The Yes Men

Movies
1

I’ve got tickets to see this tonight. Won them on the radio. Sounds very cool. Anyone know anything about it?

2

Yes.

3

Chris Smith and Sarah Price did American Movie, although most of the credit for that belongs to the subject matter rather than the filmmakers.

I’m not sure I’m interested in a documentary about WTO pranksters, but I am insterested in seeing what Smith and Price have been doing since American Movie. Let us know what you think.

-Tom
4

Hey Tom (I’m in a question-asking mood tonight), have you seen The Weather Underground?

5

I have not, Bill. Should I? I normally need to be dragged kicking and screaming into documentaries, although I usually enjoy them when I get around to seeing them. I absolutely loved Stevie, Hell House, Spellbound, Farenheit 9/11, One Day in September, and nearly everything by Erroll Morris.

-Tom
6

Saw it and didn’t laugh very much. Their stunts are so ridiculous that it’s almost like they’re lampooning anti-globalisation rhetoric more than anything - but we know they’re not. The cg presentations are great, though.

7

I saw it, and I thought it was hysterically funny. The balls on these guys have to weigh 50 pounds each.

There is quite a bit of liberal anti-globalization to the film, but the stunts they pull are well worth the price of admission. Seriously, do yourself a favor and go and see this movie. The Manager’s Leisure SUit alone is worth seeing.

8

http://news.independent.co.uk/media/story.jsp?story=589600

The BBC was forced to issue an apology yesterday after being tricked into airing an interview with a fake chemical industry spokesman who said the US company which now owns Union Carbide accepted responsibility for India’s Bhopal disaster.

BBC World broadcast the comments twice by a man identified as Jude Finisterra, who claimed to be representing Dow Chemicals, but later admitted it had been the victim of “an elaborate deception”. The hoaxer confessed he was part of a group called the Yes Men, online activists who specialise in creating web parodies of those they resent, including businesses and governments.

There’s a bit more information in the story; haven’t seen the movie, but given this stunt, I have to agree with Alex’s assessment of their, uh, apparatus.