Look out “Super Size Me.” With a mix of humor and science, “Fathead” challenges conventional wisdom about fast food, saturated fat and obesity. UNM student Tom Monahan composed the quirky soundtrack for the new documentary, released worldwide and opening in Albuquerque at the Guild Cinema on Friday, April 17, with showings at 7 and 9 p.m. Monahan will answer questions following the screening.
“The movie basically challenges current dietary myths,” he said.
Unlike “Super Size Me” writer/director Morgan Spurlock, “Fathead” writer/director Tom Naughton actually lost 12 pounds after 28 days on an all fast food diet. Naughton, a comedian and former health writer, calls the attitude in “Super Size Me” paternalistic, saying that Spurlock fails to credit people with common sense and personal responsibility.
“‘Fathead’ puts the responsibility of eating in the hands of the dieter,” Monahan said. “Rather than fast food restaurants forcing bad food on us, ultimately the choice is ours.”
Monahan became friends with Naughton while they both lived in Chicago. “Our musical and creative sensibilities were very similar,” Monahan said. Naughton thought Monahan’s musical style would be a good fit for “Fathead.”
Monahan, a senior majoring in theatre education, has lived in Albuquerque 13 years.
He started composing as a hobby with a shoe-string recording budget. When he was in his 20s, someone suggested he audition for “Beyond the Magic Door,” a children’s television show produced in Chicago. He got the job and later shared an Emmy Award for children’s broadcasting.
Monahan said he’s had an ear for music from an early age. The twist is that he’s always had difficulty reading music. Explaining how he gets past that barrier as a composer is tricky.
For “Fathead,” Monahan initially composed demos for the score using Apple’s GarageBand, a virtual recording studio. He said while computers are good at imitating many instruments, others sound obviously fake. But if the lead instruments are real, people will perceive the whole track as more natural.
Monahan worked with the film’s sound producer, Martin Blasick, to complete the score by transferring everything into ProTools, the current film industry standard, and integrating real instruments to finish the process. Working without sheet music, the two came to an organic process, “experimenting with a similar language until everything fit,” Monahan said.
The movie is also available on DVD. Visit Fathead-Movie.com.