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Go Further
Home Vision Entertainment // Unrated // May 3, 2005
List Price: $29.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
"Go Further" is the latest effort from director Ron Mann ("Grass"). The picture follows environmental activist and actor Woody Harrelson on a tour from Seattle to California, speaking out about the ill effects that man-made pollution is causing to our environment. The tour, promoting "simple oragnic living", is well-intentioned.
The documentary, while mostly pleasant and engaging, is something of a mixed bag. In it, we see Harrelson and friends/associates on bikes, touring the coast, followed along by a bus that is fueled by hemp (which I'm guessing is probably cheaper than gas prices these days.) This is an example of the movie's main issue: despite being a documentary, it really is more of a road movie watching Woody and his friends travel the coast instead of really going deeply into the issues that the movie is trying to present. Ok, the bus is powered by hemp fuel - how does that work, and what are the issues with it? The movie never really offers that information up, and the hemp fuel isn't the only example of this during the film.
The documentary is enjoyable, however, as it does encounter a series of different folks along the way, including the one who inspired the whole trip: Ken Kesey. There's also Harrelson's friend, Steve Clark, who starts the picture with a mad craving for candy bars and junk food and ends up choosing a more healthy diet. The easygoing Harrelson also makes for a good focus.
"Go Further" is an enjoyable piece, but it would benefit greatly from some very different editing choices. The picture feels like a bit of a rambling mess, and while that can certainly be a right feel for a low-key picture like this, it doesn't help get the message across. Harrelson is preaching the idea of making different choices (one farmer in the movie explains that he uses worms to fertilize his farm instead of chemicals, and he gets impressive results with his worms) in order to have less of an impact on our environment and ourselves. While it certainly doesn't ruin the picture by any means, it does get a little maddening to keep hearing why things (hemp, for example) are things we should use, but not have really anything here backed up by much at all in the way of facts or details.
In a lot of ways, this is a positive picture, but it would have been an even better film had it went beyond the message and provided more in-depth education about it.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Go Further" is presented by Home Vision in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The presentation is generally very good, considering the fact that it appears to have been shot with relatively basic digital cameras. Sharpness and detail are fine, as the picture looked crisp and clear, although not consistently so, as some moments looked a tad soft in comparison to the rest.
Aside from the occasional bit of softness the picture looked fine, with little in the way of concerns. A little bit of noise is present here-and-there, but it's hardly an issue. Some slight edge enhancement is also briefly present. Colors looked bright and natural, with no smearing or other faults.
SOUND: "Go Further" is presented in 2.0 stereo. The "documentary-style" audio is perfectly fine for the material, as it presents (mostly) clear dialogue and the occasional bits of music.
EXTRAS: The DVD includes extra performances, including one from Dave Matthews; outtakes and interviews, a bit from a documentary about worms (which is incredibly cheesy, but still worthwhile and informative) and a poem from Harrelson.
Final Thoughts: "Go Further" is an entertaining little documentary/road movie, but it would have been stronger had it gone deeper into the subject matter and provided more facts behind the messages its trying to put across. It's a well-intentioned film, but a little work could have made it a more effective piece. The DVD offers a couple of minor supplements and fine audio/video quality. Rent it.
"Go Further" is the latest effort from director Ron Mann ("Grass"). The picture follows environmental activist and actor Woody Harrelson on a tour from Seattle to California, speaking out about the ill effects that man-made pollution is causing to our environment. The tour, promoting "simple oragnic living", is well-intentioned.
The documentary, while mostly pleasant and engaging, is something of a mixed bag. In it, we see Harrelson and friends/associates on bikes, touring the coast, followed along by a bus that is fueled by hemp (which I'm guessing is probably cheaper than gas prices these days.) This is an example of the movie's main issue: despite being a documentary, it really is more of a road movie watching Woody and his friends travel the coast instead of really going deeply into the issues that the movie is trying to present. Ok, the bus is powered by hemp fuel - how does that work, and what are the issues with it? The movie never really offers that information up, and the hemp fuel isn't the only example of this during the film.
The documentary is enjoyable, however, as it does encounter a series of different folks along the way, including the one who inspired the whole trip: Ken Kesey. There's also Harrelson's friend, Steve Clark, who starts the picture with a mad craving for candy bars and junk food and ends up choosing a more healthy diet. The easygoing Harrelson also makes for a good focus.
"Go Further" is an enjoyable piece, but it would benefit greatly from some very different editing choices. The picture feels like a bit of a rambling mess, and while that can certainly be a right feel for a low-key picture like this, it doesn't help get the message across. Harrelson is preaching the idea of making different choices (one farmer in the movie explains that he uses worms to fertilize his farm instead of chemicals, and he gets impressive results with his worms) in order to have less of an impact on our environment and ourselves. While it certainly doesn't ruin the picture by any means, it does get a little maddening to keep hearing why things (hemp, for example) are things we should use, but not have really anything here backed up by much at all in the way of facts or details.
In a lot of ways, this is a positive picture, but it would have been an even better film had it went beyond the message and provided more in-depth education about it.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Go Further" is presented by Home Vision in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The presentation is generally very good, considering the fact that it appears to have been shot with relatively basic digital cameras. Sharpness and detail are fine, as the picture looked crisp and clear, although not consistently so, as some moments looked a tad soft in comparison to the rest.
Aside from the occasional bit of softness the picture looked fine, with little in the way of concerns. A little bit of noise is present here-and-there, but it's hardly an issue. Some slight edge enhancement is also briefly present. Colors looked bright and natural, with no smearing or other faults.
SOUND: "Go Further" is presented in 2.0 stereo. The "documentary-style" audio is perfectly fine for the material, as it presents (mostly) clear dialogue and the occasional bits of music.
EXTRAS: The DVD includes extra performances, including one from Dave Matthews; outtakes and interviews, a bit from a documentary about worms (which is incredibly cheesy, but still worthwhile and informative) and a poem from Harrelson.
Final Thoughts: "Go Further" is an entertaining little documentary/road movie, but it would have been stronger had it gone deeper into the subject matter and provided more facts behind the messages its trying to put across. It's a well-intentioned film, but a little work could have made it a more effective piece. The DVD offers a couple of minor supplements and fine audio/video quality. Rent it.
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