Everyone needs to see this documentary — a truly eye-opening look at what really goes into the “food” we eat every day, how it has come to this, and the effects it has on us as consumers, workers, and a society.

Essentially, over the years, ignited by the fast food industry in the 50s, almost all our food — even “fresh produce” — has become byproducts and patented intellectual property of giant corporations, engineered for efficiency and economy at the cost of our health and well-being. And the agencies in our government that are supposed to be regulating these industries are often powerless to prosecute because those multinational corps lobby for laws in their favor (Google veggie libel laws) and staff those agencies with their own employees, who act in the interest of the food industry. These companies leverage their bottomless pockets and abuse their government connections to squeeze every last cent from contracted farmers and food industry workers. They go unpunished when children die from E. coli contamination resulting from unsafe processing practices.

It’s all very frustrating.

But, in our own backyards, there are still old-fashioned farmers, producing honest crops and livestock without technology and genetic engineering. Desire for natural food is rising — retail giants like Walmart are stocking organic products because of consumer demand, not because it’s the cheapest. People are voting with their dollars. But it’s definitely an uphill battle. And the slopes are greased with Washington’s red tape.

Here’s the trailer:

You may be able to catch it on TV. It’s available on DVD, download, and Netflix.

I guess it’s sort of a classic comic book irony, but i think it’s almost cheap that Bruce’s parents were killed by his future nemesis, in both this and the ’89 version. The Batman hero therefore being created by the villain.

Pretty good. Simple and universal. With movies like this i always wonder how they had advertised it — it’s not something i would have bought a ticket to see in the theater, i don’t think. I can’t imagine what would have gone into the trailer to make it appealing. No big-name actors, no explosions, no sex (in the advertising sense of the word). It’s almost, like Ebert says, a short story where film doesn’t quite seem necessary, yet is used well here.

Didn’t Brody win Best Actor for this? I guess he was pretty good, but didn’t seem like he did much. Maybe that’s why it was good.

I’m told i look like Adrien Brody, and watching this makes me wonder if i’d be any good at acting.