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Morgan Spurlock, the man responsible for the 2004 documentary 'Super Size Me', here turns his satirical eye on another of society's most ubiquitous evils: advertising, and specifically the phenomenon of product placement within the film industry. Spurlock sheds light on the process of product placement by setting himself the goal of funding his own documentary through product placement deals with various well-known companies. Contributors include Quentin Tarantino, Noam Chomsky, J.J. Abrams and Donald Trump.
Review
Since the advent of recording devices and on-demand services, consumers have been bypassing commercials like never before, so advertising agencies have stepped up their use of product placement. In The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) renders the process transparent as he documents his attempts to get Madison Avenue to fund his film. After a flood of rejections, he takes a series of meetings with companies willing to align their brand with his--and make no mistake, Spurlock is as much a brand as Donald Trump or Outkast's Big Boi, who show up to talk about product endorsement. The director's entertaining and enlightening journey even leads him to a juice purveyor that opens its wallet for placement above the title--hence the name of the pomegranate beverage which appears on all promotional materials. As one observer puts it, "You're selling out, but not selling out." For perspective, Spurlock solicits commentary from progressive thinkers, like Ralph Nader and Noam Chomsky, and Hollywood types, like J.J. Abrams, who created Lost, and Quentin Tarantino, who admits that a certain all-night diner rejected his offer to appear in Reservoir Dogs. Spurlock even travels to São Paulo to take a look at their ban on outdoor ads: no billboards or messages on cabs and buses, rendering the city clean and downright dull for those accustomed to American-style marketing. The film as a whole resembles a full-length version of a Mad Men pitch meeting--but funnier. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Sami
This film has one of the most interesting concepts I've encountered for a while - a documentary about sponsorship and product placement, all funded by sponsorship and product placement, with the plot centring around the director Morgan Spurlock's attempts to secure the film's sponsorship and product placement. The first question that comes to mind is, how can a director such as Spurlock - who has infamously flirted with anti-corporate controversy in his breakthrough film, Super Size Me [DVD] [2004], a documentary in which he eats nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days - maintain his integrity as a documentary-maker, whilst earning 100% of the film's funding from corporate sponsors?
The idea sounds like it has the potential for complete disaster, but the finished product is nowhere near this. The result is surprisingly adept, handled with versatility and self-deprecation. He strikes a delicate balance between delivering his message and displeasing his sponsors. Whilst hardly a searing critique of mass-media and capitalism in the style of Naomi Klein's No Logo (which isn't surprising given the film's premise), it takes a teasing and self-reflexive glance at product placement. We see Spurlock setting up meetings with potential sponsors, pitching sometimes absurd ideas for product placement (his idea for highlighting the erection-inducing qualities of pomegranate juice is a delight), and as deals are made the products then weave themselves into the film's narrative. The product placements are so obvious and self-conscious that viewers can hardly take them seriously.
None of the sponsors were allowed to have final approval of the film, but it makes me wonder how much of Spurlock's self-censorship influenced the final edit - the fear of lawsuits him might have indirectly influenced the outcome of the film. He interviews media and consumer rights activists to show a counterpoint to the cringeworthy management-speak of the featured sponsors, but I can't help thinking that interviewees as infamous as Ralph Nader and Noam Chomsky had their ideas significantly diluted. I wonder how Super Size Me would have turned out if it had been sponsored by McDonald's?
Overall, if you're hoping for a daring criticism of shameless mass-media advertising you might be disappointed, but this is still an enjoyable and tongue-in-cheek documentary with plenty of interesting ideas, and it's certainly worth a watch.
The idea sounds like it has the potential for complete disaster, but the finished product is nowhere near this. The result is surprisingly adept, handled with versatility and self-deprecation. He strikes a delicate balance between delivering his message and displeasing his sponsors. Whilst hardly a searing critique of mass-media and capitalism in the style of Naomi Klein's No Logo (which isn't surprising given the film's premise), it takes a teasing and self-reflexive glance at product placement. We see Spurlock setting up meetings with potential sponsors, pitching sometimes absurd ideas for product placement (his idea for highlighting the erection-inducing qualities of pomegranate juice is a delight), and as deals are made the products then weave themselves into the film's narrative. The product placements are so obvious and self-conscious that viewers can hardly take them seriously.
None of the sponsors were allowed to have final approval of the film, but it makes me wonder how much of Spurlock's self-censorship influenced the final edit - the fear of lawsuits him might have indirectly influenced the outcome of the film. He interviews media and consumer rights activists to show a counterpoint to the cringeworthy management-speak of the featured sponsors, but I can't help thinking that interviewees as infamous as Ralph Nader and Noam Chomsky had their ideas significantly diluted. I wonder how Super Size Me would have turned out if it had been sponsored by McDonald's?
Overall, if you're hoping for a daring criticism of shameless mass-media advertising you might be disappointed, but this is still an enjoyable and tongue-in-cheek documentary with plenty of interesting ideas, and it's certainly worth a watch.
By JH27
Amazon Verified Purchase
This show is pretty good; it gives a good insight into advertising. Now I'm more aware of the subtle advertising that goes on in the world!
By Sheila B
Amazon Verified Purchase
The film is interesting and presents information that perhaps not all are aware of.
But, I used it in class for educational purposes and it is too long and too dry to keep the pupils (17 yrs old) attention for the full film.
But, I used it in class for educational purposes and it is too long and too dry to keep the pupils (17 yrs old) attention for the full film.
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