This is a film I saw before summer, but I really wanted to write a blog about it to showcase the attention it so rightfully deserves. Morgan Spurlock, widely known for Super Size Me, follows his same intensive style on a grander path of recognizing product placement, mass marketing, advertising, and more or less, brainwashing. In teaching the audience about these unhealthy concerns, he succeeds in creating a documentary based entirely on product placement. The whole basis of advertising and its ultimate money making desire is challenged. Facts and viewpoints from major company leaders are spilled, giving the audience a peek into a $475 billion business. In short, the movie records its attempts at finding companies to represent and promote the movie you are currently watching.
The only thing that kept this movie alive was Spurlock's ambition. The plot was insightful, yet extremely risky. The hundreds of phone calls he made to potential business sponsors, the travelling, the hours of interviews, and the creation of artistic ideas for TV spots and business plugs makes the process seem extremely overwhelming to me. However, the fast pace, intelligence and humor is what makes this film so enjoyable. The juxtaposition of music and visual enhances all of these qualities.You end up rooting for Morgan like any underdog as Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" slowly crescendos in the background.
One aspect that was intriguing was how the movie brought to fruition its binding contract with business sponsors. About halfway through the movie Morgan sits down with his lawyer and discusses what shots and scenes MUST be in the final version of the film. Once they state the necessary: interview in a JetBlue airplane, the 30 sec POM and Mane 'n Tail TV spot and 600 million media impressions, you start to appreciate the layout of shots and the intricacies the filmmakers planned. It is almost like a pre-production meeting where everyone throws out ideas and then once you're watching the film you say, "Hey! I invented that scene!"
Now that you have read this blog and learned all about The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, you can officially call yourself The Greatest Reader Ever of the The Greatest Blog Ever Written! Enjoy this family friendly movie about a journey into the business side of the film industry.
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Rise 'N Raspberry (from My Little Black Book of Smoothies)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup non-fat raspberry yogurt (or substitute applesauce)
1/2 (frozen) banana
1.5 cups frozen raspberries
Optional:
1 cup strawberries
Ice, honey
Enjoy!
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