Released in 1998, this amateurish production follows the founder and host of InfoWars on the open road, as he crisscrosses the country, visiting twelve U.S. states. For what purpose? You might think this documentary was about a passionate sightseer, with concerns about the preservation and protection of American national parks, from being taken over by an international organization, and to a large extent it is. To a very large extent, in fact. It is what makes this film so disappointing to watch and an overall failure: the doc is virtually one-track-minded and the message is drummed into the viewer that there's a major land grab going on involving parklands, that ultimately, according to Jones, threatens the sovereignty of the U.S. After about the one-hour mark, you begin to get the point, but this road picture of sorts plays like a gigantic, frustrating roundabout.
At least twice, maybe more, a shot is shown of a "New American" magazine cover with the title: "Conspiracy For Global Control." ("Fake news"?) AMERICA DESTROYED BY DESIGN is the rather sensational title of Jones' film. And, yet, for the most part, this prosaic, underachieving doc concerns itself not with major issues that have the potential to affect the majority of American or global citizens, but focuses instead on isolated if not transient issues which seem randomly selected from a hat and which, over twenty years removed, in hindsight appear somewhat misplaced and a little irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
For about ten minutes, the likable Alex Jones has a dull conversation with a city manager about some municipal matter or other. Jones also visits a shipyard to speak with a navy officer about a local concern of his. There's a scene of Jones stopping to admire some cacti. Then it's off to the Grand Canyon to meet up with a park ranger. At various national sites Jones tries to get the attention of fellow tourists, informing them of what is going on, but most don't seem to care and try hard to ignore him, to which Jones turns to face the camera, to comment on the general apathy among Americans over issues he feels are of utmost importance.
Here, Jones reminds me of that character in "Waking Life," shown driving his car around town, ranting via a loudspeaker attached to his vehicle. The only difference being the subject of the rant and the fact that Jones perhaps requires no amplification for his voice to be heard. Yet, who will listen to this voice crying out in the wilderness, warning of the term "sustainable development" being code for an anti-democratic agenda?
At least twice, maybe more, a shot is shown of a "New American" magazine cover with the title: "Conspiracy For Global Control." ("Fake news"?) AMERICA DESTROYED BY DESIGN is the rather sensational title of Jones' film. And, yet, for the most part, this prosaic, underachieving doc concerns itself not with major issues that have the potential to affect the majority of American or global citizens, but focuses instead on isolated if not transient issues which seem randomly selected from a hat and which, over twenty years removed, in hindsight appear somewhat misplaced and a little irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
For about ten minutes, the likable Alex Jones has a dull conversation with a city manager about some municipal matter or other. Jones also visits a shipyard to speak with a navy officer about a local concern of his. There's a scene of Jones stopping to admire some cacti. Then it's off to the Grand Canyon to meet up with a park ranger. At various national sites Jones tries to get the attention of fellow tourists, informing them of what is going on, but most don't seem to care and try hard to ignore him, to which Jones turns to face the camera, to comment on the general apathy among Americans over issues he feels are of utmost importance.
Here, Jones reminds me of that character in "Waking Life," shown driving his car around town, ranting via a loudspeaker attached to his vehicle. The only difference being the subject of the rant and the fact that Jones perhaps requires no amplification for his voice to be heard. Yet, who will listen to this voice crying out in the wilderness, warning of the term "sustainable development" being code for an anti-democratic agenda?
