The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Year Released: 2011
Rating: 2.5
Meta-documentary by huckster Spurlock about the nature of 'branding' in 'culture' - product placements everywhere! - made with the 'ironic' twist of trying to get sponsors for this very movie. As with Spurlock's Super Size Me, there's a strong central idea: the notion that making 'pure art' is illusory, and that, like it or not, your cortex is constantly being tortured with images of things that sick, anti-art conglomerates want to brainwash you into purchasing. But as with Super Size Me, Spurlock gets lost on his way to bigger and deeper points, and almost accepts the notion of 'selling out' (an outdated term, in many ways) with pessimistic abandon, as if there's no real way to fight the onslaught aside from sleep or death (his grating mid-movie advertising gimmicks are mocking those who gave him cash, whether they care or not). For the record, I still use Old Spice, never flew JetBlue, I like my Garnier Fructis shampoo, I prefer cranberry juice and adore my little Hyundai.
