When I saw Food Inc. this summer, it was the first experience in which a movie actually changed my lifestyle. I’ve seen my fair share of docs -– Fahrenheit 9/11, Super Size Me, America the Beautiful, and American Teen, among others -– but after watching Food Inc. and its graphic portrayal of chicken coops, meat processing centers and alarming stats about corrupt agriculture practices, I quit meat cold tofurkey.
Before seeing it, I called myself a “flexitarian,” meaning I dabbled in meat here and there, but I was pretty much a vegetarian. But since the movie, those images (I’ll be vague so as to not ruin it for the carnivores) are now seared in my brain and it’s hard to look at meat the same way. I know the movie discusses the heinous practices of soy and corn production, too, but for me, it was the meat stuff that really got to me.
Now that the documentary is on DVD, and more importantly, Blu-Ray, would the faint of heart or ignorance-is-bliss crowd really want to see the harsh reality in hi-def? What other movies shouldn’t get the HD treatment?
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Before the first snarky ‘PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals’ post, let me say congrats on your conversion to full-on vegetarianism! I made the switch two years ago and hardly miss meat at all. I’ve been trying to go vegan but that is a whole other ballpark. However after reading about the recent HSUS investigation & video of veal calves being horribly abused at a Vermont slaughterhouse, I am going to give it another shot (the primary source of male veal calves are the Dairy Farms that have no use for them). Anyway, to answer your DVD question, let’s never see ‘Cannibal Holocaust given the hi-def treatment. Who needs to see that poor mutilated turtle or any of the other graphic images of real animal violence in any more detail – or at all?
I can’t wait to rent Food, Inc. I recently read The Omnivore’s Dilemma and it has opened my eyes to the food industry. Everyone should see this!
Fast Food Nation and Animal Vegetable Miracle are superior eye-opening books to Omnivore’s Dilemma.
I had the same response but from different aspects of the movie. I’m admittedly not one to sympathize with the animal, so rather it was the shocking level of corruption in the industry that angered me so deeply, how much our system is willing to sacrifice our health in order to make sure the industry remains profitable. Even after reading Fast Food Nation, this doc really hit everything home for me.
i want to see it…but i’m afraid it’ll make me stop eating meat and it’s not that i love meat all the time, it’s just i can’t see myself giving up on carne asada burritos or shredded beef tacos etc.
To those who are afraid to see this film for fear you will stop eating meat, let me state that I watched it and in no way did I see anyone vilify meat consumption. Yes, there were slaughterhouses filmed, but in addition to the “bad” ones…they showed a more natural farmer who utilized open spaces, non-forced or unnatural rearing/feeding practices and his slaughtering techniques. Granted, those who don’t like to see animals slaughtered will take little comfort in that, but I didn’t get the feeling at all that the film was preaching vegetarianism…rather, it was saying that food should be grown naturally. There should be a balance and all aspects (consumer, animal, environment) be respected. Please, don’t anyone label this a PETA project lest the message and very real threat revealed be dismissed. Ask yourself instead: WHY does a bag of potatoe chips with all of its ingredients and packaging cost more than a single head of broccoli. Food Inc answers that question and many more. It’s an epiphany, and to dismiss it out-of-hand would be a shame.