Who's seen Food Inc.?

[Robin Garr]

Mary and I watched this thought-provoking film this afternoon (streamed from Netflix), before it got close enough to race time to switch over to Derby coverage.

Now, I'm predisposed to cheer its message about the dark side of agribusiness, but curious what the rest of you think. If you've seen it, I'd like to hear your comments.

I'm more opt to say Food Inc. was an important message than a good movie.

[Robin Garr]

I'm more opt to say Food Inc. was an important message than a good movie.

Well, it wasn't The Seventh Seal or anything. It's a documentary with a message. But I thought it was well done.

Robin, I saw it when it aired as a POV feature on KET2 last week, and I wish they would air it again. For interested readers, this link is to the 2-minute trailer for the documentary http://video.pbs.org/video/1402965302/. It isn't among their full-length download offerings yet, probably since it was a 2010 Oscar nominee. Independent filmmakers on POV sometimes don't provide anything close to what I'd consider to be a balanced view in their documentaries; maybe they have a personal axe to grind on some issue, or maybe they're going for shock value in order to make a name for themselves. It's up to the viewer to regulate his/her own reaction and response, especially if the filmmaker "demands" that the viewer adopt a like mindset or take a particular course of action. That being said, I'd hate to live in a world where this type of film wasn't being made and distributed.

The segment of this show that highlighted the industrial chicken-farming community in McLean County, KY, I know to be on target . The socio-economic position that our modern-day farmers and growers are in is depressing to me for their sake, and the output of this system is frightening to me for my sake. But it really bothers me that our freedom to speak out on (and even to investigate) food-quality issues has become so tightly controlled by quietly-passed laws that most of us can't even begin to imagine unless we dig around between the lines of the Congressional Record. If you don't happen to have the financial resources of an Oprah Winfrey to call on when the agribusiness industry decides that you may be saying something or divulging some information that's contrary to their financial interests, then First Amendment rights become a lot more nebulous than we're brought up to believe.

I'm not trying to steer the discussion away from the film's depiction of the disgusting ingredients being shoved into the nation's (and the world's) food supply, but that "information war" was the primary message that I took away from this film, and the one that haunts me the most. I tend to believe that as long as we have the opportunity for open discussion and investigation, our society can fix pretty much anything that's broken, in spite of politics.

I'm more opt to say Food Inc. was an important message than a good movie.

Well, it wasn't The Seventh Seal or anything. It's a documentary with a message. But I thought it was well done.

Was that the one with Jurgen Procknow and Demi Moore? End of days theme? That was a good flick! Peter Weir??

I'm more opt to say Food Inc. was an important message than a good movie.

Well, it wasn't The Seventh Seal or anything. It's a documentary with a message. But I thought it was well done.

Was that the one with Jurgen Procknow and Demi Moore? End of days theme? That was a good flick! Peter Weir??

My bad ....Bergman circa 57'.

Seen it and loved it. I now buy all my meat from Adam Barr.

[Robin Garr]

Seen it and loved it. I now buy all my meat from Adam Barr.

We buy from Adam too, but bear in mind that the Louisville area is rich with local meat and poultry producers. Misty Meadow, Dreamcatcher, Stonecross, Fiedler, Green River and many others deserve our patronage.

I have seen it and I thought it was very powerful. Like you, Robin, I was also predisposed to love it, but I have heard positive comments from many people who were all quite affected by it. I think it should be required viewing in schools or something. I cried a lot for the old seed cleaner because he reminded me of my grandpa. Very heart-breaking.

I've seen the majority of it... still waiting to finish it. We had to stop just after the chickens for one reason or another. Part of me wants to finish it, but the other part has seen enough.

My chef and I were explaining the chicken situation to my parents and were fully able to illustrate the point when we were pulling out pieces of frozen chicken breasts. These were at least three times the "normal" size. It was like chicken on steroids. That thought alone is frightening.

It is a really enlightening, jaw-dropping and heartbreaking documentary. And worst of all: scary.

Food Inc is good.

But I think "World According to MonSanto" is much better and needs to be seen.

I think you can watch some or even all of it free on YouTube.

Mon Santo may even be worse than Goldman Sachs(both make Wal Mart seem honest).

I saw Food, Inc at Village 8 last summer. I enjoyed it. I really wish I could afford to eat full on local and organic but it's just too much for me... anyways I found the film to be eye opening on three major fronts:

(SPOILERS i guess)




1) Monsanto's insane seed policy. Sickening.
2) Hamburger meat and the meat industry's refusal to feed them grass and instead cleanse the meat with freakin' ammonia!
3) and this got me the worst. How all of the federal regulators are former CEO's of the industry. This just pissed me off and left me feeling empty that there is any hope for this country in terms of a true representative government. Drastic I know but wow... I found this to be truly disgusting.

Good movie. At times I found it trying to tug on my heart strings a bit much when simply the facts could have been more effective. But still recommended.

[Robin Garr]

3) and this got me the worst. How all of the federal regulators are former CEO's of the industry. This just pissed me off and left me feeling empty that there is any hope for this country in terms of a true representative government. Drastic I know but wow... I found this to be truly disgusting.

Classic Bush II practice. I believe (somebody whomp me upside the head if I'm mistaken) that the Obama administration is changing that as terms expire.

I've hesitated replying and don't think that what I have to say will offer that much, but I'll opine:

I ordered it from Netflix and immediately felt guilty because it wasn't from Wild and Wooly. That much I can handle, but then I ordered delivery from Mimosa and the feelings flowed fourth.

I've seen most, if not all, of the mainstream documentaries detailing climate shift and agricultural adversities. Food Inc. was concise and pointed at companies and practices that needed the attn.

As an individual, and one that is a lot like a lot of the people on this forum, it's hard to write off 99% of places that serve this food that is manufactured so poorly. I want to go out, I want to eat. I hope for help / I hope for a change in our food manufacturing in the future, by pop vote. I don't wanna be the "No Impact Woman" to see the difference and turn the lights off in my urban apt. to prove I can bow out of the negative energy our society promotes. I hope we can all get behind it at some point. Easy for me say with no kids, sure, so I accept judgement squarely. But I decided a long time ago not to have children to help reverse our impact. May sound outrageous, but it dates back to when I was 20 yrs old. Please judge lightly.

I liked this flick.

. I hope we can all get behind it at some point. Easy for me say with no kids, sure, so I accept judgement squarely. But I decided a long time ago not to have children to help reverse our impact. May sound outrageous, but it dates back to when I was 20 yrs old. Please judge lightly.

I liked this flick.

Cool...yes, I have wanted to print out the " copulate don't populate" bumper sticker for a while but..... Getting back to the flick....Dug it, thought it brought the message out in fairly easy to handle fashion....I thought the "spin" was dealt with a fairly light hand. As others have stated, Im positioned to like this movie anyway. I have watched plenty of over the top "granola" docs to know this stands above and beyond.
We still go out to eat and dont question the origin of the meat were consuming. Although at home we raise our own eggs and poultry and buy local raised meat through local suppliers. At first it put a strain on our meager budget, but careful planning and a good knowledge of how to work with various cuts, have made it pretty easy to handle.
Another good movie worth checking out would be Fast Food Nation. My take on it was a modern day telling of the old literary classic The Jungle. Definitely worth a Net Flix viewing.