Not As Great

Evening gang.


I've had an up and down weekend. Awesome night out last night with my better half, followed by seeing an amazing piece of real estate belonging to some dear friends, the kind of home you pray for an invitation to. After that, a surprisingly fun-filled trip to the grocer wherein we scrambled for ingredients for a slow-cooking black bean soup. Unfortunately  as soon as my better half finished prepping the slow cook I went for a run, wherein I found out I've been pushing my running too hard, having had an unpleasant knee condition come roaring back to life. I was good and pissed.  To distract (and exhaust) my mind from the frustration, I took in a session of hot yoga; at the end of the hour I was an imbecilic pool of sweat and loose muscles. I had a wonderful dinner with my better half and took in a doc with her. Unfortunately, the doc was a middling affair, but one that deserves a look regardless.


The doc I speak of is Morgan Spurlock's latest endeavor - Pom Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. It was, without question, an engaging and relevant film made by a charming and talented artist. Unfortunately, it was a movie that lacked any teeth or grand sense of purpose. Despite that flawed nature, I would still strongly recommend seeing the movie, if only to achieve greater understanding of the manner in which marketing impacts our lives.

To cite the example made in the doc itself, Spurlock's method of creation here is almost an Inception-level of meta-artistry - he sets about making a movie about how marketing and the demands of sponsors influences the creation of a movie while seeking sponsors and marketing for the same movie. The idea, while cheeky at first glance, is very insightful. It's quickly apparent that companies are not comfortable with the idea of the marketing machine being turned back upon itself. The desires and motivations of corporations are soon lain bare as CEO and Marketing Directors turn down their respective offers to be a part of Spurlock's latest outing. Their apprehension is understandable, given his past as a modern muckraker. Eventually, though, they acquiesce and sponsors line up to get their share of ultra-modern commercialism. This is the first movie I've ever seen where honest-to-goodness commercials actually appear in the film itself. It's an inherently bothersome concept that not only brings to light the horrible state of marketing but also furthers the evolution of the notion while bringing it to a wider audience.

Therein lies the rub, for this doc. Spurlock is such an entertaining filmmaker that one could easily make excuses for why this movie fails to deliver. It's a rare, honest glimpse into the industry; still, Spurlock pulls every damn punch possible. It's like watching him set up a fascinating, scathing doc and then saying "Well the sponsors thought I should tell more jokes". Yes, you say, but isn't that disconnect the whole point of the movie? Shouldn't we be digging farther into what drives us as a culture, or how mass marketing is quickly becoming a more ingrained, yet less acknowledged, part of our lives? What gives? Spurlock hides behind his concept as if it should excuse him from accountability. His jokes about selling out are a little too accurate, it seems. 

I know this sounds really negative and holier-than-thou. It shouldn't - I enjoyed the movie, regardless. He brought a lot of novel concepts to light and may potentially reach a wider audience by making this movie. Still, having thoroughly enjoyed his previous works, I was let down by The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Spurlock is a whole lot easier to get on board with than Michael Moore. I'll say this - give this movie a chance, just to get a better sense of what we're up against every day and how it affects us. It may not be a game changer, but it is hands down more intelligent and engaging than your typical product-pushing blockbuster. Not a bad weekend day, but it could certainly have been better without these little quibbles and frustrations.

8 Steps

Hello, hello.


I just finished, and I mean just finished, a documentary that was recommended to me by my father in law. It was a gripping, intense series of eight episodes that told a tale of death, deception and defense. If you find yourself with some time this weekend, I would highly recommend watching it - its the kind of thing you find yourself engrossed in at the 20 minute mark, and unable to turn off after a single episode. It's called The Staircase. There are so many twists and turns in the course of this murder defense trial that it seems unreal such a thing could be reality and not fiction, yet it all unfolds in a comprehensible, dramatically believable fashion. It may seem a bit jarring and off putting, but I have never seen a documentary so engaging as this.


Here's the basic gist - on December 9th, 2001, celebrated author Michael Peterson called the police in his hometown of Durham, North Carolina. He found his wife Kathleen lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in their massive country home. He called 911, explaining the tragedy as it unfolded. Police arrived and documented the scene. Within moments, though, Peterson was under surveillance. There was suspicion of what the circumstances suggested and how Peterson was involved. Not to go too far into details (and spoilers that will shock you) Peterson had to lawyer up and begin his defense.

This documentary is the best of the genre. It's succinct yet not too short. At eight episodes of 45+ minutes, you get a complete and accurate understanding of a full trial without drowning under the weight of superfluous details. At the same time, it's drawn out enough that you get a sense of the team involved on both sides of the trial. It's not the disgusting, vapid and over-sensationalized style of reality TV - it's a real trial. Things have consequence. Someone has died. It's absolutely heavy. On top of it, another man's life hangs in the balance. You want heavy drama? How about something that actually happened? Is that serious enough for you, in this world of Kardashians and Shores of Jersey? 


In the highest of all recommendations, my better half could barely restrain herself from watching the whole series in one shot. She normally can't be bothered with anything too far out of the realm of reality - basically it's cooking shows (instructional or entertainment) or straight comedy (Always Sunny or Tosh.0), i.e. very little room for fictional or recreational viewing. This doc, though, had her from the first chapter. We did very well in watching responsibly, but still mowed through the whole thing in less than four nights. It's simply that gripping - once you start, you can't look away.

I am in no way trying to make light of the incident on hand, despite my recommendation, here. What I am suggesting, though, is that you watch it as soon as possible. The Staircase is an amazing documentary with tons of drama and twists, all of it unshakably real. You can find it here, broken into its individual episodes. Watch one and see if you can hold back for a whole weekend.