Apr 1 2008 'Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden' Poster Evokes Classic Cinema, Cigarettes

Cinematical just got their hands on the final poster for Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me follow-up Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden, and they're claiming it has "a Lawrence of Arabia vibe to it." I would have said it's like someone took Joe Camel and somehow broke him down into his constituent elements (one part horrifying cartoon camel, one part pompous asshole), but whatever.

Final Poster for 'Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?' [Cinematical]

Feb 25 2008 'Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden' Poster

With a title that makes such a deliberate, untimely pop culture reference, I fully expected that the poster for Morgan Spurlock's Where in the World is Osama bin Laden would again allude to its namesake--the old PBS show, or even older video game, or The Today Show's excuse to send Matt Lauer to Iceland, or whatever it's meant to be. But, wouldn't you know it, that wily narcissist has once again pulled the wool of his ironic mustache over my eyes, coming up with a completely unexpected parody poster: a parody of an '80s comedy poster doing a parody of Raiders of the Lost Ark!

If you compare it to the original Indy poster, you'll notice the filmmaker has cleverly replaced each element of the Raiders one-sheet with something equivalent from his own film. The fearsome snake becomes a clearly-pained camel; the guy with a hat becomes a different guy with a hat; and Indiana himself becomes Spurlock, madly excited to catch you in his snare and smother you in arrogance.

'Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?' Poster Premiere! [Cinematical]

Feb 5 2008 'Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden' Trailer, Music By Rockapella

I want to admit right now, I really hate Morgan Spurlock. I hated his essay-on-the-obvious, Hey, It Turns Out McDonald's Isn't That Good For You, and from the trailer, I'd say I'll hate Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? even more.

Invoking the same witty reference The Today Show uses when they send Matt Lauer to god-knows-where, Spurlock is once again arrogant enough to think that he and his ironic mustache are a fitting subject for a documentary, as the film follows him in his preparation and search for bin Laden. Of course, from everything I've heard, Spurlock does not find bin Laden, making this self-indulgent thesis even more obvious than the last. Hey, it turns out it is hard to find Osama bin Laden!

Admittedly, I commend him and his crew for their bravery in embarking on such a task, and their search surely does merit some coverage, but if seeing Spurlock's travels means tolerating his cocky-highschooler-who-found-a-camera filmmaking and comedy, (asking random mall patrons if they've seen Osama?! Crazy!) I don't think it's worth it.

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