Uncle Saddam
March 21, 2007 10:44 AM   Subscribe

Uncle Saddam
posted by Postroad (26 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: please make more of an effort in the future. -- jessamyn



 
A one link post to a one hour video? How about a little elaboration or warning before I hit the link, please.
posted by drinkmaildave at 11:08 AM on March 21, 2007


[this is effortless]
posted by secret about box at 11:13 AM on March 21, 2007


Yes; is there a highlights reel?
I'm pretty tied up snarking on some other threads right now.
posted by Dizzy at 11:14 AM on March 21, 2007


I'd like to know what Georgie was doing when Saddam was organizing public hanging of Jews. Snorting lines in the back of the Rangers clubhouse, perhaps?
posted by phaedon at 11:18 AM on March 21, 2007


From the IMDB page on Uncle Sadddam:
Uncle Saddam (just called "Saddam" here) gives a feel for what it was like to be around the man and what sort of a man this Saddam Hussein was, what he did inside the unfair system of dictatorship with checks and balances absent. This documentary doesn't concentrate a lot on events and history, more on people and places.


Amazon says:
Uncle Saddam is a satirical yet sobering look inside the world of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. Award-winning filmmaker Joel Soler, who is still under Government protection, risked life and limb to shoot and smuggle this strange and captivating footage out of Iraq. Featuring narration written by Scott Thompson of "The Kids in the Hall" and the voice of Wallace Langham ("Mark" on ABC's "What About Joan?", "Josh" on NBC's "Veronica's Closet", "Phil" on HBO's Emmy Award-winning "Larry Sanders Show") the film has the feel of an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" spotlighting, as is often the case, one of the world's most hated men.
posted by svenni at 11:18 AM on March 21, 2007


Does it involve a song that goes "Shut your fucking face Uncle Saddam"?
posted by spicynuts at 11:21 AM on March 21, 2007


I watched the first 5 minutes then got bored. Tying the film's chronology to Saddam's age = dumb. For Google Video-available documentaries about men who govern(ed) oil-producing countries and are/were loathed by George Bush, I much prefer The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (an excellent Irish produced doc about the 2002 coup that briefly overthrew Venezuela's Hugo Chávez).
posted by graymouser at 11:25 AM on March 21, 2007 [2 favorites]


I second the nom for TRWNBT, excellent piece.
posted by damehex at 11:36 AM on March 21, 2007


...and here is Saddam! in his latest spring ensemble with bullet proof hat,and like GHB, tooling around in his speedboat.
posted by hortense at 11:41 AM on March 21, 2007


Does it have a laugh track? I only watch things with laugh tracks.
posted by miss lynnster at 12:01 PM on March 21, 2007


"Perhaps Saddam's need for this intense level of worship is revenge for his love-starved childhood; a 'Fuck You!' to a pitiless world."

Scott Thompson does some of the voiceover translation, too. It's a lot like an episode of Cribs or LotR&F but with the sarcasm turned way up. Eg, showcasing the "something special" in each of Saddam's palaces, then showing the Children's Hospital/Palace with dying children and cig butts on the floor.
posted by carsonb at 12:10 PM on March 21, 2007


"Perhaps Saddam's need for this intense level of worship is revenge for his love-starved childhood; a 'Fuck You!' to a pitiless world."

One could say that about virtually every "world leader".
posted by metasonix at 12:18 PM on March 21, 2007


I remember seeing this when it came out, I thought it was interesting.

I also remember at some point after it came out, Scott Thompson was on the Howard Stern show. He (Scott) mentioned that he was dating/living with the director of the movie. After the release of the movie, they started receiving threats (at the director, I assume), and at some point someone tried to burn down their place.
posted by stifford at 12:31 PM on March 21, 2007


I found this on Marksfriggin.com (a daily howard re-cap site)

Scott Thompson Hangs Out During The News. 4/21/03. 9:10am
Actor Scott Thompson came in to hang out during Robin's news this morning. Howard said he loved Scott as Hank's assistant on 'The Larry Sanders Show.' He wondered what Scott has been up to lately. It turns out he's disappeared for a while because he and his partner were fire bombed not too long ago after they made a documentary on Saddam Hussein that was a goof. He talked about that a little bit and said he's not sure if it was some of Saddam's people who fire bombed his house or not but it's flattering to think that it was. Howard said he must be glad that we went in and invaded Iraq.

Scott said after the house was fire bombed, he moved back up to Canada. He said he and his partner slept right through the fire bombing. His partner went back to France and he went back up to Canada after it happened. He said they found a note that said something like 'In the name of Allah, burn the satanic film or you will be dead.' There were garbage cans and paint that were lit on fire in front of their house. Scott said he blames whoever did it for his breakup with his partner.

posted by stifford at 12:36 PM on March 21, 2007


the long explanation of how obsessive saddam is with hygiene and grooming makes me think of the first pictures shown of him after his capture.

this documentary looks good, i like the personal angle it takes.
posted by ism at 2:30 PM on March 21, 2007


This doc is pretty amusing. It reminds me of Idi Amin Dada, but slightly less disturbing. Although both feature a dictator's approval of killing Jews, which seems to be a prerequisite for being a dictator.
posted by Falconetti at 2:51 PM on March 21, 2007


This doc is pretty amusing.

Really? Perhaps the Children's Hospital scene, or the Iraqis being shot in their heads? What parts made you chuckle?
posted by dbiedny at 3:26 PM on March 21, 2007


Between this post, the Cramer disclosures, Bush's arrogance re: congressional querying of Gonzalez and Rove, and Falconetti's amusement, I feel ashamed to be a human being right about now.
posted by dbiedny at 3:36 PM on March 21, 2007


Really? Perhaps the Children's Hospital scene, or the Iraqis being shot in their heads? What parts made you chuckle?

The documentary was made to satirize and make fun of a tyrant like Saddam, poking a hole into the public persona he tried to maintain. It was amusing because I thought they did a good job of making a murderous dictator look like a fool and a petty child.

Even if you were too dense to understand the tone of the film, you could have applied a couple brain cells to my very short and simple comment to understand that I don't find murdering innocent people "amusing." When I compare this documentary about Saddam to the documentary about Idi Amin and apply the adjective "disturbing" to both, that means I find these people "disturbing" and by extension their actions.

I can't believe I even have to explain myself, you sanctimonious, unreasoned, and hyperbolic twit.
posted by Falconetti at 4:17 PM on March 21, 2007


Wow, snippy.
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:38 PM on March 21, 2007


You want some of this too thirteenkiller??!?!!
posted by Falconetti at 4:41 PM on March 21, 2007 [1 favorite]


Don't tell people they make you "ashamed of being human" if you don't want people to react strongly.
posted by Falconetti at 4:59 PM on March 21, 2007


YEAH, GO GO MAN! CHAMPION THE GOOD NAME OF THE HUMAN RACE! Don't let mere hyperbole stop you. Oh. You're not. Carry on then.
posted by IronLizard at 6:14 PM on March 21, 2007


The responses to my responses make me ashamed of being a C.H.U.D.
posted by Falconetti at 6:34 PM on March 21, 2007


C.H.U.D.? Oh, you mean from that movie where these underground monsters (from space, maybe?) kill people until they're blown up by home made pipe bombs?

/derail

Interesting and boring at the same time. One thumb up.
posted by IronLizard at 7:32 PM on March 21, 2007


Quick, someone get a cool glass of lemonade, IronLizard has the vapors.
posted by Falconetti at 1:25 PM on March 22, 2007


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