We all know that moment when we’re watching a puppet show, willing to believe everything before our eyes, and then a small boy runs forward to pull the curtain back to blow the gag and reveal what trickery is afoot.
Fast forward a few years and a handful of myth-spilling documentaries, and Morgan Spurlock is still that boy - the serial screen agitator who blew himself to immense proportion to test the nutritional value of McDonalds (Super Size Me) and went in search of America’s enemy (Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?), basically Michael Moore with less politics, more humour, same investigative hunger.
Now, he’s back with a film that flips within itself more than any of his previous work, and exposes the merchandising engine-room behind most things we now see on screen. In The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Spurlock tells the story of how films are funded by product placement WHILE doing the very same thing all the while. For example, he documents making a deal with a US diner company for some film-funding on the condition that they get a minimal amount of screen placement, and then the very next scene is set... guess where. It’s extremely clever, meta- , revealing and funny, particularly when Mane and Tail Shampoo becomes the shower accessory of choice.
Spurlock is also one of the judges of the prestigious PUMA Creative Impact Award, which honours a documentary for its proven international significance. Ahead of the Gala event this evening in London, Spurlock spoke exclusively to Huffington Post UK about the importance of documentary and his own latest offering:
Where do you get your ideas?
They can come from anywhere. For example, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold came from an episode of Heroes, where one of the girls was despairingly upset, and suddenly she was cheered up by a big, shiny Lexus car. And there it was in all its glory, insignia and all. And I thought, there’s the next movie in a nutshell.
How do you reach the huge number of viewers who wouldn’t normally want to watch a documentary?
Exactly, there’s no point preaching to the choir. I hope that my films all contain more humour than political agenda, that I can wear my politics lightly, so that anyone watching one of my films will know they are going to get a light-hearted look at something first without being lectured at too strictly.
With your increasing success, you’ve effectively created your own brand, and almost become part of the establishment yourself. Does this make it easier or harder to get your films made?
Yes! It does mean there’ll be people who won’t come near me because they know what kind of stuff I get up to, but equally there’ll be people who will want to get involved. I like to think it’s a blessing more than a curse.
You’re a judge for the PUMA Creative Impact Award, for which there are five finalists. What do you look for in a powerful documentary?
A film that makes me think about something long and hard afterward, that ignites change, that incites empathy, that in any way moves.
How do you weigh a film where the makers have worked in great peril against another subject less risky but just as important?
I completely agree. They are almost impossible to judge against one another, but, believe me, much time was spent on this, and many cases were made for each one. However, I think the great thing to realise is just the sheer value of documentary being realised is a rare and important thing.
Do documentary-makers like yourself have a duty to be activists about the subject of their films?
I think once you’re on the road with a certain subject, you have a duty to follow it through. For example, Super Size Me caused such a reaction that I was asked to talk in schools, clubs, all sorts of associations about nutrition, and I still am. And whenever I can fit it into my schedule, I try to do it. I figure it’s the right thing to do.
And finally – do you actually use Mane and Tail Shampoo?
There is a bottle in my shower at home. I love it. And I’m thinning on top, so my theory is... have you ever seen a bald horse?
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is released this Friday 14th October
The PUMA Creative Impact Award Gala takes place this evening in London. The winner will be featured tomorrow on Huffington Post UK, an editorial partner of the event.