Matt and I watched this flick last night. I was going to watch for only a half hour, then hit the hay, but it was such a train wreck I just had to stay up for the entire horrifying experience. 
No wonder people are afraid of clowns. Yeesh.
There were lots of interesting things about it -- the info given, how the movie was done -- but I won't bore you with all of that. Other than, it obviously wasn't scientific. But even so, raised alarming questions about what this kind of "food" does to us.
In an amusing twist (irony? Nope, I think merely coincidence, right, Brickdude?), I had to hand in a permission slip for Lizzard's class (yes, she's only 2), which is taking a field trip to ... McDonald's.
My favorite field trip ever was to Domino's. Also, I haven't seen the movie, but does it say anything that someone with any common sense doesn't know already? I mean, who doesn't know that eating fatty and/or fried food three meals a day will make you fat and ruin your health?
ReplyDeleteYeah. Well, maybe not. But sometimes the obvious is the most fun, I guess. You get to rail against the enemy, and all that. And watch a good McTrain Wreck splatter all over the place.
ReplyDeleteSome things I found interesting:
He put some McFries in a jar for 10 weeks. Just to see what would happen. The McSandwiches got all kindsa moldy and sicko. But the fries? NOTHING.
He also visited some schools -- 'state of lunch cafeterias these days' sort of thing. EVERYTHING is pre-made and shipped by the USDA. At one school, for troubled kids, the staff replaced the fatty lunches with a company that made wholesome, organic food, and they said the attitudes and concentration levels of the kids changed drastically. Creepy.
Also striking was how much has changed since the movie originally came out. McDonald's has apparently done away with the SuperSize option, and instituted a new salad line (albeit no less fatty), and the apple slices as side dish option. And that happy mcmeal with the pedometer in it. Etc.
A few other cool things I can't remember. And I'm just mostly fascinated by the concept of documentary as major motion picture. How are these folks doing them in an entertaining way? (See also: Spellbound and Word Wars.)
And how PROFOUNDLY his health was ruined. And how fast. Though, he did some other things -- approximate the lifestyles of your worse eaters, as well as diet -- which added to the effects. (he usually walks everywhere; he made sure to walk no more than a half mile a day.)
He actually became addicted to the food. He felt horrible before he had it, and felt great afterward. And wanted more way too soon. Freakish.
The genius of the film, as I see it: when the wife and I were leaving the theater, we both felt ill, even as we craved a Big Mac.
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