"Moore’s Magic: 9/11 Electrifies" (Rex Reed in NY Observer)

[realcountrymusic]

Moore’s Magic: 9/11 Electrifies
by Rex Reed


Michael Moore leaves no turn unstoned. There are multitudes of shattering, seminal moments in his brilliant Bush-whacking documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, that reveal more about the cynicism, greed and ineptitude in the U.S. government than you will ever learn from any sound bite on the right-wing late-night cable-channel blabfests, but one will stay with me forever. Forget about the "official" reports from the White House about the activities of George W. Bush on the fateful morning of Sept. 11, insisting he learned about the Al Qaeda attacks while meeting with Florida pre-schoolers and quickly dashed from the room to save the country. The truth, it is now revealed, is that he was informed of the first attack on the World Trade Center before he even entered the schoolroom, and he decided to continue with his photo-op anyway. There he is on camera when Andrew Card informs him of the second plane and utters the fatal words, "We’re under attack!"—but he continues to read My Pet Goat for another seven minutes, his eyes sliding sideways in his puzzled face, like a moron looking for a bathroom, until his staff insists that he leave. (He stayed for another half hour.) If nothing else, that defining moment says volumes about what we can expect from the President of the U.S. in the center of a supreme, history-altering crisis: He’s just clueless.

More at: http://www.observer.com/pages/onthetown.asp

The line of the year, for me: " . . . LIKE A MORON LOOKING FOR A BATHROOM" And this in the usually fairly conservative NY Observer (though they do publish Conason). The rest of this review is very nearly as amazing. Read it and feel the juices flow!

RCM

[slor]

1. Rex Reed...

American Patriot!

[Gloria]

2. I remember him when he was young and on local TV doing

reviews....

Wonderful, sharp, witty...then and now...

[realcountrymusic]

4. I just have to add more (don't worry, still far less than 4 paragraphs!)

Reed also writes:

"Mr. Moore, who has tackled corporate greed (Roger & Me) and gun control (Bowling for Columbine), now feels driven and obligated to strip the façade from a swaggering, bow-legged, grammatically challenged bully and a cabinet that is beginning to look more like the Third Reich every day. "

and he concludes:

"The saddest and most infuriating thing I learned from Fahrenheit 9/11 is not the political hackwork, but the reality of what a lightweight the President is in the context of American history. George W. Bush may be the first President of the U.S. who has brainwashed himself."

http://www.observer.com/pages/onthetown.asp

RCM

[tridim]

6. "Bush may be the first President of the U.S. who has brainwashed himself"

Wow.. Just wow. That's so true, and it speaks volumes about the man.

[AP]

15. Aside: BfC isn't just about gun control. It's about the politics of fear.

It's a coherent argument about race and poverty and about the Republicans using fear as a wedge issue to get people to vote Republican against their economic best interests.

From what I can gather from the trailer, F911 is about the same thing.

[skooooo]

22. Woo hoo!

Like the reference to the 3rd Reich. I remember Reed from game shows in the 1970s.

[Spazito]

3. Wow! Incredible review!

Thanks for posting this! I absolutely love his last sentence:

George W. Bush may be the first President of the U.S. who has brainwashed himself.


I am still laughing at it.

[TexasBushwhacker]

5. I liked this one

"Now that the merde has hit the oscillator, so to speak"

[Zorra]

7. More like a moran looking for a bathroom.

[progressivebydesign]

25. That was the BEST line in the review! N/T

[Parche]

8. slate

Thats not according to Slate, he panned it left and right
using condensending words and utter garbage in his review

[SidDithers]

12. Huh?

Hitchens wrote about F911 in Slate, not Rex Reed.

Or am I missing something?

Sid

[Bridget Burke]

31. You're correct. Hitchens wrote the Slate article......

I actually read the whole things. Incoherent ravings.....

[joefree1]

9. Thanks for this

Think the neo-cons are having second thoughts? Let the blowback began!



See what other DUers are doing for F911 opening night:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=106x8384

"If you have no enemies, it is a sign fortune has forgot you."
- Thomas Fuller (1608 - 1661)

[Randypiper]

10. Is * bow-legged?

I've always noticed he has a strange walk.

[Blue Gardener]

11. It's that cob up his ass

Hard to walk with it and still look manly.

[DrWeird]

13. That's the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Babs was (is?) a lush.

[skooooo]

24. I always figured it was the cocaine...

....hadn't considered FAS.

[Emboldened Chimp]

14. Rex does not mince words, eh?

Of course, the best is always last:

"The saddest and most infuriating thing I learned from Fahrenheit 9/11 is not the political hackwork, but the reality of what a lightweight the President is in the context of American history. George W. Bush may be the first President of the U.S. who has brainwashed himself."

lol!

[KoKo]

16. Incredible review! OMG he sounds like a DU'er who knows Bush's history

from what he says about the film.

Sadly, he mentions that those who really need to see it, won't go. But, still hopefully a renewed energy amongst those of us who do see it will get Bush's butt out the door and maybe under indictment.

[Bo]

17. Rex is the Best

[nolabels]

18. Send Rex Reed an thank you note

I love it when a review makes me want to see the movie even more :thumbsup:

[nolabels]

30. My guess,they already Freeperized his mail box

The Postfix program

<[e-mail]>: the recipient's mailbox is full or would exceed quota

(snip)

For the freepers sake, hope this movie is that good :mad:

[dArKeR]

19. Fahrenheit 9/11 is hot, hot, hot rave critics - IOL

New York - American critics gave a warm welcome on Wednesday to Michael Moore's caustic documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, praising the movie's scathing humour while voicing some reservations over the director's methods.

"Informative, provocative, frightening, compelling, funny, manipulative and, most of all, entertaining," read USA Today's gushing review of Moore's polemic against the invasion of Iraq and the administration of President George Bush.

"Fahrenheit 9/11 is the year's must-see film," the national daily said, while questioning whether the unabashed bias of the documentary would actually change minds in an already polarised United States electorate.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw1088012880513B221

[nolabels]

26. The underhanded ''It is propaganda, no doubt about it"

Others might even consider it a whitewash, but if you want to critique please use real and legit sources and reasons \


PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES

"Propaganda Techniques" is based upon "Appendix I: PSYOP Techniques" from "Psychological Operations Field Manual No.33-1" published by Headquarters; Department of the Army, in Washington DC, on 31 August 1979

(snip)
# Insinuation devices. A number of devices are available to exploit these and similar vulnerabilities:


- Leading questions: The propagandist may ask questions which suggest only one possible answer. Thus, the question, "What is there to do now that your unit is surrounded and you are completely cut off?" insinuates that surrender or desertion is the only reasonable alternative to annihilation.

- Humor: Humor can be an effective form of insinuation. Jokes and cartoons about the enemy find a ready audience among those persons in the target country or military camp who normally reject straightforward accusations or assertions. Jokes about totalitarian leaders and their subordinates often spread with ease and rapidity. However, the psychological operator must realize that appreciation of humor differs among target groups and so keep humor within the appropriate cultural context.

- Pure motives. This technique makes it clear that the side represented by the propagandist is acting in the best interests of the target audience, insinuating that the enemy is acting to the contrary. For example, the propagandist can use the theme that a satellite force fighting on the side of the enemy is insuring the continued subjugation of its country by helping the common enemy.

- Guilt by association: Guilt by association links a person, group, or idea to other persons, groups, or ideas repugnant to the target audience. The insinuation is that the connection is not mutual, accidental, or superficial.
(snip)
http://www.mapinc.org/propaganda/propaganda/proptech.htm#demonization_technique

[TheDonkey]

20. That was a damned good review!

[tishaLA]

21. What an amazing review

I simply cannot wait to see this film on Friday.

[BattyDem]

23. Great review!

Is Rex a DUer? He certainly sounds like one!

I liked it so much, I had to change my sig line! :evilgrin:

[DoctorMyEyes]

27. Woo-Hooooo! I didn't even know until reading this

review that there even WAS any footage of the limo egging on inauguration day! I was there! LOL It was a Beeeee-u-tiful thing to behold! The limo actually sped away down Pennsylvania avenue. He ran away the very first hour of his pResidency!

The movie begins with the awesome night in 2000 when the U. S. Supreme Court decided the election, not the American voters, then unveils footage that was never reported on TV of the Bush inauguration limousine being pelted with raw eggs. Instead of the traditional walk to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he was so afraid to leave the car that he became the first President in history who was forced to sneak into the White House through a back door.

[Beetwasher]

28. It's MAINSTREAM BABY!!!

Ha Ha!!

Everyone will know about "My Pet Goat" and the seven minutes of shame...It's only just beginning...

[freeforall]

29. Oh! This is an excellent review!!!

My favourite quotation from the article is Reed's concluding sentence:

"George W. Bush may be the first President of the U.S. who has brainwashed himself."