Review - Netribution

SUCHANDRIKA CHAKRABARTI | 23 OCTOBER 2009 

Starsuckers is the second feature-length documentary from writer/director Chris Atkins, who made the BAFTA-nominated Taking Liberties in 2007. The film takes an in-depth look into celebrity culture - and sleb journalism - and the results are both laugh-out-loud funny and worrying.

Narrated by a jovial-sounding voice that uses "we" and is supposedly the representation of the media, Starsuckers takes us through the ways in which celeb culture takes hold of the public, including hooking children on it, and creating fake news. An interesting choice for a Friday morning press screening. As Atkins put it on his Twitter, "have been advised against going to the Starsuckers Press screening friday to avoid actual bodily harm," but judging from the atmosphere in the room afterwards, he may well have found some sympathisers. It's not hard to see why, judging by the quality of the film.