F**K - A Documentary (2006)

F*ck features interviews with comedians actors filmmakers writers and scholars including Pat Boone Drew Carey Billy Connolly Janeane Garofolo Ice-T Ron Jeremy Bill Maher Alanis Morrisette Kevin Smith the late Hunter S. Thompson and many more who explore what it is about the world's favorite curse word that both unites and divides English-speaking people.Features:Theatrical TrailerFilmmaker Commentary Featuring Steve AndersonExtended Never-Before-Seen InterviewsTrailer GalleryFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 821575549851 Manufacturer No: TF-54985 Product Description

brilliant!

A fascinating exploration of obscenities, the F word in particular, by comedians, linguist, writers, and other "in the know." The movie examines the word's influences through the ages and it's march through the 20th century, including its use by George W. Bush in relation to Saddam and in other instances. This movie is brilliant, particularly, when it traces the use of the word in all areas of our lives. It's a must see! May 15, 2008

Excellent Documentary

Very thorough examination of America's favorite word. The DVD exhanced my use of the word which I didn't think possible! October 18, 2007

Bleeping Good

Freedom of speech is remarkably still an issue in this country and will remain so for the forseeable future. The makers of the documentary 'F**K' point out that if their work were to be shown on network television and accrued fines for its more than 800 usages of the F-word, $165 000 000 could disappear into the coffers of the FCC! 'F**K' offers a balanced look at an ancient word, people who are both pro (Ice-T) and con (Pat Boone). A search for the word's origins explores the common misconception that the F-word is derived from an acronym (for unlawful carnal knowledge; fornication under command of king). The OED states that f**k could be derived from the old French 'fuchre' to poke, or prod. Pat Boone provides some unintended levity when he mentions that he too has a rap song, and uses his own name as a substitute for cursing "Oh, BOONE!" Other appropriate contributions are made by Kevin Smith, Bono, and a European rock band that includes a live sex act, as they believe in "f**king for the environment." September 19, 2007

the power of a word

The focus of this documentary is utterly admirable--90 minutes examining a single word of the English language. And why not? Certainly, words have histories, and they evolve over time in their usages and halos of meaning. And this word, certainly, carries with it a lot of baggage, since it seems to be one of the most outlawed or undesired of words among certain circles. Hence, making it a word that could very much make a worthwhile 90+ minute focus.

And there is a grand array of personalities here--from comedians to musicians to pornstars to pundits. Ice-T offering ideas along with Sam Donaldson and Tera Patrick. There does seem to be a bit of a bend or skew behind this film, with its almost flippant appearances of f*ck in the face of those who greatly discourage its use, but this seems only natural considering the subject matter--if one is going to investigate such a word thoroughly, one certainly must drop one's own Puritanical senses, if one ever had these in the first place. Certainly, this movie is done with a sense of humor, an almost Penn-and-Teller-esque attitude of "Why is this such a big deal?" and though I find the arguments against the use of swear words by others to be rather tyrranical and just plain inconsiderate, I have hope in the world that there are those who can offer those arguments and NOT look like total morons, unlike Pat Boone, Alan Keyes and the others who just sound like repressed fuddy-duddies...

...although, I must admit that I found Sam Donaldson quite silly as well, for while he was a proponent of f*ck as a form of expression, it seemed that he was a little reluctant about using it himself.

Possibly, the attitude of this film as a whole is to present the wide world of expression, how a word as old as 500-600 years (there is evidence of its use in a 15th century poem, though Shakespeare never used it, thus making this maybe the ONLY word in the English language that Shakespeare never used) has become multifaceted especially in the 20th century as well as so controversial and illegal, if certain powers were to have their way (and do, kind of). Even some of the proponents, like Sam Donaldson, seem a little too militaristic about the need to use it, while figures like Ice-T and Billy Connolly come across as some of the most thoughtful. Of course, the comedic co-champions of language, Lenny Bruce and George Carlin, are centerpieces of this film, and while Bruce is maybe overly idolized, the essence of their work is clear--words are merely expressions of our thoughts, and the act of restricting (or even being overly permissive about) language with the idea that language leads to thought and not vice versa comes across as an essential flaw here, and possibly this is where the playfulness of the film becomes important. With its casual use of f*ck and documenting its use as outdoing other such f*ck masterpieces as Scarface and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, perhaps this film is telling us in the end that language itself (not just the 'bad words,' but all of language) is a casual and imprecise mode of faulty expression, and that the need for such a movie as this and its ability to focus on a single word, is to both celebrate and laugh a bit at how much language affects us and brings us together to swap ideas, even when we come down on different sides of all the fences between us.

As a teacher of high school English, I do wish this were a film that would easily get onto any class syllabus, because it invites discussion and ideas rather than platitudes and prejudice. If there can be such strong emotion and discussion over one word, then many people could learn just how intricate EVERY word in our language is, and how difficult yet necessary it is to use this flawed form of comunication as a conduit towards communication and understanding.
August 5, 2007

Great F**king Documentary!

A terrifically entertaining documentary, F**K explores and exploits the granddaddy of all swear words in nearby every respect possible. While being unabashedly foul-mouthed, this documentary examines the sides of both the offenders and the offended, the histories and the myths, and the politics and hypocricies of the F-Word.

With tremendously funny animation from Bill Plympton, hilarious and well-juxtaposed interviews, and a subversive tone too pointed to miss, F**K is a truly original, on-target piece of work that demands to be f**king seen. August 3, 2007

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