Starbucking’s director/cameraman/narrator Bill Tangeman didn’t know what he was doing, methinks, when he loaned me a copy of his soon-to-be-released DVD (April 24). I didn’t know until tonight that his documentary may be facing stiff competition from the British documentary, Black Gold, that airs on PBS this month and in UK and Ireland cinemas June 8. After Starbuck’s investors watched it at a film festival, they took their $10,000 out and put it in a coffee company that fully practices fair trade policy. You can find out much more from the website blackgoldmovie.com or on their myspace.com site. Of course Starbucking is a different animal than it, with the aim to entertain rather than educate, but some people aren’t going to be happy with Starbuck’s after watching Black Gold and that may turn them away from a documentary about a crazy guy with nothing better to do than go down in history as the guy who visited thousands upon thousands of real, and a few fake, Starbuck’s around the world.

This Hispanic guy grew up in the Dallas area as Raphael, but when he took up the Starbuck’s challenge ten years ago, he changed his name to Winter. I have no idea why and he doesn’t offer an explanation in the 73-minute film. He explains to Bill while they’re on the road (and sometimes making Bill fear for his life) that he’s not promoting Starbuck’s and never tells anyone to go there or that they have the best coffee. He does, however, wear Starbuck’s T-shirts constantly, owning between seven and ten, plus only a few dating or work-out shirts. He prefers the Starbuck’s T-shirts because they fit in with his lifestyle. He explained his philosophy towards the end, but it escapes me now…

I remember he said that in the 21st century we shouldn’t be just worrying about survival and he wants to have a good time. Signing autographs in Starbuck’s slows him down, though!

Winter may remind you of Morgan Spurlock from the equally quirky documentary Supersize Me. Winter appreciates the comparison. Like Spurlock he has become obsessed, with a global chain café rather than restaurant, but for life and not just a month. Winter was twenty-four when he started and ten years and sixty traffic violations later he’s still obsessed with his mission. His website keeps a meticulous record of the Starbuck’s he has visited with a photo included. I’m not sure what the address is as it wasn’t made clear. But unlike Spurlock, Winter doesn’t check in with a doctor despite drinking up to twenty-nine samples of Starbuck’s coffee every single day. He must drink at least a sample at each store. You can see him become nauseated, completely hyper, overcome with itches and like a zombie. It’s not a pretty sight. I still wonder if that will prevent anyone from following in his sneakers (he runs often from one store to another).

Besides Bill’s interview on the road across the United States with Winter, he also interviews Winter’s mother, friends, a couple of girlfriends, and a psychology professor and a couple of his students. The latter think he’s a fascinating character study while his friends really admire him for his dedication. The girlfriends had a more revealing perspective. It seems to me that Winter is quite a sad character who puts on a good front as long as he’s getting attention. Tangeman gets this across, yet with a light touch.


I asked him how he filmed Starbucking and he said he used a pretty good camera, although not the most expensive. I was pleased with how the documentary looked, how easy it was to watch and pretty as well. The stores were caught in all kinds of natural light and sometimes in clicking montages like a snapshot of history. Once they go to an amusement park for its fake Starbuck’s (and he was given decaffeinated! The horror!) and another time to a strip club (he takes time off for this and thinks his best girlfriend understands). So Bill did a good job his first time filmmaking.

In the DVD’s Audio Options you’ll find a commentary track with Tangeman and Winter. I enjoyed finding out that some places were filmed here in Nebraska where both Bill and I live as neighbors. Most of the time I knew where they were from signs or their conversation. Many deleted scenes are included as well as trailers of other Heretic Films releases. The music was all original for Starbucking and Bill profusely thanked the indie musicians he found, pointing us towards their websites. I liked it too and am grateful Winter didn’t choose it. It’s not overwhelming, but is done in the spirit of the film. I think you’ll enjoy many aspects of this short study of a weird, howling guy, but also realize, as Winter does, that he’s not doing anything important. That makes the film more of a commentary on society today that we could admire him so much.

Starbucking may be more amusing to fans of Starbuck’s or the caffeine buzz in general. I’m neither, but I’m not a McDonald’s or fast food fan either and I found Supersize Me fascinating. The difference is that Spurlock learned how dangerous a steady diet of McDonald’s was and struggled to give up his addiction, but Winter doesn’t seem to have learned anything. Or doesn’t care. That’s tragic. Bill, of course, was just there to observe, ask questions and be a friend, but I wish Winter had been more like Spurlock. Sadly no one in the film wants Winter to stop and Winter doesn’t expect to live that long, anyway, although he hasn’t asked anyone to keep his website up after he’s gone.

FYI - My computer is now affected with spyware since posting a review of Kevin Trudeau's new book. I can't get rid of it. Be warned if you're thinking of reviewing that book. I can't even call my review up.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD