'Fahrenheit 9/11' Is a Red-Hot Ticket

[mia]

Edited for headline change on the Post website. It was titled
"A Different Kind of Heat Wave".


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A849-2004Jun23.html

The Debate Over 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Has Temperatures Soaring
By Hanna Rosin and Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, June 24, 2004; Page A01


The White House preemptively gave the movie two thumbs down: "Outrageously false," said communications director Dan Bartlett, when he was asked about some of its allegations.
<snip>

"I did not set out to make a political film," Moore has said in several TV interviews. "The art of this, the cinema, comes before the politics."

<snip>

So strong is the appearance of a campaign that David Bossie, president of Citizens United, accuses Moore of violating federal elections laws. A movie? Violating election laws? "Moore has publicly indicated his goal is to impact this election," Bossie said.

Since Bartlett made his comments about the movie in an interview with the New York Times last month, the White House and Bush campaign spokesmen have said little about the film, conscious in hindsight that they gave former counterterrorism official Richard A. Clarke publicity a publisher couldn't buy when they attacked his book, "Against All Enemies," this spring.


If a reporter asks President Bush about the movie, he plans to respond jokingly, one of his strategists said. "To take it on would give it too much credibility," the strategist said. "He's not going to get into a debate himself with this little filmmaker guy."

<snip>

For their part, neither Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, nor anyone in his campaign has said anything about the movie out of concern that "we will get stuck with all that Michael Moore baggage," said one senior adviser.

At any rate, Moore hardly spares mainstream Democrats. He calls the party "weak-kneed and wimpy," and the movie shows Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who was at the Uptown last night, and former presidential candidate Richard Gephardt sitting on stools voicing their approval for the war.

"The movie poses a conundrum for John Kerry," Moore said. "You can't watch the last hour of this movie and leave the theater and not at least pose the question to him: How could you have voted for this war?"

<more>

[AdrianInOcala]

1. Since I'm in a staunchly repug area in Florida..

and the megamulticineplexes in the area couldn't seem to free up a screen or two for F 911, I'll be making the trip to Gainesville or Orlando tomorrow to see the movie. It's funny how "The passsion" was on 3 screens for weeks on end here...

[Citizen Daryl]

2. Wait until they see the numbers, baby.

The Nashville theatre (!) screening the movie is coming close to being pre-booked this weekend. Glad I got my tickets on Fandango on Tuesday. :)

[mom cat]

3. Yup. I got my tickets early too for Boston for tomorrow. the ticket sales

are hot and the reports from early screenings are great.

[Misunderestimator]

19. It's playing in Tampa and Brandon...

It floored me when I checked for my zipcode (http://www.moviefone.com/) and found it just 15 miles from me. I bought my tickets for tomorrow night.

And check out the Moviefone Top 5 List... Fahrenheit 9/11 is #1.

[TLDHOME99]

20. 4 of us are going to the 7:25 at Westshore -- is that where you'll be?

Someone mentioned in a previous post to bring your camera in case Freepers show up, which they are threatening to do.

I'm really excited about seeing hte movie!

[Misunderestimator]

22. No

I'll be seeing it in Brandon. I'm excited too!

[TLDHOME99]

26. Have fun!

:hi:

[Misunderestimator]

29. Thanks..... you too!

:hi:

And thanks for posting the link in the FL forum... good idea!

[TLDHOME99]

28. posted F911 theater list in FL state forum for the Gulf Coast area

spread the word to any DUers you know in this area

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=145x782

:)

[puppystew]

24. moviefone lists it as NC-17

what's up with that??!

[Misunderestimator]

25. Yeah... I saw that... gotta keep the kids away from the truth.

[pinerow]

23. I'm not sure where you are in Florida, but it is being shown in Brandon

and Tampa; It is also being shown in Kissimmee. I live in a fairly reactionary part of Florida also; I'll have to go to Brandon tomorrow to watch it.

[Shakespeare]

32. It's being show in the most republican of Florida cities--PENSACOLA!

Nearly fainted from shock when I saw that. Hope they have a great turnout for it!

[underpants]

4. I was hoping that he gave more respect to the soldiers

from this story it doesn't appear that he did. That was the main reason I was against this war. I will see how he actually portrays them but it sounds like he is playing right into the critics hands.

[supernova]

7. Well, I wouldn't rush to judgement

afterall, in some cases it's soldiers filming each other.

[progressivebydesign]

30. Where did you get that idea???

From all accounts, from people that saw the film, he does nothing against the soldiers... It's a documentary. If there are things that some soldiers are doing that are bad, then it's going to come out. I think his documentation of the families of the soldiers, and the graphic violence of war doesn't seem counter to respecting the soldiers. Showing real interviews and real footage of soldiers does not disrespect them.. if they are saying or doing the things he's filming, then how could that be construed as disrespect. Perhaps the soldiers who are doing wrong are disprespecting all soldiers, instead. Have you considered that? You need to see the film.

[underpants]

34. Page 3 (?)

One touchy issue that hasn't yet gotten much notice is over Moore's portrayal of U.S. troops. In the movie they badger civilians, women and children included. They taunt prisoners. They listen to a rock song, "Fire Water Burn," as Iraq burns behind them.

Paul Rieckhoff fought in Iraq for a year and came back to start the Web site Operation Truth to tell Americans that war is not some video game. MoveOn touted him as a spokesman because he admires Moore and wanted to see the movie.

"It's thought-provoking. Sensational. Will really energize conversation," he said after he saw it. "It's obviously slanted in one way, so if you take it as your only source of information that would be pretty narrow. But some people will love it, some will hate it."

But, Rieckhoff added, "I'm ticked off at the way he portrays soldiers. It really makes them look stupid, like these testosterone-enraged mindless killers, like a bunch of barbarians. I'm going to tell him that."

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

5. "we will get stuck with all that Michael Moore baggage,"?

I suppose they wouldn't want to get stuck with all that DU bagage either. They are not leftists.

[Justice]

6. Yes, But Remember Heat Clark Took Because of Michael Moore's

Comment - Bush was a deserter?

We need Moore, but we need him to be independent - to be free to speak but not to divert the candidate's focus/message.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

8. True - but I'd rather they stay mum than dis him

They should stay silently neutral and let the movie do its work

[Coventina]

9. "little filmmaker guy"?

geez, they get it wrong on SO MANY LEVELS!

This cabal can't just be satisfied with being incorrect, they have to go for full-out WRONG!

[cmutt]

10. I'm stuck

I had planned to check out the movie with my brother -- and then my wife saw the Matt Lauer/Michael Moore interview and now SHE wants to see the film, too. I guess I'll be seeing it twice..

BTW, lost all respect for Lauer w/this interview -- did anybody else see it? Moore savages Lauer at one point, asking him something along the lines of "where were the tough questions when the president was making the case for war with bogus WMD claims?". It was a solid effort by Moore: Moore held his ground very well, IMO.

[skooooo]

11. that interview was this morning??

...wish I could see it.

[cmutt]

14. nope

It was on last weekend on Saturday night. Sorry, I don't remember more--my wife and I took the kids out-of-town to stay at a hotel. The hotel has a couple of waterslides. We wanted the kids to be able splash around & have some fun. It's nice to get away once in a while.. We just happen to catch the interview while cleaning up & changing from the pool, so I'm not sure what channel/program it was on.

[Bruce McAuley]

12. Welcome to DU, cmutt! Wish I could see it ONCE...

But the closest theatres that MIGHT show F911 are 150 miles away in Spokane. I wonder if the Dems around here could maybe rent the movie just before the election for a screening in the High School gym?
:hi:

Bruce

[cmutt]

15. thanks Bruce

I've been enjoying DU & lurking for quite some time. I finally decided to join the forums. I really wanted to post a link to a rollingstone magazine article my brother made me aware of. I see that I can't post a new message until I've made a certain number of replies. Perhaps one of you can put this out in a new post..

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story?id=6186837&pageid=rs.Politics&pageregion=single1

It's a tremendous article written about what the press experience is like in Iraq. I'm not sure whether to laugh, cry, or be angry. Doesn't that sum up the last 3 1/2 years under GBW as a whole?

Thanks for the welcome message!

[mainer]

13. the little theater in Brunswick, Maine selling tickets fast!

My family reserved tickets for Friday night's premiere showing -- I talked to the ticket seller over the phone, and she said "it's unbelievable. We're just a little theater, and we've been getting calls for tickets from all over the place. It's never happened before."

[spinbaby]

16. A lot of screens added in Pittsburgh

The first time I checked, 9/11 was playing in only at the smaller Cinemagic theaters in Squirrel Hill and Mt. Lebanon, but now 4 of the multiplexes have gotten on board.

[KansDem]

17. Got my ticket for 2pm tomorrow afternoon...

Several movie theaters in my area (Kansas City) showing this film.

Taking off work early to see it. Figure the Freepers don't come out until after dark...:evilgrin:

[Chovexani]

18. The Revolution will not be televised

Turns out it's a movie. :)

My friends and I got tickets from Fandango for Saturday and I can't wait!

[colonel odis]

21. got my ticket for tomorrow afternoon at the lone screen

it's playing on in nashville.

i'm going to the 1:45 show. hope the freepers don't start the bomb threats until later in the afternoon.

[cureautismnow]

27. "Outrageously False"

Sure, Dan. Anything you say. God forbid the WP would ask you to provide evidence to support your own allegations. :eyes:

The fireworks begin tomorrow at 11:30 A.M. in Orlando. Bring it on! :)

[Ms. Clio]

31. "He's not going to get into a debate himself . . .

with this little filmmaker guy."


These arrogant bastards are so full of hubris--I dearly hope they choke on it and that F9/11 becomes a monster hit, just like a book, once upon a time, by Harriet Beecher Stowe:

"The impact that Uncle Tom's Cabin had on the American public was so great that President Lincoln, upon meeting Stowe, is reported to have said, "You're the little lady who started this great war."

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/me1.htm

[sampsonblk]

33. One more day!

I hope this will lead to a removal of Bush and the DLC as well.