– Removed by request. –
… I’m just marking this to watch it later, so don’t blame me if it sucks or if it cuts out halfway through or whatever. It just looks interesting.
July 11, 2008
July 11, 2008
– Removed by request. –
… I’m just marking this to watch it later, so don’t blame me if it sucks or if it cuts out halfway through or whatever. It just looks interesting.
July 11, 2008 at 4:09 am
I bring the blame.
This movie is apparently longer than 1:14:50 and uncharacteristically, Wikipedia did not give away the ending.
July 11, 2008 at 6:33 am
OT – are you all getting as tired as I am of the word ‘surge’ being used to describe most everything?
July 11, 2008 at 8:24 am
secondharmonic – I really don’t surge the surge of your surge. Please surge in detail, so that I might better surge you.
Surgiest Surges,
Thomas
July 11, 2008 at 9:43 am
Excellent show.
July 11, 2008 at 10:04 am
The Neoliberals 101.
July 11, 2008 at 10:34 am
The video ends before Goni absconds, but that’s o.k. (He’s in Maryland now, apparently, resisting extradition back to Bolivia).
Clearly one of the fruits of globalization is that even if in people’s minds you’re the Bolivian equivalent of Dick Cheney you can reach out across the globe and get the best, most well-equipped American presidential campaign consultants money can buy, Carville’s crew, in this case, to come in and help you make a serious run for the office.
The consulant goes over Goni’s negatives. “We have probably 55% of the voters who, you know, the only question is how high the gallows should be…”
And then manages to get Goni elected anyhow! People say we have trouble with exports, but using all the latest tactics and technology to elect the wrong guy president seems to travel pretty well.
Thanks for posting this.
July 11, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Huh. Didn’t know Goni speaks Spanish with such a heavy US American accent. I didn’t know that in Latin America we were there yet.
July 11, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Ecuador and Chile are in the news today, too.
July 11, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I couldn’t watch past Carville’s yammering in the meeting.
Anybody who’d fuck Mary Matalin is too twisted for me to take seriously.
July 12, 2008 at 2:11 am
The geniuses didn’t know that Goni was paying off foreign investors by instituting a tax on those making less than 5000 Bolivianos a year?
Damn I hope none of these people are anywhere near Obama’s campaign or administration.
July 12, 2008 at 4:18 am
Damn I hope none of these people are anywhere near Obama’s campaign or administration.
You and me both, but the I’m guessing that they are. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like it will end well if a majority of people hate your candidate. I think Carville’s name should always be accompanied by the phrase “sniveling dickweed”. These people got one president elected and they think they’re gold. That’s platinum wankery right there, folks.
July 12, 2008 at 7:41 am
Rightwingsnarkle — who says they fuck? I mean, actually. Maybe they’re into water sports.
July 12, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Goni can lick my gonads.
July 12, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I directed this film, and I very much appreciate you wanting to watch it. And I love the fact that it generates so much conversation! But I would be grateful if you would take this link off your site. I made no money on this film, and the illegal distribution of it on the web only further hurts the dvd’s marketability. Worse yet, it serves as a disincentive for distributors to pick up films like mine. And films like “Our Brand” really need the help and reach that come from having an established distributor behind the movie. If you want to watch it, please rent it! But I would be very grateful if you wouldn’t give it away illegally.
July 12, 2008 at 5:47 pm
“I made no money on this film, and the illegal distribution of it on the web only further hurts the dvd’s marketability.”
Whatever marketability this kind of documentary has, it’s hardly a settled matter that spreading it around for free is going to hurt it rather than give it a second, potentially much bigger life.
July 12, 2008 at 5:57 pm
And thanks for making the movie, by the way. Since the few minutes I’ve seen of it look good and I can’t stand long youtubes, I’m adding it to my Netflix! See, the editors bring you at least one new customer.
July 12, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Sorry. I assumed Google checked its videos.
July 12, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Rightwingsnarkle — who says they fuck?
Well, they’ve spawned, anyway.
July 13, 2008 at 3:06 am
Rachel, is is cool to post the trailer of the film, so at least people can have a seed planted to go rent the film? How can they rent what they don’t know about?
July 13, 2008 at 4:14 am
Rachel, I’m just wondering because I like this film, what is your current marketing strategy?
July 13, 2008 at 4:22 am
Also Rachel, can we post the trailer to the film, or do you have a suggestion how I can replace my, “removed by request of director” statement, for a link or something? Help us, help you. I’d really like to see this film seen in every Political Science Dept. in the world. It’s a really one of the better educational tools I’ve seen on, “what do political consultants do”, because most people don’t know.
They also don’t know how they treat new aspiring political consultants, the working conditions, pay, etc. I’ve you were considering another film, examine Larry Tramatola’s and Katherine Lieu’s rigs.
July 13, 2008 at 9:59 am
Rachel, I’m willing to talk up your fine movie on the internet to whatever extent you think advertising from me might do any good in return for the apparently stolen pleasure of watching most of it here the other day. Let me know. I’ve put Our Brand is Crisis in my Netflix queue along with Cocalero, so whatever amount of the dollar or so I pay for renting it is goes to you will eventually get to you, too. Whatever helps.
One thing I took away from the film is that by Bolivian standards we’re not dumping nearly enough confetti on our presidential candidates. Maybe if Bolivia sent squads of Confetti Enforcement Agents here to impose their cultural norms they could straighten this all out for us.
July 13, 2008 at 11:08 am
Now that you’ve removed that video, isn’t it time for The Editor’s to make a post on how universally loved was Tony Snow as both journalist and press secretary?
July 13, 2008 at 11:19 am
Rachel, Since the online version was clipped near the end I found it to be an effective (if illegal) tease. I have since added your film to my Netflix queue to show my appreciation for your good work.
Thanks to The Editors for making me aware of it.
July 13, 2008 at 6:14 pm
There is no confetti on Kobaïa or in Christian Vander’s He-Man Hair Club Vortex of Pain. Please send help.
July 14, 2008 at 7:19 am
Our Brand is fascinating, one of the most memorable films I’ve seen in years. Definitely get a hold of a legit copy and view. Major props, Rachel.
July 14, 2008 at 8:52 am
I think Google makes a point of NOT checking videos, at least until requested.
A link to an Amazon page or even a mini-review would be a suitable replacement for “link removed.”
http://www.amazon.com/Our-Brand-Crisis-Carlos-Mesa/dp/B000GDIBSO
http://www.filmforum.org/films/ourbrand.html
July 14, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Rachel:
The Leni Riefenstahl of liberal fascism.
July 15, 2008 at 12:08 am
This is an astonishing film. I netflixed it and showed it to my whole family.
Who knew that Carville looked so much like Gollum? Whatever level of vanity possessed these people to even consent to appearing in this? And to think that these are the “good guys” is to shudder.
I hope the Editors can find a trailer to post or link, this deserves all the publicity it can get.
July 15, 2008 at 7:18 am
You can watch the trailer (and buy the thing) here.
July 15, 2008 at 10:14 am
“I hope the Editors can find a trailer to post or link, this deserves all the publicity it can get.”
Heh, indeed.
http://www.filmforum.org/films/ourbrand.html
July 15, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Hi – Thanks for taking the link down. I really appreciate it. You can see the trailer at the Film Forum site (see above links) or on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V3mE5beWuQ
As for marketing strategy, at this point, I’m focusing on the next movie! It took me two years to make Our Brand, another year to find a distributor, and a fourth year chatting the film up to various outlets to try to generate awareness about it. So now I’ve moved on to the next one. I hope Our Brand is strong enough that it will stand the test of time and find an audience through pages like this one. Thanks to all of you for taking an interest and thinking about it afterwards!
July 16, 2008 at 7:43 am
Documentary filmmaking is a national treasure, the last refuge of investigative journalism as media outlets increasingly become captured by large corporate conglomerates. Anything we can do to support it is worthwhile.
July 18, 2008 at 3:54 pm
For those with Sundance Channel, the film will be showing on Monday, July 21, 7:30 pm.
http://www.sundancechannel.com/films/500010354