I, Pastafari: A Flying Spaghetti Monster Story (2019) User Reviews

pirates and pasta

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 6 July 2020]

Greetings again from the darkness. You are to be excused for not taking seriously any person, club, organization, or religion that chooses to be identified by wearing colanders (pasta strainers) on their head. After all, many municipalities and courts of law would and have agreed with you. Still, writer-director Michael Arthur takes a direct approach in presenting the Pastafarians, and many will be on board with some of the points made.

Bobby Henderson founded the "ancient but forgotten religion" in 2005 to oppose the teaching of creationism and intelligent design in schools, and claimed Pastafarianism as a real religion, "as much as any other." The intent was to keep religion out of government-financed schools. While many will agree with the philosophy, it is difficult to gain credibility when one's deity is an invisible 'flying spaghetti monster' and your leader defends the religion as legitimate by showing up in court wearing a colander on his head.

Mr. Arthur takes us through The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Costa Rica as he explores the followers and the factions. We meet Bruder Spaghettus, who claims humans and Pastafarianism are descended from pirates, and he attributes the increase in global warming to a decrease in the number of pirates. Many religions have had "splits", and this one is no different in that regard. What is different here is that Bruder's Pastafari followers wear pirate garb instead of colanders. Only you can decide if that's an improvement. Is this a real religion, a fake religion or a parody of religion? Director Arthur interviews followers, as well as academic scholars in search of the truth.

Reading between the lines, it appears likely that the religion was started as a lark, but has evolved into a somewhat loose organization with a philosophy of opposition to "traditional" religions being given more power, respect, advantages, and influence than should be the case. There is no real evidence to support claims that Pastafari (a play on words from Rastafari, the Jamaican Abrahamic religion) is the 'fastest growing religion' or has 'millions of believers.' Is it possible to take a serious look at a ridiculous topic? What Mr. Arthur finds is that it seems legitimate to question the manner in which "real" religions are treated with privilege. The film doesn't feature founder Bobby Henderson, which seems odd, and it skims the surface more for entertainment than enlightenment. And what I have to say to that is ... R'amen, brother.

Needed to Simmer a Bit More

[zaid-adham · 6/10 · 27 May 2020]

I, Pastafari has been on my "must watch" list since it was announced. Pastafarianism, relatively unknown by most people, has always been ridiculed by those who are aware of its presence as a giant, elaborate practical joke, and to the untrained eye, it might as well be. Throughout its marketing campaign, this movie appeared to be the one dedicated to shedding light on the evolution of Pastafarianism and the message behind its noodly nobility.

The fact of the matter is that it also takes the time to attack its attackers rather than defending itself through detailed explanation.

This movie can be shown in Europe and North America to the people familiar with Pastafarianism at least in name if not in awareness of concept. However, this is not by any means as much an educational film as it is one of counterattack. FSM groups on social media continue to emphasize that they are not atheist groups, that they encourage critical thinking and, satire may it be, has followers from all religions following in its philosophy. It loses its argument immediately when it is obvious that it targets Abrahamic religions, and *only* Abrahamic monotheistic religions in such a way that blatantly promotes subjective critical thinking.

First, all subjects of focus are European and mainly from the Netherlands, where the followers seem to be from or made to look more than other nations. The Netherlands are no strangers to controversy when it comes to many cultural policies, from being a pioneer in the legalization of Cannabis and prostitution and now, it seems, the acceptance of many citizens of Bobby Henderson's call of enlightenment to the world. Where are other followers such as those in North America or the United Kingdom?

The fact that the focus leans towards looking left of the globe is also questionable and subjective. What about those in Africa? The Middle East? East Asia? The latter, minorities as they may be (and what Pastafarian isn't anyway) may have provided a much better insight to what the actual cross-spectrum views and beliefs of Pastafarians are outside of Western culture and their abilities to integrate their philosophies into regular life. I for one, am an ordained minister living in West Asia, and I know of at least one Pastafarian living in Egypt. Did someone think of researching us? Highly unlikely. I'm sure it didn't cross the filmmakers' mind to research the geographical exception to the rules of the philosophical exception to the rule. An easy way out, if you ask me.

Which leads to the religious pothole. Christianity and Islam seem to be the main focus of the film's crosshairs, perhaps the former more than the latter because many people have given up on the idea that a Muslim can have an open enough mind to pursue anything but a chest-long beard and 72 virgins. Arguments of a different perspective on the acceptance and equal treatment of the FSM vs. Christianity summarize themselves in Pedro Irigonegaray's hypothesis of "what would Americans feel like if Islam suddenly becomes the dominant religion and they were subjected to billboards with verses of the Quran everywhere," which may inflame further unnecessary tensions between groups of faith.

So when it comes to argument against religion, whether in philosophy or persecution, where did the Hindus go? Taoists? Buddhists? A scholar at the beginning of the film describes the evolution of religion from polytheism to monotheism over the years, but the movie is far too focused on the monotheistic religions to recognize that polytheistic religions still exist and may in fact have a problem with something as eccentric as Pastafarianism in their societies.

The movie is by no means bad. It's fun to watch and clearly opens doors of perception to a wider view of the world's thought process, and yet it fails to practice what it preaches...and that's its main setback. I highly recommend watching it but, as it indeed preaches, I recommend watching it with the eyes of someone whose view of the world is much more neutral than the subjects of its focus or their own subjects of criticism. A person who may socially be classified as a third culture kid.

Sadly, as delicious a film as it is for the open-minded thinker, it digs its fork no deeper than the sauce of the subject, failing to go all the way down to the noodles. That would have to be your task. Wear a handkerchief.

Best religious documentary of 2020

[sbarunas · 10/10 · 8 July 2020]

This was a very fulfilling, enlightening, and entertaining religious documentary. I hope that it will help end intolerance and discrimination against the Pastafari people.

Clever documentary that illustrates the perils of government supporting religions

[tmccormick · 10/10 · 15 August 2020]

This was a funny insightful documentary that lays out, in a nonjudgmental way, why governments need stop discriminating by picking one religion over the other.

Religiosity, thankfully, is declining all over the world and movements such as Pastafarianism and films like this are helping shed light on the ridiculousness of religion.

I'd Really You'd Rather Watch The film

[scovig · 9/10 · 24 July 2020]

Beautifully shot and expertly edited, this documentary non-judgementally casts light and doubt on all religions.

Just a question that I can't find answer to.

[tinabell-35117 · 5/10 · 1 June 2022]

At 35.23 into the documentary they are in the courtroom I'm thinking it's the Netherlands court but in the walls there are pictures of rubber ducks. Why? Are they really there in real life, were they placed there in editing to cover something the court didn't want seen, or was it a prank?

A brilliant and informative take on religion

[darrenharrison-64384 · 10/10 · 30 October 2020]

This movie not only explains the pain and discrimination Pastafarians have to go through, but it also teaches you about the other so called religions, like Christianity. It is also well shot very fair to all involved.

It is an eye opener and should be watched and enjoyed with an open mind, and a great big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with the whole family.

Undoing Bobby Henderson's damage

[rupowujosu · 10/10 · 24 April 2021]

Bobby Henderson tried to discredit the Church of the Spaghetti Monster by falsely claiming that he invented it.

This movie demonstrates that Pastafarian are real, a minority prosecuted for their beliefs, and denied equal rights, just out of hate.

Ramen.

Exposé on Christianity's far right in USA

[jonnyk-95914 · 10/10 · 9 August 2020]

Important viewing for anyone who questions the need for evolution to be taught in schools.

Pastafarism document

[leonffe · 9/10 · 29 September 2020]

Great document about the legal status of religion. It should have told more about the things that lawyers think does not make pastafarism religion.