Fuck

It’s the Queen Mother of curse words, Although it’s been supplanted in some regards by the c-word (ask your parents), eff dash dash dash has far more uses - why, it’s probably the single most useful word in the universe, or at least the English language, since it can be used as a noun, an adjective, an adverb, an interjection, a verb, and so on. Seriously, let’s see your “the” and “thing” do that.

This documentary uses the bomb 857 times, so you know it’s not shying away from its subject matter. Pontificators from all sides of the spectrum weigh in on the word, from its uses in movies and songs to its origins and meanings to its use in the arena of politics (as famously used by the sitting Vice President on the floor of the Senate).

But in the end, it’s not as if anyone is going to be swayed one way or the other here. Those who think the word’s not all that bad (although perhaps shouldn’t be used anywhere, anytime) seem to make reasoned, thoughtful arguments, but the people watching this movie are probably on that side of the fence already, anyway. (By contrast, the more-conservative voices offering opinions come off as uptight jackasses who want to control everything.) Those interviewed include Janeane Garofolo, Billy Connolly, Bill Maher, Pat Boone, Sam Donaldson, Ice-T, Chuck D, John Crossley, Ron Jeremy, and Tera Patrick. All come off pretty well, doofy conservative arguments notwithstanding. But, man, is it just me, or does Billy Connolly look weirder every year? He looks like the Cowardly Lion on crack. Add in his sometimes unintelligble Scottish accent, and you get something you’d expect to find in the mines of Moria. That’s a Lord of the Rings reference, for you non-nerds out there.

Love Pat Boone, though, even when he comes off as a crusty old bastard. He said that he created a new word that he uses instead of cuss words - “boone.” Yep, he uses his own name. He drops something on his foot - “aw, BOONE!” Awesome. And then Ice-T, learning of this, agrees - he says he’s gonna boone his wife later that night.

It’s not a bad documentary, but it’s no great shakes, either. It actually feels a little tedious and repetitive and redundant after a while, because you’re like, “Okay, I get it! It's a bad word!”

F*ck is a very entertaining and interesting documentary describing the use and abuse of the word in the English language. Of course, the word is used many times and in many ways (noun, verb, etc.). Experts discussing their experience with the word f*ck include liberals, conservatives, a 'cunning linguist', comedians, porn stars and Miss Manners.

The film is balanced and informative. It shows how positive energy is released while using the word f*ck. As well, discussed are appropriate ways to express frustration and copulation. Further, F*ck, offers a new swear word: "Boone", as in Pat Boone, who shines as an expert is verbal repression.

At Hotdocs film festival 2006, where I saw this film, the audience received it very well and everybody begins discussing and giggling again as they leave the theater. This is the kind of movie you see and imagine discussions on other similar words.

This might be the first time I've ever written a review, where I actually have to self-censor the title of the movie. Although it's not a word that most of us use every day (or sometimes every week, for that matter), director Steve Anderson provides us with a funny and fascinating examination of the "F-word" - its uses (it's an extremely versatile word, you know), its possible origins, and just exactly why it's considered the most controversial and profane utterance in the English language. (Although I would have to agree with one of the film's participants, and rate it the SECOND most controversial. I always thought the first one was that 'C-word' that most women don't even call each other, unless they're REALLY angry.)

But more interesting than the subject is the roster of celebrities, writers and pundits who show up for the chance to yak it up, and how their individual views on not just the word but the world-at-large make this an interesting study about people as well. Besides being sprinkled throughout with the droll and delirious animation of Bill Plympton, highlights for me include Janeane Garofalo, Ron Jeremy (who seems a lot more intelligent and well-spoken than you'd think), the late Hunter S. Thompson and clips of comedian/heroic free-speech advocate Lenny Bruce (and what would this doc be without him?), Billy Connolly, Ice-T and yes, really - Pat Boone. There's something profoundly sad to me about his segment, but I'll let you see if you can pick out what it is (someone else in the doc certainly does.)

Surprisingly enough, the film is nearly evenly balanced by the representation on the conservative side, as interviews are also conducted with several "leading lights of the right", which include "Miss Manners" and Alan Keyes (who frankly made me want to punch him out every time he came on-screen.) The relative humorlessness with which they all seem to approach the subject seems reflective of the way in which they view everything, and it sharply delineates the differences between "Righties" and "Lefties" in a way that most political debates never will.

Not as outright obscene (as you'd expect) or as fall-down funny as its more profane cousin, THE ARISTOCRATS, F**K is still definitely worth your time. And thank goodness we still live in a society where it's not a crime to watch or discuss it.

How do I talk about a film where I can't even mention its title in this review (in the IMDb comments the word of the title of this film cannot be put in, unless in the form of f*ck or sh*t)? I can talk mostly then about how the filmmakers go around the use of the word f*ck. F*ck is the word that gets everyone's ear up, and depending on the context or meaning behind it can get some people riled up enough to do something about it- like reporting to the FCC on violations if done on TV or radio. The hypocrisies and oddities are of course on display, like with the now legendary George Carlin 'Dirty Words' case where the one and only person to report that the segment played on the radio was wrong was on the Decency board in the 70s. Or, of course, Lenny Bruce, who also had a fight that he ended up losing miserably, however much he paved the way for everyone else in his field. There's also a good segment done on the f word in politics and religion, even in poetry (I'll have to look through Ulysses now to see where it's at).

But even with the laughs that are obvious to come with such a given for scandalous material, including various movie clips featuring said word (Pulp Fiction, Punch-Drunk Love, South Park, Scarface), and even with the Presidential utterances and sound-bytes of the word (Nixon's the most obvious yet still unnerving), and even with some of the interviewees really giving some food for f***ing thought on the subject (Billy Connolly is arguably the funniest, with HST being low-key and observant, and Allen Keyes and Pat Boone delivering very straight-laced answers) with the two-side arguments, there doesn't seem quite enough here to be totally satisfying. In fact, the structure, however hokey and joyful in its wicked little ways, has to start delivering on more interesting grounds. Maybe it's just me, but by around the 100th time one's heard the word in such a span of several minutes, the word has already lost all of its power (albeit given context by a scene of coitus on a music stage, a very controversial story at the time, among others), and there should be even more dirt available, aside from the usual historical asides. For example, I would've liked to have seen more on the F-word in music (where's the MC5 when you need em?), or the section of children, which should be a topic that could at least cover a lot more of the film, especially since the filmmakers obviously want to leave it as something of a climax...so to speak.

Yet, if you want a successfully shallow, goofy take on the subject that might raise some eyebrows and just be another night watching a DVD for others (who knows if the record setting 800 times is just another night at the bar for some guys), it's worth the rental. I'm glad the filmmakers took the equal-time interviews for those who are in it all-not that it occasionally preaches to the choir- and that the bases covered are given enough coverage to get a full understanding of how such an infamous word can become even more so in the 21st century, under a government that has raised the ante on the conservative agenda within the free speech guidelines, and that the censorship ends up spreading to other areas as well. Bleep, I say.

While this f*cking documentary (har har) is interesting and informative, even at 90 minutes it runs a little long for my tastes. I gradually found myself getting bored by the subject matter. This could have been a thorough examination of our culture of censorship over time, but instead only touched on those subjects in a superficial way. Most of the film was spent in a lighthearted and comical fashion, which suits the way they tackled the subject.

The best parts of the film are the interview subjects, which are entertaining for several reasons. Often, when they are actors or comedians, they are always "on" and funny for the most part. Some, like Pat Boone, are unintentionally hilarious, along with the likes of Michael Medved, both of whom seem to advocate limiting the eponymous word in some way.

Recommended for a once over, but only for amusement. I don't think I'll be revisiting this anytime soon.