Chop & Steele

I have been a big fan of the Found Footage Festival for years, and have been a fervent lover of their bizarre pranks. Having been a former member of the print media I always used to hate how lazy the television media was. When I covered high school football games they maybe took a couple highlights and left. And the morning shows...yikes.

It was an absolute delight to me when they did the Kenny Strasser Yo-Yo Master prank. I still own the DVD of his compiled appearances and it is absolute gold. Then they did the cooking show prank. But in all honesty, Chop and Steele was their magna opus. The joke of course is they put no effort into it, and a simple google search would have proven they were frauds. But Lo and behold, people needed content and the legitimacy be damned.

Ultimately, this is a story about a prank that reached incredible proportions. It got so big that it not only reached federal court but it reached one of the most popular shows on television. But the part that makes this a great documentary is the life affirming side to it.

I made a similar comment about this when David Arquette made a documentary about his road to legitimizing himself as a wrestler. He learned a lot about himself and life in general, and what looked like a goofy concept turned out to be much more poignant and deeper. Nick and Joe are national treasures in my mind, and to think they almost hung it up brings a profound sadness to me. To do something like this for 20 years has to take its toll, and thus I always do my best to help them and purchase merchandise when they come to my home town.

Watch this film for the laughs, but also appreciate the human story that takes over in the final act. I think it will make you realize some things about your own life and allow you appreciate the little things we might take for granted.