Michael Moore's critics strike back

CBC News ^ | 5/21/04 | CBC News

[wagglebee]

CANNES - Not everyone in France is in love with Michael Moore.

The controversial documentary filmmaker has been the darling of the Cannes Film Festival so far, but there are those who aren't enamoured with his latest film, Fahrenheit 9/11.

Jean-Luc Godard, the legendary French director who helped to launch the New Wave movement in the 1960s, had harsh words for Moore this week. Godard's latest film, Notre Musique, premiered on Monday, the same day as Fahrenheit 9/11. Later in the week, Godard lashed out at Moore at a press conference, calling him "halfway intelligent."

Godard, who hadn't seen Fahrenheit 9/11, compared it unfavourably to the work of American documentarian Frederick Wiseman. "It's like two different worlds," Godard said.

Moore's film criticizes U.S. President George W. Bush's handling of the Sept. 11 attacks, and also highlights the links between Bush's family and the family of Osama bin Laden. But Godard said Moore's film was an ineffectual piece of work.

"He's not even hurting Bush," Godard said. "He's helping him in an underground way. Bush is either less stupid than he looks or so stupid you can't change him."

Godard went on to say that the Flint, Mich.-born director lacks subtlety. "Moore doesn't distinguish between text and image," Godard argued. "He doesn't know what he's doing."

In the United States, meanwhile, publishing house ReganBooks announced plans this week to release an anti-Moore book called Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man. The book comes from authors Jason Clarke and David T. Hardy, the web agitators who run mooreexposed.com and moorelies.com, sites which are aimed at discrediting Moore's books and movies.

ReganBooks says the new volume presents a "scathing case" against Moore "that will expose the misrepresentations and hypocrisy that have been characteristic of Moore's career."

"Post-war filmmakers gave us the documentary, Rob Reiner gave us the mockumentary and Moore initiated a third genre, the crockumentary."

The book will land on store shelves in July. ReganBooks is the same publisher responsible for the trade paperback version of Moore's own Stupid White Men.

[wagglebee]

Godard lashed out at Moore at a press conference, calling him "halfway intelligent."

If the French are criticizing you and the Canadians are reporting it, you are really a sorry piece of sh*t.

[martin_fierro]

"But speaking here in my capacity as a polished, sophisticated European as well, it seems to me the laugh here is on the polished, sophisticated Europeans. They think Americans are fat, vulgar, greedy, stupid, ambitious and ignorant and so on. And they've taken as their own, as their representative American, someone who actually embodies all of those qualities." - Christopher Hitchens

[wardaddy]

Judith Regan Middle Aged Babe Bump!

[TheBigB]

I haven't read any comments by P.J. about Moore his own self, but I believe I can probably sum up his feelings with the following quote (from GIVE WAR A CHANCE): "Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."

PING to the newly-created REPUBLICAN PARTY REPTILE ping list, named after our spiritual founder, P.J. O'Rourke. What is the Republican Party Reptile? It is a creature of the eighties. It’s neoconservatism with its pants down around its ankles, the Rehnquist Supreme Court on drugs, a disco Hobbes living without shame or federally mandated safety regulations. The Republican Party Reptile supports a strong defense policy, but sees no reason to conduct it while sober. The RPR believes in minimum government interference in private affairs—unless the government brings over extra girls and some ice. In short, the RPR is the new label that our political spectrum has been crying out for—the conservative with a sense of humor and a healthy dose of depravity.

To be added or subtracted, just ask. :o)

[EGPWS]

Godard lashed out at Moore at a press conference, calling him "halfway intelligent."

Lashed out?

IMHO that is, well it's one he!! of an outrageous compliment!

[JennysCool]

Get me on that list! Thanks!

[TomServo]

Godard lashed out at Moore at a press conference, calling him "halfway intelligent."

Which means he's related to Madeline "Halfbright".

And just as damned ugly, too.

[parsifal]

Oh poor Mike! I always thought the guy was a comic genius. Chasing the GM dude around the country. . .brilliant. The smarmy Bob Eubanks from Flint. The rabbit lady. Gots to get a copy of that. parsy, who can appreciate genius even if it is on the other side of the spectrum.

[lilylangtree]

Martin_fierro (post #2) quote by Christopher Hitchens accurately explains Europeans and their perspective on Americans. Note a last year's movie "What a girl really wants?" in one of the ending scenes on the double decker bus in England the tour guide is wearing a baseball cap and speaking in a disgusted voice to an audience of overweight, dull-eyed Americans.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Mancow had a good one this morning;

"I heard Michael Moore got a twenty minute standing ovation. I thought it was at the Red Lobster

[Psycho_Bunny]

You know....if he had died right after making Roger and Me, I would have thought he was sort of OK.

Pity he had to go on and expose himself as just being a pig-headed moron.

[endthematrix]

"Bush is either less stupid than he looks or so stupid you can't change him."

I guess that's a French compliment. Frog - "SHOVE IT!"

[JRandomFreeper]

If the French are criticizing you and the Canadians are reporting it, you are really a sorry piece of sh*t.

QUOTE OF THE DAY material.

/john

[rdb3]

Put me on da list, BigB.

[Defiant]

Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man

They don't need to stoop to Al Franken's level to sell books. That's a juvenile title. How about some subtle humor instead? "Moore is Less", or "Moore's the Pity", or "Herding Elephants: The Michael Moore Story", or something like that.

[THX 1138]

...the crockumentary

LOL

Wish I'd thought of that.

[stylin19a]

Godard, who hadn't seen Fahrenheit 9/11, compared it unfavourably to the work of American documentarian Frederick Wiseman. "It's like two different worlds," Godard said.

Good grief !

[gonzo]

"...Oh poor Mike! I always thought the guy was a comic genius. Chasing the GM dude around the country. . .brilliant. The smarmy Bob Eubanks from Flint. The rabbit lady. Gots to get a copy of that. parsy, who can appreciate genius even if it is on the other side of the spectrum..."

Yer a maniac, parsy! I laughed-my-ass-off at the rabbit lady!

We just didn't know that Moore would become such a self-important-asshole..................FRegards

[gonzo]

"...Veni, Vidi, Vici..."

I use 'Veni, Vidi, Velcro', lily. "I came, I saw, I stuck around!".................FRegards

[DennisR]

"Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man"

Okay, I can go with "Big," "Fat," "Stupid," and "White," but "Man"? Methinks not.