list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Where_in_the_World_is_Osama_bin_Laden/358626/default.aspx Title: Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?
Year: 2008
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Plot: After revealing just what a diet of Big Macs can do to a person, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock takes a tongue-in-cheek look at another threat to our collective well being in this witty documentary from the maker of Super Size Me. When Spurlock learns that he and his wife are expecting a baby, he decides that he wants the child to grow up in a safer world than we know today, so he takes it upon himself to track down the most dangerous man on earth, Osama bin Laden. Spurlock hops on a plane and flies to the Middle East in search of his quarry, making stops in Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan as he keeps an eye peeled for the head of Al Qaeda. When he isn't playing sleuth, Spurlock interviews people representing all walks of life, ranging from Orthodox Israeli enclaves and a mosque operated by rabidly anti-American Muslims to political moderates and ordinary folks at the supermarket, quizzing them about the nature of post-9/11 conflict and the need for peace. Where In The World Is Osama bin Laden? received its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 8
Number of Lists: 6
Number of blog posts: 9
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:58 GMTWhere in the World is Osama bin Laden?2008Morgan SpurlockAfter revealing just what a diet of Big Macs can do to a person, filmmaker <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___386886/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Morgan Spurlock</a> takes a tongue-in-cheek look at another threat to our collective well being in this witty documentary from the maker of <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/240367/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Super Size Me</a>. When Spurlock learns that he and his wife are expecting a baby, he decides that he wants the child to grow up in a safer world than we know today, so he takes it upon himself to track down the most dangerous man on earth, Osama bin Laden. Spurlock hops on a plane and flies to the Middle East in search of his quarry, making stops in Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan as he keeps an eye peeled for the head of Al Qaeda. When he isn't playing sleuth, Spurlock interviews people representing all walks of life, ranging from Orthodox Israeli enclaves and a mosque operated by rabidly anti-American Muslims to political moderates and ordinary folks at the supermarket, quizzing them about the nature of post-9/11 conflict and the need for peace. Where In The World Is Osama bin Laden? received its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide8Taggedy Taggged (6-10)6913http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s358626.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Where_in_the_World_is_Osama_bin_Laden/358626/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/9/39318.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/9/2009 2:00:58 PM
Body: At the cinema, 2008 was the year when it was hip to depart from the moral outrage any conscientious individual might feel about our countries’ on going illegal and immoral war 6,000 miles away. Light satire, be it of the buddy (Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay) or “five minutes in the future, things will be even more remarkably FUBAR” variety (War Inc.) were fashionable. Stop-Loss, much like last year’s ill conceived Lions for Lambs, luke warm Rendition and sneakily powerful In the Valley of Elah, was too sincere for most audience members and a large swath of critics’ taste. On the other hand, did we really need Morgan Spurlock to go looking for Osama Bin Laden? What if he would have found him? That might have been a beheading worth watching. Thankfully the much-maligned documentarian Nick Broomfield, best known for his perpetual work-in-progress (i.e. shoddily constructed), Tragic Musicians of the 90s Docs Kurt and Courtney (1998) and Biggie and Tupac (2002), finally surfaced with a genuinely terrific film. His 2007 TIFF entry Battle for Haditha, a picture that, in perhaps the year’s biggest cinematic surprise given its author’s dubious track record and relative inexperience in the realm of narrative, is so eerily verisimilar that it puts much of what one could accurately call combat cinema to shame. Shot in grainy, fluid 16mm with Jordan doubling for Iraq, and starring non actors culled from local Iraqi refugees and ex-American military personnel, Broomfield’s movie paints a potent and altogether horrifying picture of American military brutality that would be fodder for the knee jerk responses of hawkish pundits if a) it had been seen by anyone; b) if its events weren’t almost entirely drawn from the documented atrocities of November 19th, 2005; and c) if it had been directed by Brian DePalma, whose Redacted could have been this relevant if its director wasn’t so busy navel-gazing and rubbing his bald spot. With a structural conceit that resembles Gus Van Sant’s long build up to tragedy in Elephant (but with much less artifice and showy stylistic hijinks to burn), Battle for Haditha recounts not the 2005 battle for which it’s named (that took place in August of 2005 and featured the death of just about every marine from Brook Park, Ohio), but the massacre of twenty-four Iraqis, fifteen of them confirmed civilian noncombatants, by Americans servicemen out for revenge after a member of their platoon, Corporal Miguel Terrazas, was killed by an IED within the city.  That IED was initially listed as the cause of the fifteen civilian deaths in the military’s official report on the incident, only to be discovered as the mere spark for a clinical retribution on the part of a tired, emotionally scarred and trigger happy platoon. Broomfield paints the soldiers as limited and essentially decent men who, under the right circumstances, are subject to the worst human nature has to offer. The film has a small share of inauthentic-seeming moments, which will always occur when you unleash an inspired non-performer in a set of dire given circumstances and make them create without a safety net. But even in the midst of these moments, the film retains its power to both enrage and enthrall. Especially riveting is former Marine corporal Elliot Ruiz as Cpl. Ramirez, whose rage spills over to needless violence with a ferocity that can be hard to watch at times, but whose vulnerability, his essential optimistic sweetness, breaks your heart. At times the performance seems designed to provoke a Liberal wussie’s worst suspicions about the men who serve us in uniform; in other moments, you completely fall in love with the man. It’s dynamite work, a fully lived-in sensation. That those on both sides of any armed conflict are left wounded and this is no small thing might be Broomfield’s thematic intention, but his film transcends his schematic desires by putting us so equally in the shoes of combatants on both sides. It’s also leisurly enough to glimpse small moments with surprising restraint and unexpected beauty. From he sensuality of a woman removing her hijab to have intercourse and then a quaint shower with her lover, to a soldier watching as children flee their Madrasahs in the wake of the retaliatory massacre, Broomfield reveals himself to be a visual poet, albeit a minor one. The banality of evil is the film’s (and this whole war’s) real subject, but as it floats between the daily routines of the platoon and various groups of Iraqi civilians (and a few insurgents), many of whom we know will not see another day, the film manages to truly put to bed Francois Truffaut’s notion that war cinema is always too visceral to be considered truly pacifist. I’m glad I’ve seen it and, deity willing, I never, ever want to see the real thing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:00:58 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/9/2009 2:00:58 PMAt the cinema, 2008 was the year when it was hip to depart from the moral outrage any conscientious individual might feel about our countries’ on going illegal and immoral war 6,000 miles away. Light satire, be it of the buddy (Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay) or “five minutes in the future, things will be even more remarkably FUBAR” variety (War Inc.) were fashionable. Stop-Loss, much like last year’s ill conceived Lions for Lambs, luke warm Rendition and sneakily powerful In the Valley of Elah, was too sincere for most audience members and a large swath of critics’ taste. On the other hand, did we really need Morgan Spurlock to go looking for Osama Bin Laden? What if he would have found him? That might have been a beheading worth watching. Thankfully the much-maligned documentarian Nick Broomfield, best known for his perpetual work-in-progress (i.e. shoddily constructed), Tragic Musicians of the 90s Docs Kurt and Courtney (1998) and Biggie and Tupac (2002), finally surfaced with a genuinely terrific film. His 2007 TIFF entry Battle for Haditha, a picture that, in perhaps the year’s biggest cinematic surprise given its author’s dubious track record and relative inexperience in the realm of narrative, is so eerily verisimilar that it puts much of what one could accurately call combat cinema to shame. Shot in grainy, fluid 16mm with Jordan doubling for Iraq, and starring non actors culled from local Iraqi refugees and ex-American military personnel, Broomfield’s movie paints a potent and altogether horrifying picture of American military brutality that would be fodder for the knee jerk responses of hawkish pundits if a) it had been seen by anyone; b) if its events weren’t almost entirely drawn from the documented atrocities of November 19th, 2005; and c) if it had been directed by Brian DePalma, whose Redacted could have been this relevant if its director wasn’t so busy navel-gazing and rubbing his bald spot. With a structural conceit that resembles Gus Van Sant’s long build up to tragedy in Elephant (but with much less artifice and showy stylistic hijinks to burn), Battle for Haditha recounts not the 2005 battle for which it’s named (that took place in August of 2005 and featured the death of just about every marine from Brook Park, Ohio), but the massacre of twenty-four Iraqis, fifteen of them confirmed civilian noncombatants, by Americans servicemen out for revenge after a member of their platoon, Corporal Miguel Terrazas, was killed by an IED within the city.  That IED was initially listed as the cause of the fifteen civilian deaths in the military’s official report on the incident, only to be discovered as the mere spark for a clinical retribution on the part of a tired, emotionally scarred and trigger happy platoon. Broomfield paints the soldiers as limited and essentially decent men who, under the right circumstances, are subject to the worst human nature has to offer. The film has a small share of inauthentic-seeming moments, which will always occur when you unleash an inspired non-performer in a set of dire given circumstances and make them create without a safety net. But even in the midst of these moments, the film retains its power to both enrage and enthrall. Especially riveting is former Marine corporal Elliot Ruiz as Cpl. Ramirez, whose rage spills over to needless violence with a ferocity that can be hard to watch at times, but whose vulnerability, his essential optimistic sweetness, breaks your heart. At times the performance seems designed to provoke a Liberal wussie’s worst suspicions about the men who serve us in uniform; in other moments, you completely fall in love with the man. It’s dynamite work, a fully lived-in sensation. That those on both sides of any armed conflict are left wounded and this is no small thing might be Broomfield’s thematic intention, but his film transcends his schematic desires by putting us so equally in the shoes of combatants on both sides. It’s also leisurly enough to glimpse small moments with surprising restraint and unexpected beauty. From he sensuality of a woman removing her hijab to have intercourse and then a quaint shower with her lover, to a soldier watching as children flee their Madrasahs in the wake of the retaliatory massacre, Broomfield reveals himself to be a visual poet, albeit a minor one. The banality of evil is the film’s (and this whole war’s) real subject, but as it floats between the daily routines of the platoon and various groups of Iraqi civilians (and a few insurgents), many of whom we know will not see another day, the film manages to truly put to bed Francois Truffaut’s notion that war cinema is always too visceral to be considered truly pacifist. I’m glad I’ve seen it and, deity willing, I never, ever want to see the real thing. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Spout_Mavens/Re_Africa_Unite/366/30475/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lopezdash
Post To: Spout Mavens
Post Date: 6/4/2008 10:37:15 AM
Body: [quote user="joem18b"] [quote user="analogzombie"] It's too bad that the filmmaker didn't focus on the political struggles that led to the explosion of Reggae music, but I assume RIta Marley commisioned this film and Stephanie Black was obligated to make a tour diary. review [/quote] since the head of palm pictures is also the guy who gave marley his big break, i'm suprised that palm hasn't backed a film like the one you describe. (or maybe they have and i just don't know about it.) I doubt that ms black has the chops to make such a movie, however. meanwhile, now that africa unite is an annual event, the movie plays a big part in the public relations effort. [/quote] Witch takes us back to the conversations about the intent of a filmmaker vs. the studios intent, and whether a filmmaker should openly state whatever bias is reflected in their documentaries (there was a great post on SpoutBlog about the poll testing of "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden.")
]]>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:37:15 GMTlopezdashSpout Mavens6/4/2008 10:37:15 AM[quote user="joem18b"] [quote user="analogzombie"] It's too bad that the filmmaker didn't focus on the political struggles that led to the explosion of Reggae music, but I assume RIta Marley commisioned this film and Stephanie Black was obligated to make a tour diary. review [/quote] since the head of palm pictures is also the guy who gave marley his big break, i'm suprised that palm hasn't backed a film like the one you describe. (or maybe they have and i just don't know about it.) I doubt that ms black has the chops to make such a movie, however. meanwhile, now that africa unite is an annual event, the movie plays a big part in the public relations effort. [/quote] Witch takes us back to the conversations about the intent of a filmmaker vs. the studios intent, and whether a filmmaker should openly state whatever bias is reflected in their documentaries (there was a great post on SpoutBlog about the poll testing of "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden.") http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/4/21/27598.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 4/21/2008 3:01:24 PM
Body: At the P.O.V. Blog, Tom Roston ponders an emerging trend of Hollywood distributors test screening documentaries, and subjecting non-fiction films to the same focus group motivated pre-release tweaks that used to be the province of big budget comedies and wannabe franchises. He notes that the version of Morgan Spurlock’s Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? that opened on Friday is quite different from the version that premiered at Sundance: Spurlock actually relied significantly on test audiences after the movie was shown at Sundance. I wrote a story for the Los Angeles Times in which I reported this fact, including how Spurlock removed a jokey, in-your-face animated sequence (which must have cost a ton of money) and changed a pivotal closing song, from the goofy “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” to the more thoughtful, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” Both elements from the earlier cut of the film rang so wrong to me — they made a film that was supposedly about bridging differences between the Muslim and western worlds feel like a farce. But, thankfully, they were removed, and the film’s integrity, I think, restored. Roston says he’s “becoming convinced that it’s not inherently a bad thing” for a filmmaker and/or a distributor to seek input from the audience in the final stages of editing. But we’re obviously talking about a very specific kind of non-fiction film that can be molded based on comment card suggestion––Spurlock’s performance art approach to reportage would seem to lend itself to the commercial testing process in a way that a lower-concept filmmaker’s work may not––and it’s also clearly a sign that certain distributors are placing high enough performance expectations on certain documentaries to make such pre-release market research seem worthwhile. But is it? Osama made about $140k on about 100 screens; it might have been a wider opening than was wise, but that’s still a discouragingly low per-screen average. The film’s under-performance also might not have looked as bad had it not happened on the same weekend that the abysmally reviewed Expelled began what looks like a record-breaking run, but there’s no question that the film is far from a runaway hit. In the case of Spurlock’s film, testing might have made for a better movie, but there’s no indication that it made for a more profitable one. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:01:24 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog4/21/2008 3:01:24 PMAt the P.O.V. Blog, Tom Roston ponders an emerging trend of Hollywood distributors test screening documentaries, and subjecting non-fiction films to the same focus group motivated pre-release tweaks that used to be the province of big budget comedies and wannabe franchises. He notes that the version of Morgan Spurlock’s Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? that opened on Friday is quite different from the version that premiered at Sundance: Spurlock actually relied significantly on test audiences after the movie was shown at Sundance. I wrote a story for the Los Angeles Times in which I reported this fact, including how Spurlock removed a jokey, in-your-face animated sequence (which must have cost a ton of money) and changed a pivotal closing song, from the goofy “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” to the more thoughtful, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” Both elements from the earlier cut of the film rang so wrong to me — they made a film that was supposedly about bridging differences between the Muslim and western worlds feel like a farce. But, thankfully, they were removed, and the film’s integrity, I think, restored. Roston says he’s “becoming convinced that it’s not inherently a bad thing” for a filmmaker and/or a distributor to seek input from the audience in the final stages of editing. But we’re obviously talking about a very specific kind of non-fiction film that can be molded based on comment card suggestion––Spurlock’s performance art approach to reportage would seem to lend itself to the commercial testing process in a way that a lower-concept filmmaker’s work may not––and it’s also clearly a sign that certain distributors are placing high enough performance expectations on certain documentaries to make such pre-release market research seem worthwhile. But is it? Osama made about $140k on about 100 screens; it might have been a wider opening than was wise, but that’s still a discouragingly low per-screen average. The film’s under-performance also might not have looked as bad had it not happened on the same weekend that the abysmally reviewed Expelled began what looks like a record-breaking run, but there’s no question that the film is far from a runaway hit. In the case of Spurlock’s film, testing might have made for a better movie, but there’s no indication that it made for a more profitable one. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/21/27597.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/21/2008 3:01:15 PM
Body: At the P.O.V. Blog, Tom Roston ponders an emerging trend of Hollywood distributors test screening documentaries, and subjecting non-fiction films to the same focus group motivated pre-release tweaks that used to be the province of big budget comedies and wannabe franchises. He notes that the version of Morgan Spurlock’s Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? that opened on Friday is quite different from the version that premiered at Sundance: Spurlock actually relied significantly on test audiences after the movie was shown at Sundance. I wrote a story for the Los Angeles Times in which I reported this fact, including how Spurlock removed a jokey, in-your-face animated sequence (which must have cost a ton of money) and changed a pivotal closing song, from the goofy “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” to the more thoughtful, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” Both elements from the earlier cut of the film rang so wrong to me — they made a film that was supposedly about bridging differences between the Muslim and western worlds feel like a farce. But, thankfully, they were removed, and the film’s integrity, I think, restored. Roston says he’s “becoming convinced that it’s not inherently a bad thing” for a filmmaker and/or a distributor to seek input from the audience in the final stages of editing. But we’re obviously talking about a very specific kind of non-fiction film that can be molded based on comment card suggestion––Spurlock’s performance art approach to reportage would seem to lend itself to the commercial testing process in a way that a lower-concept filmmaker’s work may not––and it’s also clearly a sign that certain distributors are placing high enough performance expectations on certain documentaries to make such pre-release market research seem worthwhile. But is it? Osama made about $140k on about 100 screens; it might have been a wider opening than was wise, but that’s still a discouragingly low per-screen average. The film’s under-performance also might not have looked as bad had it not happened on the same weekend that the abysmally reviewed Expelled began what looks like a record-breaking run, but there’s no question that the film is far from a runaway hit. In the case of Spurlock’s film, testing might have made for a better movie, but there’s no indication that it made for a more profitable one. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:01:15 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/21/2008 3:01:15 PMAt the P.O.V. Blog, Tom Roston ponders an emerging trend of Hollywood distributors test screening documentaries, and subjecting non-fiction films to the same focus group motivated pre-release tweaks that used to be the province of big budget comedies and wannabe franchises. He notes that the version of Morgan Spurlock’s Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? that opened on Friday is quite different from the version that premiered at Sundance: Spurlock actually relied significantly on test audiences after the movie was shown at Sundance. I wrote a story for the Los Angeles Times in which I reported this fact, including how Spurlock removed a jokey, in-your-face animated sequence (which must have cost a ton of money) and changed a pivotal closing song, from the goofy “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” to the more thoughtful, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” Both elements from the earlier cut of the film rang so wrong to me — they made a film that was supposedly about bridging differences between the Muslim and western worlds feel like a farce. But, thankfully, they were removed, and the film’s integrity, I think, restored. Roston says he’s “becoming convinced that it’s not inherently a bad thing” for a filmmaker and/or a distributor to seek input from the audience in the final stages of editing. But we’re obviously talking about a very specific kind of non-fiction film that can be molded based on comment card suggestion––Spurlock’s performance art approach to reportage would seem to lend itself to the commercial testing process in a way that a lower-concept filmmaker’s work may not––and it’s also clearly a sign that certain distributors are placing high enough performance expectations on certain documentaries to make such pre-release market research seem worthwhile. But is it? Osama made about $140k on about 100 screens; it might have been a wider opening than was wise, but that’s still a discouragingly low per-screen average. The film’s under-performance also might not have looked as bad had it not happened on the same weekend that the abysmally reviewed Expelled began what looks like a record-breaking run, but there’s no question that the film is far from a runaway hit. In the case of Spurlock’s film, testing might have made for a better movie, but there’s no indication that it made for a more profitable one. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/18/27453.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/18/2008 9:01:22 AM
Body: When a laugh is more powerful than a tear. The Care Bears Big Wish Movie, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? and, possibly, Iron Man share a common theme. A quiet–almost subliminal appeal–to an audience seeking a straight shot of entertainment asking them to drop apathy and get involved in a troubled world. A new subversive cinema (that I wrote about earlier this week), which isn’t a filmmaker sneaking a message past Hollywood executives, but past a message-weary audience. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store and an episode will download each Friday) filmcouch-66 Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?, Iron Man, Care Bears Big Wish Movie Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:01:22 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/18/2008 9:01:22 AM When a laugh is more powerful than a tear. The Care Bears Big Wish Movie, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? and, possibly, Iron Man share a common theme. A quiet–almost subliminal appeal–to an audience seeking a straight shot of entertainment asking them to drop apathy and get involved in a troubled world. A new subversive cinema (that I wrote about earlier this week), which isn’t a filmmaker sneaking a message past Hollywood executives, but past a message-weary audience. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store and an episode will download each Friday) filmcouch-66 Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?, Iron Man, Care Bears Big Wish Movie Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2008/4/18/27452.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 4/18/2008 9:01:02 AM
Body: When a laugh is more powerful than a tear. The Care Bears Big Wish Movie, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? and, possibly, Iron Man share a common theme. A quiet–almost subliminal appeal–to an audience seeking a straight shot of entertainment asking them to drop apathy and get involved in a troubled world. A new subversive cinema (that I wrote about earlier this week), which isn’t a filmmaker sneaking a message past Hollywood executives, but past a message-weary audience. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store and an episode will download each Friday) filmcouch-66 Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?, Iron Man, Care Bears Big Wish Movie Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul Moore
]]>Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:01:02 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com4/18/2008 9:01:02 AM When a laugh is more powerful than a tear. The Care Bears Big Wish Movie, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? and, possibly, Iron Man share a common theme. A quiet–almost subliminal appeal–to an audience seeking a straight shot of entertainment asking them to drop apathy and get involved in a troubled world. A new subversive cinema (that I wrote about earlier this week), which isn’t a filmmaker sneaking a message past Hollywood executives, but past a message-weary audience. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store and an episode will download each Friday) filmcouch-66 Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?, Iron Man, Care Bears Big Wish Movie Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul Moore http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/3/11/26103.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/11/2008 5:01:06 PM
Body: Morgan Spurlock’s new documentary, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden, follows a similar gimmick to his first film, Super Size Me: take a controversial topic, put yourself at risk exploring that topic, and make it funny. While not a perfect film, it does work on many levels, especially in humanizing average citizens of the Muslim countries Sprulock explores. The film also turns Mortal Combat style video game fight sequences into biting political satire. Read a full review of the film here. SXSW news, reviews, interviews and discussions Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:01:06 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/11/2008 5:01:06 PM Morgan Spurlock’s new documentary, Where in the World is Osama bin Laden, follows a similar gimmick to his first film, Super Size Me: take a controversial topic, put yourself at risk exploring that topic, and make it funny. While not a perfect film, it does work on many levels, especially in humanizing average citizens of the Muslim countries Sprulock explores. The film also turns Mortal Combat style video game fight sequences into biting political satire. Read a full review of the film here. SXSW news, reviews, interviews and discussions Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/2/6/24777.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/6/2008 1:01:11 PM
Body: I was one of the many who enjoyed Morgan Spurlock’s debut feature documentary, Super Size Me, but mostly only because it came at the tail end of an anti-fast-food kick for me that began with Eric Schlosser’s 2001 book Fast Food Nation. By the time Spurlock showed up on the big screen with his silly McDonalds-only diet/experiment, I had already given up fast food two years prior, had lost 65 lbs. over the course of a summer (only partially as a result of not eating fast food, of course) and wasn’t exactly in need of convincing. But I was in the mood for some comedy, and Spurlock entertained as needed. Did he deserve the Oscar nomination? Not at all. This time around he’s even less of a pioneer. In fact, I think the Where is Osama Bin Laden? jokes were already dated when Super Size Me hit theaters. This isn’t to say that I think the search for the terrorist should be over, nor that I think we should shrug off the topic of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda just because it’s been more than 6 years since 9/11. I just don’t see how a feature-length documentary, which from watching the trailer appears to consist of nothing more than Spurlock annoying people with his query, can keep the issue funny enough throughout its whole running time. Actually, thanks to the trailer I now have doubts that Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? is even funny for a minute of the film’s length. Of course, it received mixed reactions from Sundance last month, where Karina reviewed it somewhat favorably, so perhaps my doubts aren’t completely justifiable. Maybe this is just a failed trailer. Or maybe, judging by the little (also dated) joke on The Da Vinci Code (or is it on National Treasure?), this trailer is simply aimed at a broader audience with a broader (and simpler) sense of humor. As of yet, The Weinstein Co. has not set a U.S. release date for the film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:01:11 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/6/2008 1:01:11 PM I was one of the many who enjoyed Morgan Spurlock’s debut feature documentary, Super Size Me, but mostly only because it came at the tail end of an anti-fast-food kick for me that began with Eric Schlosser’s 2001 book Fast Food Nation. By the time Spurlock showed up on the big screen with his silly McDonalds-only diet/experiment, I had already given up fast food two years prior, had lost 65 lbs. over the course of a summer (only partially as a result of not eating fast food, of course) and wasn’t exactly in need of convincing. But I was in the mood for some comedy, and Spurlock entertained as needed. Did he deserve the Oscar nomination? Not at all. This time around he’s even less of a pioneer. In fact, I think the Where is Osama Bin Laden? jokes were already dated when Super Size Me hit theaters. This isn’t to say that I think the search for the terrorist should be over, nor that I think we should shrug off the topic of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda just because it’s been more than 6 years since 9/11. I just don’t see how a feature-length documentary, which from watching the trailer appears to consist of nothing more than Spurlock annoying people with his query, can keep the issue funny enough throughout its whole running time. Actually, thanks to the trailer I now have doubts that Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? is even funny for a minute of the film’s length. Of course, it received mixed reactions from Sundance last month, where Karina reviewed it somewhat favorably, so perhaps my doubts aren’t completely justifiable. Maybe this is just a failed trailer. Or maybe, judging by the little (also dated) joke on The Da Vinci Code (or is it on National Treasure?), this trailer is simply aimed at a broader audience with a broader (and simpler) sense of humor. As of yet, The Weinstein Co. has not set a U.S. release date for the film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/billhr/archive/2008/1/25/24332.aspx Post By: billhr
Post To: Movies on appliedthinking
Post Date: 1/25/2008 9:09:30 AM
Body: Sundance Film Festival I’ve been in Park City for 6 days now and have only been able to see a handful of films (Up the Yangtze, Diary of the Dead, Be Kind Rewind and Where In The World Is Osama Bin Ladin?). Why? Too busy being the “suit” for Spout. I’ve been purposefully skipping some of the press screenings I’ve had scheduled to make time to talk to people within the industry. And by people in the industry, I’m not talking about celebrities. I’m talking about the people who get the work done at media companies, distributors, other film festivals, etc. Not that I don’t enjoy a celebrity sighting as much as the next guy. In fact, here is the list of people I have seen so far: Oliver Stone Maroon 5 Dennis Quaid John Legend Colin Firth Livia Firth Woody Harrelson Morgan Spurlock Colin Ferrel Giada DeLaurentis Rachel Dratch Stanley Tucci George Romero And there are probably others, but as cold as it’s been around here, it is hard to recognize people with their hoods up and knit caps pulled low. Tomorrow, we’re headed home. In the meantime, if you haven’t checked it out already, take a look at our blog and video coverage that has been presented by MySpace Film. Originally posted on:appliedthinking
]]>Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:09:30 GMTbillhrMovies on appliedthinking1/25/2008 9:09:30 AM Sundance Film Festival I’ve been in Park City for 6 days now and have only been able to see a handful of films (Up the Yangtze, Diary of the Dead, Be Kind Rewind and Where In The World Is Osama Bin Ladin?). Why? Too busy being the “suit” for Spout. I’ve been purposefully skipping some of the press screenings I’ve had scheduled to make time to talk to people within the industry. And by people in the industry, I’m not talking about celebrities. I’m talking about the people who get the work done at media companies, distributors, other film festivals, etc. Not that I don’t enjoy a celebrity sighting as much as the next guy. In fact, here is the list of people I have seen so far: Oliver Stone Maroon 5 Dennis Quaid John Legend Colin Firth Livia Firth Woody Harrelson Morgan Spurlock Colin Ferrel Giada DeLaurentis Rachel Dratch Stanley Tucci George Romero And there are probably others, but as cold as it’s been around here, it is hard to recognize people with their hoods up and knit caps pulled low. Tomorrow, we’re headed home. In the meantime, if you haven’t checked it out already, take a look at our blog and video coverage that has been presented by MySpace Film. Originally posted on:appliedthinking http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/23/24277.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/23/2008 7:00:32 PM
Body: Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden is the latest autobiographical odyssey by Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock. The film has a wry, snarky tone, so while Spurlock actually does tour the Middle East poking around for the world’s most wanted terrorist, the mission is understood to be secondary to the wider political comments the film attempts to make. If the mission to find Bin Laden is tongue-in-cheek, then what is the point of the very real dangers Spurlock subjects himself to? Comparisons to Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 are well deserved. Both rely heavily on darkly comic animated history lessons about the underbelly of American foreign policy. These segments are very entertaining, but also frustratingly simple. While it could be argued that Spurlock is intentionally over-simplifying complex histories in order to spoof the mainstream media’s penchant for cartoonish dichotomies, the animated segments instead prop up widely held beliefs with more humor than information. I can already hear undergrads at a party saying, “The CIA did some seriously messed up shit, didn’t you see that 90 second cartoon in that Morgan Spurlock movie?” (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:32 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/23/2008 7:00:32 PM Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden is the latest autobiographical odyssey by Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock. The film has a wry, snarky tone, so while Spurlock actually does tour the Middle East poking around for the world’s most wanted terrorist, the mission is understood to be secondary to the wider political comments the film attempts to make. If the mission to find Bin Laden is tongue-in-cheek, then what is the point of the very real dangers Spurlock subjects himself to? Comparisons to Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 are well deserved. Both rely heavily on darkly comic animated history lessons about the underbelly of American foreign policy. These segments are very entertaining, but also frustratingly simple. While it could be argued that Spurlock is intentionally over-simplifying complex histories in order to spoof the mainstream media’s penchant for cartoonish dichotomies, the animated segments instead prop up widely held beliefs with more humor than information. I can already hear undergrads at a party saying, “The CIA did some seriously messed up shit, didn’t you see that 90 second cartoon in that Morgan Spurlock movie?” (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/terrorism/MemberTagFilms.aspxterrorism
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