IMDb > Chow Down (2010)

Chow Down (2010) More at IMDbPro »

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Chow Down -- Trailer for this documentary look at the link between nutrition and disease
Chow Down -- Americans are caught in the chronic disease trap. Pill. Procedure. Disability. What if you could avoid it all, but nobody's willing to tell you how?

Overview

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Writers:
Julia Grayer (written by) &
Gage Johnston (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Chow Down on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2010 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Documentary See more »
Tagline:
Eat like your life depends on it
Plot:
Root for Charles, John and Garnet as they try to buck the system of pills and procedures and outfox their heart disease and diabetes... See more » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
User Reviews:
Wrongheaded See more (1 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)
Michele Simon ... Herself - Author, Appetite for Profit
Hans Diehl ... Himself - Founder, Coronary Health Improvement Project
Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. ... Himself - Preventive Cardiology Consultant, Cleveland Clinic
Charles Venezia ... Himself
Toni Venezia ... Herself
John Oehrle ... Himself
Michael Jacobson ... Himself - Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest
Helene Glassberg ... Herself - Spokesperson, American Heart Association
Alfred Bove ... Himself - Professor Emeritus, Cardiology, Temple University School of Medicine
David Katz ... Himself - Director, Yale Prevention Research Center
T. Colin Campbell ... Himself - Professor Emeritus, Nutritional Biochemistry, Cornell University
Neal Barnard ... Himself - President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Luise Light ... Herself - USDA, 1976-1984
Garnet Hall ... Herself
George Hall ... Himself
Ann Esselstyn ... Herself
Lynn Silver ... Herself - NYC Dept. of Health
Joel Fuhrman ... Himself - Author, Eat to Live
Willis McNamara ... Himself
Mary McNamara ... Herself
Mark Weinstein ... Himself - Narrator
Mary Carpenter ... Luise Light
Mario Fabrioni ... Man in Suit
Gabriel Jallo ... Genetic Child
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Directed by
Julia Grayer 
Gage Johnston 
 
Writing credits
Julia Grayer (written by) &
Gage Johnston (written by)

Produced by
Julia Grayer .... producer
Gage Johnston .... producer
 
Original Music by
Jim Boggia (music by)
 
Cinematography by
Gage Johnston 
 
Film Editing by
Mark Weinstein 
 
Art Department
Andrew Dean .... set construction
Hugo Marmugi .... set construction
Kent Turtz .... set construction
 
Sound Department
Adam Carrigan .... sound
Mike Ford .... sound (as Michael Ford)
Alex Gillies .... sound engineering
Suzanne Hillner .... additional sound
George McCartin .... sound
Bob Schachner .... sound mixer: DIVE, Philadelphia
Kent Turtz .... additional sound
 
Visual Effects by
Andrew Dean .... graphics
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Djordjevic .... additional photography
Mike Ford .... additional photography
Mike Ford .... gaffer (as Michael Ford)
Julia Grayer .... additional photography
David Linsell .... gaffer
George McCartin .... additional photography
George McCartin .... gaffer
Matthew Sanchez .... additional photography (as Matt Sanchez)
Kent Turtz .... gaffer
Afdel Whitfield .... gaffer
 
Animation Department
Hugo Marmugi .... animator
 
Editorial Department
Rob Giglio .... colorist: DIVE, Philadelphia
John-Michael Trojan .... post-production producer: DIVE, Philadelphia
 
Music Department
Zach Djanikian .... additional musician: saxophone
Flicker .... additional musician: trumpet
 
Other crew
Stavros Adamidis .... business & legal affairs
Kathleen Aguilar .... business & legal affairs
Jeff Barnett .... business & legal affairs (as Jeffrey Barnett)
Cicely Blanchard .... researcher
Cicely Blanchard .... transcriptions
Gregory L. Bonzer .... business & legal affairs (as Greg Bonzer)
Kimberly Bunce .... production assistant (as Kim Bunce)
Lisa Callif .... business & legal affairs
André Des Rochers .... business & legal affairs
Katie Hawkins .... production assistant
Lauren McCartin .... production assistant
Alex Morales .... production assistant
Jane Morley .... assistant to the producers
Amy Todres .... production assistant
Ronna B. Wallace .... representative: producers (as Ronna Wallace)
 
Thanks
Rajen Anand .... additional thanks
Timothy Arnott .... additional thanks
Marilyn Bilbrey .... with appreciation to
Fritz Blank .... additional thanks
Barbara Booze .... more thanks
Alfred Bove .... very special thanks
T. Colin Campbell .... very special thanks
Carole Dean .... with gracious support and advice from (as Carole Lee Dean)
Antonia Demas .... additional thanks
Hans Diehl .... very special thanks
Jane Edison .... with appreciation to
Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. .... very special thanks (as Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.)
Ann Esselstyn .... very special thanks
Raina Fortini .... with appreciation to
Joel Fuhrman .... very special thanks
Helene Glassberg .... very special thanks
Debbie Grayer .... with gracious support and advice from
Fred Grayer .... with gracious support and advice from
Jacquelyn Grayer .... with gracious support and advice from
Joanna Grayer .... with gracious support and advice from
Larry Grayer .... with gracious support and advice from
Mark Grayer .... with gracious support and advice from
Garnet Hall .... our deepest gratitude
George Hall .... our deepest gratitude
Michael Jacobson .... very special thanks
Jack Jallo .... with gracious support and advice from
Mike Jallo .... with gracious support and advice from
Marshall Johnston .... with gracious support and advice from
Pam Johnston .... with gracious support and advice from
Ellen Karcher .... additional thanks
David Katz .... very special thanks
Vivienne Leheny .... with gracious support and advice from
Luise Light .... very special thanks
Howard Lyman .... additional thanks
Mary McNamara .... our deepest gratitude (as Mary MacNamara)
Willis McNamara .... our deepest gratitude (as Willis MacNamara)
K.C. McQuillan .... additional thanks
Don Moad .... with appreciation to
Jeanne Moad .... with appreciation to
Nick Mottern .... additional thanks
Ana Negrón .... additional thanks
Caitlin Neill .... with appreciation to
Ken Neill .... with appreciation to
John Oehrle .... our deepest gratitude
Sharon Roberts .... more thanks
Paul Rozin .... additional thanks
Jeff Ryder .... with gracious support and advice from
Lynn Silver .... very special thanks
Michele Simon .... very special thanks
Bob Varga .... more thanks
Charles Venezia .... our deepest gratitude
Toni Venezia .... our deepest gratitude
Joachim von Roemer .... with appreciation to
Donna Weidner .... with appreciation to
Merritt Weidner .... with appreciation to
Walter Willett .... additional thanks
Beverly Winikoff .... additional thanks
 
Crew believed to be complete


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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
USA:73 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Company:
Peanut Butter ProductionsSee more »

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
1 out of 10 people found the following review useful.
Wrongheaded, 12 March 2011
Author: reluctantpopstar from North Hollyweird

They bring up many good points in this documentary.

The government IS supporting agribusiness instead of recommending a diet to our citizens that is actually healthy. The movie DOES make a good point that less than 1 percent of government agricultural subsidies DO go toward fruits and vegetables. We DO emphasize surgery and pills to treat diabetes and heart and disease, when it can be treated by diet.

We put complexly constructed melanges of chemicals into our bodies on a daily basis. They are called "food." And to not examine the effect these highly complex chemical compounds have on the human body, itself a highly complex system of chemical interactions (as well as electrical and mechanical systems), is completely foolish, and the medical establishment has for way too long ignored the effects these substances have, in favor of talking about "genetics." The movie makes this point also.

So far, so good!

Where the film goes utterly, tragically, terribly wrong, is putting forth the clichéd low-fat, high carb, whole grain based diet. The same diet that has been emphasized for 50 years by the medical establishment and the government that this film has just spent 30 minutes griping about. The same diet that has been in effect as the most recommended one while obesity rates, and diabetes rates, and heart disease rates in this country have EXPLODED.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Eat your bacon. Eat your cheesesteaks. Eat that hunk of good quality European cheese. But don't forget to emphasize your fruits and vegetables! But DUMP THOSE GRAINS! Grains are poison. Our ancestors did not eat grains. They ate animals and plants, and probably some occasional milk, cheese or yogurt. That's it. Dump the grains, the rice, the sugar, the beans, the legumes, and by and large, the milk, with occasional cheese and yogurt.

And you people paying $4.00 per pound for peppers (as seen in this movie) are clearly going to the wrong market. I find fresh vegetables much cheaper at a local market in a nearby lower middle class area.

On a final note, in support of my point of view, I would note that if you look at the classic government sponsored "Food Pyramid" shown in the film, and you cut out all grains, the pyramid STILL has a solid bottom. If you cut out meats and animal foods, then the pyramid has a giant chuck out of the side and it collapses and falls over.

For an opposing view, I would recommend the documentary "Fathead," though I did have some problems with that one as well.

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