Hollywood Jumps Into Politics (Michael Moore is Heading The Pack)

Foxnews.com ^ | May 23, 2004 | By Marla Lehner

[LadyShallott]

Fanciful boy wizards and green ogres, move over: Hollywood's about to get serious. As election season heats up, several politically incendiary films are heading to the big screen.

From Michael Moore's (search) anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" to the disaster flick "The Day After Tomorrow," Tinseltown is putting out several movies that touch on hot-button political issues.

Election experts are skeptical about films' ability to impact the outcome of a race, but they say these movies do have the potential to rile voters and help mold debates.

"I think we can overstate the impact of how many people might see [these films] ... but they can help shape views over time. They have a more subtle impact," said Center for Voting and Democracy (search) Executive Director Rob Richie.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" and John Sayles' upcoming movie "Silver City," which stars Chris Cooper (search) as a politician who is a thinly veiled mockery of President Bush, are specifically taking aim at the current administration. Both Moore and Sayles have said that getting their films into theaters before the election is a priority. Although Disney recently backed out of distributing "Fahrenheit 9/11," few believe the film will have trouble finding another studio to put it out. "Silver City" is slated to debut on Sept. 16.

Political watchers say the famously left-wing Moore, whose film depicts the president as bungling and explores the ties between the Bush and the Bin Laden families, will be preaching to the converted.

[Navy Patriot]

My favorite John Sayles flick, BTW, is Battle Beyond the Stars.

No, I haven't heard of that one as well, but if I see a rental I'll pick it up on your reccomendation. As a hard science kind of guy, I do enjoy space operas, and I can get around the PC for a certain Borg in "voyager" or my favorite Vulcan in "Enterprise".

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Well - I still see all of this as a preaching to the choir phenomenon. The net effect of Soros/Moore/Sayles/etc. may be to stimulate the economy by their purchases of advertising time and film and video production. And then there is the benefit of the dollar Soros, et.al., wastes this year cannot be spent next election cycle.

Everyone who would be influenced by information the quality of a Michael Moore film was going to vote against Bush anyway. I do think that the G.O.P. needs to evaluate this situation - on my more cynical days I tend to think that the dumbing down of America may be about to bear fruit in producing a generation on which this low grade propaganda may actually have an effect. I just don't think we're there - yet.

[pete anderson]

Now that it is know that Fahrenheit 911 contains film shot secretly by Moore Undercover Agents in the U.S. Military, President Bush MUST Declare that the Film is a Threat to National Security and have the FBI confiscate all copies of the Fahrenheit 911.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***My favorite John Sayles flick, BTW, is Battle Beyond the Stars.***

If I remember correctly, this is a cheap ripoff of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

I believe he did THE HOWLING years go. On a tv interview he stated he used NON-UNION labor for his films. So, how can he claim to be liberal and do this at the same time!

[Ben Chad]

Grumpy, I'm with you. It really ticks off my wife though that I won't go to the movies with her.

[Galactic Overlord-In-Chief]

Cheap but fun. The effects were good for a $2 million dollar flick. James Cameron of Terminator fame did the models for the movie. The DVD is great also.

[kellynla]

Little do the 'Rats realize it, but Lardass Moore is the best thing for the GOP since Bill Klintoon...
Every public appearance Moore makes just gives more ammo for the GOP

[freekitty]

He is a fat lard butt, who pretends to be a regular guy when in reality he is just a blood sucking greedy pig. I can't wait to see him fall and he will fall.

[King Prout]

um... battle beyond the stars... I do hope you do not refer to a terrible 3D movie which featured the guy who played "Bull" on Night Court... gad, what a dog of a movie that was.

[feedback doctor]

My favorite John Sayles flick, BTW, is Battle Beyond the Stars.

AAAAAACK! One of the worst movies ever made! John-Boy Richrad Thomas was terrible. The talking computer was terrible, the leading female, well looked pretty good. Bad story. I took a girl to that movie years ago, and it was the last time she would go out with me. I can't blame her. BTW, I noticed that that movie is on some cable channles this weekend.

[NYCVirago]

Felling cited "Wag the Dog" (search) and "Primary Colors" as examples of films that poked fun at President Clinton.

Yeah, Primary Colors, written by Joe Klein, the guy who openly chastised reporters on the campaign plane in 1992 for even checking out negative information on Clinton, was the equivalent of Moore's movie. Right.