MovieChat Forums > Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal (2003) Discussion > The most distasteful trash-documentary I...

The most distasteful trash-documentary I've ever seen

posted 12 years ago by Scotchfist
3 replies | jump to latest

I've rarely ever posted in the last decade of being a member to imdb, but this was too disgusting of a program to not voice my concern.

Not only do they spend an hour (not sure of runtime as I watched it in segments on youtube) simply berating the man ("hey guys a picture of that guy who beat our gameshow is back up on the screen, cue in the pedophile background music."), they seek out people from the man's life who didn't really like him much (don't we all have a few of them around), and got their opinions of him as arguments against his character, as if it should even matter in the first place.

I watched this documentary hoping to find more "behind the scenes" information on an awesome game-show moment, aka reactions from producers as they were watching it unfold, etc.

Instead, what we're treated to is pure *beep* character defamation:

"Right when he walked in... I SAID... no way, I don't trust this guy. He's clearly a horrible person. But my partner said he was in, so I HAD TO PUT HIM on the show."

"Oh my brother? He sucked. Also, I'm a pretty negative person in general, but just edit that out."

"Yeah, I was his common-law wife. He mistreated me everyday. Like that time he made me count dollar bills. It was horrible. So I stole his last five grand and bolted to my parents house because he was clearly a dangerous sociopath."

Then we're all treated to the triumphant conclusion, where the documentary, I *beep* you not, says:

"But it appears that [name of guy from show who beat their *beep* computer] was the one who was whammy-ed in the end, when he died of throat cancer."

Bravo, CBS. You sure got that guy back by ruining whatever small legacy of dignity he had left after dying. Serves him right for mildly inconveniencing the exec board through skillfully playing one of your six or seven hit gameshows. Pure class.

[–] JWagsWasHere 12 years ago

woah Mr "Child-of-the-Crusades"

did CBS pee in your coffee this morning

i thought this was a very interesting doc

"A True Patriot Need Not Fear The SongBird"

[–] Ethereal-Cloud 8 years ago

That beard and those beady eyes were enough to creep me out from the get-go.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Larson

You've got to admit, that little paper plate 'banquet' in his honor at the end of the program was a bit bizarre too.

[–] KCanthony 8 years ago

Just came across the doc online and feel the exact same way. I've never seen a network produced hit piece like this before this film. Clearly Michael Larson isn't very likeable but the bitterness of the narration and of the people interviewed is off putting.

Also it's quite annoying how the movie keeps asking the viewer to pay attention to Michael's eyes or the board closely in slowed down footage so the viewer can try and figure out what's the trick. This is another cheap layer to make him seem more devious than he is because it's clear there's a pattern, that's obvious from the first clips of him winning. There's no need to drag this "mystery" out.

Flat out the inadequate randomizer was the show's fault, all power to him

Free Mahi Mahi, free Mahi Mahi. If you will.