POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Matt G

  
  Ralph Nader: You can satirize and spoof yourself out of your objective. Out of this film may come a transformed, commercialized, corporatized Morgan Spurlock. And you'll never be able to shake that identity. That's your peril. That's your challenge.

• Ken S

  
  Very interesting if you're interested in the subject, but it's more "calls attention to the issue" than "explores it in depth"

• Melvin W

  
  Morgan Spurlock: Where should I be able to go; where I don't see any bit of advertising? Ralph Nader: To sleep. "He's not selling out, he's buying in." I'm a big fan of Morgan Spurlock. I have loved everything I've seen from him; from Super Size Me… More
  Morgan Spurlock: Where should I be able to go; where I don't see any bit of advertising? Ralph Nader: To sleep. "He's not selling out, he's buying in." I'm a big fan of Morgan Spurlock. I have loved everything I've seen from him; from Super Size Me to his show 30 Days. He always has interesting ideas, which combined with his presence and personality, always make for a fun experience. POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold may be his most interesting and brilliant ideas. I love it. A movie about advertising and product placement, that is completely funded by advertising and product.  There are a shit load of products used in the film. It uses commercials and clips from movies to show how product placement is done. Spurlock goes around presenting his ideas to different companies and when they say they're in; he makes a point to advertise their products. He goes as far as to put some commercials for the products in the film. Everything works and entertains. He shows the ins and outs of product placement incredibly well.  Spurlock talks to filmmakers about their experiences with big companies. He speaks with musicians about their songs being used in advertisements. He gets Ok Go to create a song for the film. There's nothing he really leaves untouched. He gets an air line, a drink, a shampoo, a shoe company, a clothing company and a deodorant; all of which are advertised throughout the movie in cool little ways. Every piece of information the film gives is really interesting.  He goes through the whole process from pitching the idea, to getting commercial spots on education television. He gets famous poster creators to design his posters. It's all just spot on. And POM, I must say; your choice to back the film was a good one because now, I just really want to try POM.

• Lewis C

  
  I've got to say, this is definitely the most interesting and entertaining Morgan Spurlock documentary that I've seen. A documentary about the making of a documentary about advertising and completely funded by advertising. It's not nearly as confusing as it sounds, which… More
  I've got to say, this is definitely the most interesting and entertaining Morgan Spurlock documentary that I've seen. A documentary about the making of a documentary about advertising and completely funded by advertising. It's not nearly as confusing as it sounds, which you'll see if you watch it. Which you should definitely do, if you're in the mood for an amusing doc.

• Luke B

  
  Spurlock continues being a stunt-documentarian. He takes an important issue and boils it down to something easy to comprehend and entertaining. He is far more concerned with holding the audiences attention than educating or asking them to think. It's a one joke movie, but an… More
  Spurlock continues being a stunt-documentarian. He takes an important issue and boils it down to something easy to comprehend and entertaining. He is far more concerned with holding the audiences attention than educating or asking them to think. It's a one joke movie, but an entertaining one. Like always he touches on genuinely fascinating ideas but doesn't explore them. I was very interested in the city with no advertising, but the section was too short. The conversations with filmmakers are rather interesting, as are their stories, but again Spurlock seems scared to really offend anyone. It was funny to see companies more interested in slamming the competition than making something funny and informative. A good easy watch, but shouldn't be watched for educational purposes.

• Shawn E

  
  A very clever documentary with the always entertaining Morgan Spurlock. The reality of brands constantly selling you something where ever you go is quite shocking. Having a documentary about advertising completely paid for by advertising is perhaps genius. I believe that… More
  A very clever documentary with the always entertaining Morgan Spurlock. The reality of brands constantly selling you something where ever you go is quite shocking. Having a documentary about advertising completely paid for by advertising is perhaps genius. I believe that Spurlock's creative integrity was not in fact ruined by the advertising, but well kept by the approach and insight he provides.

• Mike S

  
  Clever concept, and a very entertaining documentary on the unabashed nature of product placement. Morgan Spurlock has always had a flair for invoking a lot of humor in his films, and I think that's what mainly separates him from the dull, gray and somber mass of lesser… More
  Clever concept, and a very entertaining documentary on the unabashed nature of product placement. Morgan Spurlock has always had a flair for invoking a lot of humor in his films, and I think that's what mainly separates him from the dull, gray and somber mass of lesser documentaries. Of course I appreciate the "serious" ones too, but when I want something that is a little more cheerful and fun, then Spurlock is the guy to go to. Among many things, it also includes some interesting (albeit very short) interviews with film-makers J.J Abrams, Quentin Tarantino, Peter Berg and Brett Ratner - the latter of whom actually admits that "the game now is how cheap you can make a movie and how much profit can be made". Coming from a hack director like himself though, I can't say I was very surprised. Anyhow, if you enjoyed Spurlock's other movies, then I dare promise that this holds a lot of fun for you as well. It's witty, it's zingy and strikes an essential blow to one of modern society's greatest annoyances. Score one to Morgan Spurlock!

• Nicki M

  
  Clever idea, interesting enough and Morgan Spurlock is always personable, but was a little disappointed in this as I expected something a little more. I guess because Supersize Me was a rare movie which actually did change my life (I have not bought fast food since I saw it!). This… More
  Clever idea, interesting enough and Morgan Spurlock is always personable, but was a little disappointed in this as I expected something a little more. I guess because Supersize Me was a rare movie which actually did change my life (I have not bought fast food since I saw it!). This was okay, but nothing life changing, or even that I think I will remember a month from now. Still, Supersize Me was a hard one to beat, so perhaps being a little harsh! Will still be interested to see his next one.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"He's not selling out, he's buying in."</i> A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"He's not selling out, he's buying in."</i> A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Having taken on the McDonald's diet in "Super Size Me", Morgan Spurlock now turns to advertising. "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" is a look at product placement, completely funded by product placements. Much of the documentary features Spurlock asking people about how product placement works, as well as inquiring about the ethics of it. The big surprise to me is just how prevalent product placement is (you're going to be hard-pressed to find a Hollywood movie that doesn't feature it). Since a lot of the documentary features talking heads -- among them Noam Chomsky and Quentin Tarantino -- it's a little repetitive at times, but it's mostly a good look at the extent to which commercialism saturates our lives. And very funny every step of the way! And remember: always drink POM!

• Everett J

  
  Morgan Spurlock is probably my favorite documentary director. "Super Size Me" and his old FX show "30 Days" were both fantastic. So when I found out he made a new movie about product placement and advertising I knew I had to check it out. Comparing this to his… More
  Morgan Spurlock is probably my favorite documentary director. "Super Size Me" and his old FX show "30 Days" were both fantastic. So when I found out he made a new movie about product placement and advertising I knew I had to check it out. Comparing this to his other previous work isn't really fair, but he has done a lot better. He does a great job at showing how product placement works, how to get products in a movie, and how people are constantly being advertised to. But I think the concept of this movie is a lot better than the execution. It's honestly just not that entertaining. "Super Size Me" is very entertaining because you see him doing nothing but eating McDonalds for 30 days, and what effect it has. Here, you just see him in meetings trying to get advertisers and talking to executives about advertising. Some parts are funny(his built in commercials are great), but overall it's a one watch type of movie. I still think Spurlock is great at what he does, and he is the perfect host/director for documentaries, but I just think he has and will do better in the future.

• Dann M

  
  By far, the best documentary of the year.

• Eric H

  
  Whatever your thoughts on Spurlock, you have to admit he's a great pitchman. With "Super-size Me" he practically invented the high-concept documentary and commercialised the docu genre just as much as the Hollywood machine he rails against here has with mainstream fare.… More
  Whatever your thoughts on Spurlock, you have to admit he's a great pitchman. With "Super-size Me" he practically invented the high-concept documentary and commercialised the docu genre just as much as the Hollywood machine he rails against here has with mainstream fare. Every one of his films can be summed up in one sentence which is exactly what a studio exec wants to hear from a film-maker. So, it's no surprise that he could pull off the concept of funding an entire movie purely by product placement. What is surprising is how many companies refused to participate; don't they know there's no such thing as bad publicity? In a perfect world artists could rely on rich benefactors whose only interest lay in seeing the artists true vision rendered, no matter what the cost. The real world just doesn't work that way, nor has it ever. The originators of product placement were probably the Catholic Church. Without the need to sell their product the public would never have heard Mozart or seen the works of Michaelangelo. Whether Mozart or Michaelangelo believed in the product is up for debate. What's undeniable is that they wouldn't have found an audience without the Church. Maybe they sacrificed their integrity but do we care now? We can enjoy their work thanks to their "selling-out". So is product placement killing cinema? I can't speak for everyone but I can't think of an example of product placement ruining a movie for me. Quite the opposite in fact. Ever seen a product that's been invented purely for the movie? That instantly takes you out of the film because it automatically reminds you that what you're seeing isn't real. It's like when a phone number starts with 555, it would be much less distracting to just use a real number. This movie suffers from being a victim of it's own concept. Because he relies on product placement to make the movie Spurlock has to hold back from mocking it. I'm sure a witty biting satire could be made on this subject but this isn't it. If anyone wishes to sponsor this review contact me and we'll work something out.

• Jeff T

  
  Here comes Morgan Spurlock at you again: all happy and kind of in your face, but not in a Michael Moore way. He's the kinder, gentler documentarian - he's not-quite-happy as heck and he's not gonna take it anymore. Your enjoyment here will depend completely on your… More
  Here comes Morgan Spurlock at you again: all happy and kind of in your face, but not in a Michael Moore way. He's the kinder, gentler documentarian - he's not-quite-happy as heck and he's not gonna take it anymore. Your enjoyment here will depend completely on your enjoyment of him; I like 'im, but I know he annoys some folks. He's dealing with product placement in this film, and his tactic is fascinating and fun: use product placement to fund a movie about product placement. It's meta and goofy and allows him to be front and center, which is exactly where he likes to be. Will you learn a lot about the topic? Well, no... It's not INSIDE JOB... But it's diverting and informative and good with a tub of popcorn.

• Glenn G

  
  FULL DISCLOSURE: This review has been brought to you by Glenn Gaylord, Inc. In the tradition of Michael Moore and Nick Broomfield, Morgan Spurlock inserts himself center stage into his own documentaries, virtually making them more comedy films than objective real-life studies. As… More
  FULL DISCLOSURE: This review has been brought to you by Glenn Gaylord, Inc. In the tradition of Michael Moore and Nick Broomfield, Morgan Spurlock inserts himself center stage into his own documentaries, virtually making them more comedy films than objective real-life studies. As such, this is a thrillingly entertaining, hilarious meta-movie in which we're sold everything from pomegranate juice to Mini-Coopers to luxury hotels, while at the same time being pummeled by the Morgan Spurlock "brand" as well. While not the searing indictment of how product placement has taken over our lives, the film still packs a punch. Completely financed by the advertisers we see over and over again, Spurlock wants us to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all while questioning whether or not it's a sell-out. This is some creative, exhilarating, movie-making here. The pace is lightning fast throughout as we trace Spurlock's attempt to secure financing for the film and honor those product placement contracts. There were two moments in the film, however, that really hit home and gave it that little bit of emotional heft. When Spurlock visits Sao Paulo, which enacted a "no outdoor advertising" rule in the city, I was amazed at how simple and serene the city looked without all that "noise pollution". Later, he visits a high school where he asked the students how they felt about advertisements even within their daily news updates. One young teen said, "High school is supposed to tell us how to think, not what to think". It gave me some hope for a generation raised on corporate high fructose b.s. Spurlock is such a genial host through this potential minefield, that you end up not resenting his advertisers as much as you would on any given episode of [INSERT ANY TELEVISION SHOW HERE - but especially THE AMAZING RACE, you FORD FOCUS whores!]. These advertisers come across as shrewd, down-to-earth business people who are proud of their products. God help us all!

• Jeffrey M

  
  Morgan Spurlock has done some very insightful, informative, and entertaining documentaries. This isn't one of them. It's far to concerned with being gimmicky than having actual critical analysis of product placement. It's more content with a very surface level, almost… More
  Morgan Spurlock has done some very insightful, informative, and entertaining documentaries. This isn't one of them. It's far to concerned with being gimmicky than having actual critical analysis of product placement. It's more content with a very surface level, almost cursory, examination of product placement. It just isn't focused with a coherent theme, it's all over the place, which in some respects may be part of the point, but ultimately keeps the film from being interesting, and therefore diminishes its entertainment value. Seeing the reactions of corporate executives works for a couple scenes, but what about the lasting effects on the youth, culture, etc. An interview with Ralph Nadar simply isn't enough; where was the trademark all-in Spurlock investigation style? 2.5/5 Stars

• Jon O

  
  For Spurlock, it's surprisingly lightweight and subtle, but it's nice to see him flex his filmmaking muscles without getting overly opinionated.

• Christopher H

  
  Yet another creative and intelligent documentary from the Morgan Spurlock we all know and love. This time he takes us into the world of advertising, as he tries to get the film sponsored. Though the film never really takes a side and leaves you in the dark concerning certain aspects… More
  Yet another creative and intelligent documentary from the Morgan Spurlock we all know and love. This time he takes us into the world of advertising, as he tries to get the film sponsored. Though the film never really takes a side and leaves you in the dark concerning certain aspects (like how the sponsors never got final say on the cut of the film), the humor and shamelessness of the film is worth every minute. I wonder why they never contacted McDonalds to be a part of the film...

• Wu C

  
  A couple funny moments in this product placement doc. Worth a watch if you are mildly interested in marketing.

• Jason R

  
  Morgan Spurlock uses his witty and informative approach to give us an in-depth look at how marketing has seemingly taken over our lives. The result is a pretty interesting and often hilarious documentary full of Spurlock's now infamous humor and insight into a world that many… More
  Morgan Spurlock uses his witty and informative approach to give us an in-depth look at how marketing has seemingly taken over our lives. The result is a pretty interesting and often hilarious documentary full of Spurlock's now infamous humor and insight into a world that many people don't understand much less see on a normal basis. I enjoyed the movie very much, it is done in such a way that when you get into the meat and potatoes of how the industry works. You don't feel bogged down by information and facts. Spurlock uses comedy and often ingenious and ridiculous ways to drive the facts home for people, and it makes for a memorable Documentary. One that everybody should see!

• matt s

  
  Morgan Spurlock has a great personality and tone for the length of the film, and he does a great job presenting something we've always known: corporations are basically telling us who and what we are, by the minute. Spurlock finances the whole film on this notion, that… More
  Morgan Spurlock has a great personality and tone for the length of the film, and he does a great job presenting something we've always known: corporations are basically telling us who and what we are, by the minute. Spurlock finances the whole film on this notion, that advertising is everywhere. Short and to the point and pretty ingenious in the way it does deliver its messages, Spurlock delivers. However, I would've liked to seen or heard from some filmmakers that hate using product placement. If anything, the film makes you believe that to survive in these days, you must have some sort of inflicting, gross brand - that says a lot about our society, and it's kind of scary.

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