﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:spout="http://www.spout.com/schemas/rss/core/2006" xmlns:cf="http://www.microsoft.com/schemas/rss/core/2005">
  <channel>
    <cf:treatAs>list</cf:treatAs>
    <cf:listinfo>
      <cf:group element="type" label="Type" ns="http://www.spout.com/schemas/rss/core/2006" data-type="text" />
    </cf:listinfo>
    <title>Fast Food Nation's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
    <link>http://www.spout.com/</link>
    <description>Recent community activity around Fast Food Nation on Spout</description>
    <copyright>Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC</copyright>
    <generator>Spout RSS</generator>
    <image>
      <url>http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg</url>
      <title>Fast Food Nation's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/</link>
      <width>136</width>
      <height>30</height>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Film:Fast Food Nation</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Fast_Food_Nation/262324/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
<td>
<strong>Title:</strong> Fast Food Nation<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 2006<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Richard Linklater<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> Inspired by author Eric Schlosser's New York Times best-seller of the same name, director <a href="/players/P____99850/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Richard Linklater</a>'s ensemble drama examines the health issues and social consequences of America's love affair with fast food and features an all-star cast that includes <a href="/players/P___200274/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Greg Kinnear</a>, <a href="/players/P____31094/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ethan Hawke</a>, <a href="/players/P____98154/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kris Kristofferson</a>, <a href="/players/P_____2423/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Patricia Arquette</a>, and <a href="/players/P____92972/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Luis Guzman</a>. Mickey's is the most popular fast-food chain in America, and The Big One is the top-selling burger that put them on the map. When the higher-ups at Mickey's corporate offices learn that the frozen meat patties used to make the wildly popular burger have somehow been tainted with contaminated meat, they send marketing executive Don Henderson (Kinnear) on an urgent mission to ensure quality control and find out precisely how their product became compromised. It's a long way from the Southern California boardroom to the immigrant slaughterhouses, though, and the further Henderson works his way through the bustling feedlots and toward the ubiquitous restaurant sites that have become a staple of modern culture, the more he begins to realize just how dangerous convenience can become when it leads to blissfully ignorant complacency. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 8<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 17<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 9<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 1<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:40:57 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Fast Food Nation</spout:Title><spout:Year>2006</spout:Year><spout:Director>Richard Linklater</spout:Director><spout:Plot>Inspired by author Eric Schlosser's New York Times best-seller of the same name, director &lt;a href="/players/P____99850/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Richard Linklater&lt;/a&gt;'s ensemble drama examines the health issues and social consequences of America's love affair with fast food and features an all-star cast that includes &lt;a href="/players/P___200274/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Greg Kinnear&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____31094/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Ethan Hawke&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____98154/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Kris Kristofferson&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P_____2423/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Patricia Arquette&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href="/players/P____92972/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Luis Guzman&lt;/a&gt;. Mickey's is the most popular fast-food chain in America, and The Big One is the top-selling burger that put them on the map. When the higher-ups at Mickey's corporate offices learn that the frozen meat patties used to make the wildly popular burger have somehow been tainted with contaminated meat, they send marketing executive Don Henderson (Kinnear) on an urgent mission to ensure quality control and find out precisely how their product became compromised. It's a long way from the Southern California boardroom to the immigrant slaughterhouses, though, and the further Henderson works his way through the bustling feedlots and toward the ubiquitous restaurant sites that have become a staple of modern culture, the more he begins to realize just how dangerous convenience can become when it leads to blissfully ignorant complacency. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>8</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Taggedy Taggged (6-10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>17</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>9</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>1</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Fast_Food_Nation/262324/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Small Roles for Big Stars</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/7/33699.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 8/7/2008 2:00:31 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> We’re less than a week away from the release of Tropic Thunder, and as the reviews and puff pieces make their way onto the web, there’s one thing clearly uniting the media’s coverage: talk of Tom Cruise’s appearance in a small role as a Hollywood studio boss. Everyone seems to agree that he steals the show and that his performance — or the joke surrounding it — is one of the comedy’s major highlights, if not the actual best part.
Of course, we can expect a good cameo from Cruise every now and then. He showed up for a bit part in Young Guns and played himself as playing “Austin Powers” in Austin Powers in Goldmember. But from what it sounds like, his role in Tropic Thunder is featured for longer than might qualify as a cameo. Some are regardless referring to the performance as an “extended cameo”, and in theory it certainly fits in with the huge crop of so-called “ironic cameos” that have become popular in movies and TV in the last ten years.
Still, despite my not having yet seen the movie, I’m thinking that Tom Cruise’s involvement in Tropic Thunder is more like the following list, which consists of merely small roles filled by big stars. You might consider some of them to be technically cameos, especially the ones that aren’t integral to the plot and/or call attention to themselves. But with each of the roles I’ve included, I consider them to be either the best part of their respective movies or at least a major highlight, which is how Cruise’s appearance is being touted. Anyway, forgive me for trying to come up with something different than simply a best cameo list, even if the focus here seems less than clear.




10. Marlon Brando as “Jor-El” in Superman - He was probably paid too much for the part, especially if all the trivia surrounding his involvement (reading his lines off baby Superman’s diaper; desiring that only his voice be used; demanding to be paid double if any footage was to be used in the sequel) is true, but it’s pretty cool having Brando appear at the beginning of what I still consider to be the best superhero comic book adaptation of all time (sorry Dark Knight fans). He’s not the best thing about the movie, but he’s an immediate highlight. As for his payment (reportedly $3.7 million), Warner Bros. has leveled out his worth a little by featuring him in the Donner cut of Superman II and in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns — a movie that also creatively employs Brando’s On the Waterfront costar Eva Marie Saint appropriately as Superman’s adopted mother.



9. Drew Barrymore as “Casey Becker” in Scream - Having your biggest star killed in the opening scene is kinda like having your best action sequence at the head of the movie (a la Bad Boys II), but fortunately the rest of the first Scream is pretty good, and Barrymore’s (don’t call it a cameo) part doesn’t overshadow the movie too much. In a way, since this wasn’t a sequel yet the movie was a bit of a parody of all slasher movies, the familiarity of Becker’s face could be taken to be akin to how, often, horror sequels begin by killing off the heroine of the previous installment in the first few minutes.

8. Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Prince Hapi” in Around the World in 80 Days - There isn’t much to enjoy about Frank Coraci’s 2004 version of the Jules Verne tale, especially since there appears to be a lot of missed opportunities in terms of guest appearances (Wikipedia counts 45 “cameos” in the 1956 version; I count maybe 10 that could be considered “cameos” in the newer movie). Therefore, Schwarzenegger’s hilarious appearance as a lecherous Turkish prince — one of his last roles filmed before becoming Governor of California — is one of the few highlights, if not the sole highlight (personally, I enjoy Jackie Chan in anything, and I liked more of this movie than most people did). The role is especially funny and creepy if you’ve ever seen that old footage of Schwarzenegger being sleazy at Carnival in Rio.



7. Orson Welles as “Unicron” in Transformers: The Movie - Welles’ voice had been overpowering in films before — he had a good side career going throughout his life as a narrator — but considering this was ridiculously his final performance and considering he easily overshadowed his fellow celebrity voice lenders (including otherwise commanding vocal talents Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Casey Kasem), his part completely dominates the movie, both diegetically and extradiegetically.



6. Bruce Willis as “Harry Rydell” in Fast Food Nation - Far and away the only good part of Richard Linklater’s botched attempt to dramatize Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction classic (I consider the book a kind of bible since it inspired me to give up fast food and subsequently lose 60lbs., so it pains me even more to think about Schlosser being a co-writer and producer of the movie), and not just because of his oft-quoted line about how we all have to eat a little shit from time to time. His whole characterization of the cynical meat supplier is brilliant, enough that he unfortunately makes the rest of the movie play even less interesting that it already is.

5. Charlie Sheen as “Charlie” in Being John Malkovich - I wanted to stay away from roles in which actors play themselves, mainly because that’s a big percentage of the ironic cameo stuff that’s so overused these days. However, Sheen’s part here is a little more than a mere cameo. And it’s kind of an ironic parody of the ironic cameo, even as it predates a lot of these cameos in Entourage and Extras and the like (by crediting the role as “Charlie” rather than “as himself”, it’s also a precursor to the more exaggerated than exaggerated “Neil Patrick Harris” character of the Harold and Kumar films). Perhaps intended to redirect the audience’s perspective on John Malkovich’s titular character, which is up until Sheen’s entrance possibly accepted as an authentic self-portrayal, the overstatement of the role raises the already ingeniously funny film up another notch to put it at the level of best comedies ever made.



4. Matt Damon as “Donny” in Eurotrip - I’ve actually never seen Eurotrip, but I hear there’s no reason to watch it other than to see Damon’s bit role as the singer of a pop punk band (the otherwise real Lustra). And I’ve seen that on YouTube, so I’m good. Even more than Cruise and some of the others, Damon seems to love doing guest stints in movies and on TV (he’s also given us the only reasons to ever watch Jimmy Kimmel). Some of his other small roles and cameos can be found in Youth Without Youth, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Finding Forrester, Jersey Girl and The Majestic (the last in voice only).

3. Sean Connery as “King Richard” in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - After making us suffer through Kevin Costner’s terrible performance in the lead role, the producers of this disappointing version of the classic legend actually rub it in how bad their casting choice was by sneaking Connery in at the last minute. Of course, despite the way his appearance increases our dissatisfaction with the rest of the movie, he’s still the highlight. Especially since he’s immediately followed by that awful Bryan Adams song playing over the credits.

2. Alec Baldwin as “Blake” in Glengarry Glen Ross - Sure, the rest of the film is really good, mostly because of the stellar cast filling out the rest of the ensemble, but the first thing you remember about this David Mamet adaptation is Baldwin’s monologue. It’s good enough that I almost also included on this list the Blake-inspired character from Boiler Room as played by Ben Affleck. But it’s also too good to actually accept Affleck’s ripoff as being in the same league.


1. Gene Hackman as “Blindman” in Young Frankenstein - I’m in the minority as far as my appreciation of Mel Brooks’ parody of James Whale’s Frankenstein films. I think it’s really funny, but I don’t think it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Yet the few minutes that Hackman is on screen always leave me in tears, enough that I wholeheartedly accept the movie’s status as one of the greatest comedies ever made.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:00:31 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>8/7/2008 2:00:31 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>We’re less than a week away from the release of Tropic Thunder, and as the reviews and puff pieces make their way onto the web, there’s one thing clearly uniting the media’s coverage: talk of Tom Cruise’s appearance in a small role as a Hollywood studio boss. Everyone seems to agree that he steals the show and that his performance — or the joke surrounding it — is one of the comedy’s major highlights, if not the actual best part.
Of course, we can expect a good cameo from Cruise every now and then. He showed up for a bit part in Young Guns and played himself as playing “Austin Powers” in Austin Powers in Goldmember. But from what it sounds like, his role in Tropic Thunder is featured for longer than might qualify as a cameo. Some are regardless referring to the performance as an “extended cameo”, and in theory it certainly fits in with the huge crop of so-called “ironic cameos” that have become popular in movies and TV in the last ten years.
Still, despite my not having yet seen the movie, I’m thinking that Tom Cruise’s involvement in Tropic Thunder is more like the following list, which consists of merely small roles filled by big stars. You might consider some of them to be technically cameos, especially the ones that aren’t integral to the plot and/or call attention to themselves. But with each of the roles I’ve included, I consider them to be either the best part of their respective movies or at least a major highlight, which is how Cruise’s appearance is being touted. Anyway, forgive me for trying to come up with something different than simply a best cameo list, even if the focus here seems less than clear.




10. Marlon Brando as “Jor-El” in Superman - He was probably paid too much for the part, especially if all the trivia surrounding his involvement (reading his lines off baby Superman’s diaper; desiring that only his voice be used; demanding to be paid double if any footage was to be used in the sequel) is true, but it’s pretty cool having Brando appear at the beginning of what I still consider to be the best superhero comic book adaptation of all time (sorry Dark Knight fans). He’s not the best thing about the movie, but he’s an immediate highlight. As for his payment (reportedly $3.7 million), Warner Bros. has leveled out his worth a little by featuring him in the Donner cut of Superman II and in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns — a movie that also creatively employs Brando’s On the Waterfront costar Eva Marie Saint appropriately as Superman’s adopted mother.



9. Drew Barrymore as “Casey Becker” in Scream - Having your biggest star killed in the opening scene is kinda like having your best action sequence at the head of the movie (a la Bad Boys II), but fortunately the rest of the first Scream is pretty good, and Barrymore’s (don’t call it a cameo) part doesn’t overshadow the movie too much. In a way, since this wasn’t a sequel yet the movie was a bit of a parody of all slasher movies, the familiarity of Becker’s face could be taken to be akin to how, often, horror sequels begin by killing off the heroine of the previous installment in the first few minutes.

8. Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Prince Hapi” in Around the World in 80 Days - There isn’t much to enjoy about Frank Coraci’s 2004 version of the Jules Verne tale, especially since there appears to be a lot of missed opportunities in terms of guest appearances (Wikipedia counts 45 “cameos” in the 1956 version; I count maybe 10 that could be considered “cameos” in the newer movie). Therefore, Schwarzenegger’s hilarious appearance as a lecherous Turkish prince — one of his last roles filmed before becoming Governor of California — is one of the few highlights, if not the sole highlight (personally, I enjoy Jackie Chan in anything, and I liked more of this movie than most people did). The role is especially funny and creepy if you’ve ever seen that old footage of Schwarzenegger being sleazy at Carnival in Rio.



7. Orson Welles as “Unicron” in Transformers: The Movie - Welles’ voice had been overpowering in films before — he had a good side career going throughout his life as a narrator — but considering this was ridiculously his final performance and considering he easily overshadowed his fellow celebrity voice lenders (including otherwise commanding vocal talents Leonard Nimoy, Robert Stack and Casey Kasem), his part completely dominates the movie, both diegetically and extradiegetically.



6. Bruce Willis as “Harry Rydell” in Fast Food Nation - Far and away the only good part of Richard Linklater’s botched attempt to dramatize Eric Schlosser’s non-fiction classic (I consider the book a kind of bible since it inspired me to give up fast food and subsequently lose 60lbs., so it pains me even more to think about Schlosser being a co-writer and producer of the movie), and not just because of his oft-quoted line about how we all have to eat a little shit from time to time. His whole characterization of the cynical meat supplier is brilliant, enough that he unfortunately makes the rest of the movie play even less interesting that it already is.

5. Charlie Sheen as “Charlie” in Being John Malkovich - I wanted to stay away from roles in which actors play themselves, mainly because that’s a big percentage of the ironic cameo stuff that’s so overused these days. However, Sheen’s part here is a little more than a mere cameo. And it’s kind of an ironic parody of the ironic cameo, even as it predates a lot of these cameos in Entourage and Extras and the like (by crediting the role as “Charlie” rather than “as himself”, it’s also a precursor to the more exaggerated than exaggerated “Neil Patrick Harris” character of the Harold and Kumar films). Perhaps intended to redirect the audience’s perspective on John Malkovich’s titular character, which is up until Sheen’s entrance possibly accepted as an authentic self-portrayal, the overstatement of the role raises the already ingeniously funny film up another notch to put it at the level of best comedies ever made.



4. Matt Damon as “Donny” in Eurotrip - I’ve actually never seen Eurotrip, but I hear there’s no reason to watch it other than to see Damon’s bit role as the singer of a pop punk band (the otherwise real Lustra). And I’ve seen that on YouTube, so I’m good. Even more than Cruise and some of the others, Damon seems to love doing guest stints in movies and on TV (he’s also given us the only reasons to ever watch Jimmy Kimmel). Some of his other small roles and cameos can be found in Youth Without Youth, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Finding Forrester, Jersey Girl and The Majestic (the last in voice only).

3. Sean Connery as “King Richard” in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - After making us suffer through Kevin Costner’s terrible performance in the lead role, the producers of this disappointing version of the classic legend actually rub it in how bad their casting choice was by sneaking Connery in at the last minute. Of course, despite the way his appearance increases our dissatisfaction with the rest of the movie, he’s still the highlight. Especially since he’s immediately followed by that awful Bryan Adams song playing over the credits.

2. Alec Baldwin as “Blake” in Glengarry Glen Ross - Sure, the rest of the film is really good, mostly because of the stellar cast filling out the rest of the ensemble, but the first thing you remember about this David Mamet adaptation is Baldwin’s monologue. It’s good enough that I almost also included on this list the Blake-inspired character from Boiler Room as played by Ben Affleck. But it’s also too good to actually accept Affleck’s ripoff as being in the same league.


1. Gene Hackman as “Blindman” in Young Frankenstein - I’m in the minority as far as my appreciation of Mel Brooks’ parody of James Whale’s Frankenstein films. I think it’s really funny, but I don’t think it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Yet the few minutes that Hackman is on screen always leave me in tears, enough that I wholeheartedly accept the movie’s status as one of the greatest comedies ever made.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Weekly Theme for July 7: Foodie Heaven</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_July_7_Foodie_Heaven/625/32210/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/119628/default.aspx'>mercurial</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/625/discussions.aspx'>Weekly Theme</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/7/2008 6:32:58 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong>   Moving along from the depressingly bleak visions of man struggling to survive after the apocalypse, let's spend some time examining films that revolve around humankind's love of food in all it's myriad forms. We all know at least one scene from a film that involves food (from the orgasm sandwich in When Harry Met Sally to the beggars feast in Viridiana or the Chinese restaurant Christmas dinner in A Christmas Story etcetera), but let's discuss those lesser in abundance films in which the entirety of the plot focuses primarily on food. Recently, Ratatouille seemed to bring out the gourmand in a lot of people (similar to what Big Night did more than a decade ago) while No Reservations just seemed to turn everyone's stomachs. Waitress brought about renewed interest in the realm of baking (pies in particular) and Tim Burton's re-imagined Charlie and the Chocolate Factory once again sent everyone's sweet tooth into a diabetic coma. While it could be argued that every zombie movie could be among this list, the best horror movies involving food have been Dumplings, which after watching has made the sound of someone slurping soup make my skin crawl, Blood Feast, which is a more visceral and straightforward version of Fried Green Tomatoes (without all that sappy crap), and of course Attack of the Killer Tomatoes in which food finally gets its revenge on us. On the documentary side of things we have Super Size Me and King Corn (and maybe the faux-based-on-real-events-exploitation-book-adaptation-movie Fast Food Nation). Lastly, some of my guilty pleasures have to be Waiting..., an amazing expose into the behavior of over-worked and under-paid restaurant employee's. Pieces of April, which centers around the amazingly stressful preparation of Thanksgiving dinner. What's Eating Gilbert Grape? which is surprisingly all about food when you think about it (preparing meals for his obese mother, the gentrification of small towns by Wal-Mart-like supermarkets and fast food restaurants, and the main character working in a grocery store and delivering "ice cream" to the local bored housewives). And The Last Supper which turns family dinners into Liberal Judgement Day. So now, where's the beef? I mean, what are some of your favorite foodie flicks?   <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:32:58 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>mercurial</spout:postby><spout:postto>Weekly Theme</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/7/2008 6:32:58 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>  Moving along from the depressingly bleak visions of man struggling to survive after the apocalypse, let's spend some time examining films that revolve around humankind's love of food in all it's myriad forms. We all know at least one scene from a film that involves food (from the orgasm sandwich in When Harry Met Sally to the beggars feast in Viridiana or the Chinese restaurant Christmas dinner in A Christmas Story etcetera), but let's discuss those lesser in abundance films in which the entirety of the plot focuses primarily on food. Recently, Ratatouille seemed to bring out the gourmand in a lot of people (similar to what Big Night did more than a decade ago) while No Reservations just seemed to turn everyone's stomachs. Waitress brought about renewed interest in the realm of baking (pies in particular) and Tim Burton's re-imagined Charlie and the Chocolate Factory once again sent everyone's sweet tooth into a diabetic coma. While it could be argued that every zombie movie could be among this list, the best horror movies involving food have been Dumplings, which after watching has made the sound of someone slurping soup make my skin crawl, Blood Feast, which is a more visceral and straightforward version of Fried Green Tomatoes (without all that sappy crap), and of course Attack of the Killer Tomatoes in which food finally gets its revenge on us. On the documentary side of things we have Super Size Me and King Corn (and maybe the faux-based-on-real-events-exploitation-book-adaptation-movie Fast Food Nation). Lastly, some of my guilty pleasures have to be Waiting..., an amazing expose into the behavior of over-worked and under-paid restaurant employee's. Pieces of April, which centers around the amazingly stressful preparation of Thanksgiving dinner. What's Eating Gilbert Grape? which is surprisingly all about food when you think about it (preparing meals for his obese mother, the gentrification of small towns by Wal-Mart-like supermarkets and fast food restaurants, and the main character working in a grocery store and delivering "ice cream" to the local bored housewives). And The Last Supper which turns family dinners into Liberal Judgement Day. So now, where's the beef? I mean, what are some of your favorite foodie flicks?   </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Disjointed and disappointing</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/unclefestering/archive/2008/5/8/28344.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/130209/default.aspx'>unclefestering</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/unclefestering/default.aspx'>unclefestering Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 5/8/2008 1:21:51 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> I have to admit that I think Richard Linklater&rsquo;s work runs hot and cold for me. I loved his early works like Dazed and Confused (1993) and Before Sunrise (1995). I love some of his more experimental work like A Scanner Darkly (2006). But some of his movies just fall completely flat. Sadly, Fast Food Nation is in this last category. I think part of it is that the subject is just too big for a dramatic movie like this. He just didn&rsquo;t find a way to get a plot in his polemic against the fast food industry. Also some poor casting choices like Greg Kinnear hamper the movie. It almost seems that Linklater agrees, since his character disappears in the second half of the movie. I wanted to like it. The subject of the movie is right up my alley. Unfortunately, the plodding pace and painful exposition just made me keep checking my watch.  . <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2008 05:21:51 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>unclefestering</spout:postby><spout:postto>unclefestering Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>5/8/2008 1:21:51 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>I have to admit that I think Richard Linklater&amp;rsquo;s work runs hot and cold for me. I loved his early works like Dazed and Confused (1993) and Before Sunrise (1995). I love some of his more experimental work like A Scanner Darkly (2006). But some of his movies just fall completely flat. Sadly, Fast Food Nation is in this last category. I think part of it is that the subject is just too big for a dramatic movie like this. He just didn&amp;rsquo;t find a way to get a plot in his polemic against the fast food industry. Also some poor casting choices like Greg Kinnear hamper the movie. It almost seems that Linklater agrees, since his character disappears in the second half of the movie. I wanted to like it. The subject of the movie is right up my alley. Unfortunately, the plodding pace and painful exposition just made me keep checking my watch.  . </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Cheeseburger For The Soul ?</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/clownman70360/archive/2008/4/26/27857.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/105497/default.aspx'>clownman70360</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/clownman70360/default.aspx'>clownman70360 Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 4/26/2008 3:19:48 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Fast Food Nation was the best movie i ever taste it,i really love this movie,i got that on dvd,i gonna write a story of upcoming dark,black and satire comedy-drama film called:Suffocating Fumes,it's Punch-Drunk Love meets The Door On The Floor meets American Beauty meets Broken Flowers meets About Schmidt meets The Weather Man meets Winter Passing meets Little Children meets What's Eating Gilbert Grape meets Black and White meets Happiness meets Crash meets Smart People,about an art school teacher,his stay-at-home psychologist wife,an  orphaned bookworm,three roommates,a former child star,a shy loner,two wayward siblings,an troubled anchorwoman,an suicidial janitor,husband-and-wife waiters and other misfits are dealing with their dead-end lives in los angeles.The movie with all-star casts.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:19:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>clownman70360</spout:postby><spout:postto>clownman70360 Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>4/26/2008 3:19:48 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Fast Food Nation was the best movie i ever taste it,i really love this movie,i got that on dvd,i gonna write a story of upcoming dark,black and satire comedy-drama film called:Suffocating Fumes,it's Punch-Drunk Love meets The Door On The Floor meets American Beauty meets Broken Flowers meets About Schmidt meets The Weather Man meets Winter Passing meets Little Children meets What's Eating Gilbert Grape meets Black and White meets Happiness meets Crash meets Smart People,about an art school teacher,his stay-at-home psychologist wife,an  orphaned bookworm,three roommates,a former child star,a shy loner,two wayward siblings,an troubled anchorwoman,an suicidial janitor,husband-and-wife waiters and other misfits are dealing with their dead-end lives in los angeles.The movie with all-star casts.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Do you want lies with that?</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/go-ape/archive/2007/9/29/20234.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/96350/default.aspx'>Go-Ape</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/go-ape/default.aspx'>Go-Ape Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 9/29/2007 6:13:52 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> I found this to be a clever, witty, affecting film.  I love the mixture of the genres it portrays.  Somehow blending comedy, drama and documentary together without having one as it&#39;s true stand-alone genre description.  I have seen a lot of people who were disgusted by this film, but in a positive way.  It is a film that is fairly discouraging in it&#39;s portrayal of the fast food industry so if you eat a lot of the stuff it isn&#39;t something I&#39;d advise watching, as one of our customers will be more than pleased to tell you I am sure (he liked McDonalds and didn&#39;t like what the film said).  I don&#39;t tend to eat much fast food cause I&#39;m veggie, but if I did eat a lot of it, this film would seriously out me off.  The ending scenes are what seem to get most people but I won&#39;t ruin it for any of you.  As much as I liked it, there was one thing that I didn&#39;t like in this film and that was the amount of &#39;names&#39; involved in it.  I&#39;m not saying that anyone involved played thier parts badly, as everyone in fact played thier parts very well.  It&#39;s mainly the fact that it sort of feels that people are just jumping onboard to get thier faces out there.  The material probably spoke to each of them individually, but for me it just felt a little bit wrong with so many people in it.  At any rate, it is worth seeing, more so if you DO eat a lot of fast food cause if you do, you&#39;re eating crap.  Literally.   <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 29 Sep 2007 22:13:52 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Go-Ape</spout:postby><spout:postto>Go-Ape Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>9/29/2007 6:13:52 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>I found this to be a clever, witty, affecting film.  I love the mixture of the genres it portrays.  Somehow blending comedy, drama and documentary together without having one as it&amp;#39;s true stand-alone genre description.  I have seen a lot of people who were disgusted by this film, but in a positive way.  It is a film that is fairly discouraging in it&amp;#39;s portrayal of the fast food industry so if you eat a lot of the stuff it isn&amp;#39;t something I&amp;#39;d advise watching, as one of our customers will be more than pleased to tell you I am sure (he liked McDonalds and didn&amp;#39;t like what the film said).  I don&amp;#39;t tend to eat much fast food cause I&amp;#39;m veggie, but if I did eat a lot of it, this film would seriously out me off.  The ending scenes are what seem to get most people but I won&amp;#39;t ruin it for any of you.  As much as I liked it, there was one thing that I didn&amp;#39;t like in this film and that was the amount of &amp;#39;names&amp;#39; involved in it.  I&amp;#39;m not saying that anyone involved played thier parts badly, as everyone in fact played thier parts very well.  It&amp;#39;s mainly the fact that it sort of feels that people are just jumping onboard to get thier faces out there.  The material probably spoke to each of them individually, but for me it just felt a little bit wrong with so many people in it.  At any rate, it is worth seeing, more so if you DO eat a lot of fast food cause if you do, you&amp;#39;re eating crap.  Literally.   </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Fast Food Nation: Another Inconvenient Truth</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/archive/2007/7/25/15893.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/49792/default.aspx'>Tenenbaums</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/default.aspx'>Tenenbaums Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/25/2007 1:24:00 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Richard Linklater&#39;s Fast Food Nation is something rare in an industry that frequently features loud, one sided political issues: it is a message movie that is balanced and not preachy. Even when Linklater&rsquo;s and co-screenwriter Eric Schlosser&#39;s enlightening message concerning the titular business is being most clearly delivered, the source of information is always a credible character. Kris Kristofferson&rsquo;s old rancher&#39;s opinions are trustworthy because he has worked on his land for many years and has seen what life was like before urban sprawl and corporate greed. The age appropriate revolutionary mindsets of the college students make their words relevant, though they are the film&#39;s most ambitious and idealistic. Even the 30-40somethings played by Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette present valid arguments as the audience can appreciate the thoughts of people who worked for a change in their younger days and who have let their replacements inherit their efforts. We know these people, and because they are familiar each line of dialogue works. Then Bruce Willis&#39; short, powerful scene ties all of the major concepts in the movie together by presenting the industry&rsquo;s positive traits and it is painful to see that his stance is also valid and unavoidable.Once the characters have verbally delivered their messages, the film switches to purely visual mode and culminates in the most memorable and graphic sections from Schlosser&#39;s book: the killing floor. The combination of the intelligent presentation of the original text and concluding shots of sheer brutality, which are alluded to throughout the film, makes for one of the best political films ever. To be able to spin an acclaimed non-fiction "muckraking" book into a fictional film and carry the same basic themes is an extraordinary achievement. Seeing as Americans depend on burger chains nearly as much as fossil fuels, Linklater&rsquo;s film is as important a view as An Inconvenient Truth. Super Size Me showed us the hamburger, but Fast Food Nation brings us the rest of the cow.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Jul 2007 05:24:00 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Tenenbaums</spout:postby><spout:postto>Tenenbaums Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/25/2007 1:24:00 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Richard Linklater&amp;#39;s Fast Food Nation is something rare in an industry that frequently features loud, one sided political issues: it is a message movie that is balanced and not preachy. Even when Linklater&amp;rsquo;s and co-screenwriter Eric Schlosser&amp;#39;s enlightening message concerning the titular business is being most clearly delivered, the source of information is always a credible character. Kris Kristofferson&amp;rsquo;s old rancher&amp;#39;s opinions are trustworthy because he has worked on his land for many years and has seen what life was like before urban sprawl and corporate greed. The age appropriate revolutionary mindsets of the college students make their words relevant, though they are the film&amp;#39;s most ambitious and idealistic. Even the 30-40somethings played by Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette present valid arguments as the audience can appreciate the thoughts of people who worked for a change in their younger days and who have let their replacements inherit their efforts. We know these people, and because they are familiar each line of dialogue works. Then Bruce Willis&amp;#39; short, powerful scene ties all of the major concepts in the movie together by presenting the industry&amp;rsquo;s positive traits and it is painful to see that his stance is also valid and unavoidable.Once the characters have verbally delivered their messages, the film switches to purely visual mode and culminates in the most memorable and graphic sections from Schlosser&amp;#39;s book: the killing floor. The combination of the intelligent presentation of the original text and concluding shots of sheer brutality, which are alluded to throughout the film, makes for one of the best political films ever. To be able to spin an acclaimed non-fiction "muckraking" book into a fictional film and carry the same basic themes is an extraordinary achievement. Seeing as Americans depend on burger chains nearly as much as fossil fuels, Linklater&amp;rsquo;s film is as important a view as An Inconvenient Truth. Super Size Me showed us the hamburger, but Fast Food Nation brings us the rest of the cow.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: very misguided</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/nancarrow1/archive/2007/7/15/14688.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/16701/default.aspx'>nancarrow1</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/nancarrow1/default.aspx'>nancarrow1 Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/15/2007 1:33:55 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> A real missed opportunity. This film attempts to bite off way more than it can chew cinematically, apparently trying to weave together different narrative lines a la &#39;Babel&#39; (concerning border crossing, worker exploitation, corporate hypocrisy, mother/daughter angst, eco-activism etc), but just ending up with a bunch of half-cooked stories. It was billed as a black comedy, or expos&eacute;, but doesn&#39;t do either and has been edited and scripted very poorly. Showing the workings of a slaughterhouse does not amount to a critique of corporate America, or health issues, etc..!  What you expect to be a strong plot about an burger exec investigating his own burger production -- &quot;there&#39;s shit in the meat&quot; -- just gets abandoned mid way. This should have been the hamburger &#39;Thank you for Smoking&#39;. But it is not &ndash; the recognition of the title from the bestselling book seems to have been used to sell an rather artificial tasteless patty of a movie. <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:33:55 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>nancarrow1</spout:postby><spout:postto>nancarrow1 Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/15/2007 1:33:55 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>A real missed opportunity. This film attempts to bite off way more than it can chew cinematically, apparently trying to weave together different narrative lines a la &amp;#39;Babel&amp;#39; (concerning border crossing, worker exploitation, corporate hypocrisy, mother/daughter angst, eco-activism etc), but just ending up with a bunch of half-cooked stories. It was billed as a black comedy, or expos&amp;eacute;, but doesn&amp;#39;t do either and has been edited and scripted very poorly. Showing the workings of a slaughterhouse does not amount to a critique of corporate America, or health issues, etc..!  What you expect to be a strong plot about an burger exec investigating his own burger production -- &amp;quot;there&amp;#39;s shit in the meat&amp;quot; -- just gets abandoned mid way. This should have been the hamburger &amp;#39;Thank you for Smoking&amp;#39;. But it is not &amp;ndash; the recognition of the title from the bestselling book seems to have been used to sell an rather artificial tasteless patty of a movie. </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: good job</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/jonnysorrow/archive/2007/7/5/13144.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/39615/default.aspx'>jonnysorrow</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/jonnysorrow/default.aspx'>jonnysorrow Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/5/2007 3:45:11 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> This person below me is exactly right about his movie so listen to what she says.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:45:11 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>jonnysorrow</spout:postby><spout:postto>jonnysorrow Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/5/2007 3:45:11 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>This person below me is exactly right about his movie so listen to what she says.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Not what I expected</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/ktincu/archive/2007/3/14/6341.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2208/default.aspx'>ktincu</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/ktincu/default.aspx'>ktincu Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/14/2007 1:31:00 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> I really expected to like Fast Food Nation, and to get all worked up about the issues presented. I loved Super Size Me, and can go on and on (with a bit of encouragement) about the many negative effects of our fast food culture. But this film puzzled me while I was watching it, and left me with no take away. The puzzling aspects mostly came from a lack of fluidity and connectiveness in the movie. I kept expecting everything to come together in a more meaningful and natural way, but the various narratives and characters felt disjointed to the end. It seemed so contrived. There were also some characters and plot developments that didn&#39;t seem to serve a purpose at all (even though I had faith and kept expecting it all to make sense). Meaningless developments were belabored, while moments that could have been developed into something significant were skimmed over.Which brings me to the lack of take-away messages. Sure, meat processing plants are disgusting. Sure, thinking about what goes on in them makes you think twice about biting into your next burger. But none of this is enlightening. The film doesn&#39;t drive home the fact that it&#39;s our American desire to get lots of food for almost nothing that creates the problem in the meat industry. It doesn&#39;t make you question what&#39;s more important, and what are we willing to sacrifice. It didn&#39;t touch on problemmatic government regulations (even when the system is at its best, what the government says is okay really isn&#39;t okay!). And the movie doesn&#39;t give hope or inspiration when it comes to changing any of this. Some people will say raising awareness of the situation is the first step, but this movie could have done so much more.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:31:00 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>ktincu</spout:postby><spout:postto>ktincu Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/14/2007 1:31:00 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>I really expected to like Fast Food Nation, and to get all worked up about the issues presented. I loved Super Size Me, and can go on and on (with a bit of encouragement) about the many negative effects of our fast food culture. But this film puzzled me while I was watching it, and left me with no take away. The puzzling aspects mostly came from a lack of fluidity and connectiveness in the movie. I kept expecting everything to come together in a more meaningful and natural way, but the various narratives and characters felt disjointed to the end. It seemed so contrived. There were also some characters and plot developments that didn&amp;#39;t seem to serve a purpose at all (even though I had faith and kept expecting it all to make sense). Meaningless developments were belabored, while moments that could have been developed into something significant were skimmed over.Which brings me to the lack of take-away messages. Sure, meat processing plants are disgusting. Sure, thinking about what goes on in them makes you think twice about biting into your next burger. But none of this is enlightening. The film doesn&amp;#39;t drive home the fact that it&amp;#39;s our American desire to get lots of food for almost nothing that creates the problem in the meat industry. It doesn&amp;#39;t make you question what&amp;#39;s more important, and what are we willing to sacrifice. It didn&amp;#39;t touch on problemmatic government regulations (even when the system is at its best, what the government says is okay really isn&amp;#39;t okay!). And the movie doesn&amp;#39;t give hope or inspiration when it comes to changing any of this. Some people will say raising awareness of the situation is the first step, but this movie could have done so much more.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Review- Fast Food Nation</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/moviedodd/archive/2006/11/20/3740.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u14458a58cj.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/3713/default.aspx'>moviedodd</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/moviedodd/default.aspx'>Dodd's Film Reviews</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 11/20/2006 10:49:00 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> In case you do not know at this point: fast food is bad for you! After many years of submitting to the manipulative clown better known as Ronald McDonald, the entertainment industry has decided to take a look beneath the bun in the greasy world of fast food. With obese children running amuck and Jared Fogel taking over the airwaves, it is no wonder the public has taken a sudden interest in food. After all, it is what we eat! It was only yesterday when Morgan Spurlock regurgitated a burger in Super Size Me and forever changed the way some of us looked at the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. However, another man, Eric Schlosser, produced another fast food expose that had the world talking.  Fast Food Nation, published in 2001, is Schlosser's best-selling, non-fiction novel that reveals the dark side of the beloved fast food industry. Everything from the mistreatment of workers, to the creation of artificial flavors, to the manipulative marketing towards children is uncovered in all its sinister glory. It only makes sense that a book with this much popularity and true-to-life content would be adapted into a documentary. However, Fast Food Nation's long-anticipated transition to the screen is surprisingly reproduced as a fictional film, and is done so by renowned Texas filmmaker, Richard Linklater.  So how does one take hard-hitting documentation and make it into a fictional movie? While Schlosser's novel is the author's personal exploration of inner workings of the fast food industry, Linklater and Schlosser's re-vamped script cuts out the first-person investigation all-together. Instead, it gathers various findings from the novel, and integrates them into a multi-layered script that is strikingly familiar to the interconnectedness of Traffic and Crash.  The film sets up multiple storylines in multiple locations that attempt to reveal how each and every person is affected in this artery-clogging world of fast food. The audience is taken to the top where Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear) charismatically comes up with marketing ploys for a popular fast food chain known as Mickey's (coincidence?). Don is forced to leave his cozy seat in the boardroom to investigate a meat-packing plant in Colorado. Apparently the meat patties at Mickey's have been turning out a high fecal count (or as it is commonly stated in the film, "There is sh*t in the meat").  On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Raul (Wilmer Valderrama) and Sylvia (Catalina Sandino Moreno) have traveled illegally from Mexico and have landed jobs at the aforementioned meat plant in Colorado. As imagined, the non-English speakers experience the harshest of treatment at their new job. While top-notch executive Don is shown the most sterile sector of the meat plant during his investigation, Raul and Sylvia are placed on the killing floor where they are forced to spray away blood, hair, and feces. As you have probably guessed, this is indeed the "sh*t" that goes into the meat.  As if these characters are not enough to drive this two-hour film, we are also introduced to high-schooler Amber (Ashley Johnson) who spends half the days of her youth making minimum wage at the local Mickey's. However, after a surprise visit from her outspoken, liberal uncle (Ethan Hawke), young Amber must decide whether she should hold onto her financial security, or quit her disgusting, part-time profession.  Believe it or not, there are still plenty of characters that I have failed to mention. There is the sadistic slaughterhouse supervisor that forces illegal immigrant women to sleep with him (Bobby Cannavale), there is the innocent ranch-owner who knows the evil agenda behind the fast food industry (Kris Kristofferson), and there is the money-grubbing business negotiator who thinks feces should be eliminated from burgers by simply cooking them (Bruce Willis).   Fast Food Nation is an ensemble film that feels like it is about to explode from its insistence on so many storylines and characters. Being that Schlosser's book was intended to awaken the activist inside us, it is no surprise that the film's full agenda is pushed even further by its preachiness. The film quite humorously proves its objectives when Richard Linklater daringly takes stabs at actual franchises such as Wal-Mart and McDonald's. Unfortunately, these gags do not know when to quit beyond the first 20 minutes of the film. To put the icing on the cake, Ethan Hawke makes a pointless appearance mid-way through the film and annoyingly explains to the audience (as if they have not figured it out already) that fast food is a nasty, corporate machine that consumes small-town America.  Yes, Fast Food Nation is blatantly preachy. In serving as an informative mouthpiece about the fast food industry, it fails. However, Fast Food Nation does manage to succeed as another terrific character exploration from the always-reliable Richard Linklater. The reason I did enjoy this film is because of Linklater's ability to direct actors. As the filmmaker best known for capturing loose conversations in a 24-hour time period ( Dazed and Confused, Tape), Linklater does include his signature eavesdropping technique. One minute we are listening to a teenage fast food worker explicitly describe how he would rob Mickey's. The next minute we observe Greg Kinnear's businessman as he dresses himself while simultaneously watching hotel porn. While Linklater is not the best persuasive storyteller, his characters here are rich as always.  Fast Food Nation really is a film that dishes out a fair amount of flaws. It is understood why Richard Linklater's long-awaited take on the best-selling book falls short for some critics. So many raw and revealing facts are not justified properly in this script. However, looking past the film's ability to convey the truth, I very much enjoyed watching it from start to finish. Richard Linklater is one of the more impressive filmmakers to come out of the new millennium. Despite a possible weakness in plot, he still manages to impress with his easy-going direction and vivacious characters. Would I recommend Fast Food Nation? Sure. However, if you are looking for a convincing revolt against the fast food industry, I highly suggest curling up with the book instead.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:49:00 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>moviedodd</spout:postby><spout:postto>Dodd's Film Reviews</spout:postto><spout:postdate>11/20/2006 10:49:00 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>In case you do not know at this point: fast food is bad for you! After many years of submitting to the manipulative clown better known as Ronald McDonald, the entertainment industry has decided to take a look beneath the bun in the greasy world of fast food. With obese children running amuck and Jared Fogel taking over the airwaves, it is no wonder the public has taken a sudden interest in food. After all, it is what we eat! It was only yesterday when Morgan Spurlock regurgitated a burger in Super Size Me and forever changed the way some of us looked at the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. However, another man, Eric Schlosser, produced another fast food expose that had the world talking.  Fast Food Nation, published in 2001, is Schlosser's best-selling, non-fiction novel that reveals the dark side of the beloved fast food industry. Everything from the mistreatment of workers, to the creation of artificial flavors, to the manipulative marketing towards children is uncovered in all its sinister glory. It only makes sense that a book with this much popularity and true-to-life content would be adapted into a documentary. However, Fast Food Nation's long-anticipated transition to the screen is surprisingly reproduced as a fictional film, and is done so by renowned Texas filmmaker, Richard Linklater.  So how does one take hard-hitting documentation and make it into a fictional movie? While Schlosser's novel is the author's personal exploration of inner workings of the fast food industry, Linklater and Schlosser's re-vamped script cuts out the first-person investigation all-together. Instead, it gathers various findings from the novel, and integrates them into a multi-layered script that is strikingly familiar to the interconnectedness of Traffic and Crash.  The film sets up multiple storylines in multiple locations that attempt to reveal how each and every person is affected in this artery-clogging world of fast food. The audience is taken to the top where Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear) charismatically comes up with marketing ploys for a popular fast food chain known as Mickey's (coincidence?). Don is forced to leave his cozy seat in the boardroom to investigate a meat-packing plant in Colorado. Apparently the meat patties at Mickey's have been turning out a high fecal count (or as it is commonly stated in the film, "There is sh*t in the meat").  On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Raul (Wilmer Valderrama) and Sylvia (Catalina Sandino Moreno) have traveled illegally from Mexico and have landed jobs at the aforementioned meat plant in Colorado. As imagined, the non-English speakers experience the harshest of treatment at their new job. While top-notch executive Don is shown the most sterile sector of the meat plant during his investigation, Raul and Sylvia are placed on the killing floor where they are forced to spray away blood, hair, and feces. As you have probably guessed, this is indeed the "sh*t" that goes into the meat.  As if these characters are not enough to drive this two-hour film, we are also introduced to high-schooler Amber (Ashley Johnson) who spends half the days of her youth making minimum wage at the local Mickey's. However, after a surprise visit from her outspoken, liberal uncle (Ethan Hawke), young Amber must decide whether she should hold onto her financial security, or quit her disgusting, part-time profession.  Believe it or not, there are still plenty of characters that I have failed to mention. There is the sadistic slaughterhouse supervisor that forces illegal immigrant women to sleep with him (Bobby Cannavale), there is the innocent ranch-owner who knows the evil agenda behind the fast food industry (Kris Kristofferson), and there is the money-grubbing business negotiator who thinks feces should be eliminated from burgers by simply cooking them (Bruce Willis).   Fast Food Nation is an ensemble film that feels like it is about to explode from its insistence on so many storylines and characters. Being that Schlosser's book was intended to awaken the activist inside us, it is no surprise that the film's full agenda is pushed even further by its preachiness. The film quite humorously proves its objectives when Richard Linklater daringly takes stabs at actual franchises such as Wal-Mart and McDonald's. Unfortunately, these gags do not know when to quit beyond the first 20 minutes of the film. To put the icing on the cake, Ethan Hawke makes a pointless appearance mid-way through the film and annoyingly explains to the audience (as if they have not figured it out already) that fast food is a nasty, corporate machine that consumes small-town America.  Yes, Fast Food Nation is blatantly preachy. In serving as an informative mouthpiece about the fast food industry, it fails. However, Fast Food Nation does manage to succeed as another terrific character exploration from the always-reliable Richard Linklater. The reason I did enjoy this film is because of Linklater's ability to direct actors. As the filmmaker best known for capturing loose conversations in a 24-hour time period ( Dazed and Confused, Tape), Linklater does include his signature eavesdropping technique. One minute we are listening to a teenage fast food worker explicitly describe how he would rob Mickey's. The next minute we observe Greg Kinnear's businessman as he dresses himself while simultaneously watching hotel porn. While Linklater is not the best persuasive storyteller, his characters here are rich as always.  Fast Food Nation really is a film that dishes out a fair amount of flaws. It is understood why Richard Linklater's long-awaited take on the best-selling book falls short for some critics. So many raw and revealing facts are not justified properly in this script. However, looking past the film's ability to convey the truth, I very much enjoyed watching it from start to finish. Richard Linklater is one of the more impressive filmmakers to come out of the new millennium. Despite a possible weakness in plot, he still manages to impress with his easy-going direction and vivacious characters. Would I recommend Fast Food Nation? Sure. However, if you are looking for a convincing revolt against the fast food industry, I highly suggest curling up with the book instead.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:food</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/food/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/food/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>food</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 622</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 30</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 47</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:14 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>622</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>30</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>47</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:animal</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/animal/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/animal/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>animal</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1773</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 18</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 42</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:04:09 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1773</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>18</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>42</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:immigrant</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/immigrant/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/immigrant/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>immigrant</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 567</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 16</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 24</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>567</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>16</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>24</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:hippies</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hippies/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/hippies/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>hippies</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 15</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 10</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 16</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:12:01 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>15</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>10</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>16</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:fastfood</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fastfood/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/fastfood/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>fastfood</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 30</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 9</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 9</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:02:51 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>30</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>9</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>9</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:fat</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fat/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/fat/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>fat</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 7</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 7</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 9</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:44:01 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>7</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>7</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>9</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:bacon</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/bacon/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/bacon/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>bacon</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 4</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:40:14 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>4</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>4</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:francis</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/francis/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/francis/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>francis</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 4</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:21:02 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>4</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>4</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:sexualharassment</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sexualharassment/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/sexualharassment/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>sexualharassment</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 64</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 4</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:08:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>64</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>4</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>4</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:slaughterhouse</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/slaughterhouse/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/slaughterhouse/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>slaughterhouse</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 19</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 3</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 3</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 16:40:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>19</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>3</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>3</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:corporateladder</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/corporateladder/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/corporateladder/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>corporateladder</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 32</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 2</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>32</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>2</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>2</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:fecalmatter</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fecalmatter/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/fecalmatter/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>fecalmatter</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 2</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:22:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>2</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>2</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>2</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:meandering</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/meandering/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/meandering/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>meandering</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 3</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:22:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>2</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>3</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:illegalalien</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/illegalalien/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/illegalalien/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>illegalalien</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 129</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 0</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 0</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2009 13:05:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>129</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>0</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>0</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
  </channel>
</rss>