Rock Band

Video Game Review: Activision Gets Poppy With Catchy ‘Band Hero’

BrianTT — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:36:49 -0700

CHICAGO – No one can accuse Activision and Neversoft of allowing their music game franchise to get stale. In fact, some might argue that they have flooded the market with too many similar products including “Guitar Hero: Metallica,” “Guitar Hero: Smash Hits,” “Guitar Hero 5,” “DJ Hero,” and, now, “Band Hero” in just this year alone (with “Guitar Hero: Van Halen” dropping before Christmas as well).

Video Game Rating: 3.5/5.0

So, how does “Band Hero” distinguish itself from the other titles? It doesn’t really. This is a more-of-the-same proposition, a somewhat-themed expansion set for what you know and love about the “Guitar Hero” games. At times, it feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity, but the title is ultimately a well-crafted, family-oriented installment of this crowded franchise and it should deliver what buyers are looking for this holiday season.

Band Hero
Photo credit: Activision/Neversoft

The concept behind “Band Hero” is simple - take every element of “Guitar Hero 5” and simply change the playlist to a more family-friendly, pop-centric selection of songs. Nearly every song in “Band Hero” is one that you have heard hundreds of times on the radio and it’s the “sing-along” aspect of these selections that artistically drive the game. Let’s face it, if you’re having a bunch of people over to play music games, “Metallica” and “Van Halen” might be a tough sell, but there’s a little bit of something for everyone in “Band Hero”.

Band Hero
Photo credit: Activision/Neversoft

With the Taylor Swift commercials for “Band Hero” (she has three songs in the game - “Love Story,” “Picture to Burn,” “You Belong With Me” - and is a playable character), I kind of assumed that the title would be purely for the tweens and marvelled at the publicity onslaught of Kanye West’s favorite target with a gig hosting “Saturday Night Live,” winning Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Awards, and this game all in the same few weeks. Luckily, it’s not all “mall music” in “Band Hero”. Yes, people might have a tough time going from “The Unforgiven” in “Metallica” to some of the more sugary sweet tunes in “Band Hero” (including work by Jesse McCartney, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Spice Girls) but there’s a little bit of something for everyone in the game.

For example, while the tweens may freak out at getting to play Ms. Swift, older fans will enjoy belting ’80s tunes like “Rio” by Duran Duran, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison, “I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick, “Honky Tonk Women” by the Rolling Stones, and “Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar. I’m glad the developers pulled from different eras of pop music instead of just playing to fans of current hits.

Band Hero
Photo credit: Activision/Neversoft

As for taking the stage as your favorite artist, Ms. Swift isn’t alone in “Band Hero”. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and all of the member of No Doubt make appearances and are ultimately playable. As for tunes, the former contributes “She Will Be Loved” and the latter “Don’t Speak” and “Just a Girl”.

As for new modes, there’s only one - “Sing-Along Mode,” which allows for multiple singers on one song in sort of a party karaoke mode. Players can also play with any combination of instruments that they want. Want 4 singers? Go for it. The game was clearly designed to appeal most to young players hanging with their friends or family parties and not diehards looking for a more realistic music simulation.

Players will also be able to download songs and import favorites from “Guitar Hero: World Tour” and “Guitar Hero 5”.

I have to admit to wondering at times why Activision and Neversoft released this title so quickly on the heels of “Guitar Hero 5”. The structure of each game - the gameplay, graphics, career mode, menus even - is so similar that fans may feel a bit ripped off to have paid $60 for what is essentially the same title with different songs so quickly after opening their wallet the first time.

Conseqeuently, “Band Hero” doesn’t feel like a complete game in its own right - but it’s a really catchy expansion pack.

‘Band Hero’ was released by Activision and developed by Neversoft. It is rated T (Teen). The version reviewed was for the PS3, but the title is also available for the XBox 360, Wii, and PS2. It was released on November 3rd, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video Game Review: ‘Guitar Hero 5’ Places Emphasis on Quantity Over Quality

BrianTT — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:51:12 -0600

CHICAGO – Perhaps you’ve seen the clever commercials for “Guitar Hero 5,” in which a dozen or so hot women dance around with plastic guitars and Hugh Hefner extols the virtues of “variety”? There has arguably never been more truth in advertising. Like a roomful of Playboy Playmates, “Guitar Hero 5” gives fans all the variety they could ask for, but truly falling in love with any individual part of the title is a little more difficult.

Video Game Rating: 3.5/5.0

Maybe it’s simply a byproduct of the international love affair with music games sort of fizzling out, but my response to “Guitar Hero 5” is that the title is exactly what I expected it to be - no more and no less. The bang-for-your-buck approach to the game is unassailable as the experience is simply enormous with dozens of songs, challenges, and multi-player possibilities, but is more always better?

Guitar Hero 5
Photo credit: Activision/Neversoft

In concept and execution, “Guitar Hero 5” feels like a slight upgrade from “World Tour,” but it still feels like a franchise designed around the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mantra of consumerism. That’s both understandable and unfortunate, since I really think it’s time that “Guitar Hero” takes a radical step forward and try and provide something new instead of just something more. Granted, I enjoyed most of my time with “Guitar Hero 5” and that’s ultimately what matters most when you’re considering a game purchase, but it feels like a band I like releasing an album that sounds a lot like what they’ve released before, when I really wish they’d stretch their wings a bit and give me something truly surprising.

Guitar Hero 5
Photo credit: Activision/Neversoft

For most people who play “Guitar Hero 5,” the key make-or-break element is going to be song selection and it’s a pretty clever mix of the expected and some undeniable surprises. One of my favorite elements of “Guitar Hero 5” is the breadth of the song choices. Going from “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash to “Du Hast” by Rammstein undeniably made me smile. Even if there are some odd and arguably unenjoyable song choices, there are so many of them that it seems like nit-picking to say, for example, that they could have picked a better Beck song than “Gamma Ray,” that Zakk Wylde should be prosecuted for his awful version of “Bring the Noise,” or that some of these titles (“Feel Good, Inc.,” “Ex-Girlfriend”) have already been done better as “Rock Band” DLC.

Yet some of the songs are absolute blasts in choice and design. “Under Pressure,” “Make It Wit Chu,” “Nearly Lost You,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Song 2,” “Only Happy When it Rains” - all are fun enough to play multiple times and they’re not alone. And it’s cool to see predictable band choices like Weezer, Muse, and Beastie Boys (“GH” regulars) alongside new inductees into the catalog like Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, and Sunny Day Real Estate.

There are also subtle but crucial tweaks to the organizational structure of the game that work, but mostly in the sense that they should have been fixed years ago. Let’s face it, the “Guitar Hero” franchise had some ridiculous flaws until now that have finally been corrected, including being able to sort tracks, play all available tracks via Quickplay from day one, and, FINALLY, being able to play previously downloaded content in this new title, even being able to import some tracks from “World Tour” and “Smash Hits”. It’s about time.

Guitar Hero 5
Photo credit: Activision/Neversoft

The unexpected alterations to the “GH” structure are mostly pleasant and all seem designed around accessibility of play. The game has clearly been built to try and bring the party element of the music game genre back to popularity. Not only are all tracks playable from day one but the user interface allows players to sign in and out much more easily, change difficulty on the fly, and even jump into a song right from the title screen.

As for the new multiplayer modes, they’re a mixed bag for me. There are interesting new variations, but it seems like overkill when they’re all basically built around hitting the most notes at the right time. Far more interesting are the challenges, in-song bonus challenges like maintaining song power for a certain amount of time or whammy-ing the sustains that will earn you unlockable outfits and trophies.

On a visual and sound level, not much has changed. The audio tracks sound better mixed than “World Tour,” which is a definite upgrade, but they’ve sounded better during “Metallica” and “Smash Hits” as well, so that’s not really surprising.

Guitar Hero 5
Photo credit: Activision/Neversoft

My biggest problem with “Guitar Hero 5” is probably visual. It was a good idea to jettison the career mode cut-scenes and forced story but what they’ve been replaced with is a series of interchangeable locations that just feel silly and arbitrary. Finishing a set of songs in a goofy-looking location like “Guitarhenge” unlocks another set of songs in a goofy-looking location like “Angel’s Crypt”. None of the locations have any meaning or real personality. I know that “GH” has always been the more cartoon-ish franchise but it feels pushed to the limit in “GH5”, especially when cartoon versions of icons like Johnny Cash and Kurt Cobain have been inserted into the stylized world. And the uninspiring locations add to the feeling that career mode is nothing more than a “Play All on Quickplay” option.

Ultimately, you can’t fault Neversoft for giving fans more, More, MORE. With a new “Guitar Hero” release every quarter - “Guitar Hero: Van Halen” will be out by the end of the year - the franchise may suffer a bit from overexposure but, for some fans, these titles and the songs they hold are like Playboy Playmates - you can’t have too many.

‘Guitar Hero 5’ was released by Activision and developed by Neversoft. It is rated T (Teen). The version reviewed was for the PS3, but the title is also available for the XBox 360 and Wii. It was released on September 1st, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video Game Review: Everyone Should Play ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’

BrianTT — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:03:46 -0600

CHICAGO – “The Beatles: Rock Band” is easily the most fulfilling music gaming experience to date. As someone who has played all of the “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” releases so far, I can tell you from experience that most of these titles are easy to pick up and put down without a concrete narrative to drive a player from beginning to end. “The Beatles: Rock Band” has turned the music game sub-genre into something it hasn’t been yet - a complete journey instead of just a collection of songs.

Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0

When “The Beatles: Rock Band” came into our office, I was on my way out for a Labor Day weekend, so I handed the title off to a freelance staff writer named Matthew Priest, who also happens to be an enormous Beatles fan and the lead singer of a great Chicago band, Canasta. Since then, I’ve had time to play through “The Beatles: Rock Band” in its entirety, but I want to include Mr. Priest’s wonderful insights into the game from his viewpoint as a writer and musician himself.

The Beatles: Rock Band
Photo credit: Harmonix/MTV Games

One of the first words that Matthew used to describe the game is “communal,” and that’s a great way to describe the few hours that you and your friends can spend with the legacy of the greatest band in the history of music. As anyone even remotely aware of The Beatles knows, this was a complete band all around, with Paul, John, George, and Ringo all bringing something to the studio and the stage. It’s remarkable how much that sense of teamwork in the creation of the music has been transported to the game that bears their name. In-person or with an online band, “The Beatles: Rock Band” is the one music game that’s most attuned to the word “Band” in its title.

The Beatles: Rock Band
Photo credit: Harmonix/MTV Games

Part of the communal feeling created by “The Beatles: Rock Band” stems from the structure of the game, one that takes players through the shockingly brief career of the classic band (look at the catalog of the band and don’t forget that they were only together from 1962 to 1969… mind-blowing).

Players start in a small club and progress through major events in the history of the band like their appearances at Shea Stadium and on The Ed Sullivan Show. The live settings are fun, but the later half of the game is truly remarkable as the band goes into the studio and every song is accompanied by ridiculously beautiful visuals like animated music videos to go with tunes like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and, my personal favorite song to play in the game, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

“The Beatles: Rock Band” is inarguably the best looking music video game to date, one that takes the concept of an animated band to a new level. The best compliment I can pay the game is that I was actually distracted enough by the gorgeous backgrounds that they caused me to miss a note every now and then. This title is a leap forward visually, going well above and beyond the typical presentation of musicians in the genre.

The Beatles: Rock Band
Photo credit: Harmonix/MTV Games

The sound is similarly perfect. As Matthew says, “When you’re playing the raw, stripped down stuff from both their early days and final days, the instruments and voices sound nice and separate, so you can easily pick out the different parts and it gives the impression of four guys playing music together in a space. And then conversely, with the middle period stuff, when they were experimenting more with a bigger, more complex sound, making full use of studio multi-tracking, it sounds as huge and full as ever.”

One of the most buzzed advancements in “The Beatles: Rock Band” has been the addition of vocal tracks on top of the lead. As Matthew writes, “The backing vocals! They totally work! And, not unlike backing vocals in reality, a lot of enthusiasm can make up for some sloppiness… so they were tons of fun for folks to try, without having to worry that anything less than perfection would derail the song and cause the band to fail.”

So, the video, audio, and narrative experience are all perfectly designed, but what about the set list? There are some wonderful, unusual, surprising choices like “Dig a Pony,” “Boys,” and “I Me Mine” and each chapter in the life of the band feels wonderfully fleshed out.

The Beatles: Rock Band
Photo credit: Harmonix/MTV Games

The one problem with the set list comes down to size. Most Beatles songs are rather short and there are less than 50 in the entire game. It feels like Harmonix is simply waiting to release more songs on DLC when they could have included another chapter or two in the actual title. There are some obvious choices (“Penny Lane,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “You Won’t See Me,” “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” “Glass Onion”) that would have worked for an entire band, and their absence feels a bit like double-dipping for future charges in DLC - entire album versions of “Abbey Road” (on October 20th, 2009), “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (November), and “Rubber Soul” (December) have already been confirmed.

With multiple track packs on the market, no one can claim that the “Rock Band” franchise doesn’t know how to make consumers keep paying and I worry that our quantity-driven market will cause some fans to look at the nearly-twice-as-many songs in “Guitar Hero 5” and pick that one up instead simply because it’s more tunes for the buck. (Watch for a full review of that title on Friday.)

You can argue about the quantity but never the quality of “The Beatles: Rock Band”. Even for two hardcore Beatles fans like Matthew and myself, the game is nearly an educational experience. Priest puts it best, “I mean, everyone knows that the Beatles had unforgettable melodies, sung by two unmistakable vocalists/lyricists in Paul and John and I’d say that they’re also pretty famous for their guitar riffs. But playing this game brings to light just how inventive Ringo’s drumming was; how badass Paul’s bass fills were; the genius and beauty of the handful of tunes written by George; how seamlessly all of their backing vocals blended into the leads.

The Beatles: Rock Band
Photo credit: Harmonix/MTV Games

As with most musicians, I’ve definitely spent some time paying close attention to that kinda stuff in the past but had never quite realized exactly how impressively aligned the stars must’ve been when each of those songs was written and recorded. Amazing.”

What makes me smile and honestly moves me emotionally about “The Beatles: Rock Band” is that the game is destined to bring my favorite band to an entirely new generation who probably aren’t familiar with the band because they can’t play them on their iPod. I know parents of young children who have told me that their kids play the “GH” and “RB” games and the thought of this title being a learning experience for a whole new generation makes me smile. Beatlemania never dies. It just goes into hibernation every once in awhile. It’s back.

‘The Beatles: Rock Band’ was released by MTV Games & Electronic Arts and developed by Harmonix. It is rated T (Teen). The version reviewed was for the PS3, but the title is also available for the XBox 360 and Wii. It was released on September 9th, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Forget Love; All You Need is ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’

BrianTT — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:24:30 -0600

CHICAGO – A number of videos have been released for one of the most anticipated games of the year, the addictive-looking “The Beatles: Rock Band” and we just had to share. With dozens of tunes by the biggest band in the history of music, 3-part harmony, and gorgeous graphics, “The Beatles: Rock Band” looks like a must-own for the fall. Stay tuned to HollywoodChicago.com for more video and screenshots all week, followed by a review.

Synopsis from the official site:

“The Beatles™: Rock Band™ will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles’ extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career.

Available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ system from Nintendo on Sept. 9, 2009, the game will be compatible with all Rock Band™ controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero® and authorized third party instrument controllers and microphones.”

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video Game Review: Step Into Your Favorite Show in ‘Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2’

BrianTT — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:40:59 -0600

Video Game Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – If you’re like most people who own a television, you’ve probably seen “American Idol” at least once in its near-decade of ratings dominance and thought that you could do better than the pop star wannabe on the stage. Now you can try and achieve “AI” dominance on your own with “Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2”. Practice your Mariah Carey note runs.

“Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2” is a pretty simple game. In fact, it’s too simple, but we’ll get to that. But if you’ve enjoyed a few nights at the local karaoke bar and want to recreate that sensation without the bar atmosphere and in front of digital recreations of Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson then this is the game for you.

This title may seem like a redux of the more complicated and popular “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” games, but the “Karaoke Revolution” games have actually been around for years with titles for nearly every system from Xbox to PS3. The first “Karaoke Revolution” was released in November 2003 with the first “American Idol” title hitting in the first week of 2007.

Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol 2
Photo credit: Konami

Last Fall, Konami updated the first “American Idol” karaoke title with new songs in this sequel that essentially is just the exact same game with even the same menu screens and options.

The gameplay couldn’t be simpler. Players choose a character, a location, and a song and then do their best to hit the notes and words as closely as possible. For example, you can do your best with “Losing My Religion” in the audition room or go all the way to the final stage to show how much you rock “Livin’ On a Prayer”.

Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol 2
Photo credit: Konami

The game includes over three dozen songs with more tracks available for download. Other songs included on the disc are “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie, “I’m Like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado, “Imagine” by John Lennon, “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, “Speed of Sound” by Coldplay, and, a karaoke staple, “Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees. Other tracks are unlockable as you progress through the game.

The song selection is somewhat predictable. Karaoke bars everywhere are thumping to the beats of The Go-Go’s, Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, Hall & Oates, and Tommy Tutone. There are a few surprising choices, but a game like this relies heavily on its song selection and the disc songs are a little “eh” and they’re not even original masters. They’re covers with some pretty poor mixing.

However, with dozens of songs available as DLC, players truly can make a playlist they truly adore if they’re willing to pay a little extra cash. It does raise the question as to why the tracks on this actual disc weren’t just DLC for the first version, but music games always run into that problem.

It feels like a lot of corners were cut with “Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2”. The songs aren’t mixed very well. The “AI” judges look mediocre at best and don’t add much to the game. They’re pretty much just there to get excited if you do well and sad if you don’t.

Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol 2
Photo credit: Konami

What’s truly most surprising about the title is that it doesn’t really feel like “American Idol”. Ryan Seacrest didn’t give voice or likeness rights. Even the audition background doesn’t include the former “AI” winners like the show with fake characters replacing icons like Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks.

Why not make a true “AI” game? It doesn’t seem that complicated. It would have ALL the likenesses and personalities from the show. You could play multiplayer online and stage your own competitions with someone getting cut by Seacrest as he does on the show each round. Fans of the Fox mega-hit would love it.

To be fair, you can set up mini-tournaments online with this version but it doesn’t feel like the actual show. It feels like a basic karaoke game with the “AI” brand pasted on.

Ultimately, “Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2” is a party game and should be treated and reviewed as such. After a few drinks or for the hyper kids at a family function who just want to sing for Paula, they won’t be disappointed at all. Kind of like the show itself, it works as escapist entertainment, but not if you look at it too critically.

‘Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2’ was released by Konami and developed by Blitz Games. It is rated E (Everyone). This review is of the PS3 version but the title is also available on Xbox 360 and Wii. It was released on November 18th, 2008.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Boisterous Morgan Spurlock on Latest Film ‘Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?’

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:57:38 -0600

CHICAGO – Morgan Spurlock wants to change the world. The creator and filmmaker who took on fast-food giant McDonald’s in his first film (“Super Size Me”) is now taking on the current global war on terror and the image of the most wanted terrorist in his new film “Where in World is Osama Bin Laden?”

Traveling to the “hot spots” in the Middle East including Afghanistan, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Spurlock talks both to the leaders and people of the regions.

Morgan Spurlock in his new documentary “Where in World is Osama Bin Laden?”.
Photo credit: Daniel Marracino, The Weinstein Company

Not only does he light-heartedly search for the elusive Bin Laden but he also tries to promote understanding about why a harmful byproduct like terrorism can emerge from religious and political movements.

HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed Spurlock about the context of his documentary and also to get an idea of why he approached this particularly complex theme as a subject for a new movie.

“Movies are an incredibly inspiring medium. Movies do have the ability to transcend culture, transcend countries and transcend the barrier of language,” Spurlock said.

He added: “Hopefully through film you can get people to start to think about things in a way they normally wouldn’t. People look at films as an entertaining medium. For me, if you can entertain and get others to think at the same time, then you’re actually accomplishing something pretty great.”

Morgan Spurlock in his new documentary “Where in World is Osama Bin Laden?”.
Photo credit: Daniel Marracino, The Weinstein Company

The trademark in Spurlock’s method is humor. He establishes this early through an animated prologue that describes his impending fatherhood and then morphs into a video-game style that pits him against the evil image of Bin Laden.

“We were about six months into post-production when – in the middle of the night – I got the idea for the video-game look. I thought it just made sense because it was a typical ‘good versus evil’ video-game scenario you experience when playing,” Spurlock related.

“I also wanted a bridge from my generation to the younger generation as well. This style spoke to me. I hope it speaks to others,” Spurlock said. “We started working with Curious Pictures, which developed the popular game ‘Rock Band’. They helped make that video-game look a reality.”

“I wanted to give more voice to the moderates and the ordinary people who usually don’t get a platform. The more we empower those people, the less influence an extremist like Bin Laden has.”

~ Director Morgan Spurlock

In preparation for the trip to the Middle East, Spurlock went through language lessons, booster shots for potential disease and survival training.

“It messed with my head a bit when they started to talk about potential injuries as in: ‘What do you do when you’re shot in the neck?’ When you talk about things like that, it makes you realize you’re going into possible grave situations. It can get a little hairy,” Spurlock said.

And so it was. When going into militarized zones like the Gaza Strip and Afghanistan, there were several dangerous stops along the way. Through it all, though, Spurlock talked to the native people of the areas to get information and understanding about the grip that Bin Laden has put on the world.

“I wanted to give more voice to the moderates and the ordinary people who usually don’t get a platform,” he asserted. “The more we empower those people, the less influence an extremist like Bin Laden has.”

Morgan Spurlock in his new documentary “Where in World is Osama Bin Laden?”.
Photo credit: Daniel Marracino, The Weinstein Company

In mixing with the different countries, Spurlock exposed the control on thought and action that governments and religion have on people. In Saudi Arabia, two adult officials sat in on an interview with 18-year-olds and an orthodox section of Israel wanted him out and his cameras off.

“[The orthodox Israelis] are closed off to outsiders to begin with,” he recounted, “but there was one individual who came up to us and assured that the situation didn’t represent everyone. That one scene speaks volumes for the whole movie – that it’s a small group of radical people who will take aggression to another level.”

Morgan Spurlock in his new documentary “Where in World is Osama Bin Laden?”.
Photo credit: Daniel Marracino, The Weinstein Company

Spurlock chose not to debate politics and noted the extreme factions on both sides of one particular conflict.

“The bigger picture of what I wanted to do was paint a portrait of what people have to face on an everyday basis,” Spurlock said.

He added: “[I exposed] the people in Palestine who live within walls and have to go through multiple checkpoints just to get home to the everyday people in Israel who have to live under the threat of bombs – and even bombs shot from Gaza falling from the sky.”

It’s a valiant thesis as a movie and is another in a long string of rational “why can’t we just get along?” propositions. It’s also frustrating to realize we live in a world of Bin Ladens.

This has perpetuated the U.S. to wage war when the average citizens of the conflicted regions simply want peace for their children.

Spurlock dedicated his film of peace, love and understanding to his new, 16-month-old son. He concluded: “The goal for me was to try and create a forward-thinking movie – a movie that would ask the question: ‘Where do we go from here?’”

“Where in World is Osama Bin Laden?” opens on April 18, 2008. In Chicago, the film will show at AMC River East, Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, Landmark’s Renaissance Place Cinema and Century 12 Evanston.

More From the Mind of Morgan Spurlock

On fellow documentary maker Michael Moore:

“The one thing about Michael – and people can say what they want about him – but whenever he makes a movie, he creates a topic that immediately becomes headlines on newspapers, magazine covers and broadcast news. To be able to generate a dialogue about a topic just from a movie is tremendous influence.”

On “Super Size Me” and its influence:

“The film caused a lot of people to look at their business practices. Even more important, McDonald’s eliminated super-sized options and came out with a lot of healthier menu items. What was really satisfying was how individuals wanted to change their diets.

I meet people every day who show me old pictures of themselves and say: ‘This used to be me. I lost 100 pounds because after seeing your film I changed the whole way I ate.’ It’s an amazing little film for what it did. I’m astounded by it every day.”

On whether he has eaten at McDonald’s since and if his son will ever go there:

“I haven’t been back to a McDonald’s since March 2, 2003 where we had a party for my final meal there. When my son – who is being raised in a vegan household – is ready for a real hamburger and a real milkshake, there are so many better places to take him to.”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com