Saturday, July 03, 2004

Fayetteville Online Story - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' sets record

Fayetteville Online Story - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' sets record: "'Fahrenheit 9/11,' a left-sided documentary that bashes the Bush administration's war on terrorism, wouldn't find much of an audience in a military town.
'This has broken all of our past records,' said Nasim Kuenzel, an owner of the Cameo Art House Theatre. 'The movie that I thought would make us hardly any money - I never thought it would break all the records.'
Both showings sold out Friday at the Cameo, the only theater in Fayetteville to carry the Michael Moore film. A midnight showing added at the last minute Friday brought in 60 more people.
Saturday and Sunday were just as busy, Kuenzel said, with nearly 1,000 tickets sold over the weekend. As many as 75 percent of moviegoers were soldiers or military families, Kuenzel said.
Many were like Natalie Sorton. She is 25 and married to an infantryman who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
'I want to see what my husband is fighting for,' Sorton said Monday before going into the theater with a friend, Kathy Norris."


By Matt Leclercq
Staff writer

Controversial movies prove content is king

Controversial movies prove content is king: "'Content is king' may be Viacom's Sumner Redstone's favorite mantra, but, in fact, most of Hollywood has forgotten the meaning of the phrase. Faced with feeding voracious distribution networks that need a constant flow of feature films, network programming and DVD releases, most Hollywood execs regard content as nothing more than product. And most of the product they turn out is virtually content-free. The entertainment equivalent of one-calorie soda. It fills you up, but it hardly satisfies.

"Passion" and "Fahrenheit," though their core audiences may come from the opposite ends of the political and cultural spectrum, speak the same language. They're about something. They've got moviegoers talking again, because they're not simply product, but movies that wear their content like a crown."


By Gregg Kilday

Michael Moore.com : My First Wild Week with "Fahrenheit 9/11"

Michael Moore.com: "Friends,Where do I begin? This past week has knocked me for a loop. 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' the #1 movie in the country, the largest grossing documentary ever. My head is spinning. Didn't we just lose our distributor 8 weeks ago? Did Karl Rove really fail to stop this? Is Bush packing?

Each day this week I was given a new piece of information from the press that covers Hollywood, and I barely had time to recover from the last tidbit before the next one smacked me upside the head:

** More people saw 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in one weekend than all the people who saw 'Bowling for Columbine' in 9 months.
** 'Fahrenheit 9/11' broke 'Rocky III's' record for the biggest box office opening weekend ever for any film that opened in less than a thousand theaters.
** 'Fahrenheit 9/11' beat the opening weekend of 'Return of the Jedi.'
** 'Fahrenheit 9/11' instantly went to #2 on the all-time list for largest per-theater average ever for a film that opened in wide-release.
How can I ever thank all of you who went to see it? These records are mind-blowing. They have sent shock waves through Hollywood � and, more importantly, through the White House."

Counterbias: Michael Moore Versus Authority - The Media's Dual 'Propaganda' Thresholds

Counterbias: Michael Moore Versus Authority - The Media's Dual 'Propaganda' Thresholds: "There seems to be two different thresholds for use of the word "propaganda" when it comes to the work of Michael Moore compared to, well, anyone or anything else.
As one of the most connotatively negative words in social history, the word is a grim one. The term alone brings up images of Stalin brainwashing the masses through totalitarian thought-control, Hitleristic mass-murder, and the loss of free human thought in general. Propaganda, in its classical meaning, does not correlate with happy imagery.
Yet, strangely, the media has been quick to label Michael Moore's new film, Fahrenheit 9/11, as just that: propaganda. Whereas journalists and media figures are usually shy about using the term - especially towards where it applies most effectively, the government - they seem to have saved it for government enemies, in this case Michael Moore. "


Robert Furs
Counterbias.com

The Charlie Rose Show: Michael Moore Interview (Audio)

The Charlie Rose Show: "New York, July 1, 2004 - Filmmaker Michael Moore talks with Charlie Rose in New York about his film 'Fahrenheit 9/11', a critical documentary of U.S.President George W. Bush, and the movie's potential impact on the 2004presidential election. "

'Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War' Premiering September 6 at 9PM ET/PT on Sundance Channel

'Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War' Premiering September 6 at 9PM ET/PT on Sundance Channel: Robert Greenwald's controversial 2003
documentary, 'Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War', examines the Bush Administration's conduct in convincing the American public that Saddam Hussein posed a threat to national security. The Center for American Progress and MoveOn.org sponsored the making of the compelling film, which will make its television premiere on Sundance Channel, Monday, September 6 at 9PM ET/PT.

Over 100,000 Uncovered DVD's have been sold over the Internet. It has also been seen at thousands of house parties across the country organized by MoveOn.org.

At Cannes, Screen International proclaimed, "Eschewing flamboyancy in favor of an intellectual approach, Robert Greenwald's damning essay on the
Bush Administration is no less enriching or important as Michael Moore's Competition entry 'Fahrenheit 9/11'."

Uncovered presents interviews with more than 20 CIA, Pentagon and foreign service experts who analyze the spin and hype presented to the world to justify regime change in Iraq. Some even supported the war, but have grave concerns with the way that information was misused.

Resource -
IMDb

Bend.com - Press Release "Documentary on Fox News to air in Bend": News and information from Bend, Oregon

Bend.com - Press Release "Documentary on Fox News to air in Bend": News and information from Bend, Oregon: " MoveOn.org, in association with the Bend Chapter of the 9/11 Truth Alliance will be hosting a presentation of a new documentary film in Bend.

'Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism' directed by Robert Greenwald

Description: 'Outfoxed' examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a 'race to the bottom' in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know. "

Resources

Website

Watch the Trailer: Quicktime / Windows Media Player

MoveOn Targets Fox News in Latest 'Bias' Wars Battle

MoveOn Targets Fox News in Latest 'Bias' Wars Battle: "NEW YORK Just as press coverage of the Michael Moore film 'Fahrenheit 9/11' starts to fade, another partisan project targeting conservatives was announced today, this one aimed at Fox News.

The activist group MoveOn.org has produced a documentary film called 'Outfoxed' that, it claims, 'exposes Fox for what it is: partisan spin, not news.' The film purportedly includes interviews with seven ex-Fox News employees 'who describe how, every day, highly partisan talking points are drawn up to influence newscasts.' "

'WSJ' Tracks Down 'Pet Goat' Book From 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

'WSJ' Tracks Down 'Pet Goat' Book From 'Fahrenheit 9/11': "NEW YORK Suddenly, one of the best-known children's books in the U.S. is something called 'My Pet Goat.' As shown in Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' it's the book read by President Bush to Florida school children on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, after he learned of the second hijacked plane hitting the World Trade Center.

According to Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg in this morning's Wall Street Journal, the story is actually called 'The Pet Goat.' It shows what happens after a girl is ordered by her parents to get rid of her pet goat, who has been munching everything in its path. The goat becomes a hero in the home, however, when a burglar invades and the goat butts him into submission."

Modbee.com | Americans in their 20s should go see 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

Modbee.com | The Modesto Bee: "I was thrilled to learn that Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' was last weekend's top box-office earner. I only hope millions of my twentysomething peers were watching it as well.
On a recent Friday afternoon, my family and I headed to the Bay Area to sit in a small theater packed with older folks -- mostly graying ex-hippies who wore anti-Bush T-shirts. When the movie was over and a pit had formed in my stomach, I began to realize the historic and social importance of our time. My generation needs to see this film -- now.
Regardless of whether you agree with Moore's message, this is a film for and about young people. It's a film about jobs, college, politics and what it means to be an American in the 21st century. It's a film that can spark discussions among people of all ideologies. Most important, it recognizes some of the problems my peers and I will have to fix in the coming years.
I believe both liberals and conservatives understand that America's place in the world is not ideal. We all have a lot of work to do."


By MEGAN KNIZE
The Modesto Bee

Rocky Mountain News: Pearson: Michael Moore finds profit in provocation

Rocky Mountain News: Columnists: "Whatever you may think of his politics, you have to give Michael Moore credit for keeping things interesting at the box-office.
When Fahrenheit 9/11 debuted as the No. 1 movie last weekend - the first time in history a documentary has taken that slot - it marked a shift in the moviegoing paradigm. Subtle, mind you, but proof nonetheless that the summer's not just for action-packed blockbusters.

Half of my friends saw the film last weekend, and when I arrived at work Monday, half of my colleagues were talking about it. Being members of the "liberal media," they tended to admire Moore's gutsiness, especially in this era of the Patriot Act. Would they call it objective? No one went that far, but they found it engaging and enlightening.

This was a movie I had to see.

I went to a 4:30 p.m. showing Tuesday, and to my amazement the 300-seat theater was two-thirds full. More surprising were the demographics: Housewives and elderly couples; college students and businessmen AWOL from work. A few people cried during the movie. One man shouted at the screen. But, for the most part, the mood ranged from stunned silence to laughter. At the end, the theater broke into applause."

Mike Pearson
Features Editor
Rocky Mountain News:

'Fahrenheit' is good for the debate

'Fahrenheit' is good for the debate: "Regardless of your choice to see the movie or to stay far away, keep in mind that Moore is exercising the same right as anyone who writes to the op-ed section of a newspaper. Pro-Bush and anti-Moore? Go make your own movie. "

Arizona Republic: Letter to Editor: A freedom to speak out on freedom

A freedom to speak out on freedom: "Fahrenheit 9/11 highlights crucial questions about the 'necessity' of the war in Iraq.

Engaging these questions and holding our leaders accountable for their decisions to go to war is the best way we can support our troops.

Every American should go see this film to embrace and celebrate the fact that we live in a country with the freedom to speak out about freedom. - Adam Ramirez, Tucson"

The Sun News | 'Fahrenheit' generates emotional reactions

The Sun News: "A packed house broke into applause Friday after viewing 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' filmmaker Michael Moore's scathing critique on the Bush administration, at Broadway 16's first showing.
'I cried from beginning to end,' said Kelli Clark of Virginia, who watched the film with her husband, Tom Clark.
The film debuted Friday on the Grand Strand. It has fueled intense emotions from people all along the political spectrum.
County Republican Chairman Duane Oliver said he has not seen the film and doesn't plan to.
'It's a propaganda film that is just awful,' he said. 'It puts the whole country in an awful light. ... It's accusations, lies. It's a slap at our country.'
Many at Broadway's afternoon showing were vacationers. Some came because they like Michael Moore, others because they do not like President Bush. The flick also drew those simply curious to see what all the hype is about."


By Sophia Maines
The Sun News

Entertainment Weekly: Michael Moore Interview - On Cover

Entertainment Weekly's EW.com | News, Reviews, and OpinionsAn interview with Michael Moore is in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly.


He is also on the front cover.

Charlie Rose: Forum Discussion on F911

: An interview with Michael Moore appeared on the PBS "Charlie Rose Show" Thursday and Friday. Check out the forum discussion:

"After four year of war finally someone made a statement against Bush admin. He talked about the negative publicity from the right that help boost his movie, but he doesn't say that this movie is also boosting Bush's campaign by showing him as a cowboy who became the sherif like old western movies and went after the bad guys..
As kissinger said they had to show the world what would happen to those who challenge US. As the only superpower we don't have to apologize for action until we lose that position."

Friday, July 02, 2004

Michael Moore.com : Letters to Newspapers Around the Country

Michael Moore.com: "Over the past few days, newspapers around the country have received and published numerous letters about Fahrenheit 9/11. Some are in response to false and misleading articles a newspaper published, while others are simply sharing their thoughts on the film in the midst of a great national discussion. We would like to share some of these letters with you."

The Virginian Pilot 6/29
A movie all should see

I saw "Fahrenheit 9/11" at Lynnhaven's 1:10 p.m. showing on Friday, the opening day, with what appeared to be a sell-out crowd.

I am undecided about the presidential election so I did not see this movie to revel in Bush bashing.

To my amazement, living in a military and religious community, there was thunderous applause at the conclusion of the movie. One could say the theater was comprised solely of liberal Democrats, but that is very unlikely. There were folks of all ages and races.

This movie is powerful and provoked all sorts of emotions from me, from belly laughter to outrage and despair to uncontrollable tears.

With this being a critical time in America, I strongly urge everyone to see it and discuss it with Democrats and Republicans alike.

Kate Tippett-Bowles, Virginia Beach

Persuasive and passionate. 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is both. It's also Michael Moore's best film.

Persuasive and passionate. 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is both. It's also Michael Moore's best film.: "Yet there are other things to consider: The movie's passion. Its serious purpose. Its tone. Its mix of words and images, and the way both linger in the mind. There's the way the movie fashions its arguments, and the cumulative effect the experience provides -- what you feel walking out, what you think about the next day. By all these measures, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is Michael Moore's best film.
Certainly, it's a career landmark, the film that signals his transition from political entertainer to political thinker, from propagandist to idiosyncratic journalist, from colorful gadfly to patriot. If 'Bowling for Columbine' was a step, this is a leap, in which Moore vaults past Will Rogers into some territory all his own. In the 90-year history of the American feature film, there has never been a popular election-year documentary like this one. "


Mick LaSalle
Chronicle Movie Critic

New York City - 'Corporation' audits business ethnic

New York City - Movies: "Although appearances by the likes of Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky give something of a 'usual suspects' tone to 'The Corporation,' there are also Jane Akre and Steve Wilson: As investigative reporters for Fox News, they refused to dilute a story on rBGH, a synthetic hormone widely used in the United States (but banned in Europe and Canada) that accelerates a cow's metabolism and boosts milk production. The cows suffer, and the antibiotics given to the animals make their way into the milk, ultimately reducing people's resistance to disease.

For their courage, Akre and Wilson were fired."


BY JOHN ANDERSON
STAFF WRITER

three stars

santacruzsentinel.com: Word of Mouth Like Passion, Fahrenheit is upsetting the film industry

santacruzsentinel.com: "Back in February, you'll remember, even as the film industry was anointing the fantasy trilogy 'Lord of the Rings' with its highest honor, Mel Gibson was upstaging the Oscars with the surreal popularity of his brutally graphic but heartfelt vision 'The Passion of the Christ.' In a similar vein, Michael Moore's rude and upsetting 'Fahrenheit 9/11' has become an unheard-of film phenomenon, upstaging the release of the summer's biggest traditional blockbuster, 'Spider-Man 2.' Moore, like Gibson, shoves Hollywood into the shadows.
This is good news, folks. You can hate either (or both) films, but the big box-office of both 'Passion' and 'F-9/11' is going to change the film industry for the better, destroying the timid conventional wisdom that incendiary subject matter is box-office poison. Both films have left Hollywood tastemakers look like the unimaginative, risk-averse weasels that they often are.
Markets rule in the movie business and 'Passion' - with its devout Catholics and evangelicals - and, now, 'Fahrenheit' - with its leftist firebrands and coffeehouse news junkies - have tapped into new markets, both hitting a gusher. I wouldn't expect Hollywood to now become Oliver Stone's playground, but mavericks with dangerous visions might not have such a tough time finding a 'yes.'"

Marcus leads ‘Fahrenheit’ discussion

The Nickelodeon in Santa Cruz will sponsor a free film discussion with film critic and historian Morton Marcus on patriotism and the controversy behind Michael Moore’s "Fahrenheit 9/11." The discussion begins at 11:40 a.m. Saturday at the Nickelodeon, 210 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz. It’s free.


By Wallace Baine
Santa Cruz Sentinel

The New York Times > Movie Review | 'The Corporation': Giving Corporations the Psychoanalytic Treatment

The New York Times > Movies > Movie Review | 'The Corporation': Giving Corporations the Psychoanalytic Treatment: "Since a corporation is legally defined as a person, it makes some sense to ask what kind of person a corporation might be. The answer offered by 'The Corporation,' a smart, brooding documentary directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott, is: not a very nice one.
The film, which opens at Film Forum today, half-mockingly offers a psychiatric diagnosis based on a list of abuses that arise from the relentless pursuit of profit. The point is not that individual companies pollute the environment, hurt animals, exploit workers and commit accounting fraud, but that such outrages are a result of the essential personality traits of the corporate life form. These behaviors are symptoms arising from a list of pathologies that includes 'disregard for the well-being of others,' 'inability to form lasting relationships' and 'deceitfulness.' A psychiatrist who has advised the F.B.I. declares that the corporation has 'all the characteristics of a prototypical psychopath.'"


By A. O. SCOTT
The New York Times


Reuters.com: Film Review: The Corporation

Film Review: The Corporation: "NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The attacks on the ethical and social practices of big corporations that make up this documentary will be nothing new to most educated liberals. But some thorough research, a clear presentation and a nice knit with America's ongoing corporate scandals should prod uninformed viewers to think more deeply about the role of big business in the world.
Until recently, 'The Corporation' probably would have sunk without trace. However, the hullabaloo over 'Fahrenheit 9/11' and corporate scandals could pique the interest of urban audiences. Michael Moore's appearance in the film as an interviewee is an extra draw. Zeitgeist Films opened 'The Corporation' at New York's Film Forum June 30, with a national release to follow.

"The Corporation" isn't a piece of global activism advocating the overthrow of capitalism. A final section looks at how the powers of corporations can be reduced by legal and social means. Some segments such as a pre-"Fahrenheit" Moore discussing why Disney releases the films of an avowed anti-corporate like himself are dated, and there's precious little about Worldcom or Enron. But the film will still prove a tonic to those holding left-of-center views."


By Richard James Havis
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

PB Online News: Love it or hate it, 'Fahrenheit' is influential

PB Online News: Love it or hate it, 'Fahrenheit' is influential: "Although it's since been eclipsed by "Spider-Man 2" as this week's movie to see, people in Rochester and across the nation still couldn't stop talking about Michael Moore's latest documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Last weekend, Rochester moviegoers elected to reject traditional, increasingly vapid summer fare in favor of writer/director Michael Moore's controversial new documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11." Local audiences, some of whom wore buttons and insignia in support of John Kerry, were joined by attendees to similar showings around the United States. And a friend of mine reported that the theater was still stuffed to the gills during her Tuesday evening viewing. And, yes, the audience clapped wildly while the credits rolled.

Dr. Jeff Taylor, a political science teacher at Rochester Community and Technical College, said, 'I can see why some dismiss (Moore) as a self-promoting huckster, but I think they're wrong. Of course, if you have faith in George W. Bush and think he's a wise and honest man, you're going to be upset with someone like Moore who loudly says the opposite.' However, Taylor advised that those who see the movie not take everything at face value.
'Do your own research,' he said. 'Reach your own conclusions. Whether George W. Bush or Michael Moore is speaking, don't assume you're hearing the truth just because he's eloquent or he seems sincere or the words make you feel good. You should listen to your instincts, but also do your homework. Don't just rely on the 'authority' of Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Al Franken or Michael Moore.' "


BY PATRICK STEPHENSON
Post-Bulletin

New York Daily News - Home - Cashing in on 'Fahrenheit'

New York Daily News - Home - Cashing in on 'Fahrenheit': "'Fahrenheit's' heating up the Weinsteins - and leaving Disney boss Michael Eisner out in the ice cold.
Miramax moguls Harvey and Bob Weinstein are set to personally pocket tens of millions of dollars - money that could have gone to Disney - from record-breaking Michael Moore flick 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' analysts said yesterday.
The Weinsteins' decision to invest $6 million of their own money to buy the flick from Miramax-owner Disney is looking like one of Hollywood's smarter deals. Disney bailed, deeming the Bush bashing movie too controversial."

Michael Moore.com : Woman Handcuffed For Handing Out Voter Registration Forms at F9/11

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News: "EAST CALN -- She said she didn't scream fire in a crowded theater.
All she did was hand out voter registration forms to movie patrons on their way out of the controversial film 'Fahrenheit 9/11' on Saturday night.
Because of that, Lani Frank, of Easttown, doesn't understand why -- or feel it was right -- that she was handcuffed and cited at the Regal Cinemas by police.
State police said Frank was in a place of business and causing a disturbance. They said she refused to leave and, for that, was cited for disorderly conduct. The citation, much like one a person would receive for a traffic violation, is a summary offense."

HoustonChronicle.com - Review: 'Heart & Soul' falls short in its attempt to inspire

HoustonChronicle.com - Review: 'Heart & Soul' falls short in its attempt to inspire: "America's Heart & Soul isn't a political movie. It isn't much of anything, really, just a glossy celebration of working people and weirdos (whom the filmmakers probably would prefer we call American eccentrics). It's more suited for the coffee table than the movie theater and certainly has no place in a political debate.
But that's where some folks want to put it.
Disney, you may recall, chose not to distribute Fahrenheit 9/11 so close to the election because of its political content. Disney is, however, distributing Heart & Soul, which some people started discussing as if it were the anti-Fahrenheit weeks ago.
The company has cozied up to Move America Forward, the California group that attacked Fahrenheit and lobbied theaters not to show it. After a special screening Monday, the organization's chairman declared the movie 'inspirational' -- 'an amazing set of vignettes' of individuals 'able to explore their passion because of the freedom this country has given us.'"

Michael Moore.com : Mike on Charlie Rose (Part 2)

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Calendar: Michael with be on PBS 'The Charlie Rose' show tonight at 11:00 PM.

He was on the show last night, too.

PoliticalShop.com Political Campaign Buttons, Pins, Bumper Stickers 2004 and Memorabilia

PoliticalShop.com Political Campaign Buttons, Pins, Bumper Stickers 2004 and Memorabilia: "Michael Moore...Fahrenheit 9/11 Poster Button - MMPOSTER
Michael Moore...Fahrenheit 9/11 Poster Button 2 x 3 in.

Price: $5 each


Three Fahrenheit 9/11 buttons for $10

F911 Exclusive: The Fellowship Adventure Group Dot Com Saga

F.A.G.: "At the end of May, Miramax founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein created the 'Fellowship Adventure Group' to take ownership of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' after Disney's top boss, Michael Eisner, forbid Miramax to be associated with Michael Moore's movie.

Like a lot of people on the day of the announcement, Michael March, did a google search on the 'Fellowship Adventure Group' and it came up empty. Michael registered several 'Fellowship Adventure Group' domains quickly before "anybody" could capitalized on the opporutnity.

Over the past 30 days, Michael has made several attempts to turn "www.fellowshipadventuregroup.com" over to the company with no profit motivate in mind. But, the company's management team has treated his communications with flat-out contempt.

Here is a statement from Michael regarding the situation:

When the May 28th announcement of the formation of the Fellowship Adventure Group was made, a friend of mine noticed that the domain name was available. Thus I promptly registered/rescued it. Since that time, I have been trying in vain to hand it over to the proper owners. In the meantime, I have used the domain to give further exposure into the points Moore makes in Fahrenheit 911.

Hopefully, this story will eventually have a happy ending. Stay tuned.

NOTE: I contacted Michael the other day while searching for the official 'Fellowship Adventure Group' web site. We exchanged a couple of emails and traded links. He has put a RSS F911 blog newsfeed on the sidebar of the site. Check it out. It is cool. It is free. It is simple to do.

Is "Fahrenheit 9/11" a Documentary Film, or What is a Documentary Film?

Is "Fahrenheit 9/11" a Documentary Film, or What is a Documentary Film?: "Discussions about Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' have raised questions about what exactly a documentary film is. Does Moore's use of selected images and incidents concerning President George W. Bush, the war on terror, and the invasion of Iraq constitute something other than what we understand to a documentary film to be? What exactly is a documentary film and how has that definition changed over the years? Can a doc have a point of view and still be a doc?
During a panel discussion about telling political stories, at the Nantucket Film Festival just days before the release of 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' panelists debated some of these very issues. The debate has intensified in the mainstream media since the release of Moore's film. indieWIRE asked a number of leading members of the independent film community for their views on the matter. Participants offered their opinions via email and their answers have been grouped below."


by Eugene Hernandez

Michael Moore.com : A British General's View of Fahrenheit 9/11

Michael Moore.com :A British General's View of Fahrenheit 9/11: "I suspect many soldiers serving in Iraq today will find Michael Moore's film intensely irritating.
This is because for much of the film he allows his antiwar, anti-Bush and anti-big business stance to obscure the important debate: whether President George W. Bush led his country - and by default the UK - into war in Iraq on a lie and whether subsequently, in trying to impose justice, freedom and democracy on the Iraqi people by force, the Americans became so violent and brutal themselves that they lost the moral high ground for ever.
Nevertheless, Moore has mounted a powerful protest against the Bush administration, in which he uses all the tricks of the skilled polemicist - ridicule, conspiracy theory and sensationalism."


DAILY MAIL (London) / July 1, 2004
General Sir Michael Rose, Former Commander of the UN Protection Force in Bosnia

NOTE: I could not find this article on the DAILY MAIL website.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Defend America Defeat Bush (we picked up some bumper stickers that read this slogan)

Well, Brent and I went and saw Fahrenheit 911 on opening night last weekend with Jeremy, Paul, Charlie, Dustin, Kelli, and Anna. It was AMAZING just as expected. Talk about take a run on your emotions.

It was really funny AND really sad. We're going to see it AGAIN tonight (with Joey and Ashely I think)! I can't wait because I'm sure there are things that I missed the first time or just have forgotten were included. Monday Brent, Paul, and I went to New Orleans for a House Party called "turn up the heat". It was pretty fun. There was about 100 people there all listening to a live feed of Michael Moore speaking out to us and answering a few questions. We were joined by more than 4,600 other house parties totaling about 55,000 people all over the US listening to Mike speak. It was pretty neat. It didn't last as long as we had expected but it was fun going and seeing all the different people who attended the party. I got a few complements on my shirt (the F911 one I made). Some old lady with a cute accent (from (paul says) probably either Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or South America) got me to stand up so she could show her husband. It was funny. She wanted to know where she could buy some. It's nice to see so many people who know what's really going on and be so interested to attend something hosted by Moveon.org (which Brent and I now belong to). We're going to post our pictures from the party to the moveon cite tonight. I'll probably post them here later too. I hope work goes by quickly because I'm ready to go watch the movie!!
-catherine (Blog Post)

The New York Times: Op-Ed Columnist: Moore's Public Service

The New York Times: "And for all its flaws, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' performs an essential service. It would be a better movie if it didn't promote a few unproven conspiracy theories, but those theories aren't the reason why millions of people who aren't die-hard Bush-haters are flocking to see it. These people see the film to learn true stories they should have heard elsewhere, but didn't. Mr. Moore may not be considered respectable, but his film is a hit because the respectable media haven't been doing their job.
For example, audiences are shocked by the now-famous seven minutes, when George Bush knew the nation was under attack but continued reading 'My Pet Goat' with a group of children. Nobody had told them that the tales of Mr. Bush's decisiveness and bravery on that day were pure fiction.
Or consider the Bush family's ties to the Saudis. The film suggests that Mr. Bush and his good friend Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the ambassador known to the family as Bandar Bush, have tried to cover up the extent of Saudi involvement in terrorism. This may or may not be true. But what shocks people, I think, is the fact that nobody told them about this side of Mr. Bush's life. "


Paul Krugman
The New York Times

cnn: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' could mean millions for charities

'Fahrenheit 9/11' could mean millions for charities - Jul. 2, 2004: "NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Charities could be among the biggest winners from the box-office success of the anti-Bush documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' according to a published report.
The Wall Street Journal reported that about 60 percent of the net profit ultimately generated by the film could go to charities yet to be identified by Walt Disney Co.
The movie by liberal filmmaker Michael Moore had been financed by Disney unit Miramax, but the media conglomerate declined to release the picture, which is critical of the Bush administration and its efforts against terrorism, saying it did not want to take such a partisan position during an election year. So Disney sold the distribution rights back to Miramax's chiefs, brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein."

Thursday, July 01, 2004

Tribnet.com - Admiration: Army specialist serving in Iraq calls it an important film 'everyone should see'

Tribnet.com - News/Local: "For U.S. Army Spc. Edward Cruz, 23, it's been midnight in America for too long now.
Cruz, a soldier on leave between deployments to Iraq, stood outside Tacoma's Grand Cinema early Friday morning, weeping. He was among the first screeners at the theater's 12:01 a.m. premiere of 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' Michael Moore's blistering indictment of President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.
After a moment of being unable to speak, Cruz, from Bremerton, sought to explain the transformation he's had.
That transformation happened before Cruz saw 'Fahrenheit.' But the film, which he watched with fellow Spc. Andre Roberge, 21, did much to affirm both men's viewpoints about the war.
'We shouldn't be over there,' Cruz said. 'But we can't leave now. We're stuck.'"


DIANE DE LA PAZ
The News Tribune

Eonline- Playing "Fahrenheit"

Eonline- Playing "Fahrenheit": "For once, perhaps, Jim Kenefick has taken Michael Moore at his word.

Armed with a Moore sound bite in which the Oscar-winning gadfly says he doesn't 'have a problem with people downloading' his movies, Kenefick is doing as the man says--and encouraging Netizens to download the filmmaker's latest incendiary device, Fahrenheit 9/11.
'Clearly, we have an agenda,' Kenefick, who co-runs the anti-Moore site, Moorewatch.com, said Thursday. 'We want people to watch it. Let's face it: I don't mind being a bee in his bonnet.' "

By Joal Ryan
Eonline

The New York Times >Movie Review | 'America's Heart and Soul': A Chance to Vote at the Box Office for the Heartland

America's Heart and Soul: "Thanks to 'The Passion of the Christ' and 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' buying a movie ticket has become like casting a vote - or at least like calling the 900 number on 'American Idol.'
The latest film to go after your ideological dollar is 'America's Heart and Soul,' a feel-good documentary that Disney has had on the company release schedule for several months, long before Michael Eisner, the chief executive of Disney, courted public controversy by declining to distribute 'Fahrenheit 9/11' (and by doing so, gave the film invaluable publicity). "


By DAVE KEHR

The Corporation - A film by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, and Joel Bakan

The Corporation - A film by Mark Achbar One hundred and fifty years ago, the corporation was a relatively insignificant entity. Today, it is a vivid, dramatic and pervasive presence in all our lives. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Communist Party in other times and places, the corporation is today’s dominant institution. But history humbles dominant institutions. All have been crushed, belittled or absorbed into some new order. The corporation is unlikely to be the first to defy history. In this complex and highly entertaining documentary, Mark Achbar, co-director of the influential and inventive MANUFACTURING CONSENT: NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE MEDIA, teams up with co-director Jennifer Abbott and writer Joel Bakan to examine the far-reaching repercussions of the corporation’s increasing preeminence. Based on Bakan’s book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, the film is a timely, critical inquiry that invites CEOs, whistle-blowers, brokers, gurus, spies, players, pawns and pundits on a graphic and engaging quest to reveal the 4corporation’s inner workings, curious history, controversial impacts and possible futures. Featuring illuminating interviews with Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Howard Zinn and many others, THE CORPORATION charts the spectacular rise of an institution aimed at achieving specific economic goals as it also recounts victories against this apparently invincible force."



Page Resources
Watch Trailer
Audience Forum

The Nation: Moore 1, Media 0

Moore 1, Media 0: "had a swell time at Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore's documentary about George Bush's dubious progress from Florida to Iraq. It's his best movie--funny, heartbreaking, outraged and outrageous--and deserves its huge success. When did you last see a muckraking expos of events that are still unfolding? The film should make the media blush for its torpor and fake judiciousness and embedment with the Administration. Moore displays footage never before seen of events most Americans know nothing about, unless they read The Nation, because the media haven't told them. Did you know, for example, that the Congressional Black Caucus could not get a single Democratic senator to lend the required signature to its formal protest of the certification of Bush's victory in 2000? Did you know Prince Bandar, the Saudi ambassador, dined with Bush on September 13, 2001, the day before flights began that would carry more than a hundred Saudis out of the country, including dozens of members of the extended bin Laden family? Have you seen wounded and dead Iraqis on TV, or interviews with mutilated soldiers, disillusioned soldiers--or with parents of dead GIs? If Joe Darby hadn't jump-started the Abu Ghraib scandal with those photos, you might well be seeing the brutalization of Iraqi prisoners for the first time in a brief scene in Fahrenheit 9/11. "


by Katha Pollitt
The Nation

Democratic Underground: Moore and More is Needed

Moore and More is Needed: "One Republican who was taken to see Fahrenheit by a friend told me she had never known any of these things before, especially that Bush had connections to the Bin Ladens. She clearly was unsure whether to believe it all. And in the face of it she was still able to think of Bush as a good president. But she was overflowing with questions.
A Republican Floridian quoted by the New York Times said: 'Oh my goodness, I cried. 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.'
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, one viewer 'said he was an independent who had not decided how to vote in November. He said, however, that a section of the film showing U.S. troops in Iraq speaking out against the war had a strong effect on him.
'That really hit me,' he said. 'That did tilt me toward the Democrats.''
According to every corporate newspaper I've seen, the fact that people could be so shocked by the revelation of such recent and important events indicated absolutely nothing about the performance of the media worth commenting on.

Where I saw the movie on Saturday in D.C., the audience cheered and laughed at various points, but most people walked out looking glum and not talking to each other, at least not at first. My own reaction was complete agreement with the movie - something I had not found with Bowling for Columbine. But I wished, although I saw problems with it, that the movie had included a successful popular fight for change and a call to action. On second thought I revised my wish: I now wish the movie had closed with a recommended reading list."


By David Swanson
Democratic Underground

Think Again: Michael Moore, Cause for War? - Center for American Progress

Think Again: Michael Moore, Cause for War? - Center for American Progress: "The media, apparently, have finally decided to take a stand for truth in reporting. Their target? Alleged America-hater Michael Moore and his apparently epoch-making 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' His film turns out to be of such critical importance to the Fate of the Republic that journalists have spared no trite observation in parsing every shot of the film for accuracy. Some do not even bother doing that much, dismissing the film regardless of the level of truth it contains. As Gwen Ifill, managing editor of 'Washington Week' told NBC's Tim Russert the June 27 edition of 'Meet the Press,' 'You know, I look at this movie as a journalist, and as a journalist I have this affection for facts and accuracy. And even though there are facts in this movie, on whole it's not accurate.'

I fill goes on to equate Moore with President Bush, claiming, 'The president, according to Democrats, did that with 9/11. He said, 'Well, there was terrorism on 9/11. There's terrorism in Afghanistan. And we know that Saddam Hussein consorted with terrorists, and you make the conclusion.' Michael Moore is doing the same thing. He's saying, 'Well, look at the president and the Saudis. They were all friendly.'' It would be a more effective critique, to put it mildly, if Ifill could come up with a single factual claim that Moore did not support. But even so, it's quite a leap. After all, how many people are likely to die for Moore's misportrayals?"

Eric Alterman
Think Again

Brand Republic: New Michael Moore film pushed with open letter to Blair

Brand Republic: "LONDON - An open letter to Tony Blair and projected images of Michael Moore on major buildings are at the centre of the promotional campaign for the Oscar-winning director's controversial new film 'Fahrenheit 9/11'.

The open letter to Prime Minister Blair appears in the current issue of parliament's The House magazine, and in it the film's distributor, Optimum Releasing, issues an invitation to the PM for a private screening.

It is part of a media campaign planned and bought by Target NMI to promote the film ahead of its launch next week.

There will also be laser projections on unnamed significant buildings, in the style of Gail Porter's appearance on the Houses of Parliament, but using an image of the filmmaker Moore. There will also be advertisements in the national press and outdoor, playing up the film's controversial side."


Jennifer Whitehead
Brand Republic

Pridesource.com/BTL News - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' heats up the Bush debate

Pridesource.com/BTL News - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' heats up the Bush debate: "Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is tailor made for people like my best friend. For people like me who have been closely following this administration the film revealed very little I didn't already know.

What Moore does, however, is condense a smattering of evidence that the Bush Administration has been less than honest about, oh, just about everything, and that Bush is a swaggering, shoot-first-ask-questions-later, inarticulate cowboy, into 112 gripping minutes. The information may not be new, but Moore's method of delivery will get more people to pay attention in this very important election year.

'Fahrenheit 9/11' is not an easy film to watch, and not just because of the scene where Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz slathers a comb in saliva and runs it through his hair. Moore uses graphic images of injured and dead soldiers and Iraqi civilians. He reminds us that war is ugly and painful and not at all glamorous. "

By D'Anne Witkowski

Yahoo! News - MICHAEL MOORE AND BUSH

Yahoo! News - MICHAEL MOORE AND BUSH: "It's all there. Or is it?
It's an important question. Americans have been flocking to movie theaters in record numbers to view the 'documentary,' which has already broken box office records for films of its kind. In New York City, movie houses are sold out, even on weeknights. The enormous appeal raises a question: Will Moore's bare-knuckled bashing of Bush and his presidency be a factor in November's election? Supporters of John Kerry (news - web sites) are parking themselves outside some theaters to sign up voters as they exit.
Moore has made no secret of his agenda in making the film. It's to defeat Bush. And he is using what he does best -- storytelling. He's good at it. A previous documentary, 'Bowling for Columbine,' won an Oscar in 2002, and 'Fahrenheit' received a coveted award at the Cannes Film Festival."

Gerald M. Boyd
Op/Ed

Michael Moore's Movie: Top Cartoonists On MICHAEL MOORE AND FARENHEIT 9/11

Michael Moore's Movie: "MICHAEL MOORE AND FARENHEIT 9/11 ... by all the top cartoonists! "

'Fahrenheit' Webcast turns activist heat up

'Fahrenheit' Webcast turns activist heat up: "It was quite a juxtaposition: the clink of cool champagne glasses and an incendiary documentary.
Perhaps 150 Michael Moore fans/George W. Bush non-fans jammed the cushy confines of the Bubble Lounge, on Montgomery near Columbus, to sip bubbly and participate in the nationally Webcast 'Turn Up the Heat' town hall meeting Monday night. The young and the sleek in low-slung jeans and flip-flops, well- heeled Financial District Dems, fleece-clad Sierra Clubbers with graying hair -- an eclectic crowd sat in overstuffed chairs and on barstools, and when those were filled, on the floor in front of a movie screen, on which was projected a computer Web page.
Moveon.org hosted the only-in-the-21st-century event, proving again that the activist nonprofit is among the most savvy when it comes to organizing the troops. On the heels of the phenomenal opening of Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' and with just a few days of publicity and planning, Moveon had managed to mobilize its members to organize house -- or bar or bookstore -- parties for the purpose of hearing Moore speak and answer questions in real time. "


Jane Ganahl

Disney unleashes a star-spangled riposte to Moore

FT.com /Arts & Weekend/Film & television: "Walt Disney, which refused to distribute Michael Moore's controversial Fahrenheit 9/11, is using the Fourth of July holiday to launch a feelgood feature film about the American people.

Michael Eisner, Disney's chief executive, last year told executives at Miramax, the company's independent subsidiary, that he would not approve the release of Moore's film. Shortly before the Cannes film festival, Eisner repeated his edict, sparking accusations of censorship and a row with Miramax's founders, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, all of which helped to fuel the publicity for Fahrenheit 9/11.

The Weinsteins eventually bought the rights to the film with their own money and distributed it through Lion's Gate and IFC films. Last weekend, Fahrenheit 9/11 raked in $24m (£13m) at the box office, a record for a documentary. By Wednesday the release had been widened from 868 to an estimated 1,200 screens, and total takings had expanded to almost $36m."

By Holly Yeager
Peter Thal Larsen

NOTE: There is a rumor that Disney-owned Buena Vista Home Entertainment will distribute Fahrenheit 9/11 on DVD in September.

Tavis Smiley: Michael Moore - How I aquired film Footage (Audio, Transcript)

Tavis Smiley . Archive . Tuesday June 29th | PBS Tavis Smiley, PBS West Coast talk show host, fines out where Michael Moore got some of the footage for Fahrenheit 911.



Tavis Smiley Show features a hybrid of news, issues and entertainment, featuring interviews with newsmakers, politicians, celebrities and real people.

MSNBC - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Web leak stirs controversy

MSNBC - 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Web leak stirs controversy: "NEW YORK - The war between Michael Moore and his critics has escalated as a Web site targeting the "Fahrenheit 9/11" director posted a link to an illegal "Fahrenheit" file download. In the process, it also attacked the filmmaker's stance on copyright law.
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A June 27 posting on the site MooreWatch.com invites visitors to download the film. It quotes Moore, though it doesn't cite a source, as encouraging such downloading by saying: "I don't agree with the copyright laws, and I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people. As long as they're not doing it to make a profit, you know, as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labor. I would oppose that."
Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Films Releasing, which is distributing the film with IFC Films and Harvey and Bob Weinstein's Fellowship Adventure Group, said Wednesday that his company is exploring legal action."

By Ian Mohr
Hollywood Reporter
Reuters

Forum Discussion


Karen Duffy, former MTV VJ, Revlon model and author of “A Slob in the Kitchen,” is the new "advocate for Moore" when he is unavailable.

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Moore's world -- more red, more blue

Moore's world -- more red, more blue: "Boston -- MAYBE IT WAS because the man on my left was doing a play-by-play when any member of the Bush team came on the screen. Maybe it was because the movie theater was within pitching range of Fenway Park.
But halfway through 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' I realized this wasn't an audience, it was a fan club. They weren't watching the movie, they were rooting for it.
I saw this movie in a sold-out theater on a Monday night surrounded by people in their 20s. You go, Michael. If 'Fahrenheit 9/11' preaches to the choir, you could find me in the alto section.
More to the point -- or Moore to the point -- I agreed with the filmmaker that George W. Bush didn't exactly win the 2000 election, that we were misled into the Iraq war and that the White House has used the terrorism alerts as a political toy. So add my review to the marquee: I laughed! I cried! "

Ellen Goodman
Washington Post Writers Group

Michael Moore's showing in Show Me State | csmonitor.com

Michael Moore's showing in Show Me State | csmonitor.com: "ST. LOUIS - Despite his glee over reports of political conversions and commitments during viewings of 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' Michael Moore's impact on the presidential race in Missouri probably will be measured by how loudly the choir sings after its members leave the theater.
In a state where the latest Wall Street Journal Battleground States Poll has President Bush and Democratic contender John Kerry in a dead heat at 48.6 percent to 47.9 percent, even a small number of votes could make a difference. After all, Mr. Bush took Missouri, which has a knack for going with the presidential winner, with 50 percent in 2000.

But interviews, Internet posts, and news reports suggest that most of the thousands of Missourians who saw the movie in its first five days are already anti-Bush. Unless that ratio shifts considerably, it's unlikely that enough undecided voters will see the movie to sway the outcome here - even if all of them shift into Senator Kerry's column."

By Staci D. Kramer
Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

'Fahrenheit 9/11' and Public Dissent

'Fahrenheit 9/11' and Public Dissent: "'Fahrenheit 9/11' is an instant classic. Moore has awakened the sleeping giant, the American electorate.

Sean Gallagher

San Diego"


Letter to the Editor

Late Show: Top Ten George W. Bush Complaints About 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

CBS | Late Show Top Ten Archive: June 29, 2004: "Top Ten George W. Bush Complaints About 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

10. That actor who played the President was totally unconvincing
9. It oversimplified the way I stole the election
8. Too many of them fancy college-boy words
7. If Michael Moore had waited a few months, he could have included the part where I get him deported
6. Didn't have one of them hilarious monkeys who smoke cigarettes and gives people the finger
5. Of all Michael Moore's accusations, only 97% are true
4. Not sure - - I passed out after a piece of popcorn lodged in my windpipe
3. Where the hell was Spider-man?
2. Couldn't hear most of the movie over Cheney's foul mouth
1. I thought this was supposed to be about Dodgeball

Fahrenheit has South Africa date

Fahrenheit has SA date: "Fahrenheit 9/11 created a huge demand on the web, with the Michael Moore website receiving 20 million hits a day, and 30 million the day the trailer went online on www.michaelmoore.com.
Michael Moore's provocative film will be released in South African cinemas on July 30 by Anant Singh's Videovision Entertainment through United International Pictures.
Advance preview screenings will take place at selected cinemas on July 25. "

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

IMDb News: Disney DVD Distribution Done Deal

News for Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): "The trade publication Video Store magazine said today (Wednesday) that some analysts are forecasting that the Disney-owned Buena Vista Home Entertainment will wind up with DVD distribution rights, even though Disney rejected the film for theatrical release. Entertainment analyst Dennis McAlpine told the publication: 'My guess is that there is already a deal in place [with Disney] somewhere. It may well be that Disney or Miramax had a right of first refusal on the film if they wanted' to distribute it on DVD."


NOTE: There is more money in DVD distribution than there is in a theatrical release. Disney has their hooks into the Fahrenheit 9/11 profit pot. Will Mickey Mouse management donate their take to charity?

L.A. Daily News: Theaters hike security for Moore's documentary

L.A. Daily News: "Theater chains have stepped up security to enforce the R rating imposed on Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' by the Motion Picture Association of America, but one independent chain in Northern California is openly flouting the restriction.
'We will not enforce the R Rating for 'Fahrenheit 9/11,'' states the marquee at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, which had sold-out shows all weekend.
'We've gotten a lot of support and a few e-mails from people who say they will never go into my theater again,' said Allen Michaan, owner of the theater and three others in the Bay Area. 'We felt very strongly that the film did not warrant an R rating and that the audience that is being excluded, the young people 14-16 years old, it's their future that is at the most stake of anyone's.'

Then this week, the MPAA banned a quote by film critic Richard Roeper from the movie's advertising materials in which he stated that: "Everyone in the country should see this film!" According to the MPAA, calling for "everyone" to see the film is in violation of the movie's R-rating.

Michaan said his stance on the "Fahrenheit" rating is an isolated incident and does not reflect regular policy at his theaters.

"Typically my theaters are the most stringent in enforcing the R-rating in our area so it's ironic," he said. "We don't let kids go into see R-rated films, but if they go to the multiplex around us, it's easy for them to get into whatever R-rated movie they want to see."
"

By Greg Hernandez
L.A. Daily News

New York Daily News : Moore's message delivered, big-time

New York Daily News: "You could have heard a tear fall.
As an American mother named Lila Lipscomb drowned in anguish over the death of her son in Iraq, the packed Loews Bay Terrace theater in Queens was so silent at the 11 a.m. show of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' on Friday that all you could hear was the rustle of tissues. I sat in the back of the theater, with an unemployed construction worker from Brooklyn, and as the movie played, I watched men and women, young and old, wiping their eyes in silhouette.
They were the tears of the nation this weekend as 'Fahrenheit 9/11' blazed from sea to shining sea as the No.1 movie in America.
This was a brand-new moviegoing experience.

Back in Brooklyn, the unemployed construction worker bought a bootleg copy of "Fahrenheit 9/11," shot with a camcorder in a movie house.

He called to say, "Even the audience in the bootleg film applauds at the end."


Denis Hamill
New York Daily News

Portsmouth Herald Editorial: Public mood, not a film, will determine election

Portsmouth Herald Editorial: Public mood, not a film, will determine election: "Documentary films are the last bastion of advocacy journalism. Newspapers and news magazines are expected to offer unbiased views of what they report, although even in the choice of what they report they reflect a point of view.
Documentary films - from 'Reefer Madness,' the anti-marijuana film of the 1950s, to Moore�s 'Bowling for Columbine' and, now, 'Fahrenheit 911' - are intended to promote a point of view, and combine graphic images with language and music that enhances that vision.
'Fahrenheit 911' certainly fulfills its mission and that mission is decidedly anti-Bush and anti-war. As is Moore�s style, it mixes the grotesque with the humorous, horrors with beauty, with Moore continually narrating the action. "

Newsday.com : Families push 9/11 movie

Newsday.com - New York City News: "President Bush and everyone in Washington should screen Michael Moore's controversial anti-Bush film 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' a group of military and 9/11 families said Wednesday.

'What we want to say is how important Michael Moore's movie is ... in bringing back the ability to have a dialogue' about the issues surrounding the war,' said Nancy Lessin of the group Military Families Speak Out, whose stepson is a Marine.

'What we're trying to do here is to tell the administration ... not only see it but then come out ... and explain why this happened, why we went to Iraq and why 9/11 happened,' said Ivan Medina, a former Marine from Middletown, N.Y., who served in Iraq and whose twin brother Irving was killed there."


Associated Press


Actress Karen Duffy speaks to members of the press during a rally at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas to support Michael Moore's new documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."
(Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images) June 30, 2004 (Newsday photo gallery)

Newsday Online Poll


Have you seen 'Farenheit 9/11'?

41.5% Yes. (68 responses)
3.0% No. (5 responses)
39.0% I plan to as soon as I can. (64 responses)
5.5% I'll see it when it hits video stores. (9 responses)
11.0% I have no plans to see it. (18 responses)

164 total responses

CD Baby: David Rovics Interview (Part 2 of 2)

CD Baby - CD Baby artist David Rovics is the featured snger/songwriter on Fahrenheit 911 news/info blog: "F911: How many "911" songs have you written?

David: I've written quite a few. In one way or another, all of my songs written since 9/11 are influenced by 9/11.

On 9/11 I wrote 'International Terrorists,' about the U.S. military, mostly.

Later in the month I wrote 'The Dying Firefighter,' which i think is my best effort on the subject to date.

Those both appear on the CD, 'Living in These Times,' as well as on my website for free download, along with all of my recordings, which can be found under 'audio and video on-line' on www.davidrovics.com.

On my 2002 release, 'hang a flag in the window,' there are many 9/11-related songs. (I'm looking at the liner notes on my website to remind me of which ones.) It kind of depends on how you define something that's about 9/11. Assuming it relates not only to the actual event in New York City, but also to the so-called 'war on terror' and the various invasions of sovereign countries that have happened in the past few years, most of my stuff is related.

Here’s a brief summary of "911" songs

F911: What do you think of the anti-Michael Moore groups that were created to censor the film?

David: The anti-Michael Moore groups are just a bunch of rich people who are afraid of getting burned by the reality Michael Moore is bringing to our attention so gracefully. I think they're scared, and they have reason to be. They’re scared of the truth. They only survive through their control of the press, ultimately. But we must continue to try to get the truth out there, and that partly means, of course, supporting Michael Moore and his important efforts.

F911: How does “Reichstag Fire” relate to Fahrenheit 911?

David: Of course, hopefully people can listen to the song on my website and find out what it's about that way, that's definitely best. But assuming you (reader) has heard it... the verses are describing the various inconsistencies and strange coincidences around 9/11 reporting and Bush's reactions to it, etc. Most of the information was gotten through mass media sources I found on various websites related to the 9/11 skeptics movement. (Some of whom are totally wacked, others are spot on.)

I think I wrote it in January, 2003. I was just thinking about the burning of the German Reichstag that Hitler used as an excuse to start rounding up communists, Jews, etc., and about our own Lusitanian, Alamo, Gulf of Tonkin, etc., that we used as excuses to start all of our own wars of aggression, wars of empire.


F911: Are your songs available for digital download?

David: I make them all available for free download in the audio and video section of http://www.davidrovics.com -- or just go directly to http://www.soundclick.com/davidrovics. spread the word!

F911: How can people donate to you online?

David: There’s a link for doing that in the audio and video section of my website or in the "message" section on Soundclick. Or on Paypal they can just donate using my email address, drovics@ aol.com (I know I should get a new ISP). People should feel free to contact me via that email, too.

June 30: just saw the film last night. it was really great. i was once again so impressed by moore's ability to make politically incisive, powerful, necessary information available to the public in a way that i think most of the public can easily understand. - David

------------------------
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

------------------
Click title for full interview.

Democracy Now! | Embedded Filmmaker Who Shot "Fahrenheit 9/11" Iraq Footage (Video, Transcript)

Democracy Now! | Embedded Filmmaker Who Shot "Fahrenheit 9/11" : "Michael Moore's new film Fahrenheit 9-11 has been shattering box office record for a documentary and is being credited by some with boosting public interest in current events in Iraq. The film deals extensively with the build-up to the war, as well as the occupation as well.
In producing the film, Moore relied on a number of independent filmmakers on the ground in Iraq to get much of the footage he uses to paint a picture of the occupation. One of the filmmakers who provided Moore with some disturbing footage is in our studio today.
Urban Hamid, independent filmmaker who recently returned from Iraq. His footage of U.S. troops taunting and humiliating Iraqi prisoners appears in Michael Moore's latest film, Fahrenheit 9/11."


AMY GOODMAN
Democracy Now!