Farenheit 9/11 debuts June 25th
 

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...TL&type=movies

9/11'' finds domestic distributor

GARY GENTILE, AP Business Writer
Tuesday, June 1, 2004

(06-01) 17:30 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --

Michael Moore's award-winning documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" has picked up a U.S. distributor and will hit theaters June 25.

The film will be released by a partnership of Lions Gate Films, IFC Films and the Fellowship Adventure Group, which was formed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein specifically to market Moore's film.

The Weinsteins, who run Miramax Films, bought the rights to the movie from The Walt Disney Co., which owns Miramax and refused to distribute Moore's film.

The Weinstein brothers will personally finance and control distribution and marketing, they said Tuesday.

"I am grateful to them now that everyone who wants to see it will now have the chance to do so," Moore said in a statement.

"On behalf of my stellar cast -- GW, Dick, Rummy, Condi and Wolfie -- we thank this incredible coalition of the willing for bringing 'Fahrenheit 9/11' to the people."

Moore's film, which recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, attacks President Bush's handling of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's.

Disney chief executive Michael Eisner said the company "did not want a film in the middle of the political process" because he believed that theme park and entertainment consumers "do not look for us to take sides."

In a settlement reached last week, the Weinsteins repaid their parent company for all costs of the film to date, estimated at around $6 million. Any profits from the film's distribution that go to Miramax or Disney will be donated to charity.

michael moore is evil...he deserves to be given a swift kick in the testicles

:confused:

You meant Donald Rumsfeld, didn't you??

Be that as it may - and mind you I am not a huge fan of MM, but I will say this, at least he has got a huge set to kick :cool: :laugh:

:lol: :lol: :thumbsup:

Howdy from Texas? Are you going to kick him with you big pointy boots? :wavey:

Good and evil. When you whittle all the complexities of living and existing down to that, it makes things so easy, doesn't it?

Hmmm... You're going to have to explain just what is hypocritical about this. I guess I'm not smart enough to figure it out in this context. :shrug:

Pluck voting! It's probably time to start reevaluating this sham we call democracy. It ain't working. It rarely has. And it's getting clunkier all the time.

What we need is a benevolent dictator!

"Vote 1 Carne"

First point of order in Congress: rescinding the strike.

:P

I see you've been freeped. My condolences.

One of my local theaters is selling advance tickets starting tonight. I'm on my way. :D

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/...p-171525c.html
'Fahrenheit' has elder Bush boiling

The 41st President of the United States has stepped up to defend his son, the 43rd President of the United States, against "slimeball" filmmaker Michael Moore.

"I have total disdain for Moore," George H.W. Bush told us when we saw him at the T.J. Martell Foundation Awards gala, where he was honored along with Stevie Wonder and Dr. Daniel Vasella the other night.

"41" has heard enough about "Fahrenheit 9/11," Moore's documentary indictment of President Bush, to know "it's a vicious attack on our son.

"It's a free country, so he's free to say whatever he wants," the former Oval Officer went on. "But I don't appreciate it. I don't like it.

"[My son] served with honor, and to get knocked down by this guy, " he huffed. "But you got to put up with it. That's what I'd say to [my son]."

We asked what he thought of Moore's use of the comment Barbara Bush made at the start of the Iraq war: "Why should we hear about body bags, and deaths? ... Why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that? And watch [my son] suffer."

Said her furious husband: "For him to take on Barbara is just beyond the pale. She's a decent, wonderful person, and to have to answer anything about what that slimeball says is just too much."

Informed of Bush's tirade, Moore told us he had "fond memories" of "41" asking for a print of his movie "Roger & Me" to show at Camp David in the winter of 1990.

Moore, whose film explores the financial ties between the Bush family and the Saudis, said, "I appreciate all reviews of my films from the Bush family. And if they love the film this much, without having seen it, I can't wait for the reviews when they actually see it. I'd be more than happy to set up a White House screening."

Recalling the Bushes' nickname for Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar, he added, "I hope they invite Bandar Bush!"

:lol: :lol: :lol:

From Variety.com:

A source close to the deal confirmed that the Weinsteins have sent a letter to all members of the Miramax marketing staff stating that no one on the Miramax payroll should be involved with the marketing and release of "Fahrenheit 9/11."

"With Frodo (Harvey) and Sam (Bob) now in charge of the Fellowship, I welcome the addition of Lions Gate and IFC to our quest in bringing good family entertainment to the viewing public," Moore, said. "(Lions Gate CEO) Jon Feltheimer produced my series 'TV Nation' and IFC produced my series 'The Awful Truth.' Not only am I in good hands, I am grateful to them now that everyone who wants to see it will now have the chance to do so ... . On behalf of my stellar cast -- GW, Dick, Rummy, Condi and Wolfie -- we thank this incredible coalition of the willing for bringing 'Fahrenheit 9/11' to the people."

"This is a true coalition," the Weinsteins said in a statement. "The passion that Lions Gate, IFC Films and Showtime have demonstrated reflects our desire to enable Michael Moore's extraordinary work to be viewed by as many filmgoers as possible as soon as possible."

Pay TV rights will go through Showtime, Lions Gate's pay TV partner.

DVD rights are currently being hammered out as a separate deal. While Lions Gate is eager to make that deal, Universal Studios Home Video is another strong contender.

Here is an article with, I think, a link to the trailer!!!!!!
________________________________________________________

Moore Releases 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Trailer

Thursday, June 03, 2004

LOS ANGELES — The trailer for Michael Moore's (search) incendiary new documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" debuts in theaters Friday, but the curious can find it on his Web site a day earlier.



The Academy Award-winning filmmaker's new movie criticizes President Bush's (search) response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, portrays the Iraq war as a conflict that has unnecessarily endangered the American military, and connects the Bush family to Usama bin Laden's.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival (search).

Before it was ever screened, it attracted controversy when Moore announced the Walt Disney Co. had refused to let its Miramax Films division distribute the movie.

Miramax chiefs Bob and Harvey Weinstein bought the $6 million movie personally and are distributing it through a partnership with Lions Gate Films and IFC Films.

The film's publicist, Shawn Sachs, said the trailer was set to be posted on Moore's Web site, http://www.michaelmoore.com.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" debuts in theaters June 25.

:laugh: :laugh: :lol:

I like the way you think, my friend. But.... who said there would still be a Congress?

As a film viewer, I have to call you on your warped logic. First, do you know what "hypocritical" means? It means being insincere, to put it simply. In today's world, the term is often used in relation to someone who is critical of another but acts the same way, or worse, as the one he/she is criticizing. With that in mind, I still don't see how Moore qualifies as a "hypocrite," when the object of his criticism is the Bush clan.

As a member of the media myself, I am painfully aware of how easy it is to manipulate media, especially "the media" in its current compliant state.

I just watched the trailer and it looks like it will be a fantastic film. I already bought tickets for it, too. :lol:

And I find it incredibly ironic that the film is being distributed by a Canadian movie company. ;)

My main beef with Moore is he is hard to take seriously because he presents his material in a, for want of a better word, satirical way. To me, it is like watching a twisted version of Candid Camera. I am not attacking his content, just his method. He sort of appears like he is pretending to be the "common joe working man" and at the same time to me he appears to be mocking that image. I am unsure if I explained that correctly - hopefully I did. Again, I am not mocking the subject matter.

Satire has always been an effective and important form of protest. If Moore's films were dry dissertations of the topics he tackles, nobody would go see them.

I don't think so at all. Let's be real for a minute, though: he isn't the richest of guys. He only struck gold with Bowling For Columbine, his other movies, while successful, only netted him a few million which he used to keep funding his stuff. Back when he made "Roger & Me," the project took forever because he kept running out of money. And when he made "The Big One," it got delayed because he didn't have enough steak to pay for the prints. Fahrenheit 9/11 is first film of his to be funded by a corporation, everything else (including his two television shows) were funded out of pocket. That's one of the big draws of Michael Moore; he is the average joe because he's not Mr. Hollywood, he's a man who funds his own projects about the things he's passionate about.

Have you seen "The Fog of War"? I bought it last week because I was told how fantastic it was, but it was one of the dullest docs I've ever watched. The outtakes were more entertaining the film itself.

Not yet. I plan to rent it. Also, check out "The Trials of Henry Kissinger." It's well done.

I'll have to look into it, I haven't heard much about it.

I know - I am not talking about that. I am talking about the way he presents himself in the actual footage. I think he seems silly or patronizing at times. Again, I think it is just me and I do not mind his flims or their content even though I do not often ( if ever :laugh: ) sit through docs. as they bore me to tears. That is actually how I noticed MM's demeanor. At first, I thought it was comical, which was an effective and conscious way to grab and hold the attention. Then, it just got on my nerves because I thought he was looking down at people too much - he sort of pulls their legs a little bit and then goes for the kill, which I did not like - but to each their own :laugh:

Precisely my point. Yet, if it were done as a "Bowling for Columbine," all the parasites and apologists would crawl out of the woodwork to tell you that because of the approach, it's not credible.

Yet, if more people had seen it (and read the book) a lot of them would surely have reached the inevitable conclusion that Henry Kissinger is a scum-sucking war criminal.

Dude, you're too southern. Up here we revel in that kind of thing. ;)

You called him a hypocrite. I didn't put any words in your mouth.

Your illustration of how he manipulates his audience is a good point. However, you still haven't proven that he's a hypocrite. Perhaps you should just take it back.

When watching his films, his approach is very clear. He does ambush unsuspecting people and dresses them down. Most deserve it, and some don't. You mention the cop example, which I believe comes from "The Awful Truth." Well, was it an unfair approach? Sure. But was he hiding his methods, was he somehow trying to pass it off as some noble tactic? No and no.

See? What you see is what you get.

How does that compare to a corporate media with a hidden agenda? Do you think Moore has a hidden agenda? How does it compare to Murdoch's cynical propaganda-as-information strategy to serve his own greedy corporate interests? As far as I can tell, with Moore it's all out in the open. And isn't that refreshing? You know exactly what he's doing, how he's doing it and why he is doing it. Can you say that about your average anchor person, talking head or talk show host?

That's nothing new, babe.

It's going to be incredible. Watched the trailer last night. I got goosebumps. Also, did you watch Clinton's speech last night on CSPAN? It was two plus hours of articulate, thoughtful and uplifting talk about the state of things today. He never once glanced at a note. When it was over I flipped directly (not on purpose) to a clip of Bush's monosylabic, stuttering, smirking, rehearsed, lie filled press conference about Tenet. What a let down. :(

That's the point.

I did see Clinton and took issue with a few of the things he said about Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course, that sludge "Scarborough Country" aired the clips (some guy filled in as host last night and he looked SCARY!). But, I liked it a lot overall.

On another note, isn't Christopher Hitchens the stupidest and silliest man you've ever seen? He is such a fool.

As for Shrub's, "press conference," I had to vomit and switch channels after he pronounced the word "acting." Ugh. :lol:

I just mean seeing the two of them in contrast is...well, to use a Pickles word...wrenching. He articulated that America is strong and that even in this time of turmoil, we would be okay. He also said no act of terrorism alone has ever brought down a country. When have we ever heard anything like that from Bushco? All we ever heard was ''go shopping".

Don't get me started on that drunken, Limey gasbag. He can write? So what.

To come off as a condescending a$$ :shrug: He reminds me a little of Sean Hannity when he gets like that - AND I DESPISE SEAN HANNITY :laugh:

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/va/2004...700324000.html

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Director Has Blair in Sights
Friday June 11 6:20 PM ET


Michael Moore 's anti-Iraq war crusade is not stopping with President Bush as the filmmaker says he now wants to make a movie about British Prime Minister Tony Blair's role in the war.

Moore, director of "Fahrenheit 9/11," the controversial documentary which last month won top prize at the Cannes film festival, said on Friday that he now wants to take a close look at the British leader's role in backing the war in Iraq and sending troops into harm's way.

"I personally hold Blair more responsible for this war in Iraq than I do George W. Bush, and the reason is Blair knows better. Blair is not an idiot. What is he doing hanging around this guy?," Moore told Reuters in an interview.

"Fahrenheit 9/11," which will hit U.S. theaters on June 25, looks at links between the family of President Bush and powerful Saudi Arabians, including the family of Osama bin Laden. The film also contends that Bush thrust the United States into a war it did not need to fight through a mix of fear and misinformation.

Britain and Blair have been the staunchest supporters of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, but Moore said that in making "Fahrenheit 9/11" he had to choose just exactly what parts of the story on which to focus. He trained his investigative camera on Bush and that, he said, was a hard decision to make.

"I struggled with it because, I think, what I decided is that I need to make a separate film about Blair, at some point here. I need to do something about Blair and Britain."

He likened Blair to an older sibling of Bush's and said that, as a parent, when two children get in trouble, the parent usually questions the older one as to how he or she could let such a problem occur.

Meanwhile, Moore said he has steeled himself for efforts by Bush supporters to discredit his film, which he said is already happening with attacks on his Web site and in newspapers amid the current campaign for the White House. He has made no secret of the fact that he does not support Bush, and wants his reelection attempt to fail.

To counteract efforts challenging "Fahrenheit 9/11," he has hired Chris Lehane and Mark Fabiani, two former political advisers to Bill Clinton and Al Gore, to establish a "war room" that will immediately support any claims made in the movie that come under attack.

The group, he said, will be staffed by six to seven people and will operate 24 hours a day, monitoring newscasts and scanning newspapers, magazines and other publications for statements made discrediting the movie.

"You come at me with anything, we come back with the truth," Moore said.

Moore, who said he is registered as an independent voter, has yet to throw his support behind presumed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

He said the movie is not an effort to support Kerry's White House bid, and said that if Kerry were elected, "I'd keep my eye on him, too."