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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Do you know what Feederism mean?, May 29, 2008
Many of you have probably never heard of this film before as did I til Chris brought it to my attention a couple of months ago. It's a shame that so many fantastic films get swept under the carpet while atrocious films get all the glory. (Take 80% of the horror remakes we've been forced to endure for example). Though this film is not so great it really bothers me when a unique and clever film such as "Feed" comes and goes almost without a trace. So here I am, doing my part to get this film the notoriety and respect it deserves. When it comes to fresh material, "Feed" is what I'd imagine it would feel like if someone was intentionally drowning you until the point where every red-blood cell in your body was screaming for oxygen. But a split second before you expire, they lift your head into the fresh air and the initial breath is so refreshing you feel euphoric.
"Feed" is based on an underground sexual fetish known as "feederism." Feederism is a sexual fetish (specifically a type of body alteration fetishism), centered on the practice of eating large amounts of food. The feeder provides the gainer with an abundant supply of food, either to encourage weight gain or simply for delight in the act of feeding. The feeder is typically more dominant, while the gainer is often more submissive, although this is not always the case. The fetish caters to those who have fantasies of growing fatter, or feeding another. O'Loughlin plays the role of Michael Carter, a man who runs a website where women are fed until they are unable to move or care for themselves and participates sexual acts with these women. Thompson plays the role of Detective Phillip Jackson, a veteran of cyberporn investigations who has discovered something terribly wrong is happening and is determined to find out what is hidden within the pages of the grotesque website.
I challenge anyone to try and convince me that a horror plot based on "feederism" isn't original and (lets face it) intriguing. We've been bombarded with hoards of zombies, increasingly watered down slashers and poltergeists for some time now and it's about time someone stepped up to the plate to deliver something new and original. (No pun intended).The acting in "Feed" is decent but not that great. Most notably, Alex O'Loughlin and Patrick Thompson, I read that they actually came up with the idea for the film.
This movie had left me half full because it had so much room for improvement. The ending will be unforeseen to a lot of viewers but that couldn't make up for the lost that I already encountered either way its still worth a watch.
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
To Feed or Not to Feed..., October 9, 2006
Feed is directed by Leonard who also brought us cyber-crime flicks The Lawnmower Man and Virtuosity. In Feed, he explores the world of Feeders & Gainers.
Alex O'Loughlin plays Michael Carter, a Feeder who films feeding women online and tracks their vital stats for placing bets as to when they will die. Det. Jackson (Patrick Thompson) finds the website and decides to track down Carter and prove he is a serial killer despite the fact the women are voluntarily fed.
I suppose the film leaves the notion of killing by weight gain up for debate. Both men have valid arguments while neither is truly right. Carter argues that he is helping the women by not judging them and allowing them to take whatever shape they want. He states that the ridiculous ideal woman in America now is an androgynous, hairless, waif that resembles a [...] boy. Det. Jackson argues that since the Gainers eventually die, it is murder. We would prosecute someone for starving another person, then why not for over-feeding her?
Another interesting contrast between the two men is their relationships with women. While Carter is perceived as a serial killer and therefore the Bad Guy, he showers the women in his life with attention and love (even the overweight ones). Det. Jackson is very hypocritical in his notion of saving women considering the abusive relationship he has with his skinny girlfriend.
I feel Carter is the perfect villain. He is sweet, handsome, and charming. He is a stranger you would trust talking to on a street. O'Loughlin plays the role well and can effectively sway from debonair to downright creepy.
Now to the gore.... I was disgusted in a way by the film. While there are scenes of overeating and food fed by a tube down a throat, these actually did not bother me. In fact, I was amused by the song, "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I've got Love in my tummy" played to a woman being fed multiple burgers. What I was disturbed by were the desperate women who equate food with love. As long as the Gainer is getting food, she is happy. Even when the truth is revealed at the end, the women do not care. They would rather eat and kill themselves, than stop and anger the man they love for fear of being alone.
The ending was perfect. I felt it was going in a certain direction, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a warped variation of the Good Guy wins scenario. All I can say is, Feed Me!
Bottom Line: Not for a weak stomach, but a good morality tale. Leaves room for discussion with friends.
Rating: 7/10
Molly Celaschi
[...]
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Consumption is Evolution, July 28, 2006
Wow! I stumbled across FEED thinking it was some type of schlock exploitation film of the Fat Admirers subculture, and it probably is that, but it is so much more. It has to be the most intelligent, engrossing film I have watched in a long time. The film uses shock to make you question your world and beliefs. It forces you to look at body image, sexuality, criminality and ultimately love in bold new ways. What really struck me was the way that it force-fed its audience the need to question their notions of consent. From the opening sequence of the two German men that the previous reviewer mentioned, the film twists the rhetoric of "My body, my choice" to levels I still can't resolve. Deirdre's complicity with her situation is especially well-portrayed by the actress.
The films' smartest moments derive from the blurring of boundaries between "perverts" and people obsessed with policing said perverts' "desires." As the previous reviewer mentioned, Phillip often seems more of an antagonist than Michael. The final scene is just brilliant: funny, shocking, moving. It cements Michael's indictment of Philip and upholds the notion that there is little difference between being obsessed with perversion and being obsessed with policing perversion. The "spirals of power and pleasure" that encompass Michael and Phillip are awe-inspiring. Never have I seen a film capture this cliched with such conviction.
The director called the film his "love letter to America" and I see it. The film attacks our consumption of our resources, and questions our obsession with being so "fat." The line about the cremation diamonds that Michael delivers to Philip is ingenious!
Obviously, I am in love with the film. However, what's truly awe-inspiring about it is that it works not only as a clever cultural indictment but as a thriller. I had to sleep with the lights on last night! The film is haunting, terrifying. If you're a horror fan, you have to see it! The use of music to terrify is wonderful. The film touches your own body and makes you react. The audio is loud and jolting, and the incorporation of love songs into the macabre dealings here is black humor that dares you to laugh.
Wow! The movie taunts us with a tagline that dares us to watch it. At first, it would seem as if it is just questioning whether we can stomach gore, but in reality, it is questioning so much more. Take the challenge! See FEED!!
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