One Group That's Not Polarized: 9 out of 10 Film Reviewers for Daily Papers Back 'Fahrenheit'

Editor & Publisher ^ | 6/27/04 | Editor & Publisher

[wagglebee]

NEW YORK They like Mike. While the country as a whole appears split, along political lines, over the controversial Michael Moore documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," movie reviewers at U.S. daily newspapers are not.

An E & P survey of 54 daily papers that ran reviews, in "red" and "blue" states alike, finds that 48 gave the film a positive nod, with only 6 abstaining, a 90% favorable rating.

The six in the "anti" camp were: Detroit Free Press, Denver Rocky Mountain News, San Jose Mercury-News, New York Post, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Charlotte Observer.

Among the "pro" crowd were reviewers from moderate to conservative papers such as the Boston Herald, Los Angeles Daily News, Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Many of the positive reviews expressed reservations but overall weighed in on the plus side.

Among the few negatives, Pheobe Flowers in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel called the film "hyperbolic hysteria," and Lawrence Toppmann in the Charlotte Observer observed that Moore "rakes muck like nobody else, but almost as much of it stick to him as to his subject."

But they were drowned out by praise, not only from some of the expected big city papers but from smaller towns. Bob Allen of the Denton Record Chronicle in Texas referred to "Maestro Moore." Philip Martin in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette called the film "tough and true," while James Sanford in the Kalamazoo Gazette found it to be a "skillfully" directed "two-hour indictment."

Mary Pols in the Contra Costa(Ca.) Times pretty much covered the waterfront in calling the film "passionate, clever, scathing, funny, snarky, brutal, sad, glib and at times superficial."

[duvausa]

Try Chistopher Hitchens take: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1157757/posts

I don’t know how this administration is expected to win this war when they have to face this sort of crap from every side—even the side that is supposedly behind them.

[expatguy]

I don’t know how this administration is expected to win this war when they have to face this sort of crap from every side—even the side that is supposedly behind them.

Simply put, they won't. And as much as this upsets my fellow Freepers here, I am of the opinion that we have absolutely no chance to win this war now.

The war ended for us when we stood down in Fallujah.

[jtill]

"Mary Pols in the Contra Costa(Ca.) Times pretty much covered the waterfront in calling the film "passionate, clever, scathing, funny, snarky, brutal, sad, glib and at times superficial.""

And anyone who takes a Mary Pols movie review seriously has got to have a solid rock for a brain.

[185JHP]

Leftism is a cult. Cults ascribe total correctness to their beliefs, thus if they don't believe it, it isn't true. That said, Mooreists weren't prominent when we had a more decent country. The dung-fertilized soil in which the Moore fruit grows has to do with the "anything goes" attitudes that have proliferated.

[driftless]

Let's go over this again. What the libs don't realize is that we are in a war. The whole argument of the anti-war/anti-Bush group is that that Hussein was no threat to us or our allies. The overwhelming evidence is that he was a threat by his sponsorship of terror directed at us and our friends. His refusal to abide by U.N. proposition 1441 sealed his fate. The opponents of the war in Iraq said he had no wmds and if did, would not give them to terrorists. Well we're finding those wmds and we're finding out that the terrorists have them and are looking for more. The people who say we should be fighting Al-Qaeda and Bin laden because Hussein did not have contacts or cooperate with A-Q have been proved wrong. Steven Hayes of The Weekly Standard has detailed these numerous Iraq/A-q ties in his book "The Connection". Laurie Mylroie is another investigator who had concluded that Hussein was neck-deep in anti-U.s. terrorism. As did CIA director George Tenet. And the idea that Hussein was involved in 9/11 has not yet been disproved despite the conclusion of the 9/11 commission. A separate investigator Jayne Davis has evidence that Hussein was involved in the Oklahoma City bombing as well as the first WTC bombing in 1993.

Anyone who does not believe Hussein was still a major threat to us and our allies is either ignorant or so consumed with hate for Bush and Republicans that they refuse to what is in front on them. In short they can't connect the dots. By the way ABC News panned Moore's movie as being full of inconsistencies and outright falsehoods.

[randog]

WHich is only further evidence that the editorial management of most newspapers is grossly out of touch with their consuming public.

Which is further proof of why newspaper circulations are dropping like a stone.

[stands2reason]

This poster was defending "Bowling for Columbine" when it came out, too.

"Hold my nose" indeed.

[stands2reason]

If nothing else, to know how to respond to the critics with something besides *ad hominem*, emotional, self-defeating arguments that automatically proceed from judgements about "bias", or "bashing the President".

Respond to the critics of the movie or the President?

[stands2reason]

Why would you think there are inaccuracies? You weren't for this war anyway.

[sawmill trash]

But they were drowned out by praise, not only from some of the expected big city papers but from smaller towns.

They evidently think liberalism is a cosmopolitan thang.

[Liberty Wins]

Why don't conservatives make a MOVIE to counter the Michael Moore garbage?

The best answer to the propaganda of the Left would be a full-length documentary on what our soldiers have achieved in Iraq to help the ordinary people, such as building roads, water systems, schools, hospitals, even providing tons and tons of school supplies. They have transformed 2,358 schools nationwide. Our troops even put together and delivered over 1 million school supply kits to eager Iraqi children. Personally, I would love to see a film about this.

You wouldn't even have to mention Bush's name, thereby getting around the McCain-Feingold campaign restrictions.

Send your ideas to Mr. Philip Anschutz at:

The Anschutz Film Group

555 17th St., Ste. 2400

Denver, CO 80202

Phone: (303) 298-1000

Fax: 303-298-8881

This movie mogul doesn't live in Hollywood. A Denver billionaire, Anschutz owns 78% of Regal Entertainment Group, which in turn controls the largest theater chain in the U.S., including United Artists Theatres and Regal Cinemas. He says he got into the entertainment business in order to make family films, so that gives you an idea of his core values.

Among other things, his company acquired the rights to make films of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles, and their most recent production was "Around the World in 80 Days," the Jackie Chan movie which just reached the theatres.

Sorry I couldn't find his email on the Internet. Maybe some of you techno-whizzes can do that for us.

[wagglebee]

If you ask most of the leftist elites, their view of "flyover country" is a bunch of Bible-thumping, inbred, illiterate hicks. Nevertheless, the newspapermen in these areas still yearn for the approval of the New York Slimes.

[CaptainK]

Gotcha. The sanctimoniousness was telling.

[Helms]

Fahrenheit 9/11 is a sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness. It is also a spectacle of abject political cowardice masking itself as a demonstration of "dissenting" bravery.- Hitchens

Nasty POS marketing to misfits.

[IronJack]

Which is further proof of why newspaper circulations are dropping like a stone.

That and rising illiteracy.

[f zero]

I bet all those reviews were written before they even saw the films. Would you expect anything less from those leftists.

[wagglebee]

I bet all those reviews were written before they even saw the films. Would you expect anything less from those leftists.

You are probably right.

[tubebender]

Has Michael Medved reviewed it yet?

[Joe_October]

When did the media ever give a useful review? I can't think of any. Hollywood is driving itself out of business with the crap they produce.