Hate advertising? Make better ads. – that’s director Doug Pray’s statement on its official site.
As an interface designer who once yearned to be in advertising, this is absolutely fascinating. Lee Clow, George Lois, Hal Riney, these are advertising rock-stars whose career everybody in my mass comm class drool over. It’s been said that Lois is one of the original “Mad Men” with his in-your-face celebrity advertising, but my advertising hero has always been Lee Clow, the brain behind the Apple Computer‘s famous 1984 Super Bowl spot and Taco Bell‘s talking Chihuahua. I used to compete with my hubby in college collecting those imaginative Absolut Vodka ads, another brainchild of Clow. But you don’t have to be in creative field to appreciate the work of the people featured in this documentary. In fact, it’s very likely that you’ve bought stuff because of the advertising behind whatever that stuff is.
Synopsis: ART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time — people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising’s “creative revolution” of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation: George Lois, Mary Wells, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others featured in ART & COPY were responsible for “Just Do It,” “I Love NY,” “Where’s the Beef?,” “Got Milk,” “Think Different,” and brilliant campaigns for everything from cars to presidents. They managed to grab the attention of millions and truly move them. Visually interwoven with their stories, TV satellites are launched, billboards are erected, and the social and cultural impact of their ads are brought to light in this dynamic exploration of art, commerce, and human emotion.
So if you’re like me who watch the Superbowl just for the ads, this is a movie for you.
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Interesting movie, however, as we do this all day, albeit in a factory setting, I think I’ll pass. Flix are for escapism. Like “GAMER”! Saw an ad for it last night. Can’t figure out what it’s about – that’s always scary. They pumped only one thing: Starring Gerard Butler! He’s all in on that one.
Point well-taken, but I’m curious enough to check this one out later on DVD.
GAMER is pretty much a modern day, hi-tech Gladiator. Here’s the gist of it courtesy of IMDB:
GAMER is a high-concept action thriller set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid. Humans control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online games: people play people…for keeps. Mind-control technology is widespread, and at the heart of the controversial games is its creator, reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). His latest brainchild, the first-person shooter game “Slayers,” allows millions to act out their most savage fantasies online in front of a global audience, using real prisoners as avatars with whom they fight to the death.
Kable (300’s Gerard Butler) is the superstar and cult hero of the ultraviolent “Slayers.” Kable is controlled by Simon, a young gamer with rock star status who continues to defy all odds by guiding Kable to victory each week. Taken from his family, imprisoned and forced to fight against his will, the modern day gladiator must survive long enough to escape the game to free his family, regain his identity and to save mankind from Castle’s ruthless technology.
There you have it. Let me know what you think once you see it, Mike. I’ll wait for the DVD on this one.
I’m with you, this is a pay-for-view at best. The trouble with that plot line is it’s been done 100 times!?!?!? Modern day Gladiators – as far back as the movie “Death Sport” from 1978. I actually went to see that one BTW. Gosh knows Van Damme and Arnold have done a few of these same movies too.
Like you’ve said 100x’s: Hollywood keeps remaking things that work. Originality is too risky with big budgets …
Ugh, nooooooo not the Van Damme comparison. I mean, no offense to The Muscles from Brussels but COME ON! Methink ze Butler is way better than that, I mean this is just one of the various roles he’s doing and it’s great that he continues to mix things up. I just hope in his next roles he’d use more of his brain muscles, I mean GB trained to be a lawyer, for cryin’ out loud!
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I was sent over here by Nostra’s The Greatest Movie Ever Sold post, thanks for this review, looks like an interesting doc worth a look ( :
from Chris
Well hi Chris, welcome to FC! I haven’t got a chance to seeing this one yet but yeah, definitely worth renting.
I came from Nostra’s review as well. This looks very interesting considering I’m in love with the advertising in ‘Mad Men’. I didn’t look up any video release details, but do you know if this ever got a dvd release in R1?
Hi Max, the world of advertising certainly has its allure, especially in Mad Men days. Yeah I believe it did got released on dvd, here’s the link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Copy-Advertisings-Creative-Revolution/dp/B003AWEZ74 I need to rent this from Netflix soon.