DVD Talk review of 'Killer at Large'
03-05-09, 12:37 PM
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DVD Talk review of 'Killer at Large'
I read Chris Neilson's DVD review of Killer at Large at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=36508 and...
I happen to be the producer of the film and Neilson's understanding of the obesity epidemic is, indeed, accurate. There is much less personal responsibility involved than we're lead to believe.
I do think, however, that the film is much more important than you're giving it credit for.
Neilson's review reads as positive until the final analysis. And that's where I think he misses the mark.
I think you should give this film a watch and decide for yourself whether or not this is "leftist". It's strictly non-partisan. We feature interviews with both Republicans and Democrats of national prominence who agree with the thesis of this film.
Neilson also makes it out as though the experts in the film are just partisan shills, but fails to mention that they include bestselling author Michael Pollan, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former President Bill Clinton, Ralph Nader, Mike Huckabee and former surgeon general Richard Carmona.
These aren't a bunch of liberal crackpots.
So, on that front, I think this review is a little disingenuous. It sounds like he simply ideologically opposes anything but the tired (and false) "personal responsibility is king" meme, particularly in the face of overwhelming, credible evidence to the contrary.
I happen to be the producer of the film and Neilson's understanding of the obesity epidemic is, indeed, accurate. There is much less personal responsibility involved than we're lead to believe.
I do think, however, that the film is much more important than you're giving it credit for.
Neilson's review reads as positive until the final analysis. And that's where I think he misses the mark.
I think you should give this film a watch and decide for yourself whether or not this is "leftist". It's strictly non-partisan. We feature interviews with both Republicans and Democrats of national prominence who agree with the thesis of this film.
Neilson also makes it out as though the experts in the film are just partisan shills, but fails to mention that they include bestselling author Michael Pollan, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former President Bill Clinton, Ralph Nader, Mike Huckabee and former surgeon general Richard Carmona.
These aren't a bunch of liberal crackpots.
So, on that front, I think this review is a little disingenuous. It sounds like he simply ideologically opposes anything but the tired (and false) "personal responsibility is king" meme, particularly in the face of overwhelming, credible evidence to the contrary.
03-05-09, 01:29 PM
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Re: DVD Talk review of 'Killer at Large'
Hello Swank,
Well first I want to say thanks for taking the time to respond to my review. I always appreciate the opportunity to discuss films in greater depth with the filmmakers. Thank you also for your observation that my review reflected an accurate understanding of the obesity epidemic.
Your principal concerns with my review appear to be my use of the term "leftist" and my criticisms of the manner in which the documentary dispenses with the notion of personal accountability. For you the term "leftist" seems to mean partisan for the Democratic Party. That's not how I intended it, and in fact I make no mention of either dominant American political party in my review. In my review, the term leftist was meant to mean to the left of the political spectrum with regard to the issue at hand. A person may be a registered Republican but still be to the left on an issue like free speech or privacy, or in this case, health and food policy, as Bush-appointee former Surgeon General Richard Carmona clearly is. With regard to my critique of how the notion of personal responsibility was dismissed without sufficient direct engagement, I stand by this criticism. You're right that there are strong rebuttals to this argument available, but in my opinion Killer at Large fails to marshal them.
Finally, I'll close by saying that I laud your efforts even if I can't recommend the outcome of those efforts.
Well first I want to say thanks for taking the time to respond to my review. I always appreciate the opportunity to discuss films in greater depth with the filmmakers. Thank you also for your observation that my review reflected an accurate understanding of the obesity epidemic.
Your principal concerns with my review appear to be my use of the term "leftist" and my criticisms of the manner in which the documentary dispenses with the notion of personal accountability. For you the term "leftist" seems to mean partisan for the Democratic Party. That's not how I intended it, and in fact I make no mention of either dominant American political party in my review. In my review, the term leftist was meant to mean to the left of the political spectrum with regard to the issue at hand. A person may be a registered Republican but still be to the left on an issue like free speech or privacy, or in this case, health and food policy, as Bush-appointee former Surgeon General Richard Carmona clearly is. With regard to my critique of how the notion of personal responsibility was dismissed without sufficient direct engagement, I stand by this criticism. You're right that there are strong rebuttals to this argument available, but in my opinion Killer at Large fails to marshal them.
Finally, I'll close by saying that I laud your efforts even if I can't recommend the outcome of those efforts.
03-05-09, 01:37 PM
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Re: DVD Talk review of 'Killer at Large'
Neilson also makes it out as though the experts in the film are just partisan shills, but fails to mention that they include bestselling author Michael Pollan, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former President Bill Clinton, Ralph Nader, Mike Huckabee and former surgeon general Richard Carmona.
These aren't a bunch of liberal crackpots.
03-05-09, 02:36 PM
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Re: DVD Talk review of 'Killer at Large'
Hello Swank,
Well first I want to say thanks for taking the time to respond to my review. I always appreciate the opportunity to discuss films in greater depth with the filmmakers. Thank you also for your observation that my review reflected an accurate understanding of the obesity epidemic.
Your principal concerns with my review appear to be my use of the term "leftist" and my criticisms of the manner in which the documentary dispenses with the notion of personal accountability. For you the term "leftist" seems to mean partisan for the Democratic Party. That's not how I intended it, and in fact I make no mention of either dominant American political party in my review. In my review, the term leftist was meant to mean to the left of the political spectrum with regard to the issue at hand. A person may be a registered Republican but still be to the left on an issue like free speech or privacy, or in this case, health and food policy, as Bush-appointee former Surgeon General Richard Carmona clearly is. With regard to my critique of how the notion of personal responsibility was dismissed without sufficient direct engagement, I stand by this criticism. You're right that there are strong rebuttals to this argument available, but in my opinion Killer at Large fails to marshal them.
Finally, I'll close by saying that I laud your efforts even if I can't recommend the outcome of those efforts.
Well first I want to say thanks for taking the time to respond to my review. I always appreciate the opportunity to discuss films in greater depth with the filmmakers. Thank you also for your observation that my review reflected an accurate understanding of the obesity epidemic.
Your principal concerns with my review appear to be my use of the term "leftist" and my criticisms of the manner in which the documentary dispenses with the notion of personal accountability. For you the term "leftist" seems to mean partisan for the Democratic Party. That's not how I intended it, and in fact I make no mention of either dominant American political party in my review. In my review, the term leftist was meant to mean to the left of the political spectrum with regard to the issue at hand. A person may be a registered Republican but still be to the left on an issue like free speech or privacy, or in this case, health and food policy, as Bush-appointee former Surgeon General Richard Carmona clearly is. With regard to my critique of how the notion of personal responsibility was dismissed without sufficient direct engagement, I stand by this criticism. You're right that there are strong rebuttals to this argument available, but in my opinion Killer at Large fails to marshal them.
Finally, I'll close by saying that I laud your efforts even if I can't recommend the outcome of those efforts.
I mean, you can imagine my perspective, having spent two years on this film and whittling 300 hours of footage down to something that even vaguely resembles a look at the issue is challenging and I think we did the best we could, despite the obstacles against us that I probably shouldn't name in public.
And I would like to say, this is only our second documentary and hope that it showed enough promise that you'd look forward to our future projects.
03-05-09, 02:49 PM
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Re: DVD Talk review of 'Killer at Large'
Swank,
I love independent documentaries and always look forward to the opportunity to review them when they're earnest about a meaningful subject, as this one was. Do not hesitate to send your future work to DVD Talk for review.
I love independent documentaries and always look forward to the opportunity to review them when they're earnest about a meaningful subject, as this one was. Do not hesitate to send your future work to DVD Talk for review.
