BuzzFlash Reviews

March 9, 2005

"Super Size Me" DVD

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Let's just say if you think America has been taken over by an invasion of fast food outlets, this is the film for you. But we warn you: Don't munch on a McDonald's Happy Meal while watching it.

Inspired by the renegade style of Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock decided to go on a month-long McDonald's "diet" (this is a documentary by the way, not a work of fiction). Along the way, he uses fascinating interviews and great graphics to inform you about how fast food chains package their menu items to get you to buy bigger size orders. In particular, he nails the fast food industry for sucking kids in at the youngest possible age to get them to become life long consumers.

So what's the result of "super sizing" America. We have become a nation of obese people, with multiple preventable health problems, for one. And not to mention that all these fast food franchises blight the visual landscape.

Like Moore, Spurlock knows that this is a subject that could make you throw up (as he does on at least one occasion), so he peppers his documentary with humor. On the one hand, you can't take fast food too seriously; on the other hand, as he proves, you can't take the dangers of overindulging in fast food seriously enough.

We'll leave it to you to find out exactly how Spurlock ends up after 30 days of a McDonald's food fest. But, suffice it to say, he's on the fast track to obesity and ill health, according to the doctors who are monitoring him, which you probably expected anyway.

And if you were contemplating emulating Spurlock, his vegon girlfriend claims that the fast food diet has resulted in her bed mate losing most of his sex drive. In short, too many Big Macs don't lead to any male super sizing in the bedroom, she implies.

But don't worry, we're sure Viagra fries are not far off.

There are also extras on the DVD, including an interview with the author of "Fast Food Nation."

So rent the film, grab your last bag of fries, watch "Super Size Me," and get ready to become a fast food boycotter.

Until you can't resist the lure of a Big Mac and a fistful of fries.

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