Michael Moore: R-Rating Not Being Enforced

Michael Moore Breaking News!Some theaters are not enforcing the Fahrenheit 9/11 R-rating. Makes you wonder why the national media is not reporting this. See picture.


Oakland, CA

Audiences roar for Moore as US right declares war - [Sunday Herald]

Audiences roar for Moore as US right declares war - [Sunday Herald]: "THE American right has declared "war on Michael Moore" as his incendiary documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 opened to record-breaking audiences and standing ovations across the US.
Moore's film, which tramples over the George W Bush presidency and attacks its conduct in pursuing the war on terror and the war against Iraq, broke single-day records on its opening in New York.
The film-maker's success in tapping into the fears of liberal America have, however, made him public enemy number one in the eyes of the US right. Moore has now taken up pride of place alongside abortion, the separation of church and state and Hillary Clinton as one of the key faultlines in American culture wars.

The online ticket service Fandango.com says Fahrenheit 9/11 had 48% of all advance ticket sales, compared to just 2% for Spider-Man 2.

One Texan moviegoer said: “Living in Houston, heart of Bush country, my whole family including in-laws piled into three cars and went to the opening ... we were surprised to find the showing sold out at the first theatre, but managed to find seats at the second we tried.

“We loved the movie, which gave us real hope that freedom and democracy will return to this great country in November [at the presidential election]. The audience gave a long ovation at the end."


By Neil Mackay

Moore film heats up emotions

Moore film heats up emotions: "DES PERES, Mo. -- Before the movie started, Leslie Hanser prayed.
'I prayed the Lord would open my eyes,' she said.
For months, her son, Joshua, a college student, had been drawing her into political debate. He'd tell her she shouldn't trust President Bush. He'd tell her the Iraq war was wrong. Hanser, a 41-year-old homemaker, pushed back. She defended the president, supported him fiercely.
But Joshua kept at her, until she prayed for help understanding her son's fervor.
Emerging from Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, her eyes wet, Hanser said she at last understood. 'My emotions are just... ' She trailed off, waving her hands to show confusion. 'I feel like we haven't seen the whole truth before.'

Yet its appeal seemed to take some by surprise: In the heavily Hispanic and Asian community of Downey, Calif., southeast of Los Angeles, theater manager William Vasquez was a bit astonished at the line, which was so long that he decided to show the film on two screens simultaneously Friday night.

"I don't know of any documentary that has created this kind of stir," he said, noting that even teenagers seemed "glued to the screen."


By Stephanie Simon
Los Angeles Times

Box Office Mojo > Daily Box Office > 06-25-2004

Box Office Mojo > Daily Box Office > 06-25-2004: According to Box Office Mojo, FAHRENHEIT 9/11 was the number one money maker Friday generating an estimated $8,200,000 on 868 screens. White Chicks was second: $6,760,000/ 2,726 screens

The New York Times: Democrats Find Relief Among Allies at 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > At the Movies: Democrats Find Relief Among Allies at 'Fahrenheit 9/11': "ARMEL, Ind., June 26 - Doug and Julie Arnold were among the early arrivals on Friday at the Regal Cinemas here, where Michael Moore's Bush-bashing film, 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' opened before noon on the first day of its exposure to a national audience.

The Arnolds had to drive 50 miles to get to this affluent Indianapolis suburb from their home in Kokomo, and Mr. Arnold had to take the morning off from his job as a school administrator, but, as Mrs. Arnold explained, 'They just don't show art movies in Kokomo.'

The couple said they were impressed that the film had won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival last month. And they said they were also motivated by the hoopla surrounding the film. But Mr. Arnold seemed almost embarrassed to add, 'Moore's politics pretty much align with ours.'
Such was the mood at the Regal Cinemas, a free-standing complex behind a shopping mall, where one of 17 screens was showing 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and where central Indianans of liberal inclination gathered as if in a secret club, seeking safety and solace among like-minded citizens.

And in Pensacola, Fla., Monica Moody, a 20-year-old restaurant hostess who described herself as a conservative Republican, proved to be Mr. Moore's perfect target.

"Oh my goodness, I cried," Ms. Moody said. "I'm still trying to process everything. It really makes me question what I feel about the president. I'm still going to respect him as our president, but it makes me question his motives. Of course, I think that's the whole point of the film, to question his motives. But after watching it, I do question my loyalty to the president. And that's scary for me."


By BRUCE WEBER

shannonkringen: thank you michael moore ! ! !

shannonkringen: thank you michael moore ! ! !: "the movie was better than i thought it would be. moore didn't dominate the scenes- he let the people speak for themselves. a couple times when they showed clips from the violence in the iraq war and the nyc attacks i had the same intense need to cry out loud and it took all my effort to not burst into tears...i let the tears run down my cheeks quietly as to not bother others sitting next to me. a few times i wanted to shout at the screen 'the bush administration is the new hitler!'- i see it that way cuz they manipulate the masses with their messages and seem to think they know what is best and will do it their way no matter what and blame the 'terrorists' for the worlds problems and not address their own responsibility in creating terror...the creepiness of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. INSANE GREED that is not awknowledged by the powers that be. i see them as a mafia on a global level. the freedom they like is to do this corporate greed bullshit and ignore social servies and the uderdogs in the world that need support. "

WOKR-TV 13 ROCHESTER ||Fahrenheit 9/11" A Hot Ticket In Rochester (Video)

WOKR-TV 13 ROCHESTER || NEWS: "(Rochester, NY) 06/26/04 -- Thousands of Rochestarians turned out Friday for the premiere of Michael Moore's highly controversial film 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'

That controversy was reflected by those waiting in line at the Little Theater on East Avenue in Rochester. Some agreed with Moore's views--others did not, but either way they wanted to see the film the day it opened.

The theater reported that they quickly sold out of the over 600 tickets available for Friday's shows, and that a couple hundred more for Saturday were already gone. The theater management said it was the biggest turnout for an opening night in more than 10 years."

Yahoo! Movies: Review : As a life-long Republican...

Yahoo! Movies: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)- Movie Info: "I urge everybody to see this film. Although the movie is more of an Op-ed piece than a full dodumantary, I found it quit entertaining. There's no denying some facts in the movie and really makes me wonder what kind of president we have sitting in the oval office. I will not cast a vote for a non-republican but it makes me reconsider voting for a president who's best quality is personality but little more."



by mdf8103
User Reviews

indieWIRE Insider: Friday Estimate, "Fahrenheit 9/11"

indieWIRE Insider: Friday Estimate, "Fahrenheit 9/11": "Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' expanded to 868 theaters yesterday, taking in an estimated $8.2 million on Friday, box office analyst Brandon Gray reported today. In an early estimate on Friday, Variety put the number at $6 - $8 million. "

DNC: Kicking Ass : Blog Post: Review and Call To Action

DNC: Kicking Ass - Open Thread 6/25: "I just got back from Farenheit 9/11 and I must say: OUTSTANDING INCREDIBLE FILM!
There is a lot to digest in the film and it takes you on a rollercoaster ride from gut busting humor to tears over fallen Iraqi children and a mother of one of our fallen soldiers.

MUST SEE MOVIE!

VERY IMPORTANT!!! WHEN YOU GO TO SEE THIS MOVIE BRING VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS TO REGISTER PEOPLE AS THEY COME OUT!!! GET THESE MOTIVATED MOVIEGOERS REGISTERED TO RE-DEFEAT DUH-BYA!

Posted by James H @ 6/26/04, 02:30 AM

AxisofLogic: Thank You, Michael Moore

AxisofLogic/ United States: "For the majority of people who will see this movie, in those towns large and small, the experience will be nothing short of a mind-bomb.

The Who once sang about how the hypnotized never lie, but as we have seen, people hypnotized by television and deliberately enforced fear can certainly support a war, and a President, which are fundamentally at odds with basic American decency. In fact, people hypnotized by television and deliberately enforced fear will feed themselves into the meat grinder with 'God Bless America' on their lips.

Michael Moore's film will snap that hypnosis, but good. Those Americans who believed what their President told them because they saw it on the TV will, after less than two hours in their local theater, look at both their television and their President with doubt and loathing when they walk from the darkness into the bright light of day. There are millions of Americans who believed what they were told - about 9/11, about Iraq, about George W. Bush himself - who will come into that bright light with the realization that they have been lied to. "

By William Rivers Pitt

morons.org - Fahrenheit 9/11 First Impressions

morons.org - Fahrenheit 9/11 First Impressions: "Lastly, be not deceived by everything I've said about emotional impact, gore, facts and figures; Fahrenheit 9/11 also has plenty of hilarious moments, spaced throughout the film, balancing it nicely. You won't find yourself in stitches for too long, and you won't find yourself completely bummed out for ages either.
I encourage you to see this film for yourself, think about the facts, listen to Michael Moore's conclusions, discuss the film with some friends over some coffee, tea or ice cream, and then come to your own conclusions."

Michael Moore.com : The View From America: Responses to Fahrenheit 9/11

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News: "Montgomery: We were thrilled when Rave Motion Pictures in Montgomery advertised that they would be showing it 6 times a day. My friends and I rushed to the theater to find crowds, camera crews and some disgruntled onlookers. The theater was packed, and the filmed received an uninterrupted 5-minute standing ovation at its conclusion. What a phenomenal piece of work--Michael Moore is a genius who might finally save this country from itself.'--E.G.

ARIZONA:

Phoenix:
"I’m a middle 40s woman and because the theater was FULL (afternoon matinee), I got a seat third row from the front. What was impressive were the people around me. Almost all of the first ten rows, except for one or two people like myself were about 22 or so and under! I was so glad to see the young people of Phoenix (right-wing city, USA) there, interested and concerned. Those of us in the front gave you a standing ovation! Thank you for providing an avenue to inspire younger people involved in their country and to let them know that we are all not about war!"--S.M.

CALIFORNIA:

Hollywood:
"We just came back from the ARCLIGHT in Hollywood and the reception was fantastic! I even got my republican father a ticket to see the movie in Orange County. Needless to say after he saw the movie he now plans to vote against the Bush. He has voted Republican since Nixon."--R.S."

Reuters.com: Disney's Lost Opportunity with Moore Film Seen Minor

Entertainment News Article | Reuters.com: "Michael Moore's gain will be Walt Disney Co.'s lost opportunity when anti-Bush film 'Fahrenheit 9/11' opens this weekend, distributed by rivals after Disney shunned the controversial movie.
But many Disney investors said that from a financial perspective they were not concerned by the company's decision.
Showings of the film, which mocks President Bush and criticizes his policy in Iraq, have sold out in New York theaters and the movie is set to open on 868 screens on Friday, a record for a documentary.
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., which is distributing the movie with IFC Films, saw its stock climb about 3.5 percent on Friday. IFC is co-owned by a division of media major Viacom Inc. . "



By Peter Henderson

Michael Moore.com : Photos of Fahrenheit Audience From Across America

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News: "Fahrenheit 911 fans are sending photos to Michael Moore Dot Com of long lines, sold out shows and the outside of theaters. Selected images are now posted on the web site. Click on the title to see more.


People in Fort Lauderdale line up for a high noon show.

The Daily Camera: CU grad's work pivotal to movie

The Daily Camera: News: "One of the most controversial scenes in the new Michael Moore documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' was shot by embedded journalist and University of Colorado doctoral candidate Urban Hamid.
Hamid introduced 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Thursday at the Landmark Esquire Theater, which held a $40-per person fund-raiser for Boulder-based Free Speech TV and New York-based Deep Dish TV.

Ellen Maslow, director of Boulder's Present Tense: Films and Discussion series, brought Hamid's Iraq footage to the Boulder Theater on March 1, giving people a sneak preview of controversial scenes. One of the most talked-about involves U.S. soldiers touching and laughing at the unintended erection of a drunk, crippled Iraqi.

Maslow's work with Hamid led to his meeting another director, Deep Dish TV's Brian Drolet. It was through Drolet's editor that Michael Moore saw Hamid's footage.

"He put it into 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and (it) turned out to be the pivotal part of the film that everyone is talking about," Maslow said. "And it all started at the Boulder Theater."

By Mary Butler
Camera Staff Writer

The Daily Camera: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and 'Passion': A battle of pop culture, politics

The Daily Camera: Boulder County: "'It's obviously a negative movie as far as the Bush administration is concerned,' says Bill Eckert, vice chairman of the county GOP, which isn't doing anything to protest the film. 'That's fine. Let people go see it and draw their own conclusions.'
That's exactly what Ford Church, who plans to catch the movie tonight, wants to see happen.
'I'd like us to move away from liberal vs. conservative or Republican vs. Democrat,' says Church, acknowledging that the film's publicity has been highly polarizing. 'This whole thing about questioning the administration being the same as supporting the terrorists, that's just asinine. Freedom of speech is important, and I'd encourage conservatives to go see this movie and pick it apart, piece by piece.
'But don't just write it off.' "

Matt Sebastian
Camera Staff

Fahrenheit 9/11 | I've Seen the Movie Now What Do I Do?

Fahrenheit 9/11 | I've Seen the Movie Now What Do I Do?: "The Michael Moore Team has compiled a comprehensive directory of media contacts. You can write letters, call, fax, or email to let them know that you're intelligent enough to see through their thinly veiled propaganda. Whenever they attempt to pull the wool over your eyes, you need to be right there, writing and calling them until they learn that biased journalism is unacceptable. If they aren? reporting the whole story or if they are simple ignoring the realities of a situation altogether, then they need to hear from you. A concerted effort to call their fluff for what it is may well result in fairer, more objective coverage.

How To Write a Letter to the Editor
How to Write an Op-Ed Piece
Contact the FCC
Contact Information for Major Newspapers
Contact Information for Major Magazines
Contact Information for Talk Radio
Contact Information for Major News Networks
Contact Information for Elected Officials "

IMDb user comments for Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): "I'm a War President"

IMDb user comments for Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): "To be fair, I should qualify this review by saying that I'm a liberal, a political science professor, anti-war, and a Bush opponent. So I was hardly watching this film with an objective eye.

That being said (and if you can still trust my review), Michael Moore has done American voters a big service by making this film. It's not without it weaknesses, namely the voice-overs where Moore speculates on Bush's thoughts during those endless blank stares. But for once, Moore has made a film that is woven together with a chronological and thematic logic that ultimately asks one critical question: Is it that the Powers that Be don't understand, or that they simply don't believe in, true democratic principles?"

boaz-3
San Francisco, CA

Yahoo! Buzz Index - F911 (2) MM (3)

Yahoo! Buzz Index - Today's Top 20 Movies Searches:
Leaders

1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2 Fahrenheit 9-11
3 Michael Moore
4 Shrek
5 American Film Institute
6 Spider-Man

7Online.com: 'Fahrenheit 9/11': Brilliant Marketing, Confusing Priorities

7Online.com: 'Fahrenheit 9/11': Brilliant Marketing, Confusing Priorities: "Fahrenheit 9/11' is here, and it's a masterpiece. Not the movie -- the marketing campaign.

It is everywhere, and every enemy Michael Moore makes, sells 100,000 more tickets.

There is some great filmmaking here. The ending where a salt-of-America, conservative mom loses her son in Iraq, is powerful and poignant. But i couldn't show it to you because all Moore sent was less than a second.

You'll have to see the film, see for yourself."

By Joel Siegel
New York-WABC

Rotten Tomatoes Forums - Saw It Last Night...Review.

Rotten Tomatoes Forums - Saw It Last Night...Review.: "The crowd was rabid anti-Bush and they came in expecting to have a good time at his expense. But what they got was much more sober than previous Moore efforts. It starts off with a bang, reviewing rather simplistically, but effectively, the Florida recount and Bush's first 8 months in office. Although Moore runs fast with the facts even here, he does manage to get a few laughs at W's expense and the crowd liked it alot. And here lies problem #1....Moore misread his audience. The crowd seems to want Bush painted as a funny figure but after this scene Moore rarely pulls the trigger on the humor. Sarcasm and laughter are one of the best ways to make your opponent seem like an idiot, but he fails to use it as often as someone in his position could have. I could see the audience wanted to laugh at Bush's expense but Moore rarely gives them the opportunity. What this moment needed was a Parker/Stone cartoon similar to the KKK one from Columbine, but we get none of that.

The movie got a giant standing ovation, but you need to remember the audience. I don't think this movie actually hits Bush hard enough!!!! Moore could have really taken it to him with all the material to use and manipulate, but he does not. The movie loses it's way and the result is only fairly decent instead of great. As for this movie affecting the election, I doubt it. Those against Bush will hate him more. Those for will rip the movie for playing fast with the facts. The only ones who might change their mind are the simplistic types who are easily manipulated...and they usually don''t vote anyway."

KingOfMilwaukee
GRADE: B-

Rotten Tomatoes Forums - Just saw the movie

Rotten Tomatoes Forums - Just saw the movie: "Moore lets Bush hang himslef as much as possible. Obviously the quotes are taken out of context, but I can't for the life of me think of contexts in which many of his quotes would be appropriate. I think Bush is a jackass, but not much more of a jackass than I went in thinking.

Moore makes alot of the connection with Saudi Arabia, and there are some eye-openers there. He makes alot of the Bush administrations initial reactions to 9/11, but I can't fault them. It was something completely new and unexpected and no one knew what the hell to do.

Now we get to the good part (for me). Anyone who can watch this movie and come away thinking the Bush people, and Bush himself, did not deliberately mislead the American people about the connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq are in a state of denial so deep the Molemen of the Earth's core would have to dig to reach them. They went in knowing there was no connection, but Iraq was a much better place for us to hold a war than any other Arab country. That section and the section with the Flint mother of a dead US soldier were well argued and extremely touching, respectively."

Upsize This! :: View topic - F911 ROCKS THE HOUSE!!! Possible SPOILERS!

Upsize This! :: View topic - F911 ROCKS THE HOUSE!!! Possible SPOILERS!: "Omigod! It was so much fun to see! It was totally worth the wait!!! Everyone must go see it!!!

MM shows a side of Bush that we don't usually get to see in the corporate controlled media. Shrubbie really is the star of the movie. He also shows us a side of the war that we don't normally get to see.

Frankly, I didn't learn anything new or see anything that we haven't discussed to death here, but for the average theatergoer, there may be some new materiel. And it was exciting to see it all in one big, sad, funny, horrifying package. "

E! Online News - "Fahrenheit" Fires Up

E! Online News - "Fahrenheit" Fires Up: "Not sure if you've heard, but there's a little film opening wide today, something called Fahrenheit 9/11.
Yes, Michael Moore's latest film project, a screed about President Bush's malaprops and foreign-policy mishaps, is finally in theaters amid a firestorm of hype, protests and even death threats.

Fahrenheit 9/11 unspools in 868 theaters nationwide Friday--an unprecedented opening for a documentary--and has garnered almost universal raves.

Movie-review round-up site RottenTomatoes.com reports that Fahrenheit has earned an 81 percent 'Fresh' rating on its Critics Tomatometer.

Gitesh Pandya of BoxOfficeGuru.com agrees. "I think it's gonna do incredibly well and have a scorching per-screen average," he says. The film "could have breakout potential because of all the media hype which makes it appeal to people who would otherwise not be interested in the film."

(Those who want to avoid the lines at the multiplex this weekend will have to wait until September. That's when Moore is planning to release the DVD, complete with extra footage and director's commentary. Moore says he wants the film out on home video in time to thwart President Bush's reelection bid.)

Liberal groups are organizing voter-registration table and informational-leaflet distributions outside screenings of the film."



by Josh Grossberg

Coming Soon: Review: Fahrenheit 9/11

Fahrenheit 9/11 - Coming Soon! Movie Reviews: "When Michael Moore gave his infamous acceptance speech at the 2003 Oscars railing against the burgeoning war in Iraq and the 'fictitious president' starting a war for 'fictitious reasons', little did we know that he had just kicked off the promotional campaign for his latest documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11.

The Bottom Line:
Fahrenheit 9/11 isn't necessarily a great film, and it's not particularly entertaining unless you're someone who wakes up early on Sunday to watch the political shows. It is a well done though somewhat pointed documentary, and Moore's ability to find and assemble vast amounts of data and information and spin them into his own personal one-man anti-Bush propaganda is impressive. Still, the movie doesn't leave you thinking that Bush is bad or evil, as the media might have you believe, but it does create a powerful message that WAR is bad and that maybe our beloved leader isn't exactly the best person to be deciding when and with whom we should be waging it. Whether or not you agree with Moore's opinion or his interpretation of the data isn't as important as the way it takes an intensive look at the state of our government. For that alone, it demands to be seen by every American."


by: Edward Douglas
Rating: 8 out of 10

Capital News 9: Movie debuts amid controversy

Capital News 9 | 24 Hour Local News | HEADLINES | Movie debuts amid controversy: "Viewer Chris Riordan said, 'I agree with a lot of Michael Moore's views. I'm very anti-Bush, anti-war. But I think that Michael Moore is a little too into himself and really manipulative in the way he edited the film.'
Matthew Wright said, 'Really emotional. There are a lot of things that I didn't know that I know now -- makes me fully support the Democratic party and totally against George Bush.'
Bruce Holden added, 'Every American should see this to understand how we've been so fooled by our president and the wealthy people who support him.'"

Gazette.com: Moore's images go beyond where nightly news dares take viewers

Gazette.com PM edition: "Bush is characterized as a man who owes a lot to his friends, including those who helped bail him out of business ventures. Moore places particular emphasis on what he sees as a long-term friendship between the Bush family (including both presidents) and powerful Saudi Arabians. More than $1.4 billion in Saudi money has flowed into the coffers of Bush family enterprises, he says.

Moore considers the war in Iraq unjustified, and he talks with American soldiers, including amputees, who complain about Bush's proposed cuts of military salaries at the same time he was sending them into a war they (at least, the ones Moore spoke to) hated.
Moore also shows American military personnel who apparently are enjoying the war. He has footage of soldiers who use torture techniques not in a prison but in the field, where they hood an Iraqi prisoner, call him 'Ali Baba,' and pose for videos while touching his genitals."



UPI
Rating: A-

Newsweek - Getting the Choir to Sing

MSNBC - Getting the Choir to Sing: "Reporters wanted to know why he made the film. "Aren't you preaching to the choir?" one asked, noting the decidedly Democratic leanings of the crowd. (One of the film�s distributors joked at the screening that the only Republicans in the audience would be undercover agents from the Republican National Committee.) Moore recalled the question as he took the stage to welcome the audience. "First of all, it's good to give the choir something to sing," he said.
Moore's film is a cinematic tour de force. It is bitingly funny, and connects the dots in a way most media hasn't dared in terms of who profits from the Iraq war, and who fights it.

The strenuous efforts of right-wing activists to curtail the showing of the movie suggest they understand the potential impact of this film. Because “Fahrenheit 9/11” is a cultural phenomenon, it just might attract the young and the politically unaffiliated, voters with the power to defeat Bush."


By Eleanor Clift
Newsweek

MTV.com: Michael Moore To Teens: Sneak Into '9/11' If You Have To

MTV.com - Movies - News - Articles - 1488698 - 06252004: "'I have encouraged teenagers to go see this movie,' Moore told MTV News. 'Sneak into this movie. Get in by any means necessary. If you see me near a theatre, I'll help sneak you in. Just get into this movie, because it should not be R-rated. And if your parents object, tell them I said it was OK. I'll write you a note or something.'

The controversial documentary asks questions about the war in Iraq, the way President Bush dealt with September 11, and the Bush family's ties to the Saudi royal family and the family of Osama bin Laden. In the debate that the film has generated (see ' 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Hot Spots: We Examine Five Critical Facts From The Film'), some critics have said Moore implants his own presence too firmly in the film and makes it largely a personal crusade against Bush.

'I firmly believe that my name is on the blood of [the Iraqi] people,' Moore explained. 'Because I pay my taxes and I funded those bombs, my name was on those bombs. Now I have a moral responsibility to the people who died that this president is not allowed to continue this illegal and immoral war.'"



by Alyssa Rashbaum,
with reporting by Gideon Yago

CNN.com - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' sparks controversy and wins attention

CNN.com - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' sparks controversy and wins attention - Jun 25, 2004: "One side calls the documentary factual.
'It's put ... together into a cohesive, chronological line of events,' said actress Sally Field.
The other side calls it fictional.
'When we do have free time to see a good fiction movie, we'll probably pick 'Shrek,' ' said White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett."


By Bill Schneider
CNN Political Unit

Campaign 101 - VIRGINIA

Campaign 101: "Campaign 101 is a Democratic youth activist project to provide high school and college students the progressive grassroots skills to get involved and make a difference in local politics.

This weekend Campaign 101 will be out in force distributing Fahrenheit 9/11 flyers and getting youth more involved in the grassroots political process.

Michael Moore.com : Fahrenheit 9/11 Opens Across America

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News: "Over the past few days we have been collecting peoples' stories from around the country with the approach of Fahrenheit 9/11's opening day. The activities and ideas have ranged from street theater to buying up groups of tickets and giving them, for free, to people who are voting age but do not vote. We thought we'd share just a few of the festivities happening around the country, based on the emails you have sent us.
CALIFORNIA:
After last night's 12:01 AM first showing in Hollywood, groups gathered and discussed the film until 3:00 AM, pledging among other things to register to vote and then register others.
In Santa Cruz, California Peace Action will spend the day knocking on doors around town, encouraging people to become more involved in our political system and letting them know how to contact their representatives. After that, they're heading to Fahrenheit.
If all your favorite characters from the FOX hit series 'The O.C.' were real people and if they went to the movies tonight, they would encounter groups at several theaters in Orange County registering people to vote.
In San Bernardino, an architecture firm has given its employees the afternoon off and tickets to see the movie.
At least 30 members of Burbank Neighbors for Peace and Justice are gathering to head to the movie and will be getting together afterwards to discuss it.
A coalition of groups will join forces at the Pacific ArcLight Cinema in LA. They are planning to show up in costume--which sounds fun to us, so, if you're in the area, swing by and say hello to Golfin' George W., Scary Saddam, Chilling Dick Cheney, and Rambunctious Rummy.
In Berkeley a simple email query to ten friends ballooned into a group of 80 people gathering for drinks and conversation and then heading to film."

washingtonpost.com: Fahrenheit 9/11: Citizens United: Thumbs Down

Fahrenheit 9/11: Thumbs Down (washingtonpost.com): "David Bossie, president of Citizens United, a conservative advocacy group, thinks so and has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission and other federal government agencies against the film. The group alleges that paid broadcast advertisements for the film are subject to the restrictions and regulatory requirements of federal campaign law.
'Moore has publicly indicated his goal is to impact this election,' Bossie said.
Bossie was online Friday, June 25 at Noon ET, to discuss why he gives a thumbs down to the Michael Moore film."

MTV.com: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Hot Spots: We Examine Five Critical Facts From The Film

MTV.com - Movies - News - Articles - 1488693 - 06252004: "There are 535 congressmen and senators, and only one has an enlisted son or daughter who served in the military in Iraq.

One of the sub-themes in 'Fahrenheit 9/11' emphasizes how a disproportionate number of soldiers fighting the war in Iraq are from lower-income families in places like Flint, Michigan, Moore's hometown. Moore attempts to highlight this by presenting the notion that, of the many people in Congress voting to send young men and women to war, very few would commit their own children to the fight. Senator Tim Johnson's son Brooks was a sergeant in the 101st Airborne, which Moore acknowledges.

But others in Congress do have children in the military � Senator Joseph Biden's son is a member of the National Guard, and FOX News says a poll revealed six other members of the House of Representatives who have children in the military. While Moore has already received criticism for this seeming discrepancy, the fact remains: Just one child of a congressman or senator served in Iraq.



by Joseph Patel
MTV

Check out everything we've got on 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'

IMDb user comments for Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

IMDb user comments for Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): "I posted yesterday, prior to seeing Fahrenheit 911, that I had many issues with everyone's bickering about Mr. Moore's film. Enough is enough... if you bash this film you are being anti-American. Are we not living in a democracy where we believe in the right to freedom of speech? Do we not believe in challenging our government (which plenty of people did when Clinton was in office)?

So why is Michael Moore's film such a big deal?

Now I have seen it (even though it was so hard to get tickets for it since all the shows were sold out). So here are my feelings about the film. I feel the same way that I did when I saw Roger & Me and Bowling For Columbine.

Wait, before you read this, promise to continue after this next sentence.

Fahrenheit 911 is absolutely brilliant.

Moore's film should be taken as more of a dissertation on the Bush Administration's reaction to the horrific events of September 11th, rather than what one would refer to as cinema verite (if you want that, go seeControlRoom).

While the arguments that Moore makes are just as convincing as they were with Bowling For Columbine, I have always had a special appreciation for thequestions that Mr. Moore asks. "


Film fan shows off first Fahrenheit 9/11 Button at
the Fremont Fair, Seattle, WA June 19, 2004

Hey, Michael, Where Were Your Friends? -- Ralph's Writings

Hey, Michael, Where Were Your Friends? -- Ralph's Writings - Nader for President 2004 - www.votenader.org: "Once upon a time, there was Michael Moore the First. He never forgot his friends. Come time for the Washington, DC premiere of Bowling for Columbine a while back, he invited his old buddies in Washington gave them good seats and spent the rest of the evening with them. During his other movie's premiere, he affectionately recognized how much those old friends helped him and supported him after he was mistreated and let go by Mother Jones. He was generous with his words and time.
Now there is Michael Moore the Second. Last night he hosted the Washington, DC premiere of Fahrenheit 9/11, and who was there? The Democratic political establishment, the same people whom he took to such mocking task on the road with us in campaign rally after campaign rally in 2000. Who was not there? His old buddies! Not personally invited, not personally hung out with. "

CNN.com - Moore defends 'Fahrenheit'

CNN.com - Moore defends 'Fahrenheit' - Jun 25, 2004: "CNN) -- The Bush administration 'made a half-hearted effort' in pursuing Osama bin Laden immediately after the September 11 attacks, and devoted resources to invading Iraq instead, Michael Moore said in an interview, defending points he's made in his new film, 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'
'I think -- and I think most Americans agree with this -- that we should have seriously gone after anyone who was responsible for the murder of 3,000 people,' Moore told CNN anchor Daryn Kagan Friday on CNN's 'Live Today.' 'But, as Richard Clarke so eloquently has pointed out, on September 12th the Bush administration wasn't interested in going after the people who did this. They wanted to bomb Iraq.'
Asked about the U.S. pursuit of bin Laden, whose al Qaeda organization was responsible for the attacks on New York and Washington, Moore added, 'Richard Clarke's point, and my point, is they made a half-hearted effort. They kept our Special Forces from going into the part of Afghanistan where bin Laden was. They kept the Special Forces out of there for two months.' "



Video Interview (Real Pass Members Only)

Moveon Press Release: Fahrenheit 911 Inspires Patriotism, Empowerment

and Mobilization Among MoveOn PAC Members

Moore Film Brings Americans Together for
“Old-Fashioned Politics”

Find Over 1,400 House Parties Scheduled for Monday, June 28:

MoveOn PAC members in the thousands–some 115,000 and growing—will help pack theaters across the country tonight for the opening of Michael Moore’s new film, Fahrenheit 911. As a follow-up, MoveOn members have committed to host over 1,400 house parties on Monday, June 28, so movie-goers can discuss their reactions to the film and obtain resources for additional information.

“This film is certain to raise questions about why this Administration has made the choices that it has, and why American soldiers are dying in Iraq,” said Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn PAC. “Our house parties will provide them with more information and give them tools they need to help educate others.”

MoveOn member Marty O’Malley and his wife will be at a theater in Pittsburg to see the film. O’Malley, a Vietnam veteran, was not politically active until January of 2003 when he “saw a lead up to an unnecessary war.” He said he is seeing the film because “the more information that the public has about the Iraq war, the stronger we are as a nation. I can’t say that everything we’re going to see is going to be 100 percent accurate, but I think it’s so important for Americans to see films like this—films that really make you think. And, it’s as necessary to deconstruct what we see and draw conclusions about this President and this Administration.”

Professor Deborah Kilgore, of Ankeny, IA has similar feelings about the film and is committed to making sure that as many people see the movie as possible. She is concerned that the media hasn’t been conscientious in bringing the news to the American people.

“I’m so delighted to learn that theaters are selling out so quickly” said Kilgore. It’s such a powerful signal that there is a disconnect between the media and what the people really want to know. Americans are hungry for information. I’m glad that Michael Moore has the resources to get this kind of dialogue started; and I’m thrilled that MoveOn is committed to providing a forum for people to continue the conversation,” she added.

The town hall-like house parties on Monday will feature an appearance by director Moore via the Internet and teleconference. MoveOn members sporting blue t-shirts will be at movie theaters this weekend inviting Fahrenheit 911 movie-goers to parties in their local communities.

To find a house party near you (by zip code), visit: http://action.moveonpac.org/f911/

Chicago Reader Movie Review: The Screed We Need

Chicago Reader Movie Review: "Ironically, the politician who plays the heavy in the Senate footage is none other than Al Gore, eliciting applause and laughter from the Senators as he shuts down one representative after another. Yet Gore's hour-long speech for MoveOn last May 26 is the one expression of anti-Bush rage that I find more persuasive and eloquent than Fahrenheit 9/11. (Even so, it was dismissed as hysterical and misleadingly sampled the same way on every TV news show I saw.) Moore's equal-opportunity ridicule is worth stressing because his film, whatever its effect on the election, is too smart to reduce its stance to Democrat versus Republican or liberal versus conservative. (He can even mock his own paranoia, as he does on his Web site, noting that right wingers 'want to limit or snuff out any debate or dissension. They also don't like pets and are mean to small children. Too many of them are named 'Fred.'') At a time when our national debate often degenerates into factionalized spats based on party and ideological allegiances, Moore's respect for simple humanity and common sense is admirable. The film's most powerful spokesperson turns out to be a midwestern mother whose son, Sergeant Michael F. Pederson, was killed in Iraq on April 2. A conservative white Democrat with a black husband, she prides herself on the American flag she flies in front of her house. She may be a stand-in for Moore -- another portly populist icon -- but the film manages to present her as more "

By Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Three Stars

Marin Independent Journal: Review: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is clearly Moore v. Bush

Marin Independent Journal: "'WE'VE GOT A man of the people saying 'Keep hope alive.' We've got fuel to burn; we've got roads to drive,' roars Neil Young over the closing credits to 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' Michael Moore's cinematic attack on 'the fictitious president' and the 'fictitious war' he made famous in his Oscar acceptance speech of two years ago.

The closing credits are as good a place to start as any with 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' a film whose significance really begins when viewers leave the theater to do one of three things:

- rail against Moore's biased and out-of-context propaganda;
- rail against the Bush administration's sinister and corrupt political machine;
- go home depressed and polish off a bag of Funyuns in the dark.

Whether you agree with Moore's politics or not (and I'll say up front that, for the most part, I do), there's no denying the significance of 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' which is one of the few films in history that could have a direct bearing on a presidential election. Moore's hoping that bearing will be that George Bush is booted from the presidency. Whether the film has that kind of effect remains to be seen.

And although the Neil Young song in the closing credits was originally written about George Bush Sr., the song's "man of the people trying to keep hope alive" could very well be how Moore sees himself.

A man with fuel to burn and roads to drive."



By Jason Walsh
IJ reporter

San Francisco Examiner: Review: Hot topic

San Francisco Examiner: Hot topic: "A documentary by Michael Moore. Rated R for violent and disturbing images and for language. Now playing in Bay Area theaters.
Hands down, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is the most controversial -- and thus the most hyped -- movie of the summer. So much so it's hard to believe it could possibly meet expectations.
And alas, it does meet anticipations that it's a scathing, unrelenting pitbull-style attack on George W. Bush, his cronies and his handling of the Middle East.
It's a movie worthy of every bit of buzz it's received. It's biased and slanted. It's disturbing, elucidating, entertaining, enraging, depressing and engaging in a way only director Michael Moore can pull off. It's a seminal work of today's most lauded -- and reviled -- documentarian."


By Edith Alderette
Special To The Examiner

3 1/2 Stars
out of 4

F911 Exclusive: David Rovics Singer/Songwriter Interview (Part 1)

Please listen to David's music while you read the interview and F911 articles.

Reichstag Fire - Hi/Lo/MP3
The Dying Firefighter - Hi/Lo/MP3

An exclusive F911 Interview with David Rovics, our featured soulful singer/songwriter.

David: I don't know how pressed for time you are, and I completely understand if you're very busy, but I definitely am, and most of your questions could be answered if you spent a couple hours on my website. I could answer them all, of course, and i don't mean to be rude, but it'd be better for both of us I think if you had more questions like the ones about Moore's new movie, that aren't easily answered by looking at my website and downloading some music, reading some lyrics, looking at my tour itinerary, etc., it's all there.

F911: I see from your LiveJournal that you are currently in England. Where will you be when Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 911 is released on June 25?

David: I’ll be playing at the Glastonbury festival from June 25-27 (one of the world's biggest music festivals). Maybe the film will be shown there....? could be -- stranger things have happened. But if not, I plan to see it during the first week of July, assuming it'll be playing somewhere in Houston, TX, where I’ll be most of that week (don't ask).

F911: What are your thoughts, ideas about Michael Moore? Have you seen his movies?
Read his books?

David: I think Michael Moore is absolutely brilliant. I really can't say enough good things about him. I don't agree with him about every one of his political perspectives, but I have no interest in dwelling on our few political differences, because the main thing is that he's brilliant, he tells the truth in a way that is accessible to people, he's a breath of fresh air. I think the progressive movement needs more culture, more humor and more of lots of things, and Michael contributes too much of that.

And yes, I've seen all his movies; probably most of his TV stuff, and read much of his writing, including at least one or two books. I think his most brilliant work to date, out of all of that, is "Roger and Me." (But I can't wait to see "Fahrenheit 9/11"!)

If you can't wait for Part 2, the complete interview was published yesterday at the Michael Moore LiveJournal Community

Call to Action: Phone/email your local radio station and ask them to play David's F911 featured songs.

michaelmoore: First to post?

michaelmoore: First to post?: "Just got back from the 12:01 showing of 'Fahrenheit 911' (I feel like such a MM groupie). It was good, although I found the beginning a little dry because I was familiar with a lot of the things he talked about, but later on it seemed to pick up and I really liked the end. Don't worry, I won't post 'spoilers,' you will have to go and enjoy the film yourselves!"

antiwar: Go see Farenheit! It rocks!

antiwar: Go see Farenheit! It rocks!: "I just got back from the midnight showing of Farenheit. I am in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago.

I have to say I was amazed at the reaction. There were two theaters showing it at 12:01 and they were both nearly completely full. There were also cops all over the place in the parking lot, in case anyone got out of hand.

I thought it was very well done and very entertaining. I don't want to spoil the movie, but there are parts about what is going on in Iraq that are hard to watch, much less accept. I would occasionally look around the theater and see people with their hands over their mouths, or covering their eyes."

SignOnSanDiego.com > Backers and bashers of Moore's 'Fahrenheit' ignite a firestorm

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Features -- Fever pitch: "What seems different about 'Fahrenheit 9/11' - a biting, satirical jab at President Bush and his handling of the war on terror - is that both Moore's team and his opponents' camp are brimming with actual political figures.
A couple of the names should be particularly familiar to San Diegans:
Mark Fabiani of La Jolla, a veteran Democratic political adviser who also counsels the Chargers, is helping Moore fight off attacks on the movie's credibility.
Howard Kaloogian, a Republican ex-assemblyman from North County, is chairman of a group that has been trying to persuade theater chains not to exhibit the film.
The battle over 'Fahrenheit 9/11' rages against a backdrop of other recent films that played politics and polarized moviegoers. "


By James Hebert
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Calgary Sun :: Movie Guide

Calgary Sun :: Movie Guide: "It makes for riveting viewing, whether or not you buy into Moore�s politics, because it is such an unrelenting assault on the intellect as well as the senses.
In one of his many mission statements, Moore said he was compelled to create Fahrenheit 9/11 to justify his Oscar-acceptance rant at the 2003 Academy Awards when his Bowling for Columbine was named best documentary.
Moore did not get the unanimous approval for his carefully-calculated condemnation of President George W. Bush and the war on Iraq that he had anticipated.
Fearing he might not have made his point clearly enough, Moore poured his resources and vehemence into Fahrenheit 9/11."

by Louis B. Hobson
Calgary Sun


4 Stars
out of 5

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: U.S.: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Fans Political Controversy

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: "Prague, 25 June 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Depending on whom you ask, Michael Moore's film is either an honest portrayal of the facts behind the Bush administration's foreign policy or a smear campaign to hasten Bush's departure from the White House.

'Fahrenheit 9/11' is generating major controversy as Americans decide whether to vote for Bush or Democratic rival John Kerry in November elections. It opens today in 700 cinemas across America -- an unprecedented number for a documentary.

Using stock footage, interviews, and commentary, the two-hour movie depicts Bush as lazy and oblivious to warnings ahead of the 11 September 2001 attacks on America that Al-Qaeda was ready to strike. A similar allegation was made recently by Richard Clarke, Bush's former counterterrorism chief, and denied by White House officials"

Moore: No hailing to this chief

Moore: No hailing to this chief: "When Michael Moore met George W. Bush a few years ago, the right-leaning politician from Texas dismissed the left-leaning filmmaker from Flint with a bit of advice: 'Behave yourself ... go find real work.'
Be careful what you wish for. Moore has graduated from decrying General Motors greed and targeting National Rifle Association dogmatism to aim his muckraking camera squarely at the Leader of the Free World - and the view isn't very pretty. "

Muslim American Society: Congressional Black Caucus Cheer Big-Screen Bush-Bashing in 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

Muslim American Society: "Filmmaker Michael Moore and several black lawmakers celebrated the release of his scathing documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' the film lambasting President George W. Bush opens today in theatres across the United States.

On the steps of a legislative office building, Moore and several members of the Congressional Black Caucus praised the film for what they said is its uncompromising examination of corruption and ineptitude in the Bush White House.

The media event with African American lawmakers was particularly appropriate, Moore said, because the film's opening scene shows members of the 39-member congressional Black Caucus on the floor of the House of Representatives expressing outrage over the bitterly-fought 2000 Florida presidential vote, which culminated in the election of Bush as president.

'It was one of the most disgraceful moments in our great democracy,' Moore said at the press conference. "

Lateline - 25/06/2004: Mike Moores hot new film

Lateline - 25/06/2004: Mike Moores hot new film: "MAXINE McKEW: As we go to air tonight, Mike Moore's new documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11', is about to open on over 850 screens across America.

The film has received mixed reviews and Republicans are trying to have promotion for the film banned from television -- claiming it amounts to political advertising which may impact on the November presidential election.

Moore has hit back, describing that as 'vicious censorship'.

Suzanne Smith reports.

GEORGE W BUSH, US PRESIDENT: This is an impressive crowd -- the haves and the have-mores.

Some people call you the elite, I call you my base.

MICHAEL MOORE, DIRECTOR: I would like to see President Bush removed from the White House.

GEORGE W BUSH IN FAHRENHEIT 9/11: I call on all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers.

Now watch this drive.

SUZANNE SMITH: The narrative of Fahrenheit 9/11 runs like a Democrat ad campaign.

Bush exploited September 11 to raise fear in the community and in the end, launched a war on the fraudulent premise that Saddam Hussein had links with Al Qaeda and weapons of mass destruction and ultimately Bush cronies like Halliburton reaped the benefits.

MAN IN FAHRENHEIT 9/11: Once that oil stops rolling, it's going to be lots of money.

Whatever it costs, the government will pay you."

CBS News | Moore Takes Aim At Bush, Networks (Video)

CBS News | Moore Takes Aim At Bush, Networks: "The movie condemns President Bush for the war in Iraq, and it was made, Moore says in a heated interview with The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm, to express his concern about the direction this country has been led to in the past few years.

Asked if that is fair, Moore says, “Well, sure. First of all, it’s satire. The thoughts I’m voicing in his head are my humor. Actually, I think it’s very generous that I’m even assuming he had thoughts in his head.”

As for his film being propaganda, he says, “No. I consider the CBS Evening News propaganda. Why don’t we talk about the news on this and the other networks that didn’t do the job they should have done at the beginning of this war, demanded the evidence, asked the hard questions.

“We may not have even gone into this war, had these networks done their job. I mean, it was a great disservice to the American people because we depend on people who work here and the other networks to go after those in power and say, ‘Hey, wait a minute. You want to send our kids off to war? We want to know where the weapons of mass destruction are. Let’s see the proof. Let’s see the proof Saddam Hussein had something to do with Sept. 11.' There was no proof and everybody got embedded and everybody rolled over and everybody knows that now,” he says.

Moore points out at the beginning of the war there was a lot of “cheerleading going on. A lot of cheerleading that didn’t do the public any good to have journalists standing in front of the camera going whoopty-do, let’s all go to war. It’s not their kids going to war. It’s not the children of the news executives going to war.”

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Ads Could Defy Election Law, Group Charges

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Ads Could Defy Election Law, Group Charges: "Citizens United, which calls 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and its television ads 'pure political propaganda,' argues that unless the film's ads are altered or pulled by July 31, Moore and the film's distributors will violate the section of election law that bans the use of corporate money to broadcast attack ads about a presidential candidate within 30 days of his party's national convention.

The citizens group says promotional TV ads for 'Fahrenheit 9/11' should be pulled a month before the Republican National Convention convenes in New York City on Aug. 30.

"My goal is to have Michael Moore's advertisements, as they are, taken off the air," said David N. Bossie, president of Citizens United. "If he changes his advertising … if he takes the president's likeness off the ads, then he can run the ads until he's blue in the face."

But Bossie faces an uphill battle. For one thing, the FEC normally takes months to process complaints. For another, it appears highly unlikely that the bipartisan six-member panel would rule against Moore, an Oscar-winning producer.

Moore issued a statement Thursday indicating he wasn't concerned about Bossie's complaint. "I am deeply concerned about whether or not the FEC will think I paid Citizens United to raise these issues regarding 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' " he said. "How else can you explain the millions of dollars of free publicity this right-wing group has given the movie? I plan on sending them a nice holiday card this year."


By Lisa Getter
Times Staff Writer

OrlandoSentinel.com: Balance of box-office power

OrlandoSentinel.com: Entertainment: "The battle lines are drawn. A nation's future is in play.

But this election year, those lines -- between Republicans and Democrats, Red State America and Blue State America -- are looking an awful lot like ticket lines at your neighborhood multiplex.

From the Oscar-winning documentary The Fog of War through the global-warming blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, from The Hunting of the President to The Manchurian Candidate, the movies are getting on the ballot.

And let's not forget a certain Michael Moore movie you may have heard of. Fahrenheit 9/11 opens today.

'It's really unprecedented, having this many films that seem to be aimed at trying to sway voters,' says Eric Alt, film editor for Maxim magazine.

'You saw a lot of political content in the '60s, with Lyndon Johnson and Nixon taking shots in the movies of the era,' says Greg Kilday, film editor for The Hollywood Reporter. 'But nothing like this year.'

Why? Polls say the public perceives its news sources -- newspapers, TV, radio and the Internet -- as ideologically driven. The shouting from both sides has drowned out regular discourse.

Still, all this Hollywood politicking could be for naught, says screenwriter David Coryell, visiting professor of film at Syracuse University.

"How many times can you really, absolutely say that a movie changed your life?" Coryell asks. "There aren't many. Anti-war films had an impact, once upon a time. But do they change people's minds?"


By Roger Moore
Sentinel Movie Critic

Page Resources

Poll

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore turns political heat on high

Hot at the top: Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore turns political heat on high: "If not already, Michael Moore is certain to become a household name in the coming weeks.
With today's release of his much-anticipated documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11' - a blistering indictment of the George W. Bush administration and its actions before and after Sept. 11, 2001 - Moore is likely to stir up more shock and outrage than Richard Clarke, Bob Woodward and even himself after his own 'Bowling for Columbine' anti-gun documentary of 2001.

A viable hybrid of muckraking journalism and entertainment for Democrats and liberals, "Fahrenheit 9/11" is sure to infuriate many Republicans and neo-conservatives who keep their faith in the Bush administration and its brand of patriotism.

As for those inclined to believe that the war in the Middle East is best understood as a bid by Texas oil wealth for Iraq oil wealth, you might think of Moore as that choir’s preacher and "Fahrenheit 9/11" as his definitive sermon."

By HELEN MESERVEY
SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT

Grade A

Buffalo News - Moore, Moore, Moore: Review

Buffalo News - Moore, Moore, Moore: "Nobody ever said Michael Moore played fair. Even his political allies know that he doesn't have a balanced bone in his Pillsbury doughboy body.
Tom Brokaw, he ain't. He's a living conduit for outrage, sarcasm and polemics. Boorishness is his badge, old-style labor populism is his credo.
You know damn well, halfway into it, why Disney didn't want its subsidiary Miramax to handle 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' You also know, halfway into it, why the French loved it at the Cannes Film Festival and gave it the festival's major prize, the Palm d'Or.
The only reason 'Fahrenheit 9/11' isn't going to be the most controversial film of the year - and perhaps of the young decade - is that this is the year that has already set Mel Gibson's religious bulldozer 'The Passion of the Christ' on its way to a billion-dollar international box office.
But there is a very good possibility that beyond its opening today, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' will go beyond mere controversy to become pivotal in American history in a way that no film has. "


By JEFF SIMON
Arts Editor

3 1/2 Stars
out of 4

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Turns Up the Heat (washingtonpost.com) Reader Reviews

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Turns Up the Heat (washingtonpost.com): "FAHRENHEIT 9/11,' is a guided missile aimed directly at the presidency of George W. Bush, just four months ahead of the national election.

Its political purpose is unequivocal. But here's the part that matters: Its trajectory is guided with pinpoint accuracy. With an ironic narrative that takes us from the Florida debacle that decided the 2000 presidential election to the political nettling aftermath of war in Iraq, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' sagely uses the public record, the facts and the president's goofiest statements and on-camera performances to score its points.
Documentaries aren't news articles; they're subjective points of view, which is why Moore has almost endless fun at the president's expense. (Attorney General John Ashcroft gets his share of ridicule, too.) 'Fahrenheit 9/11' obviously skews facts to its own advantage, but that's what the game is all about. What counts is the emotional power of Moore's persuasion. With a combination of events and facts that we have already learned, and some that we haven't, Moore puts it all together. You can understand the thread of his argument, even if you disagree. "



By Desson Thomson
Washington Post Staff Writer

Page Resources
D.C. premiere Video

Reader Reviews:

Perfect tone for disturbing material...
Posted by Sleepless in New York City on Jun 24, 2004
We have to laugh at Bush's foibles, or the litany of atrocities would be unbearable. Even this "news junkie" learned more facts about the last 4 years. Bush's first cousin was the Fox News exec who broke the story when GWB pulled ahead in Florida in 2000. Bush's old buddy (with him when AWOL) is a Bin Laden family advisor. Bush/Bin Laden family ties are old and lucrative in the billions. This movie is a detailed dissection of the administration's spin, and presents some hard footage about war profiteering. Disturbing images of American contractors drinking.

Buzz Around Moore's Movie May Be Able to Shake the Election (washingtonpost.com)

Buzz Around Moore's Movie May Be Able to Shake the Election (washingtonpost.com): "The booze was flowing and the room was buzzing at the swanky new Leftbank restaurant in Washington's Adams Morgan neighborhood Wednesday night. The cause for celebration was the D.C. premier of 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' and director Michael Moore's pals picked up the tab.

They could afford it. Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the brothers who donate big money to Democrats and who bought the rights to the controversial new film, are already rich. But their decision to distribute the movie after Disney, Moore's original distributor, refused, will make them that much richer -- and possibly influence a presidential election.

During the screening at the Uptown Theatre, I sat next to a newspaper reporter who was raised in an activist Republican party family, whose sister worked previously for the Bush White House and who considers herself moderate. She cried through the second half of the movie, which featured graphic images of injured and killed Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers and focused on the U.S. military's efforts to recruit minorities and poor whites.

She and others who don't hew to Moore's hardcore lefty vision of the world gave him credit for, if nothing else, presenting an incredibly cohesive and emotionally stirring piece of work."


By Terry M. Neal
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer

POLITICAL WATCH / Should White House dial 9-1-1?

POLITICAL WATCH / Should White House dial 9-1-1?: "News flash: Michael Moore's new movie, 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' opens nationwide today. Early reviews suggest it is a devastating indictment of President Bush's response to the hints of a terrorist threat before Sept. 11, 2001 -- and his decision to wage war in Iraq. It also highlights Bush's coziness with oil-rich Saudi Arabia, producing some indirect ties to terrorist kingpin Osama bin Laden. The mystique surrounding the film -- and its political implications -- have been intensified by Disney chief Michael Eisner's refusal to distribute the film. Disney eventually sold the film. "

The Seattle Times: "Fahrenheit 9/11" takes a torch to the Bush administration

The Seattle Times: Arts & Entertainment: "Fahrenheit 9/11" takes a torch to the Bush administration: "OK, just for a moment, can we all forget about the controversy and hatred and invective and accusations swirling around Michael Moore's fiery political documentary about the Bush administration's war on terror, 'Fahrenheit 9/11'? And instead of focusing on Bush and Moore, and our complicated feelings toward both of them, just for a second, let's pay attention instead to someone you've likely never heard of: Lila Lipscomb, a gentle-voiced citizen of Flint, Mich., who proudly unfurls an American flag outside her modest home every day, and whose grief gives Moore's film its soul.

How you respond to "Fahrenheit 9/11" will, of course, have much to do with your own political persuasion — those already convinced of the wrongs of the Bush administration will enter the theater ready to embrace the film; those opposed likely won't see it at all. But in any case, the film will make you angry, and you'll leave the theater wanting to talk, to argue, to do something. The faces of Lipscomb and a Sept. 11 widow, and a dead baby tossed into a pickup truck in the aftermath of an Iraq bombing, still haunt me, and will haunt you.

Moore, in his in-your-face way, has clearly lit a fire; it'll be fascinating to see what remains when the burning subsides."



By Moira Macdonald
Seattle Times movie critic

Talk about it on seattletimes.com

Few documentaries have received more advance notice, praise or condemnation than Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11." If you've seen the film, what's your reaction to it? If you're not going to see it, why not? Talk about it Monday at on our forum.

Moore film ads violate election law, says group

Moore film ads violate election law, says group: "WASHINGTON -- A conservative group asked federal election officials on Thursday to investigate whether television ads for director Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' violate campaign finance law regulating when commercials may feature a presidential candidate.
The Federal Election Commission might take months to issue a ruling on the complaint, making it unlikely the commission would act in time to affect the film's ad campaign. The two-hour documentary, which depicts President Bush as lazy and oblivious to warnings in summer 2001 that al-Qaida was poised to strike, opens nationwide today."

BY SHARON THEIMER
Associated Press

The Salt Lake Tribune -- Soldiers' stories set 'Fahrenheit 9/11' apart

The Salt Lake Tribune -- Soldiers' stories set 'Fahrenheit 9/11' apart: "When 'Fahrenheit 9/11' plays things straight, the effects are shattering. Consider the interviews with U.S. soldiers in Iraq -- some gung ho, others disillusioned. Consider the Marine recruiters working the poor section of Flint, Mich., with the zeal of the salesmen in 'Glengarry Glen Ross.' Consider the soldiers raiding an Iraqi's house on Christmas Eve, a moment that encapsulates the frightening confusion of occupation.
And, before you dismiss 'Fahrenheit 9/11' as Moore's liberal rant, consider Lila Lipscomb. She lost her son, Michael Pedersen, when his Black Hawk helicopter went down in Iraq. She cries for her son, and does what politicians and reporters failed to do earlier -- she asks someone to tell the truth, behind the star-spangled rhetoric, about why young American men and women were sent away to die. "


By Sean P. Means
The Salt Lake Tribune

3 1/2 Stars
out of 4

reviewjournal.com -- Neon: MOVIE REVIEW: `Fahrenheit 9/11'

reviewjournal.com -- Neon: MOVIE REVIEW: `Fahrenheit 9/11': "Less Moore equals more power.
That's the winning formula for Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'
The controversial documentary, which captured top honors at last month's Cannes Film Festival, delivers a devastating -- and devastatingly assured -- indictment of George W. Bush's presidency.
Beyond its considerable factual impact, however, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' also demonstrates that Moore's learned a few filmmaking lessons since his 2002 Oscar-winner, 'Bowling for Columbine.'

Moore twists familiar TV images, from "Bonanza's" cattle-baron Cartwrights riding the range to "Dragnet's" just-the-facts Joe Friday interrogating shifty suspects. He shows administration insiders primping for TV appearances. (Memo to Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz: licking your comb before use is no substitute for mega-hold hair spray.) And Moore uses canny snippets of upbeat pop ditties to punctuate revealing video clips.

Perhaps none seems more apt than the theme song of the '80s TV series "The Greatest American Hero," which accompanies footage of Bush's premature May 2003 pronouncement, from the flight deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, that major combat operations in Iraq had ended.

"Look at what's happened to me, I can't believe it myself," the song begins. "Suddenly I'm up on top of the world -- it should've been somebody else."

As we all know, it wasn't somebody else. It was George W. Bush. And, as "Fahrenheit 9/11" so scathingly reminds us, seeing's believing."


By CAROL CLING
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Grade: A

thedesertsun.com | Fahrenheit 9/11 turns up heat

thedesertsun.com | Fahrenheit 9/11 turns up heat: "Newspaper headlines call it 'Firestarter,' 'WMD against Bush' and 'Moore lies.'

The subject of these eye-catching headlines is Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' a $6 million documentary film that recently won the coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and is causing rabid debate in television, print media, talk radio and among everyday citizens.

'Fahrenheit 9/11' premieres at more than 800 theaters today, including four in the valley, despite the efforts of some groups to persuade theater chains to refuse the film."



Trey Clark
The Desert Sun

BBC NEWS | Bush film opens amid controversy

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Bush film opens amid controversy: "Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 is due to open across the US amid growing political controversy.
Republicans have had few kind words to say about the anti-George Bush, anti-Iraq war documentary, though it has been largely applauded by Democrats.
A conservative group has asked federal election officials to look at whether television adverts for the film violate presidential election law.
The film is due to open in more than 800 cinemas in the US on Friday.
It broke single-day box-office records at two New York cinemas where it opened on Wednesday, grossing $84,000. "

CBS News | Cheers And Jeers For 'Fahrenheit' | Michael Moore on CBS Early Show This Morning

CBS News | Cheers And Jeers For 'Fahrenheit' | June 25, 2004-05:24:50: "Three cities which have experienced events Americans never imagined could happen here were the chosen locations for preview screenings of Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' which opens nationally Friday.

And while Democrats weren't the only ones on hand at this week's premiere in New York and the screenings in Washington and Oklahoma City, there was no question but that it was a hot ticket for those who would like to see someone else in the White House next year. "


The Early Show

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Video Reports

Howard Stern.com: Michael Moore is on Howard Stearn this morning at 8:30am (EST)

Howard Stern.com: "Robin took most of the staff to see '"Fahrenheit 9/11' yesterday. Everyone talked about how much they liked the movie except E! Director Scott DePace who said the movie was bullsh*t, leftist propaganda. DePace ended up arguing over various points of the movie with just about everyone in the studio. Scott didn't like how Michael Moore left out some facts, like when he showed some of the smaller countries in our 'Coalition of the Willing' but not big countries like Italy and Spain (FYI: Italy, while in the coalition, didn't send troops to the invasion of Iraq). He also didn't think the Bush familiy's close ties to the Bin Laden and Saudi Royal family was a big deal and he really hated how the movie played on our heart strings by showing victims of the war and soldiers who lost limbs in the fight. Scott also criticized Moore for claiming that President Bush authorized the flights on 9/11 that allowed Bin Laden's family to leave the US. According to Scott, it was Richard Clarke who authorized it. (FYI: click here to read the transcript to Clarke's testimony and you'll see it's pretty clear that the request did not come from Clarke but from someone above him and was approved by the FBI.) Michael Moore is coming on this morning (8:30am), so maybe we'll get to see how Scott holds up in an argument with him. "



Howard Stern's Blog
June 24, 2004

Presidential Pursuits (washingtonpost.com)

Presidential Pursuits (washingtonpost.com): "Not since 'The Passion of the Christ' has a movie from outside the Hollywood mainstream made a review so superfluous. By orchestrating a hype campaign every bit as finely tuned as Mel Gibson's, filmmaker Michael Moore has made 'Fahrenheit 9/11' required viewing, not just for the thousands of like-minded activists who have vowed to make the documentary a box office hit this weekend, but for anyone who wants to be culturally literate.

In other words, most people reading this already know whether they're going or not. The question is whether 'Fahrenheit 9/11' will be worth the trip. In many ways this is Moore's best film; he exercises restraint that has been notably lacking in such documentaries as 'Roger & Me,' 'The Big One' and the Oscar-winning 'Bowling for Columbine.' In those movies, Moore affected the persona of a rumpled Everyman bravely confronting malign corporate and cultural forces; he also never missed a chance to be seen on camera, usually in a self-serving pose of righteous indignation. (Who can forget how courageously he placed the photograph of a gun violence victim in Charlton Heston's driveway?) "


By Ann Hornaday
Washington Post Staff Writer

USATODAY.com - New this weekend

USATODAY.com - New this weekend: "It's everything you've heard; it's also some things you haven't heard. And that makes Fahrenheit 9/11 worth watching. The documentary's scathing attack on the war in Iraq and George W. Bush's presidency is informative, provocative, frightening, compelling, funny, manipulative and, most of all, entertaining. Much of what filmmaker Michael Moore focuses on has been covered in news reports, magazine articles and books. But he still manages to present new data and little-seen footage, connecting the dots in a cogent way."


Claudia Puig
* * * 1/2

The New York Times: Group Says Ads for 9/11 Film Violate Law

The New York Times > Movies > Group Says Ads for 9/11 Film Violate Law: "

The bumpy ride into theaters for the Michael Moore documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11' continued yesterday, as a conservative group called for an investigation into whether the television advertisements for the film violated the campaign finance law.

And because of a technical error, the film, which is rated R, was presented yesterday as being rated NC-17, which bars viewers under 17, to thousands of callers to the 777-FILM ticket service and users of Moviefone.com. Just three days ago, the film's distributor lost a battle to get the rating changed to PG-13. The film opens nationwide today.

The ratings problem lasted about six hours, said John Angelo, a spokesman for Moviefone. "


By FELICIA R. LEE
The New York Times

USATODAY.com - 'Fahrenheit 9/11': Will it change any voter's mind?

USATODAY.com - 'Fahrenheit 9/11': Will it change any voter's mind?: "Fahrenheit 9/11 is about much more than beating Bush, Moore says. 'The issues in this film are going to be with us next year,' he says. 'We're still going to have war in Iraq. We're still going to have al-Qaeda, no matter who is in the White House. If I can contribute to re-energizing those who have given up, then I'd feel that we will have done a good thing.'

'9/11' OMITS A FEW FINER POINTS
Fahrenheit 9/11 is not intended to be objective; director Michael Moore concedes that point. But he also has said he is "presenting the truth."


By Martin Kasindorf and Judy Keen
USA TODAY

News-Leader.com | Movie review: Moore strikes a political nerve

Movie review: Moore strikes a political nerve: "As film narrative, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is sometimes bumpy, without an always-consistent storytelling style.
Still, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is a skillful polemic, a powerful cinematic op-ed piece. It makes you think. It makes you argue.
It may make you shudder. It makes you mad. Agree with him or not, Moore is a master of his own peculiar, homespun media. And 'Fahrenheit 9/11' will be at the fulcrum of emotional political debate."

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

filmfodder.com: Review: Fahrenheit 9/11

Review: Fahrenheit 9/11: "Though it might seem impossible to do, to best appreciate Michael Moore's new film, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' (IMDb listing) one must look at it through eyes untainted by politics for a brief moment. The film is 100 percent politically motivated, but it's also something American cinemas haven't seen in decades: a revolutionary film, and a flat-out call to arms. Regardless of personal political leanings, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is an amazing accomplishment of individual expression and anti-government aggression. It will be one of the most detested films of the year, but also one of the best, no doubt about it. "


by Brian Orndorf
Filmfodder.com
Contributing Reviewer

Grade: A

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Forum

Reuters.com: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Scores High Marks from Critics

Entertainment News Article | Reuters.com: "LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After blistering the box office in its inaugural New York launch, Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11' opens nationally on Friday with most reviewers giving it high marks as brilliantly provocative but unflinchingly partisan.
While saying Moore's latest work can fairly be classified as propaganda critics generally praised the film as an artfully rendered critique of President Bush, his war on terror and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
'Unabashedly partisan, wearing its determination to bring about political change on its sleeve, 'Fahrenheit' can be nit-picked and second-guessed, but it can't be ignored,' wrote Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times.
'It is propaganda, no doubt about it, but propaganda is most effective when it has elements of truth, and too much here is taken from the record not to have a devastating effect on viewers,' Turan added. 'Anyone who is the least bit open to Moore's theses will come away impressed.' "



By Steve Gorman
Reuters

BBC NEWS | Moore film divides America

BBC NEWS | Americas | Moore film divides America: "Claudia Puig of national newspaper USAToday said 'Fahrenheit 9/11 is the year's must-see film.' The documentary's scathing attack on the war in Iraq and George W Bush's presidency is informative, provocative, frightening, compelling, funny, manipulative and, most of all, entertaining," she said.

In the New York Times, A.O. Scott said, "[Mr. Moore] can be obnoxious, tendentious and maddeningly self-contradictory. He can drive even his most ardent admirers crazy. He is a credit to the republic."

"Mr Moore's populist instincts have never been sharper," he says, adding, "It is worth seeing, debating and thinking about, regardless of your political allegiances.

Some in the White House wanted to attack Mr Moore like they did former counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke when he released a book critical of the war on terror, the newspaper reported.

But Mr Bush plans to play down the film. "To take it on would give it too much credibility," a Bush strategist told the Washington Post.

"He's not going to get into a debate himself with this little filmmaker guy," the strategist added."

'Fahrenheit' heats up the debate

'Fahrenheit' heats up the debate: "While 'Fahrenheit 9/11' alternates between enraging, enlightening and frightening, it also meanders. It's as if Moore knows he's got some good stuff, and can't bear to throw out anything, even if it causes the film to lose its focus. An interview with a grieving mother who has lost her son in the war is both intrusive and powerful.
Still, the confrontational Moore meets his goal in the same way Mel Gibson did with 'The Passion of the Christ.' He takes familiar material (but maybe not to all), gives it his own imprint, using humor and sly digs, plus wittily appropriate music, to tell an important story in a way that's sure to have a profound impact on moviegoers."


By Bonnie Britton
IndyStar.com

'Fahrenheit 9/11' is a smoldering polemic that puts Bush on the rotisserie

'Fahrenheit 9/11' is a smoldering polemic that puts Bush on the rotisserie: "This is why Michael Moore's savage new documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' is being regarded in so many quarters as an authentic film event. It's poised to become the first of these new-wave, anti-establishment films to jump out of the pack and shake up the American public in a big way.
Indeed, buoyed by controversy (after its original distributor, Disney, bailed on it) and the prestige of best-film honors at Cannes, it could well become the docu-equivalent of 'The Passion of the Christ' and even affect the presidential election.
Just how good is it? Well, it's often scathingly funny; it does a masterful job of ridiculing the personality, intellect and employment resum� of George W. Bush, and many of its images and scenes engender a gut-wrenching emotional impact. "

By WILLIAM ARNOLD
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER MOVIE CRITIC

GRADE: B-

Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | Fahrenheit 9/11 sets US alight

Guardian Unlimited | US elections 2004 | Fahrenheit 9/11 sets US alight: "For the second time in a week, the liberals of New York stood in line for their cultural sustenance.
On Monday night they waited to snatch the first autographed copies of the memoirs of the former Democratic president Bill Clinton.
On Wednesday they went to watch Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, a film aimed, at least in part, at ending the incumbency of of the current Republican president, George Bush.
The film officially opens today in 900 theatres - three times as many as for Mr Moore's previous film, the Academy Award-winning Bowling for Columbine. But New Yorkers got an early sight, along with premiere-goers in Washington DC.
What was billed as the launch of a film, however, looked more like the beginning of a political campaign. "

Gary Younge in New York
The Guardian