United Press International: Analysis: 'Fahrenheit' ready for market

United Press International: Analysis: 'Fahrenheit' ready for market:

"With the movie about to open on a small number of screens in New York Wednesday and on more than 800 screens nationwide Friday, advance interest in it has been strong.

On Tuesday, the online ticketing service Fandango calculated that 'Fahrenheit 9/11' had accounted for 42 percent of its ticket sales for the past week, an unusually strong number for a documentary. A publicist for Fandango said the company controls 70 percent of the online movie-ticket sales business.

The audience-tracking service Nielsen NRG found high awareness for the movie, with 67 percent of those surveyed saying they knew about it and 35 percent saying they were definitely interested in seeing it, according to Daily Variety.
Also Tuesday, the Motion Picture Association of America denied an appeal of the R rating for 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' based on language and graphic depiction of violence. Distributors said the movie could lose as much as 20 percent of its potential gross due to the decision.

It is possible the movie will move some votes. It may also be true that if the president is as duplicitous and incompetent as Moore argues, it shouldn't take a two-hour documentary to persuade the electorate of it."

By Pat Nason
UPI Hollywood Reporter