Customer Reviews

The Awful Truth - The Complete Second Season [VHS]

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Chances are, if you're considering this DVD purchase, then you're familiar with Michael Moore. The renegade filmmaker behind Roger and Me returns for the second season of his Emmy-nominated documentary TV show "The Awful Truth." It ran on Bravo! in the summer of 2000, and Moore returns to his familiar Times Square setting for more of his guerilla-style harassment of all things nasty.

Moore's satirical fist knows no friends: he takes stabs at both major political parties (note to Conservatives: just because he bashes you doesn't mean he doesn't bash Liberals, too!), goes after screwy judicial systems, the mainstream media, religious nutjobs, and even himself. Some of his stunts include driving a taxi in New York that refuses to pick up white people, sending a pimp to Congress (to make the point that politicians who whore out votes in exchange for campaign contributions are "hos"), importing Iraqi gas and selling it for 60 cents a gallon, and a new short film: Ficus, in which he runs a ficus plant for an uncontested Congress nomination (and, by all counts, WINS). This season is much more hit-and-miss than the first season, with some episodes, like the pimp, worth watching over and over, while others are pretty darn boring. But, all in all, there's certainly enough here to justify this 2-disc set.

The video is presented in crisp full-frame, which makes sense because most of it was shot digitally. The sound mix is a strong DD 2.0, standard TV-show fare - there isn't enough here to really rock the old subwoofer anyway, and the mix is more than adequate. The only extras are some Bookie segments that didn't appear on TV, and Michael Moore's commentary on four of the episodes. His commentary is hilarious and informative, which is generally what I'd expect from Mike. The only disappointment is that Awful Truth episodes ran 60 seconds longer in the UK, and it would have been cool to see that extra footage, but hey, it's a minor complaint.

So sit back, pop in this DVD, and get ready to think. Rather than succumb to the fallacies of those he satirizes, by offering easy, cookie-cutter, bumper-sticker answers, Moore is content raising questions and letting us work through them on our own. It's a sign of maturity, intellect, and a true desire to change the world: people are more apt to work for themselves when they figure out the answers to problems on their own, instead of listening to MSNBC, chubby radio talk-show hosts, or the 700 club for the "cheat-sheet" solutions. It's refreshing, and well worth your time. But beware: you might get a little ticked off when you learn the Awful Truth.

This is by far one of the funniest dvds I have ever seen. I recommend this to liberals and conservatives. This is for anyone who has a sense of humor. Think a smarter Tom Green with a message. The very first episode takes place during the Iowa Caucus of 2000. Moore tries to get the candidates to jump into his traveling mosh pit. I think I've seen this episode a hundred times. I can't believe he has the balls to ask George W. Bush, Gary Bauer, and others to jump into the pit. This alone is worth the dvd. A Must Buy! You will not be sorry.

Most of the world may have just seen Michael Moore for the first time on the 2003 Oscar show where he got in everyone's face about our war with Iraq. What they may not realize is that getting in people's faces and bearing down is Moore's stock in trade. He will not let something go, whether it is pursuing the CEO of GM ("Roger and Me") or following the threads of the Columbine school massacre ("Bowling for Columbine"). In this series he gets in a multiplicity of faces, all with hilarious results. This tv work may be Moore at his funniest. My favorite episode is where he sends a pimp to Congress, to organize them. The pimp perceives all of the members as the equivalent of his stable of women and that Congresspeople need his skills every bit as much as "his girls." The pimp Moore hires to do this is absolutely deadpan as he "talks the talk" in front of every Congressperson he accosts. They look like deer caught in the headlights of a car. I could watch this episode alone over and over again. The other episodes are hilarious as well. He runs a ficus plant for office, ably demonstrating why vegetation is better than the human being up for re-election. He plants a bogus dead body on the street to see which country's people are more humanitarian (we're up against Canada--anyone want to place bets?). He "re-educates" a potential police candidate who did too well on the department's written exam and was turned down from the force for being too intelligent. He presents George "W" as America's biggest example of Affirmative Action--being from a powerful family that can buy his way into things that he can't get into on his own merits. Obviously, Moore's favorite targets are anyone of the conservative American political persuasion so if that description is you, this series may offend you mightily. Anyone else though should love it.

For several years now, the only way I could get the Bravo network was to subscribe to a digital cable service -- which is pretty expensive, so I've had to pass. Which means I missed out on Michael Moore's return to television in "The Awful Truth." Luckilly season one and two are now available on DvD.

Season two of "The Awful Truth" is more true to the "TV Nation" format than season one. Once again, Mike is out at Times Square in New York City, talking to folks on the street and introducing the segments. Thought-provoking, hilarious and angry all describe the segments. There's plenty of Moore's typical in-your-face style as he confronts his favorite targets, corporate America, with frequent police intervention. It all makes for great television, such as the contest where people playing dead are laid out on sidewalks in New York City, Great Britain, and Canda. The contest: which country would first investigate the dead person on the ground? Other segments have Moore and a team of inspectors at a Holiday Inn express, documenting the numerous safety and health violations (like blood-stained sheets). In another segment BMW executives are confronted about their failure to pay reparations to the slave laborers used in Germany during WW II.

Michael Moore fans will find much to enjoy in "The Awful Truth." The truth is out there -- and it's awful.

The second season of the "Awful Truth" is better than the first! This volume features the ficus that ran for congress, Alan Keyes in the mosh pit, and a contest between teams of "compassionate conservatives". Not to be missed!

Looking at all the formats in which Moore expresses himself (bestselling books, web, feature-length documentaries) I think the 30 minutes in-your-face style of "The Awful Truth" is the one that suits him the best. Given too much time, Moore tends to get serious and preachy, and I think that weakens his acidic irony. The second season of the "Awful Truth" is definitely where his opinions shine the brightest.

Watching the entire second season, every episode had at least one segment that was both hilariously funny, thought-provoking, informative, and sometimes even very sad. This is not just a cliché: Moore does indeed provide fine humor and food for thought at the same time.

Even more edifying, Moore seems, throughout the season, to actually make a difference. He prevents mexican maids from being expelled from the country in an act of vengeance for trying to start a union, for instance, or he turns his parodic statement on candidates running unopposed into a country-wide vote drive for plants.

Early in season 2, Moore confronts George W. Bush, then Republican candidate, trying to convince him to jump in a mosh pit. Bush's answer is stunning: "Why don't you get a real job." Watching "The Awful Truth", it's embarassing how Bush and other people could think this is not real work: it's political satire with a real message, and it's more relevant that the pandering that 'real' journalists serve every day on the news.

I was really surprised by how funny the second season of TAT was. The best shows are in the beginning (when he still had money). I loved the segment where he brings a portable mosh pit to all of the presidential canditates. Also hilarious was running ficus the potted plant for congress (He gives you oxygen; can YOUR congressman do that?). It's too bad this show is stuck on bravo this should be on prime time network tv. If only Americans had as good taste as the Brits.

I LOVE this DVD and it's one of the few I can watch over and over again and never get tired of it. Laughter and bittersweet tears will ensue. I was a bit disappointed in his F911 film, for beginning with solid facts but weaving them in a bit of a twisted manner such that the message was compromised in the end (I felt). But the Awful Truth episodes are the old "Roger and Me" Michael Moore that I love.. it's the combination of his quirky sense of humor and his diligent fight for human rights and sanity in a crazy world. A few segments fall flat, but on DVD are easy to skip in favor of the many priceless gems.

When THE AWFUL TRUTH aired on BRAVO television in 1999-2000 I was not a cable TV subscriber. I never saw this Michael Moore program until recently, viewing the D.V.D. release of its second season.

Before THE AWFUL TRUTH - THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, Michael Moore's film debut ROGER & ME was the most compelling movies/television work of his I had seen. But THE AWFUL TRUTH tops it. Moore, who cut his teeth in print journalism, shows just how informative and engaging television news can be were corporations, whose interests are the opposite of what the public needs to know, not controlling virtually all major news media.

Just as Moore's program T.V. NATION had short runs on the N.B.C. and FOX networks, THE AWFUL TRUTH was too good to last on BRAVO. Get your hands on this D.V.D. to see what television journalism should be all about.

I just finished reading Stupid White Men and really liked it, so I figured I would get the Awful Truth's second season. I thought it was funnier overall than the first season and would recommend it if you like Mike, or are fed up with the status quo.