Fuck (2005) User Reviews

not quite long enough to really dig into it all, but as a term-paper-type look, it's not bad, and even funny

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 18 February 2007]

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.

Free Speech Or Abused Speech? Which Side Are You On?

[fwomp · 8/10 · 3 March 2007]

It's puzzling how words effect people differently. Some are strongly affected, while others take them in stride. But one thing is for certain, the F-word has been a contentious four-letter symbol for a multitude of reasons.

First, is where it came from. There are so many false claims as to boggle the mind. Most of these fallacies center around a Playboy Magazine article from the 70s that said the F-word was "An order from the King to go forth and propagate." Supposedly this originated sometime around the 17th century and, of course, it's completely untrue. Helping to dispel this myth, the F*CK documentary seeks to enlighten and entertain and does so for the most part.

So where did this dastardly word come from? The simple answer is: we don't know. We do know that it first appeared as a written word around 1456, but that's about it. What we do know is that now the word is held as vile filth by some, while others use it daily.

Cutting a large swathe across socio-political and generational lines, the documentary interviews everyone from cursing experts and porn stars, to Miss Manners and Pat Boone.

Anyone interested in the First Amendment should no doubt see this documentary along with THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED. Both focus on America's disdain for words over violence. It's quite all right to shoot someone in the face on TV, but say the word "F*ck" and you're in big trouble with the FCC. A brief and sexually explicit scene from a European rock concert shows how open other nations are to sexuality and the F-word's express meaning, while American's can't seem to get over it.

That being said, I will say that I use the F-word on occasion but only within an appropriate context. I don't enjoy comedians who use it in every sentence (Chris Rock immediately leaps to mind) simply for shock value. I guess you could say that the F-word has its place in our society but, like chocolate, if you over-indulge in its use, you'll end up with a gluttonous-type problem. Whereas chocolate might end up giving you diabetes, over-usage of the F-word might end up making those around you shy away.

Some of the more comical moments in the film are with Pat Boone and rapper Ice-T. Pat Boone, Mr. Clean, never curses. What he does do is use his own last name as a sort of cursing venue. "If I get mad about a bad tennis shot, I'll yell 'Boone!'" Ice-T heard this and, of course, used it to great advantage. He found it funny and said that "Tonight I'm gonna go home and Boone the sh!t outta my wife." Another excellent aspect in the film was showing how hypocritical some politicians were. Most notable among them were Richard Nixon and George W. Bush. Nixon probably had one of the foulest mouths ever to enter the Whitehouse, while George Bush enjoys sticking his middle finger up at cameras. This is quite ironic since these conservative "gentleman"are the one's who've lambasted the liberal left for its unruly and inappropriate support on free speech when referring to the word f*ck.

This is a very interesting documentary with plenty of naughty and nice people giving their views on this little word.

Very funny documentary, just don't show it to the young ones

[se7en187 · 8/10 · 1 June 2006]

I saw this documentary at a film festival a couple of months ago and had a great time. I didn't really know what to expect, sure I expected to hear you-know-what said a bunch of times, but I didn't know how the filmmakers were gonna make a documentary about it. The result was actually a well made film with a lot of great entertaining interviews and a lot of great segments from films spliced throughout.

It answers a lot of question people are likely wondering about the word and it's involvement in society, especially the media. Sure, the word is said many times throughout the film, but what do you expect when the title is the word itself? Some of the highlights include the different ways the word can be used, and of course, the end credits.

See this movie, tell your friends, just be careful who you're telling.

Not a film for the easily offended

[Mlle_S · 29 December 2005]

F*CK is a documentary that delves into the controversy surrounding the infamous four-letter word. The heart of the film explores the issues of censorship and our constitutional right of free speech. How did the word originate? What exactly does it mean? How has it affected society and how does it continue to affect society? These are just a few of the questions that are addressed in the film. The film features interviews with many different linguists, actors, musicians, artists, politicians, comedians, news commentators, scholars and random people on the streets with intervals of hilarious animation and various television and film clips. The result is a highly entertaining, engaging and fairly well-balanced documentary concerning one of the most controversial words in the English language.

Regardless of whether or not one cares about the issues of free speech and censorship, this film is bound to make all but the humorless laugh their f**king hearts out!

P.S. Billy Connolly is a riot.

Can expletives be boring?

[dfranzen70 · 6/10 · 6 January 2008]

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!”

Interesting but too long

[JMAN-8 · 6/10 · 28 October 2006]

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.

Serious but funny documentary with careful editing and graphics

[mergatroid5 · 9/10 · 24 April 2006]

This movie works at multiple levels, is well directed and has cute animation sequences by Plympton. It contains some very interesting interviews with a huge range of opinions and social commentary. You may be surprised at the diversity of views. And you'd have to be insanely up-tight not to enjoy the humor. The person I saw this movie with was all ready to be negative about it - she really doesn't like "dirty" language. But the mix of serious academic people, famous personalities and the great inter-cutting of the interviews kept her attention through the movie. This isn't a short movie either - but there is so much material to cover, you end up really respecting what F*ck does (the irony is that IMDb's software won't let me use the actual word), which is to provoke thought about a simple word that breaks our society more or less into two camps. The idea that one word could so clearly illustrate the "culture wars" between the religious right verses the rational middle is an amazing thing. Go see it and talk to everybody you know about the real meaning of freedom and culture!

Great Promise but Lacking in Depth

[georgefan80 · 6/10 · 12 April 2006]

F*CK has a great premise: explore the origins of the word, its existence as a taboo word, how it plays in today's culture, music, film, business, etc. The film does a great job of covering all the bases and giving us perspectives from a variety of sources: from "cunning" linguists to professors to comedians to filmmakers to senators to musicians. The filmmakers do a good job of balancing the far right and the far left and make almost everyone seem reasonable and level-headed. The only weakness in the film is that there is no arc. The film gives us 5-6 topical segments and then stops, leaving us wondering, really, what was the F*cking point? In general, a fine film, though given that ThinkFilm picked it up (and also released Aristocrats) it would have been interested if Aristocrats (the most verbally gruesome film in the last 5 years) had been covered. Hopefully Michael Moore will take a look at this and remember how documentaries should be done.

Terrific, lively documentary!

[picklefuzzy · 9/10 · 9 February 2006]

I was lucky enough to catch this tremendous documentary at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, and OH MY GOD, was it fun! Sadly, the director told the audience the cut may need to change based on getting final clearance for a lot of the clips and interviews, but if it remains intact, and can find a brave distributor who's savvy enough to market this film, "F%ck" could have a very good theatrical life before making an even bigger splash on home video.

Extremely hilarious, refreshingly vulgar, and surprisingly political, "F%ck" not only examines the root and use of the word but the entire culturally-charged issue of swearing. I don't want to say more, but its almost impossible to watch even a few moments of this film without getting the giggles.

Terrific stuff, and as long as you're not easily offended, a MUST SEE!

Well, it is funny at times, though this is not the point.

[LAntichristo · 7/10 · 4 November 2006]

F*UCK is a documentary about the use of profanity in public. Is it bad or good, or are you indifferent to it?

Well, it is funny at times, though this is not the point here, because it is supposed to be political rather than funny. However, the people who have been chosen to be interviewed in this film are not the most appealing or serious-minded. A couple of porn stars, a few second class comedians, a rapper, a mediocre pop star, a tattooed hoodlum metal head and a bunch of questionable (and most probably insane ) personalities in the opposition, are just not enough to make a political statement about freedom of speech. I agree with almost everything they had to say but I just can't listen to a hooker speak and take her seriously. Most people would say: "I would most definitely f*ck the hooker but not listen to her opinion". My point is, you just CANNOT make a f*****g point - and expect to be taken seriously - when you are using people that the majority can not identify with. How on earth am I going to get through to the hardcore religious close minded middle Americans when I'm trying to convince them that it is my RIGHT to say whatever I want by showing them PORN and a bunch of thugs blabber?!?! In the end, the only thing that this documentary does is amuse those who already agree with using the word f*ck in public and infuriate those who do not.

Exposing the hypocrisy of the conservatives and the FCC though is interesting enough. So yes, watch this movie. In a scale from 1 to 10 it gets a hard f*****g 7 from me.

Completely one sided!

[typhoon02 · 1/10 · 10 May 2007]

The point was made 1 minute into the movie, and then repeated in different words from other people and shows, movies, etc. for the remaining 1 hour and 32 minutes.

There was no other side to this, and it is sad to see people making these kinds of documentaries that are so one sided that they should be considered as complaints, or even brain washing material as to how many times they have made one sided points. Like every other documentary about something that is "bad" as we are told growing up, this was made to be funny and fun to watch.

Complete waste of 1 and a half hours.

Excellent Discussion of Language

[caveitch · 10/10 · 7 May 2006]

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.

A Fun Subject Matter That Occasionally Gets Bogged Down in Over-Analysis

[drqshadow-reviews · 7/10 · 6 February 2012]

A long-form inspection of the most infamous word in the English language, with insights from all walks of life. Comedians, talk show hosts, politicians, musicians, linguists and historians all chime in on the weight a simple four-letter concoction can carry, and whether our society is in the right or the wrong for placing such a special value on it. The natural bases are covered: censorship, religion, root origins, liberty and social conservatism, with amusing dalliances into the wildly different applications for the F-word and its unique status as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb and simple sign of emphasis or excitement. It does drag on at times, but clever editing and some tremendous sound bytes, particularly from Scottish comedian Billy Connolly, always manage to pull it back from the edge. Fair, insightful and funny, if not all it could have been.

s**ks

[theseriouscomedysite · 1/10 · 3 March 2007]

A movie about the most commonly used four letter word in the English language that is more interested in bashing right wing nut jobs. The documentary seems to believe that aside from Billy Connolly the only people who use this word are Americans and the word only exists in America. It does have an interesting bit on Lenny Bruce while Carlin is there only in stock footage from one of his shows. F**k soon runs out of steam and starts showing movie clips to fill in time. Ron Jeremy shows up for some reason, as does Miss Manners. A mess of quick edits for a while. You'll get more pleasure out of stubbing your toe than watching this.

mildly entertaining

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 30 March 2012]

The word f*ck has always been the go to word when expressing anger in our society. It's even more interesting when used with mother in front of it. Well here is a documentary exploring the origins and many different uses of the magic four letter wonder.

My favorite context is the infamous George Carlin routine, seven dirty words which landed up in the supreme court because it was broadcast on the radio and ruled obscene. Carlin is interviewed for the film, and is as articulate as ever. We sorely miss his voice.

Over the course of an hour and a half, f*ck is used 857 times, so a fair warning to those who are easily offended. We get Pat Boone, Lenny Bruce, U2, and the best shot, non verbal middle finger from former President George Bush. Overall, it's mildly amusing.

Decent enough doco, but a little unsure of it's own direction

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 7 July 2009]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

I'm rather glad I'm now a member of the internet based LoveFilm rather than still renting films from a video shop, because I'd hate to have to phone up and reserve this film. The day when someone decided to make a documentary about the word fu*k was inevitable one day if you really think about it, and here it is. If only the main contributions weren't from dumb Americans who haven't a clue the word is Anglo Saxon in origin and not an abbreviation (Fornicate Under Command of the King?!?) Although some interesting points are put across, such as the release one feels from using the word and it's traditional use with negativity and sexual encounters. Although most of the talking heads are speaking in defence of the word, a few conservatives put their point across and speak of defence of a society with standards and decency. It's short and is more than satisfactory as a documentary, but as it is even pointed out, c*nt is the word really likely to send shudders down the spine. Why wasn't a documentary made of that? Probably not commercial enough. ***

As In: "Sometimes, You Just Gotta Say 'What The...'"

[cchase · 8/10 · 24 August 2007]

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.

Sophomoric and completely unnecessary.

[furrycanuck · 12 December 2006]

I was looking forward this, playing to a sold-out house at this year's Calgary International Film Festival. Unfortunately, this is a terrible film. It comprises a lot of lazy vids and such from youtube and the most predictable set of talking heads - Janene Garofalo, that dinosaur known as George Carlin, and the always articulate Ron Jeremy. This is the sort of film that guys who say, "I'm not racist, I love black chicks" will love because their notion of being "liberal" entails being as profane as possible.

I cannot fathom how a movie about F U C K that sells itself as libertine (in the Penthouse Forum sense) can ignore gay commentators (where's Dan Savage??) completely. This is "ribald" crap for straight male morons. I must add that in Canada, we can hear the f-word on regular television, so the whole idea that this is a controversial subject is only true if you live in Jesusland. The whole film is sham liberalism and doesn't even reflect on how irrelevant American standards are.

I hated this film.

THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word!

[george.schmidt · 7/10 · 20 November 2006]

F*CK (2006) **1/2 (Appearing: Steven Bochco, Pat Boone, Benjamin Bradlee, Drew Carey, George Carlin, Billy Connolly, Chuck D., Sam Donaldson, Janeane Garofalo, Ice-T, Timothy Jay, Ron Jeremy, Alan Keyes, Sandra Tsing Loh, Bill Maher, David Milch, Alanis Morissette, Tera Patrick, Evan Seinfeld, Kevin Smith, Hunter S. Thompson, Miss Manners) (Dir: Steve Anderson)

THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word!

The "F-word" is still perhaps the biggest shock-value in the vernacular and its audacious vulgarity is on full display in this cheeky and somewhat informative talking-heads documentary incorporating pop culture, politics, religion, social manners and practically everything under the sun.

Director Steve Anderson gains some insightful moments of the word's origins, myths such as acronyms - i.e. (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge), how it is employed in language and grammatically so (anger; as a noun or verb, etc.), the way it is depicted in film (with a selection of some memorable on screen moments from its first film, "M*A*S*H" in 1970 on up to and including "Scarface" (some 180 odd times, "Pulp Fiction" to "Terms of Endearment" to my fave, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" where Steve Martin says it 18 times in one hilarious sequence; interesting side-bar : no Martin Scorsese films or Robert De Niro letting his favorite expletive fly!), the notorious "7 Dirty Words" comic routine from stand-up comedian George Carlin and the initial rulings and finings from the FCC and even Vice President Cheney eating crow for his invective on the Senate floor.

While the debate of how horrifying it still maintains its ugliness and the way it is colorfully used by the late, great stand-up comic Lenny Bruce remains to be a controversial state of affairs from the prudes who can't tolerate it (Boone and Miss Manners offering ridiculous rejoinders) to those who relish it (Milch whose "Deadwood" series on HBO averaged some 90 uses per episode in its rookie season), the explosive expletive still maintains a running board taboo in the right-wing conservative forum as well as the Christian collective in America (the film keeps the discussion almost exclusively to American dialogue) and how we use language in many shapes and forms, often with miscommunication as the end result.

While the documentary has some entertaining bits, including the welcome animation from Bill Plympton, (for those who don't mind all the cussing) the film still spins its wheels more-or-less shrugging its collective shoulders as to no muss, no fuss with its no-frills demeanor. So if you don't have an interest you can say f**k it! Otherwise not too f*****g bad.

So what's the spoiler, that they'll say "F*ck" a 888th time?

[fnorful · 8/10 · 4 April 2006]

My first concern was "The children! My god, what about the children?!". But as Drew Carey says "F*ck the children!".

And well we might by the time this documentary is done. From a liberal, secular humanist point-of-view, this movie keeps interest high by small amounts of conservative ranting interspersed with large amounts of liberal ranting (of course much more thoughtful, factual and balanced), animation and news clips too true yet too bizarre.

If there's a star here, it's Ice-T, with a strong assist by Pat Boone.

I'm not sure where you'll ever get to see it, but it's a must-see on this cultural journey most of us travel, willing or not.

insightful doco on profanity

[nobbytatoes · 7/10 · 9 December 2006]

F*ck. It's one of those "evil" words used every single day by more than just a vast majority of the entire human population. People slip this word in myriad forms and gestures, it's a common practice for so many people. Yet this one word divides society, each side strongly protesting for it's demise or the freedom of expression this single word has. Director Steve Anderson digs into the history of F*ck; it's origins, it's power, meaning(s), place of use, those who hate it and those who love to use it.

F*ck is a strange follow up to Anderson's debut feature The Big Empty. Switching from a film with ideas bursting at the seams, of aliens and abductions, cowboys, blue suit cases and internal exploration of ones self, Anderson seals the lid on his obvious creativity for eccentric and esoteric concepts, jumping genres to documentary for a delve into the perversion of language. Language is humanities most powerful tool, Anderson wants to hit our nerves and see us tick and react to this word of curse.

For the short space of time F*ck has, this documentary covers a lot of ground. The words origins, which has actually never been pin pointed to a certain time and it's mix up on false facts of it's derivation based on an acronym. F*ck's play over media in televisions, films, radio, music, porn. Politicians and Presidents to religion and even on the Apollo 16 moon landing. The word is just everywhere. Similar to another documentary The Aristocrats, on which reveals the worlds most depraved and sickening hilarious joke only known to comedians, interviewed comedians and their love of this, till now, secret joke. With all the ground covered, F*ck places all views; with comedians, politicians, porn stars, musicians, conservatives, religious figures, and most importantly the public all laying their stand to the issue.

The draw back to F*ck is though it covers a lot of ground, it doesn't dig very deep into each sections. This presents more of a skim over, grabbing the most prevalent facts to present. Sections like comedians with Lenny Bruce and George Carlin battles over censorship, Howard Stern censorship battles on radio, the failure of the First Amendment, freedom of speech, censorship in general and the FCC. Youth held as the poster child to fight against profanities; the seven dirty words. The use in sex and porn, it's cathartic properties in just it's release from one's mouth. There is so much rich information to explore to this subject, that a lot of the information is left untapped.

Once again Anderson, much to The Big Empty, takes on more than he should. He has to many things to juggle for in depth exploration, but to his credit as a film maker to watch, he manages to hold it all together. F*ck runs with a dark slice of humour, along with some satirical stabs, inserting clips from films and archival footage of news reports, comedians acts, short cartoons and the interviews themselves are executed with precision to emphasis points with poignant resonance.

While F*ck may only present a small excerpt from a larger, in-depth conversation, F*ck still offers so much food for thought. A film to wrap your perverse language around.

Outrageous and shocking, to 12-year-olds maybe

[floracubed · 1/10 · 1 May 2008]

I use the F-word liberally myself, and this document just struck me as ridiculous. We start out with some talking heads pontificating about what the word means to them, then there's a childish montage of people dropping the f-bomb, then a bunch of people spouting the (untrue) theory that the word is an acronym for "Fornication Under Consent of the King" (actually, it comes from an old Dutch word for "penis"). There are some porn clips and a lot more celebrity interviews. They try to f*** with Miss Manners, which didn't impress me at all, as she could have wiped the floor with any of the interviewers but was just too polite to tell them to go back to the second grade. Ultimately this movie is just deeply boring. A total waste of a First Amendment.

A Good F*cking Film

[misgatos7 · 9/10 · 18 November 2006]

I recently saw this movie, and for the most part found it informative and interesting. Of the greatest importance was the different cultural and social uses of one word that has "so much power." I enjoyed the interviews with the various people, including some scholarly linguists like Dr. Reinhold Aman, and Hollywood actors, such as Janeane Garofalo. This film cleared up some confusion, as far as the acronym (what F*CK stands for) and that it has nothing to do with Under the Command of the King to Fornicate. It was interesting to see the use of the word and the changes thru the decades. At one time it was rarely used, and now in some movies/songs it is used over 280 times. It is virtually a snapshot of our culture and how it has evolved over the past century. I would recommend this film to open-minded adults and linguists everywhere.

Boone yeah! This documentary is as infamous as the notorious four-letter word. It's worth the watch.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 23 June 2016]

From literature to music to religion, this documentary examines how the word crept into social consciousness, acceptance-objection, reflecting on the changing social norms when some use it freely, while others frown and throw a fit when they hear it. I has always wanted to talk about this documentary directed by Steve Andersen, and argues how the taboo word, 'F*ck' is an integral part of societal discussions about freedom of speech and censorship. However, it's really hard to talk about it, when the word is somewhat censored here on IMDb; along with some others, under the site's review code. I can understand, why. It might offend some people so deeply, if I use the word, in a negatively matter to deserve a movie or view an opinion that they will most likely disagree. However, there is a bit of a two-faced hypocritical nature, here, when IMDb can be able to post the word, so openly, outside of a review, to describe a movie, but reviewers cannot. I kinda would love that, same freedom. Its puzzling things like that, shows, how free speech is not guaranteed. Yes, it would be cool to write the word "f*ck" as much as I want to, without using the asterisk, but I do understand, how the concept of free speech also requiring discussion and monitoring of certain words. Overusing the taboo word robs it of all impact. This is what I like, about this documentary. Not only, does it explore the expletive's origin, both political, historical, and cultural, but it provides different viewpoints from multiple perspectives, from conservatism and liberalism talking heads. I like how the interviews from both the celebrities, politicians, scholars, journalist, and linguist, were cut so that different subjects appear to be talking to each other; the interviewees in question generally had opposite views on the subject of free speech vs regulate of the word. There were no clear, push toward one side of the debate by the filmmakers. After all, even the most open-minded person, that love saying the F-Word, might be close-minded, on the idea of allowing others to use other certain words that describe ethnic slurs, sexism gender terms, and offensive slangs toward the disable and the homosexuals. That's one thing, I wish, the movie would had explore, more, rather than waste time, talking about the censorship of nudity that hasn't little to do with harsh language. Like, what does another dissection of Janet Jackson's Super Bowl nip slip, have to do with swear words!? While, yes, nudity as a visual, might have some similarities to the censorship of profanity, but it felt to me, a bit, out of place or off-topic. After all, any sinful depictions, had also been subjected to censorship at one time. I just want the film, to stick to the topic of language, rather than bring out things that has nothing to do with it. Besides that, the film was mostly a very amusing educational film on the word. However, some of their major facts, might deeply wrong. According to this documentary, the first major Hollywood film to use the word "f*ck" was 1970's 'MASH', when in truth, both 1967's 'Ulysses' and 'I'll Never Forget what's his name' are contenders for being the first film to use the word. Although, the word 'f*cking' is clearly mouthed silently in the 1960's film, 'Sink the Bismarck!', and the title character might had said in the cartoon 1933's 'Bosko's Picture Show' & 1933's 'Design for Living'. Also, the fact that World War II, started the modern usage is wrong, as well. The flexibility of the word was established well, before the World Wars, by the mid to late 19th century. Still, I did like the features animation by American graphic designer and cartoonist Bill Plympton, showing the many more than 800 utterances in its various forms, from nouns to adjectives, while detailing examples of different meaning of the word. That was pretty nice. It's also, great to see, how the film illustrate key concepts, by using sound bites, music, video clips and archival film footage; from many media sources. Anderson really did a lot of work, combining excerpts from five television series and twenty-two films in a 93 minute documentary. I also like how Anderson was able to get a large amount of mainstream personalities for his documentary, like Ron Jeremy, Kevin Smith, Bill Maher, Billy Connolly, the late Hunter S. Thompson, Ice T, Pat Boone, and others. Seeing people like journalist Sam Donaldson talks about the versatility of the word, and comedian Billy Connolly states it can be understood despite one's language or location, gave the movie, a lot of weight. Also, the movie has a large amount of good background music, throughout the film, showing how many different ways, the word is used, for many types of meaning. It's no way, sounds like softcore pornography like some critics think, it is. In the end, this obscene film was a very entertaining documentary. Overall: Highly insightful, informative, and humorous. A must watch for every adult.

Hollow shell of a documentary that forgets to keep its finger on the pulse

[movedout · 4/10 · 6 May 2007]

There's really not much to glean from the film's celebration of its titular cussing. It's neither cathartic nor informative, but it does remind me of the thrill I used to get from that once ubiquitous adolescent prank ("See you next Tuesday") when it was pulled off to great effect. Under the guise of a semi-serious dissertation of how and why the world's favourite expletive became as proverbial and culturally offensive as it is, director Steve Anderson fills most of its running time with obvious allusions to its history and capping it off with vainglorious interviews with the media's foremost douchebags like Bill Maher and Evan Seinfeld, among other celebrities who use their screen time to cheekily rail against conservatism and vaunting themselves as trailblazers in the fight for their country's First Amendment. Obligatory conservative talking heads aside, Anderson fails to establish himself as an impartial mediator, often seeming intimidated and impressed by his more illustrious interviewees. It all adds up to one empty, hollow shell of a documentary that forgets to keep its finger on the pulse. Like we give a flying f*ck.