Vegucated (2011)

the audience applauded

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Vegucated (2011) Cast: Tesla Fobo, Brian Flegel, Ellen Masuner, and Marisa Wolfson Director: Marisa Wolfson Summary: Vegucated follows three meat eaters as they try to convert to a vegan diet for six weeks. The movie explores the many challenges that goes along with a vegan diet and how they aren't all that difficult to overcome. The documentary addresses the poor conditions and inhumane treatment of animals in slaughterhouses and farms. Review: Vegetarianism and veganism is a lifestyle choice that is becoming more and more popular. The transition is difficult however and Marisa Wolfson challenged three meat eaters to attempt to maintain a vegan diet for six weeks. To clarify: Vegan is not eating any meat or any products that come from animals (dairy, eggs, etc.) They did a good job (and was sure to let you know that they did) in choosing three people from different backgrounds and lifestyles. Tesla was a Hispanic woman who ate a lot of traditional meat dishes, Brian is a white man who loved his breakfast meats and ate out a lot, and Ellen was a busy single mother who frequently made frozen meals for her family. The documentary shifted from showing the three participants eating vegan dishes and adjusting to the new lifestyle, to facts and stories regarding veganism and why that is the "right" choice. Vegucated did a very good job at getting the pros of veganism across. There were plenty of statistics proving the health benefits associated with the vegan diet. It's hard to ignore the fact that in countries like China where significantly less meat is eaten, the rate of diabetes and heart disease is much lower. The second main point was the deplorable treatment of livestock while in the slaughterhouse, or in the industrial sized farms where they are raised. A multitude of things done to them like being castrated with no anesthesia and being thrown into a grinder alive are meant to tug at the heart strings, and are very effective. Their last argument was the effect it has on the environment and these points were not explained very well. The narrator mentions that cows and pigs release methane when they breathe or pass gas. An issue with that is that Vegucated doesn't say that the increase in meat consumption has increased the number of those animals. I'm assuming it is implied but that fact would have backed up one of the main bullet points, so leaving that out did them no favors. Vegucated was made to sway you towards veganism and it did a great job of it. It made me question eating meat, which means it succeeded. Health benefits and moral conflicts are powerful tools and Vegucated utilizes them both well, with facts to back it up (for the most part.) This is very educational and well worth an hour of someone's time.

My big problem with this "documentary" is that it presents itself as more of an anti-meat propaganda film than a serious scientific documentary. Vegucated took an extremely biased approach to veganism and the meat industry. The filmmaker chose to show us nothing but the most fantastic aspects of the meat-packing industry. The pretentious narrative was also very obnoxious. The three people picked for the "study" from Craigslist were laughably suggestible. The film would have been far more interesting if they had picked some people whose values weren't based on the direction of the wind. It's very frustrating to watch a film that claims to be a documentary and even uses the educational motif when it turns out to be nothing more than pro-vegan anti-meat fear-mongering and brainwashing. People should eat what they chose to without feeling the need to be validated or pressure others to adopt their choices.A mild favoritism towards veganism/vegetarianism would have been completely acceptable but this film didn't even entertain the fact that meat, in moderation, is entirely healthy, viable, and in many cases necessary, in the human diet. I chuckled when they went to the vegan market proudly advertising cigarettes on their marquee. It was also interesting to watch them go from talking about how healthy the vegan diet is and then go straight to saying that double-stuffed Oreos can be part of it. The fact is that there is absolutely nothing natural or necessarily healthy about veggie burgers, tofu, or veganaise. Had this film had taken a more unbiased and scientific approach it would have been credible to those of us who can think for ourselves.

Do you really know what's on your plate? I guess you don't if you are still eating meat and dairy products. Do you know how much suffering has been caused for you to have that steak on your plate, my guess is you'd rather not! Are you aware of the damage to the environment the meat/dairy industries are causing or do you think "it's not my problem!"...Don't get me wrong if you want to eat meat and consume dairy products it is your choice, all I'm saying is be educated about it and watch Vegucated, then your choice will be an informed one rather than a blind one...

I'm so happy that vegans are getting spoilt for choice of movies to show their friends and educate them. Earthlings, Forks Over Knives, and now Vegucated.Earthlings is the kind of movie that you show to the really stubborn person who really has no idea about the reality of the meat/egg/dairy industries. It has educated and inspired many people over the years to go vegetarian or vegans.Forks Over Knives is mainly about the scientific discovery that animal protein is a potent carcinogen and that a plant based diet reduces your chances of getting western diseases such as cancer, diabetes, etc.Vegucated covers both the above AND more! And what's best, it does it with style and comedy. If you can choose ONE film to show a friend, show this one!For a no budget film this is really a great achievement and props to Marisa for taking her time to create this wonderful resource for vegans to educate their friends on this rather complex subject!