Monday, September 13, 2004

McDonalds arch-nemisis is coming to Bowling Green.

Morgan Spurlock, the creator of the documentary Super Size Me, will screen his film and take questions afterward Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Western Kentucky Universitys Downing University Center Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

Morgan is going to do great, Campus Activities Board program coordinator Azurdee Garland said. I think it is also great that we were able to secure a screening of his documentary that in reality probably would not have played anywhere in Bowling Green. This is going to give folks a chance to see what everyone from ESPN to CNN is talking about.

In Super Size Me, Spurlock documents what happens when he goes on a diet of nothing but McDonalds food for 30 days. The film is one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time, with over $11 million to date, and earned Spurlock a best director award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Spurlocks film has drawn criticism by some, particularly McDonalds, which claims that his diet during the film was stupid and that eating three meals a day at the restaurant every day is not something anyone does or should do.

While some might consider Spurlocks actions extreme, Garland said she thinks the film will be a good tool to show students the value of eating properly and exercising regularly.

Weve got a lot of students on campus that will run into a fast-food restaurant, she said. They wont stop and eat in our cafeteria. They dont realize that Western is giving them so many options that they dont have eat the same processed burger three times a day.

This is the third prominent filmmaker to appear on campus in the past three semesters. Last fall, Bowling Green native John Carpenter spoke about censorship, and horror-genre filmmaker George Romero came to Western last spring.

According to Cory Lash, an associate professor at Westerns School of Journalism and Broadcasting, having these filmmakers come to Western is a unique learning tool for the universitys film students.

Its a definite plus, Lash said. Were not L.A. or New York. Any time we can get someone of prominence in the film or television industry to come to Western, it certainly opens a window of opportunities for our students.

For more information, call 745-2459.

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