Fahrenheit 9/11

[maudmac]

Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, after some distributor drama and winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, hits theatres Friday, June 25th.



I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it, even though I'm certain I'll be risking a stroke. Bowling for Columbine and Roger & Me gave me fits.



Anyway, the Fahrenheit 9/11 trailer is up now:



www.fahrenheit911.com/



www.michaelmoore.com/

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and i don't really care if you think i'm strange   /   i ain't gonna change

[Warduke]

Finally!



I really want to see this one. I watched Bowling for Columbine and I was really impressed, can't wait to see it.

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Firefox: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[emma peel]

i haven't seen any of Moore's other films, but I'm really curious to see this one, even though I'll probably bust a gut or something from being pissed off even more than I am at Dubya. I'm really wanting to see the 7 minutes of Dubya just sitting around the classroom after hearing about the bombings. That footage is supposed to be pretty damning, and taken by the school. Pretty cool that Moore was able to get it.

[xita]

Oh, I can't wait to see this one. Um, you can find that footage online btw, it's not hard to find. It's very interesting to watch him sit there with no reaction. I however was very distracted by the reading lesson and kept wondering what grade those kids were in. That's the teacher in me cringing

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[Willowlicious]

I can't wait to see this movie! I'm even going to try to drag my sweet, non-political, "why are you so angry?" Dad to see it. Although, I already had the "a vote for Bush is a vote against your own daughter" conversation with him because of the proposed gay marriage amendment. He seemed to get it, but more information never hurts. He's splitting his time between Michigan and Florida now, so I'm going to try to get him to vote for Kerry in Florida.



Sigh. Sometimes I truly wonder how I was born into my family. The things I must go through just to win a single vote.



Amy

Edited by: Willowlicious at: 6/3/04 7:28 am

[Hemiola]

Lemme tell ya, folks, that scene is by no means the worst representation of our "Fearless Leader".



I have seen several excerpts from the film, and for me, by far the worst shows "Wubya" at a Republican fund-raiser, starting his remarks by stating "I love being here with the people I'm most comfortable with, the Haves and the Have-Mores."



I have the perfect campaign slogan for Kerry: "Vote For Kerry. Prove that you have a brain."

Edited by: Hemiola at: 6/3/04 3:46 pm

[Gatito Grande]

Or prove that the American Electorate has a conscience.

Quote:

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"Wubya" at a Republican fund-raiser, starting his remarks by stating "I love being here with the people I'm most comfortable with, the Haves and the Have-Mores.

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That's great. I'd love to see how that line goes over in MM's hometown of Flint (the economic basketcase of a basketcase state, Michigan).



GG Natch' he's "most comfortable" w/ the Have-Mores. He's been w/ them (alone) since birth! Out

[sam7777]

Now this is the "controversial" movie that I can get behind. Instead of bashing a minority group, Moore is going after The Bush administration who have done anything but bring honor back to the White House as "Wubya" promised. Never has the United States been more disgraced as it was by the Abu Gharaib scandal. Remember when "Wubya" promised the republicans would be an "inclusive" party? Apparently they only want to include reactionary catholics who want to deny communion to anyone that doesn't agree with them and exclude even "uncle tom" gays like the log cabin republicans. For once the media isn't kow towing to the right wingers. Not one theather chain has declined to air "Fahrenheit 9/11". I can't wait to see it.

_____________________

I still see dead lesbian cliches

Edited by: sam7777  at: 6/21/04 11:43 am

[dekalog]

Sam actually MM is having a hard time getting this into theatres in the US - check out his site - www.michaelmoore.com/index_real.php

He's also getting some press for his next flick "Sicko" about the health care system. Gotta love this guy - it's like he's got a big stick and just keeps poking.

[sam7777]

dekalog: True the right wingers are out there trying to stop the movie from airing but still haven't caused a theatre chain to officially announce that they won't air it:



'Fahrenheit 9/11' Becomes Political Lightning Rod

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Moore's supporters insist the campaign to stifle "Fahrenheit 9/11" will work to the film's advantage, generating controversy that ultimately would lead more exhibitors to show the film and more people to see it.



"The misguided efforts of a few to try and suppress and censor the film will backfire," said Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Films Releasing. "One of the most important lessons of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is that we need less censorship in this country, not more."



He acknowledged that a few exhibitors had expressed some concern about the politically charged nature of the film but knew of none who had turned down the movie.

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Conservatives counter Fahrenheit 9/11

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It is set for release on June 25, debuting on at least 500 screens, with plans to expand to hundreds more in the coming weeks.



...



So far, however, Move America Forward's letters about Fahrenheit 9/11 haven't changed anything.



"There has been some communication, but not an overwhelming amount. And we do intend to play the film," said Dick Westerling, spokesman for the theatre chain Regal Entertainment Group, which has 6,020 screens in the United States.

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Fans, foes of '9/11' gearing up

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The Pacific Theatre chain also indicated that it will not be dissuaded by the e-mails

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This is in direct contrast to gutless Moonves of CBS pulling the Reagan miniseries from CBS to Showtime for the Move America Forward shits.

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I still see dead lesbian cliches

Edited by: sam7777  at: 6/21/04 1:52 pm

[AmbersSecretAdmirer]

Amazingly, we seem to have fewer problems here in the UK. We got the deal to show the film before the US (although we don't actually get it until a few weeks after the US release).



Moreover, whilst most documentaries in UK cinemas are given a limited release, this one is getting the full treatment.



I for one am looking forward to Moore having a go at Dubya cos someone has too.

TARA AND WILLOW 2GETHER 4EVER!!! BLESSED BE ETERNALLY!!!

[Ziona]

Here in Germany Fahrenheit 9/11 will start in a month in over 200 movie theaters. Never before a documentary movie was shown in so many theaters.

[sam7777]

Yep Fahrenheit 9/11 is getting more exposure and a larger release than most documentaries ever get. The campaign against the movie isn't working to keep it out of theatres:



Director Moore Says Time to Wake Up the 'Choir'

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Distributors Lions Gate Films and IFC Films have already placed "Fahrenheit 9/11" in over 750 theaters for Friday, said Lions Gate distribution chief Tom Ortenberg.



All major chains have agreed to play the movie and awareness among fans is growing rapidly, he said.

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Because it will debut in far fewer theaters than a major motion picture, which can be released in over 3,000, "Fahrenheit 9/11" will likely not open as No. 1 on box-office charts despite the intense interest and controversy the film has generated.



Even so, the documentary stands likely to top the box-office success of Moore's Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine," the highest grossing documentary on record, which had a global haul of $58 million. That film debuted in only eight theaters in the U.S. and Canada when it opened in 2002.

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750 theatres versus 8 is quite a step up for "Fahrenheit 9/11". And it's an increase of 250 from the numbers that Moore reported on his website.



ETA: Fahrenheit 9/11 is now booked into more than 800 theatres:

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Keeps R Rating, Widens Debut

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Distributors Lions Gate Films and IFC Films said "Fahrenheit" has now been booked into 868 theaters for its nationwide debut on Friday, unprecedented for a political documentary.

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ETA2: Fahrenheit 9/11 got an R which was expected given the violent imagery in it's Irag footage. Moore's appeal for a PG-13 rating was simply not realistic. The imagery in Fahrenheit 9/11 is simply not appropriate for people under 13 or 14. A PG-13 ratings lets anyone in and only acts as an advisory. This movie and Gibson's show that the system is broken IMHO.



I think the US ratings system needs to be overhauled. I propose using the R rating system to limit content by age. If a movie only has one scene of violence it should not get the same ratings as an intensely violent movie that is almost all violence and blood like Gibson's latest and it's second cousin, Dawn of the Dead. Since NC-17 is only applied to sexual content as a replacement ot the X rating, perhaps they should also create a new rating R-17 for intense violence. If a movie is predominantly violence and blood it should get the R-17 (no one under 17 admitted) ratings but if it only has a couple of scenes of violence, it should get an R-14 (no one under 14 admitted) for example.



The current ratings system simply doesn't work. Movies are rated more often in accordance with the desires of conservative groups who don't like any sexual content but tolerate a great deal of violence especially if the movie meets their poli-religious goals. Since folks like the Parent Teacher council complain vociferously about sexual content that content often gets rated disproportionately over violent content. The level of violence should be the indicator and not iit's gratuitousness which is often twisted to allow violence in movies that matching your political and/or religious agenda. People disagree on whether or not showing violence is necessary to the art and/or agenda of a film but do not disagree on what is violent. Europe and Canada have ratings systems that make much more sense and can limit content more by age:

Movie ratings

US

# G - Movie suitable for all ages

# PG - Parental guidance suggested - Contains mature themes, may not be suitable for small children

# PG-13 - Parents strongly cautioned - Contains mature themes, may not be suitable for children under 13 years old

# R - Restricted - Contains mature themes (usually sex and/or violence). Children under 17 not admitted without an adult

# NC-17 - No children under 17 admitted.



France:

# valid for all audiences;

# with a prohibition for minors of 12;

# with a prohibition for minors of 16;

# with a prohibition for minors of 18.

In addition, the movie may be considered "pornographic or inciting to violence" (colloquially referred to as "X-rated).



Their ratings allow for dividing content allowed by age and distinguishes between pornagraphic (violent/sexual) and adult content. I see a disproportionate prohibition against sexual content as a way to censor gay themes in film. If a film has PG sexual content, it should not get a higher rating because the couple is gay. I think it's sad that misguided people think they should take 9 year old and even younger kids to see an intensely violent film regardless of it's agenda. I think violence is more of a problem that sexual content to young minds. I hope that parents will take their teens to see Fahrenheit 9/11 but would certainly not think it's appropriate for the under 13 crowd nor does Michael Moore. He wants his film seen by 15 and 16 year olds who may end up as fodder in future wars.

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I still see dead lesbian cliches

Edited by: sam7777  at: 6/23/04 1:27 pm

[BBOvenGuy]

The R rating will probably bring in more teenagers than a PG-13 rating would anyway.

"The stories we tell - that's us explaining how we think the world works. Once we speak it, once we say it aloud, that makes it real for us - and real for everyone else who hears it too. When we tell a story, we invite people to visit our reality. We invite them to move in. Our stories are the reality we live in." - David Gerrold, The Martian Child

[sam7777]

Bob: Too True.



Fahrenheit 9/11 is now up to 900 theatres for it's release:

A Different Kind of Heat Wave

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. But when "Fahrenheit 9/11" opens tomorrow in 900 theaters nationwide -- a record for a documentary film release -- it will represent a far more powerful collision of culture and politics: a major film aimed directly at President Bush and his policies on terrorism and Iraq.

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If the reactionaries keep it up, Fahrenheit 9/11 may well approach the number of theatres that a regular feature gets. In three days from 6/21 to 6/23, it has nearly doubled the number of theatres going from 500 to 900. I'm personally hoping it passes the thousand mark before this weekend. Its nice to see someone use controversy for a good cause. Go Michael Moore!

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I still see dead lesbian cliches

[dekalog]

The rating here in Canada is A14 for language (maybe the anticipatory expletives from Bush - I don't know).



I just got this message from my Monday movie group:



"Monday Movies" is receiving an unprecedented response from Out & Out members reserving seats for our group attendance at this movie. Theatre management advises us that the movie may sell-out early via advance sales to the general public.



So it looks like it will do extremely well as there is a definite buzz . It is so good to see a documentary doing this well.

[mscheckmate]

Moore's site makes it sooo easy to find theaters showing this film.



My parents plan to see the film tomorrow. Like the rest of my family, they loathe Dubya, and they want to make sure that the film's opening-weekend numbers are good. My GF and I will probably see it Saturday night or Sunday. I think I'll donate the money I would have spent on popcorn and a drink to MoveOn.org.

"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it." G.W.Bush,Washington,D.C., 7/26/01, commenting on negotiating with Congress.

[tyche]

Living in the Bay Area, I'm sure that 'Farenheit 9/11' will be sold out (or close to it) this weekend. (The cinema that's showing it in Berkeley has it on 2 screens - the first time I can ever recall this happening for a film which isn't a big dumb blockbuster.) So I think we'll wait a week or so before trying to get tickets.

Incidentally, the SF Chronicle gave the film its top rating today. I'm not sure whether to be happy they reviewed it well, or annoyed that they're going to be printing letters for the next 6 months from conservatives whining that they didn't say that Michael Moore should be taken out and shot.

If you think this world is bad, you should see some of the others.- Philip K. Dick

[maudmac]

A lot of the showings here sold out and the theater expanded it to a second screen. It pleases me that there was enough demand in the middle of Alabama for them to have to do that.



I was at the first showing today, 11:00 a.m., and a 496-seat auditorium was a lot fuller than most movies I've seen in the middle of the day on a weekday. The local news media was there. People were talking in the parking lot. I saw a guy waving around a Human Rights Campaign sign. My people! It was awesome.



The movie itself, also awesome. I think the best description I've heard of it is that it's essentially an editorial. It definitely has an agenda, as all Michael Moore work does, but he never has claimed it didn't reflect his own position. He's also made it clear that Democrats are not without blame and he doesn't let them off the hook. Fahrenheit 9/11 highlights some of the failings of the Democratic Party - after the election, during the passing of the Patriot Act, etc.



Whatever bias the film has, the footage he has of Bush doing and saying the most asinine things, that footage doesn't lie. And the parallels drawn between the Bush family and the Bin Ladens, the Bushes and Halliburton and the Carlyle Group, all that, it's real, it's true, and it demands investigation. (Which, of course, will never happen.)



My personal experience of watching it was that it made me sad and angry. The film starts with darkness and the sound of planes crashing into the WTC and people's responses. We've all seen and heard that a thousand times, but it never fails to move me, partly because that was the day when I felt most American. And I've come to feel less and less American in the years since then. So it was an interesting experience to revisit the feelings of having a strong, grand, beautiful bond with all the people of the United States and, indeed, the world. In the days and weeks that followed 9/11, I also had a strong sense of being an Earthling, of being a human, bound to and united with all my fellow people of this planet. I will never forget the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.



I eventually came to cringe when I hear such patriotic displays. Because I cannot stand the things the Bush Administration has done, ostensibly for the cause of freedom, the cause of peace, and all on behalf of the American people.



It's smart filmmaking, I'd say, to begin with the event that united us all. It makes what follows, both in the film and in real life, that much more difficult to deal with and that much more of an outrage.



Some parts of the film might be difficult to watch. Footage of a public beheading in Saudi Arabia, of many dead people, of an injured child with his arm bones and tendons exposed, of veterans with no hands or no legs, etc. Also moving and difficult to watch was the footage of a woman in Iraq, her civilian neighborhood and its occupants reduced to rubble and body parts, imploring God to save them all from the Americans.



Nice, W. Real nice. Look what you've done.



I highly recommend Fahrenheit 9/11 to anyone and everyone. It's horrifying, it's funny, it's insightful. And, I'm not gonna lie, I sincerely hope it stirs people enough to get them to vote this November and get that horrid creature out of the White House. For the sake of Americans, Iraqis, and all the people of Earth.

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i wasn't sniffing your spicy brains

[xita]

Wow, this movie made $8,200,000 on Friday alone, that's amazing for a documentary. To put this in perspective, the documentary that made the most money ever is Bowling for Columbine and that made $21,576,018 in its entire run, Fahrenheit 9/11 made almost half that money in one day alone.



I haven't seen it yet but I am sure I will next week as I am now on vacation!

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"Trust is a risk masquerading as a promise."

[tyche]

The SF Chronicle's Don Asmussen did a pretty funny cartoon about the whole controversy the other day:

www.sfgate.com/columnists/asmussen/

If you think this world is bad, you should see some of the others.- Philip K. Dick

[BBOvenGuy]

I saw it today, in a Sherman Oaks theater that was nearly packed for the 11am show.



And oh wow... that was really something. I've never seen Roger & Me or Bowling for Columbine, so I don't really have anything to compare to, but it was something. It didn't strike me as particularly angry - more like "somber" and "urgent" instead. The trademark Michael Moore bits almost seemed out of place compared to the seriousness of the subject matter - although I did like the bit where he rides around in an ice cream truck reading the Patriot Act.



The most powerful point for me was Michael Moore's big wrap-up at the end. I can see why the guy from FOXNews actually gave the movie a favorable review, because it's very pro-soldier. Moore's point is that in American society, the people who most readily volunteer to give their lives for the rest of us are the ones most marginalized by the society - therefore, we owe it to these people to make sure that we only send them into harm's way when there's a very very good reason. Oh, and after that big finish, the closing credits roll to Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" - a song written about the first President Bush.



I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Fahrenheit 9/11 could potentially become the Uncle Tom's Cabin of our time - a work that becomes the focal point of a great national debate, regardless of whether people agree with it or disagree with it, or whether they think it's a masterpiece or a piece of garbage. Time will tell.

"The stories we tell - that's us explaining how we think the world works. Once we speak it, once we say it aloud, that makes it real for us - and real for everyone else who hears it too. When we tell a story, we invite people to visit our reality. We invite them to move in. Our stories are the reality we live in." - David Gerrold, The Martian Child

[Warduke]

It's official, it's #1 at the Box Office...

Quote:

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'Fahrenheit 9/11' Tops North American Box Office



LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Moore's red-hot documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" earned more in its first three days of release across North America than his Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine" did in its entire run, the film's distributors said on Sunday.



"Fahrenheit 9/11," in which Moore takes aim at President Bush, and the war in Iraq, opened at No. 1 after selling about $21.8 million worth of tickets in the United States and Canada since June 25.



The film opened in two theaters in New York on Wednesday to help build even more media buzz before expanding to a relatively modest 868 theaters two days later. (In contrast, most of the other movies in the top five were playing in more than 2,500 theaters each.)



Including the sales from the head start in New York, the film's total stands at $21.96 million. Moore's previous movie, "Bowling for Columbine," grossed about $21.5 million during its nine-month run, during which it peaked at about 250 theaters, according to Moore.



"This is a testament to Michael Moore. His voice resonates across the country in what I think we can all now fairly describe as America's movie," said Tom Ortenberg, the president of distribution at Lions Gate Films, which backed the movie.



He said in a conference call that the film played strongly in both Democrat and Republican states, even drawing sell-out crowds in Republican strongholds like Nassau County, New York and Fayetteville, N.C., home of Fort Bragg.



Lions Gate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., partnered on the film's distribution with IFC Films, a unit of Cablevision Systems Corp.'s Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, and Miramax co-chairmen Harvey and Bon Weinstein. The Weinsteins bought the movie's rights with their own money after Miramax parent Walt Disney Co. refused to let them release it under the Miramax banner.



The movie cost about $6 million to make, according to Moore. Additionally, the distributors spent less than $10 million -- a relatively modest sum -- to market the movie, said Ortenberg.

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Firefox: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[kbk3022]

I saw this movie today. I thought it was great. I wish I were as good as Holley at expressing myself, but I'm not so I'll just say: yeah, what she said.



The way it opened was really moving. The movie also had some good music to go along with it.



Maybe the amount of money this movie has already made is a good sign that Bush will not be elected. Here's to hoping that's true.

[sam7777]

I tried to see it on Sunday but it was completely sold out in my area. I plan to go see it on July 4th next weekend as my patriotic gesture.



'Fahrenheit 9/11' sets documentary record

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Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" took in a whopping $21.8 million in its first three days, becoming the first documentary ever to debut as Hollywood's top weekend film.

ADVERTISEMENT

       



If Sunday's estimates hold when final numbers are released Monday, "Fahrenheit 9/11" would set a record in a single weekend as the top-grossing documentary ever outside of concert films and movies made for huge-screen IMAX theaters.



Adding the film's haul at two New York City theaters where it opened Wednesday, two days earlier than the rest of the country, boosted "Fahrenheit 9/11" to $21.96 million.



"Bowling for Columbine," Moore's 2002 Academy Award-winning documentary, previously held the documentary record with $21.6 million.



"Fahrenheit 9/11," Moore's assault on President Bush's actions after the 2001 terrorist attacks, won the top honor at last month's Cannes Film Festival and has attracted attention from both sides in the presidential campaign.



The movie has been embraced by left-wing groups, which mobilized members to see it during the opening weekend. Conservative groups sought to discourage theaters from showing it and asked the Federal Election Commission to examine its ads for potential violations of campaign-finance law regulating when commercials may feature a presidential candidate.



"I want to thank all the right-wing organizations out there who tried to stop the film, either from their harassment campaign that didn't work on the theater owners, or going to the FEC to get our ads removed from television, to all the things that have been said on television," Moore said. "It's only encouraged more people to go and see it."

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And I know that Moore is going to pay the groups who got people out to see his movie by using at least some of this money for a worthy cause unlike others I could name: Moore to turn guns on US health system {quote]Micahel Moore, whose controversial awarding-winning attack on the Bush regime, Fahrenheit 9/11, opens in Britain on 9 July, has revealed that he is to turn his camera on healthcare in the United States.



The director and author will attempt to save as many lives as he can by simply intervening with his camera crew during the course of 90 minutes of filming. He hopes to embarrass health insurance companies and hospitals into continuing to care for patients with no cover - highlighting holes in the American system. [/quote] This is another important issue that needs to be addressed and a film like this is certainly a reward for pregressives groups that got out the folks for "Fahrenheit 9/11". Seeing a film like this do well has certainly restred my faith in the american people.

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I still see dead lesbian cliches

[justin]

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I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Fahrenheit 9/11 could potentially become the Uncle Tom's Cabin of our time -

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For those of us who know nothing about Uncle Tom's Cabin, could elaborate on this please.

What other people think of me is none of my business - Ellen Degeneres

[dekalog]

Here's a link to read Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery story online - www.online-literature.com.../uncletom/ I wouldn't like to speculate on someone else's views on the comparability of the two. I will say that the book was revolutionary in it's time and went from a serial to a best selling book. Also some historian's say that Uncle Tom's Cabin so polarized the abolitionist and anti-abolitionist debate that it became one of the causes of the Civil War.



edited to say: my pleasure - anything to talk about books

Edited by: dekalog at: 6/28/04 11:28 am

[justin]

dekalog, thanks.

What other people think of me is none of my business - Ellen Degeneres

[BBOvenGuy]

Quote:

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some historians say that Uncle Tom's Cabin so polarized the abolitionist and anti-abolitionist debate that it became one of the causes of the Civil War.

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Exactly. In fact, supposedly when Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the little book that started this great big war."



But Uncle Tom's Cabin didn't create the debate on slavery. It just focused the debate and energized it for a great many people. And that's what Fahrenheit 9/11 has the potential to do as well. It'll just depend on how the next few months unfold.

"The stories we tell - that's us explaining how we think the world works. Once we speak it, once we say it aloud, that makes it real for us - and real for everyone else who hears it too. When we tell a story, we invite people to visit our reality. We invite them to move in. Our stories are the reality we live in." - David Gerrold, The Martian Child

[Hemiola]

Happily, many of the news shows are running substantial extracts from the film, so I've been able to see many important parts of it even though I haven't been able to get out to the flicks since seeing Harry Potter no.3



I am always bowled over by the amazing scene of "Wubya" insisting on continuing with his "photo-op" of reading to kids even though he has been informed that the country is under attack!!!!



Now I can't help asking: even if someone were a dyed-in-the-wool, fanatical right-wing Republican, could they ever imagine, say, President Eisenhower behaving this way? I cannot even remotely conceive of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, or JFK ever behaving in this manner.