Call me weird if you must (or it it just makes you feel better about yourself), but I've obviously been a fan of the documentary trend that's taken over the arthouse movie set as of late. From the nondescript-yet-poignant "Blind Spot" to the artsy "Winged Migration" to the restrospective "Mayor of Sunset Strip" most of the better docu-movies have at least something to offer the artform while making a pretty useful statement within the art.

But oh how the times are changing. Chalk up the moment to Michael Moore's melodramatic pitch for "Bowling for Columbine" as a movie they don't want you to see. As if the "they" are some evildoing nogoodnicks out to wreck havoc on the world. Turns out the evildoer was Mickey Mouse. Not to be outdone, Moore has obviously pitched a more strident battle in setting up the PR bonanza for his new flick "Farenheit 9/11." Same principle, just add steroids ala Barry Bonds.

Next on the list?

"Super Size Me."

Yeah, the movie's already out in theaters, its having a good run. Its fairly fun viewing, and like Moore, Morgan Spurlock mixes some very good points with some very bad. Also like Moore, he tries to milk a little molehill of controversy into a mountain of publicity:

After a low-level MTV employee asked for changes in an ad for the hit documentary "Super Size Me," the film's distributors tried to parlay the dust-up into a Michael Moore-type publicity blitz.

The dispute was quickly resolved ? the ad will run, uncut, starting tonight ? but the episode offers a glimpse into the new world of documentary marketing, in which controversy and big-league publicity gambits are increasingly part of the strategy for box-office success.

...

According to an e-mail provided by IDP Films, which is distributing the movie, an employee in MTV's ad clearance department said the network was rejecting the commercial because it was "disparaging toward fast-food restaurants."

For the ad to be approved, the employee told IDP, it would need to delete the phrase "you'll die," a comment on the alleged effect of the monthlong fast-food diet. The MTV employee said the commercial also could not air during a span in which a fast-food ad was airing and that a scene of the filmmaker about to vomit must be axed.

An MTV spokeswoman, Janet Hill, said that although revisions were initially requested by a "junior-level employee," the decision was overturned by a higher-up after he learned of the "mistake." Hill said the spot would air in a way that makes "commercial sense."

The article rightfully notes the controversy surrounding two other major releases: "Fog of War" and "Capturing the Friedmans." I'm not sure I put those in the same league as the cases of Moore & Spurlock's attempt to claim themselves martyrs. The prime issue in those other two was about the content, the veracity, and/or accuracy ... as if Moore had released "Columbine" without trying to claim people were attempting to censor him. But the recent trend towards martyrdom is a bit disconcerting. I'm curious if its possible to have a new award in this genre for Best Director in a documentary who doesn't put himself on a cross. I suspect their acceptance speech will be much shorter than Moore's was for "Columbine."

SIDEBAR: a little more on the "Super Size Me" concept. If you want a bit more thoroughness and detail on the topic without the sensationalism, Harvard Magazine has a great article entitled "The Way We Eat Now." (also available as a PDF for better printing). I'm about halfway through it as I packed it for bus reading today. More over the weekend, but its a great read, perhaps warranting of a few different CCB takes.