artinthemundane

[artinthemundane]

FOOD FIGHT (2012) IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

In my writings on ‘Killer Bean Forever’ I came to the conclusion that under capitalism, nothing can truly be art. For the nature of capitalism deprives art of all its individualism. Which is why Killer Bean Forever thrived. Because it carried the weight of individualism on its shoulders and held it high in spite of the world. Killer Bean is the ark of creative freedom and passion. It is Jeffery Lew’s individual and artistic expression soaring over a sea of passionless artistic doubt. But I was wrong. For me to claim this means stating art is only merely ‘individual’ or ‘personal’ expression. When art can be something more. 

Food Fight is art. But what precisely makes it art is the very nature of capitalism itself. A promising animated movie being developed in 2003 with a star-power cast (including Charlie Sheen & Christopher Llyod) was cast into the depths of (development) hell for 9 years due to studio conflicts and an act of espionage which left the hard drive containing the assets of the film stolen. In this hell, the animation became at war with itself in a radiant mess due to the directors own personal hell over style. Motion-capture vs exaggerated Looney Tunes slapstick which strikes together in an explosion of utter chaos. The animation is so bizarre, Food Fight incidentally became a surrealist fever dream. The visuals of the films strike impressionable nightmares upon the viewer in a way which magnifies the brand hellscape portrayed in the film. The film is littered with insurmountable product placement and the plot delves deep into themes of brand recognition vs products. 

On the outline, the plot seems to suggest there are inherent value and beauty in everyday household brand imagery, But in my opinion, the horrifying animation is designed to set fear into your very heart. It is meant to evoke nightmares in order to convey the horrible hellscape and nightmare which is brands under modern-day capitalism. Every capitalistic orifice in the making of this movie oozes the true nightmarish nature of capitalism. The film at its very essence tries to rip the mask off modern society and expose the horrific skeleton which lies underneath.

The film is also littered in Nazi ‘product’ imagery. Which further suggests that the film is aware that fascism is a natural product of late-stage capitalism.    

One can argue that the film is unaware of its value as art. That Food Fight is simply a mistake as the result of studio meddling and profiteering. This is wrong. My point is that art can be unintentional. Art isn’t about what it expresses from the individual, but rather what it reflects as a whole. Everything about the story of Food Fights birth reflects the story of the hellscape of capitalism. If Food Fight is the egg, then capitalism is the chicken. One cannot exist without the other. 

Where I outline that Food Fights nightmarish imagery conjures up the horrifying feelings of capitalism, this isn’t a joke nor is it an exaggeration. When you watch Food Fight, you are horrified if not disgusted by it. Food Fight at its very core is a disgusting movie. And it is because of the nightmare of capitalism which makes Food Fight so disgusting. If you feel disgusted or horrified when watching Food Fight, then, in turn, you are disgusted or horrified by the nature of capitalism. If you laugh, it’s because you have lost faith. That is the true power of art. It’s the ability to transcend individualism in order to reflect something deeper.  And Food fight reflects the fight between Art and Capitalism better than any movie does.