Posted on 05/16/2004 3:47:56 PM PDT by Liz
Michael Moore admitted Sunday that his "Fahrenheit 9/11" still does not have a distrib -- "Maybe some distributors are afraid of the film" -- but vowed the film must open in the U.S. before the election. "George W. Bush has to be removed from office," he declared.
In his first public interview here, Moore did a one-on-one with Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart as part of the Variety Conference Series.
Referring to the pic, which bows tonight in competition, he said, "From the beginning, there was pressure to try to stop it." Though Icon had originally agreed to finance the docu, Moore was told that Icon topper Mel Gibson got a call from a honcho in the Republican Party who said, "Don't expect any more invitations to the White House if you fund this movie."
Harvey Weinstein and Miramax agreed to distribute the film ("Same deal, same money, same everything"). But Moore said that on April 23, Disney senior veepee of production Brad Epstein viewed the pic and reported back to Eisner: "One viewing from a low-level production exec" was enough to end a firm deal for distribution, he said, apparently because "the potential of this film to have an impact on the election is greater than they thought."
Disney's official explanation is that it doesn't want to do political entertainment in an election year, though Moore pointed out that Disney and its various channels and programs air Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson.
The distribution problem "is intended to stop this film and make sure Americans don't see it," helmer said.
Taiwan and Hong Kong have no deals for the pic, but otherwise it has a distrib everywhere in the world except the U.S.
One of the sticking points with a distrib is the insistence on opening the July 4 weekend: "We won't accept a release date that conveniently pushes the film past the election."
Distribs have been mum on whether they're in talks to handle the pic.
Referring to Bush as "the dumbest man who ever ran for the presidency," Moore said Al Gore and the Democrats were unable to inspire voters to turn out for the 2000 election. So the film is important: "We decided we were not going to leave it up to the Democrats to (expletive deleted) it up again and lose it."
Promising "you will see things you have not seen before and learn things you have not learned before," Moore said the film evolved during its making and now is half about Iraq. He had crews working on the docu who were embedded in Iraq who uncovered great stuff. Talking of the forces behind the war, he exclaimed, "They are totally (expletive deleted)! And that's all I want to say."
The DVD release is targeted for October, and Moore said he plans to include commentary and include info on the problems of distribution.
Asked by Bart if people will view his attacks on the administration as unpatriotic, he said, "I'm the most patriotic American who believes the principles of his country." Saying America had created a lot of global havoc, he added, "My job is to be an American and try to turn things around."
On a lighter note, Moore said he has ideas for both fiction and nonfiction films. "I'm already down the road on a few of those." Among his potential docu targets: U.S. health care, Israeli-Palestinian relations and an impending oil crisis.
Moore and Bart got big laughs when they agreed that the audible booing at Moore's 2003 Oscar speech was disproportionately loud; no one in the audience was seen heckling, so they wondered where that sound came from. Moore also had the audience whooping with laughter as he did a Gollum impression debating whether to make his acceptance speech benign or incendiary.
I believe that Moore's latest masterpiece should be allowed to open...at Pres. Bush's 2nd inaguration!!!
Fat sack of rancid lard, Moore, is trying to hump up his own controversy so he can appear suitably outraged.
Chances are we'll learn it's an even more fictional documentary than BWC.
Hollyweirdos in the process of creating buzz for their failed projects is not a pretty sight. Moore on ABC-TV last week was a quivering mass of "victimization" (blech). Watta phony. He actually thinks people believe his PR pander to get distributors. Apparently nobody wants to touch this asinine film with a ten-foot pole.
Heheh....good zinger. Hey, maybe we oughta buy the distrib rights.
(Sniffle) Moore's a (sob) "victim" (bawl).
Ok fatso - bring it on - we know you is a liar anyway.
I have a personal score to settle with Moore. Not only does he hate my country the USA he also slanders and defames anti communist proud to be American citizens like my parents and family members and over 2 million Cuban exiles who fled Castro's gulags. Moore loves KKKuba and its free Hillary style health care system. Moore is always making fun of Cuban Americans as well as the Bush family.
people on my sh-t list
Michael Moore
Katie Couric
Bryant Gumbal
Patrick Leahey
Jose Serrano
Charles Rangle
Rev. Joan Brown Campbell
Harry belofante
Kasey Kasum
Ted kennedy
Alice walker
Barbara Strisdent
the list goes on...
Has anyone else noticed that the loony left libs are becoming virtually indistiquishable from the LaRouchies?
"No matter what the cost", they say. Even if it means electing some one worse?
This fat tub of crap cant take a bath, shower ,or put on fresh underwear and he says Bush has to go?? LMAO.
Can some company buy the distribution rights and then have "problems" with getting it out, forever?
Hmmmmm. That sounds an awful lot like a veiled threat.
Now that's looney.
Michael Moore admitted Sunday that his "Fahrenheit 9/11" still does not have a distrib -- "Maybe some distributors are afraid of the film" -- but vowed the film must open in the U.S. before the election. "George W. Bush has to be removed from office," he declared.
And he tells his critics/studios to wait until the film is released/seen before passing judgement?
This treasonous SOB ain't funny anymore. Look at my profile for the quote where he threw his support to Al Qaida/the Baath Party.
Michael Moore is also a wealthy anticapitalist living in a million dollar home.
The definition of documentary includes the words factual and objective. Michael Moore includes neither in his forays into film making. Fraud.
May be the best marketing/propaganda-push for him (and his objective of tarnishing George W. Bush).
The media (print, radio, and television) can still give his film coverage (and his ideas "legs").
If he had released it to theaters, the leftists would be downloading their copies from the Internet (possibly through his own leak). The idea behind this film is to get the young impressionable voters to see it and for the media to talk about it. Box Office take is the last thing on Mike's mind.
If the goal was to have his film seen as a film, there would be no problem with a distributor releasing it after the election (or even after the inauguration).
Only if they want a 350 pound bag of feces camped on their doorstep forever.
Seriously, if he truely is having a problem getting his movie distributed, do you think it's due to a VWRC able to cow all the lefty film outfits, or maybe the film is a dog that won't make enough to cover the 500 copies going to art film theatres?
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