Amazon.com
The madness of the California gubernatorial recall election, which ousted incumbent Gray Davis and brought Arnold Schwarzenegger into the governor's mansion, is a natural for a documentary.
How Arnold Won the West seizes upon the most bizarre aspects of this political carnival and holds them up for some fairly easy mockery. Here's Arnold being hit with an egg, and here's Arnold accused of groping women. And don't forget the TV "game show" debates featuring some of the countless gag candidates, including Gary Coleman and porn star Mary Carey. All of which won't be terribly new to Americans who watched the spectacle unfold, although others may find it flabbergasting. Brit director Alex Cooke takes a snarky attitude toward this, spending too much time on Schwarzenegger's shunning of campaign reporters. Ultimately, the film focuses on process and the horse race, rather than issues--just like the mainstream press.
--Robert Horton
Product Description
HOW ARNOLD WON THE WEST is a hilarious and insightful documentary that tells the story of the bizarre California Recall Election. Documentary filmmaker Alex Cooke followed the campaign from the moment Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy through to his victory. 135 candidates took part in this extraordinary gubernatorial race, personally paid for (to the tune of $1.7 million) by Republican Congressman Darrell Issa (former owner of America's biggest car alarm company, and brother of a car thief) to eliminate Democratic Governor, Gray Davis. With so many candidates—from delusional hopefuls, to actors, porn stars, porn peddlers, self-promoters and performance artists, as well as seasoned politicians—the circus really did come to town.
