The Liberal Media Strikes Again - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

koop · #1 05-05-2004, 08:14 PM

Excuse me while I troll.

May 5, 2004 | New York -- The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax Films division from distributing Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11,'' which criticizes President Bush's handling of Sept. 11 and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's.

Moore attributes Disney's decision to concerns that the documentary will endanger tax breaks the company receives from Florida, where Bush's brother Jeb is governor.

"I would have hoped by now that I would be able to put my work out to the public without having to experience the profound censorship obstacles I often seem to encounter,'' Moore wrote Wednesday in a statement on his Web site.

The filmmaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Miramax confirmed that Disney told the company it can't release the film. "We hope to amicably resolve the situation in the near future,'' Miramax spokesman Matthew Hiltzik told The Associated Press.

Disney representatives Zenia Mucha and John Spelich did not return calls early Wednesday.

Disney has a contractual agreement with Miramax principals Bob and Harvey Weinstein allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, such as an NC-17 rating or a budget of more than $30-35 million.

"Some people may be afraid of this movie because of what it will show,'' Moore wrote. "But there's nothing they can do about it now because it's done, it's awesome, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll see it this summer -- because, after all, it is a free country.''

According to The New York Times, which first reported the story Wednesday, "Fahrenheit 9/11'' describes decades-old financial links between the Bush family and prominent Saudi Arabian families. The film says the government helped members of bin Laden's family leave the United States after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The confrontational Moore won an Oscar for his 2002 documentary "Bowling for Columbine,'' about the Columbine High School shooting and U.S. gun control policy.

He's also known for the 1989 film "Roger & Me,'' which explored the effects of General Motors on his hometown of Flint, Mich.

"Fahrenheit 9/11'' will have a high-profile screening as one of 18 films in competition next week at the Cannes Film Festival.

Moore ran into similar interference with his book "Stupid White Men,'' which almost never made it to print. Publication was postponed after Sept. 11, and publisher HarperCollins considered canceling the book or editing its criticisms.

After lengthy discussions, "Stupid White Men'' came out uncensored. It almost immediately sold out a first printing of 50,000 and went on to top the New York Times nonfiction best seller list.

koop · #2 05-05-2004, 08:30 PM

I think Bowling for Columbine made a couple bucks.

Bowling for Columbine is the highest grossing non-music documentary of all time. With a budget of only $3,000,000, it has grossed $40,000,000 worldwide, including $21,575,207 in the United States. The documentary has also broken box office records internationally, becoming the highest-grossing documentary of all time in the U.K, Australia, and Austria

MTI · #3 05-05-2004, 08:36 PM

Michael is laughing all the way to the bank! He's no Mel Gibson, but he's getting free publicity all over for a film that probably would'nt have gotten much press.

#4 05-05-2004, 08:49 PM

Moore knew about this a year ago he's just using it to prop his film at Canne's.

It's interesting that he is ready and willing to take money from corps. for his films while he does nothing but slam them at the same time.

#5 05-05-2004, 08:51 PM

The rest of the story.

Disney Blocks Distribution of Moore Film
Email this Story

May 5, 6:26 PM (ET)

By CHRISTY LEMIRE

(AP) Film director Michael Moore poses for a portrait Oct. 9, 2002, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Reed...
Full Image

NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which criticizes President Bush's handling of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's, won't be released through Miramax Films on orders from parent company Disney.

Moore believes The Walt Disney Co. is worried the documentary will endanger tax breaks the company receives from Florida, where Bush's brother Jeb is governor.

The director says on his Web site that he was told Tuesday that Disney had "officially decided to prohibit our producer, Miramax, from distributing my new film."

But in a statement Wednesday, Disney spokeswoman Zenia Mucha said Moore has known since May 2003 that Miramax would not release his film.

Whenever it was decided, the timing couldn't be better to stir up discussion: "Fahrenheit 9/11" is making its world premiere as one of 18 films screening in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, which begins May 12.

"Heading into Cannes, you've got this whole controversy that people will be talking about - Miramax not being able to release the film. It adds to the mystique of the film, it adds to the danger," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"With a lot of filmmakers, this would not be a good thing," he said. "When it comes to Michael Moore, there's not really a downside to him to have controversy."

The confrontational director won an Oscar for his 2002 documentary "Bowling for Columbine," about the Columbine High School shooting and U.S. gun control policy. The film earned $21.5 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing documentary ever. He's also known for the 1989 film "Roger & Me," which explored the effects of General Motors on his hometown of Flint, Mich.

Dergarabedian said "Fahrenheit 9/11" will find a distributor, possibly even before Cannes.

Disney chief executive Michael Eisner agreed. "That film will get a distributor easily," he told CNBC in an interview Wednesday from Disneyland.

Eisner said Disney "did not want a film in the middle of the political process where we're such a nonpartisan company and our guests, that participate in all of our attractions, do not look for us to take sides.

"But I think it's a totally appropriate film and I can think of about 11 people who would love to have it," he added.

Miramax spokesman Matthew Hiltzik told The Associated Press: "We hope to amicably resolve the situation in the near future."

Moore did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Mel Gibson, director of "The Passion of the Christ," had difficulty finding someone willing to release his graphic telling of the last hours of Christ's life. Major studios were wary because some religious leaders feared it would foster anti-Semitism.

But whether filmgoers showed up at theaters to be inspired or appalled, they showed up - and "The Passion," under independent distributor Newmarket Films, has made more than $366 million in the past 10 weeks.

Meanwhile, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., has asked the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for a hearing on what he called a "disturbing pattern of politically based corporate censorship of the news media and the entertainment industry."

Lautenberg argued Wednesday in a letter to his committee chairman, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that Disney (through Miramax) has the violent "Kill Bill - Vol. 2" in theaters now, but is blocking Moore's film based on its political viewpoint.

In the movie, Moore interviewed author Craig Unger about his book "House of Bush, House of Saud," which details the Bush-Saudi relationship going back to the 1970s.

"I found about $1.4 billion in investments and contracts going from the House of Saud to companies in which the Bushes and their allies - I'm including Dick Cheney, for example - have had prominent positions," Unger said.

The book and the film also say the government helped 140 Saudis leave the United States on Sept. 13, 2001 - two dozen of whom were bin Laden's relatives.

Unger said that while he hadn't seen the film, "There's clearly a big audience for this and I think the intent to kill it will fail." He pointed to several recent books besides his own that critically examine the Bush administration, including Ron Suskind's "The Price of Loyalty," Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies" and Bob Woodward's "Plan of Attack."

Disney has a contractual agreement with Miramax principals Bob and Harvey Weinstein allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, such as an NC-17 rating or a budget of more than $30-35 million.

Miramax had a similar conflict in 1995 with "Kids" director Larry Clark's graphic depiction of juvenile delinquency. Because Disney was contractually prohibited from releasing unrated movies, and had forbidden Miramax from releasing NC-17 films, the Weinsteins set up a new company, Shining Excalibur Films, to distribute "Kids."

Moore previously ran into interference with his book "Stupid White Men." Publication was postponed after Sept. 11, 2001, and publisher HarperCollins considered canceling the book or editing its criticisms.

After lengthy discussions, "Stupid White Men" came out uncensored. It almost immediately sold out a first printing of 50,000 and went on to top The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list.

koop · #6 05-06-2004, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MedMech

It's interesting that he is ready and willing to take money from corps. for his films while he does nothing but slam them at the same time.

I'm not aware that he has taken money from any gun makers or from GM or oil companies. What companies has he taken money from that he has slammed?

If I slam Enron for their accounting practices does that mean I can never buy another product produced manufactured or sold in any industry.

chazola · #7 05-06-2004, 08:23 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3689121.stm

guess I'll have to go home to see it...

chazola · #8 05-07-2004, 10:35 AM

hmmm, that sounds like someone else I know...

I'd like the opportunity to choose to see it, not for it to be censored by a big company who's scared of upsetting the government.

Those of you who don't like Moore can choose not to see his films. With all the mindless drivel that pours out of Hollywood it's nice to have something that'll make you think for yourself- a fact that scares most people. You can always question what's in his films.

I think the point here is your basic freedom of choice is being taken away.

mzsmbs · #9 05-07-2004, 12:19 PM

where is all this ankst coming from VAdude? can you say anything without assault or insult? what are 5 or something?

i think the point with kill bill2 is right on.

mikemover · #10 05-07-2004, 07:02 PM

Michael Moore is politically retarded, of course, and hypocritical, and fudges the facts severely....

But I do enjoy his "guerilla" moviemaking tactics, strictly from a technical and/or filmmaking point of view.

I also enjoyed the bit with Marilyn Manson in the "Bowling for Columbine" movie. Mr. Manson made some excellent points in his interview about lyrics, gun control, blame, parenting, irrational fears, etc.... The movie is worth enduring just to see that interview.

Mike

Botnst · #11 05-07-2004, 08:53 PM

'Roger and Me" was great. Once I had read an interview of Moore and then heard him interviewed I could never give him another cent. The man is a pig, a braggart, and a liar.

He should run for office.

F-him.

B

Zeitgeist · #12 05-07-2004, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Botnst
'Roger and Me" was great. Once I had read an interview of Moore and then heard him interviewed I could never give him another cent. The man is a pig, a braggart, and a liar.

He should run for office.

F-him.

B

...I'm glad he fills the lying piggish braggart slot, otherwise there'd be an unfilled void, and we can't have that. I've enjoyed each of his movies and eagerly await this next one--on DVD of course.

Sadly, as of late he's been ingratiating himself with the Democrats which provokes my gag reflex...another one bites the dust.

Zeitgeist · #13 05-08-2004, 08:24 PM

Right from the lying piggish braggert himself: (I've been on MM's email list for about 5 years)

When You Wish Upon A Star... by Michael Moore

May 7th, 2004

Friends,

Thank you for all the incredible letters of support as my film crew and I once again slog our way through the corporate media madhouse. Does it ever end? Are we ever going to get control of our "free press" again? Can you wish upon a star?

The Disney spin machine has been working overtime dealing with this censorship debacle of theirs. I don't think they thought they would ever be outed. After all, they know that all of us are supposed to adhere to the unwritten Hollywood Code: Never tell the public how business is done here, never let them have a peek at the man behind the curtain.

Disney has been hoping for nearly a year that they could keep this thing quiet. As I promised on Wednesday, here are the details behind my sordid adventure with the Magic Kingdom:

In April of 2003, I signed a deal with Miramax, a division of the Walt Disney Co., to finance and distribute my next movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. (The original financier had backed out; I will tell that story at a later date.) In my contract it is stated that Miramax will distribute my film in the U.S. through Disney's distribution arm, Buena Vista Distribution. It also gives Miramax the rights to distribute and sell the movie around the world.

A month later, after shooting started, Michael Eisner insisted on meeting with my agent, Ari Emanuel. Eisner was furious that Miramax signed this deal with me. According to Mr. Emanuel, Eisner said he would never let my film be distributed through Disney even though Mr. Eisner had not seen any footage or even read the outline of the film. Eisner told my agent that he did not want to anger Jeb Bush, the governor of Florida. The movie, he believed, would complicate an already complicated situation with current and future Disney projects in Florida, and that many millions of dollars of tax breaks and incentives were at stake.

But Michael Eisner did not call Miramax and tell them to stop my film. Not only that, for the next year, SIX MILLION dollars of DISNEY money continued to flow into the production of making my movie. Miramax assured me that there were no distribution problems with my film.

But then, a few weeks ago when Fahrenheit 9/11 was selected to be in the Cannes Film Festival, Disney sent a low-level production executive to New York to watch the film (to this day, Michael Eisner has not seen the film). This exec was enthusiastic throughout the viewing. He laughed, he cried and at the end he thanked us. "This film is explosive," he exclaimed, and we took that as a positive sign. But "explosive" for these guys is only a good word when it comes to blowing up things in movies. OUR kind of "explosive" is what they want to run from as fast as they can.

Miramax did their best to convince Disney to go ahead as planned with our film. Disney contractually can only stop Miramax from releasing a film if it has received an NC-17 rating (ours will be rated PG-13 or R).

According to yesterday's New York Times, the issue of whether to release Fahrenheit 9/11 was discussed at Disney's board meeting last week. It was decided that Disney should not distribute our movie.

Earlier this week we got the final, official call: Disney will not put out Fahrenheit 9/11. When the story broke in the New York Times, Disney, instead of telling the truth, turned into Pinocchio.

Here are my favorite nuggets that have come out of the mouths of their spinmeisters (roughly quoted):

"Michael Moore has known for a year that we will not distribute this movie, so this is not news." Yes, that is what I thought, too, except Disney kept sending us all that money to make the movie. Miramax said there was no problem. I got the idea that everything was fine.

"It is not in the best interests of our company to distribute a partisan political film that may offend some of our customers." Hmmm. Disney doesn't distribute work that has partisan politics? Disney distributes and syndicates the Sean Hannity radio show every day? I get to listen to Rush Limbaugh every day on Disney-owned WABC. I also seem to remember that Disney distributed a very partisan political movie during a Congressional election year, 1998—a film called The Big One... by, um... ME!

"Fahrenheit 9/11 is not the Disney brand; we put out family oriented films." So true. That's why the #1 Disney film in theaters right now is a film called, KILL BILL, VOL. 2. This excellent Miramax film, along with other classics like Pulp Fiction, have all been distributed by Disney. That's why Miramax exists -- to provide an ALTERNATIVE to the usual Disney fare. And, unless they were NC-17, Disney has distributed them.

"Mr. Moore is doing this as a publicity stunt." Michael Eisner reportedly said this the other day while he was at a publicity stunt cutting the ribbon for the new "Tower of Terror" ride (what a pleasant name considering what the country has gone through recently) at Disney's California Adventure Park. Let me tell you something: NO filmmaker wants to go through this kind of controversy. It does NOT sell tickets (I can cite many examples of movies who have had to change distributors at the last minute and all have failed). I made this movie so people could see it as soon as possible. This is a huge and unwanted distraction. I want people discussing the issues raised in my film, not some inside Hollywood fracas surrounding who is going to ship the prints to the theaters. Plus, I think it is fairly safe to say that Fahrenheit 9/11 has a good chance of doing just fine, considering that my last movie set a box office record and the subject matter (Bush, the War on Terror, the War in Iraq) is at the forefront of most people's minds.

So what will happen to my movie? I still don't know. What I do know is that I will make sure all of you see it by hook or crook. We are Americans. There are a lot of screwed up things about us right now, but one thing that most of us have in common is that we don't like someone telling us we can't see something. We despise censors, and the worst censors are those who would dare to limit thoughts and ideas and silence dissent. THAT is un-American. If I have to travel across the country and show it in city parks (or, as one person offered yesterday, to show it on the side of his house for the neighborhood to see), that is what I will do.

More to come, stay tuned.

Yours,

Michael Moore
http://www.michaelmoore.com
mmflint@aol.com

P.S. Be sure to check out yesterday's New York Times Editorial, "Disney's Craven Behavior"

fj bertrand · #14 05-08-2004, 08:47 PM

I just LOVE how Moore torques the Bushies, Delays, GOPer's etc. Off goes another donation to the dems and ACLU!!!

Botnst · #15 05-08-2004, 08:52 PM

I love how knee-jerk Democrats give a $hit about truth and honesty but will do or pay anything to zing their political enemies.

Huggable cuties, those Dems.

B