the director partake in his dangerous diet and not flinch, or mentally talk back to the screen). This is definitely a must-see....
For a documentary of a different type, check out Gigantic, a documentary about They Might Be Giants. Unlike most rock documentaries, this doesn't reflect the rags-to-riches-to-drugs-to-comeback cycle. It's simply about two guys who enjoy making music - it's that simple. It's a great, entertaining film some really cool music...and the DVD is chock full of features. So many, in fact, that it justifies watching repeatedly...or just take the plunge and buy it - it's well worth seeing over and over, even if you're not a big TMBG fan.
Thanks for reading!
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