Posted on 06/29/2004 11:06:31 AM PDT by areafiftyone
While an appearance by a local TV reporter in the controversial film "Fahrenheit 9/11" has yielded shouts of recognition among local movie-goers, it's less delightful for managers at WNEM TV-5.
"All I can tell you is we're totally surprised that clips from our local newscast were used," said Ian Rubin, news director for WNEM, the CBS affiliate based in Saginaw.
"We're looking into it right now as a potential copyright violation," Rubin said.
The Michael Moore movie, an indictment of President Bush's leadership and his decision to go to war in Iraq after the 2001 terrorist attacks, took in $23.9 million to become the first documentary to debut as Hollywood's top weekend film.
About one minute of the film features footage of TV-5 reporter Dave Bondy interviewing Frances and Mel Stroik of Thomas Township about their fear of a terrorist attack in mid-Michigan.
The local clip airs during a segment focusing on what filmmaker Moore purports were attempts by the president and other officials to instill fear in Americans after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Bondy interviewed the Stroiks while they were Christmas shopping in 2001 at Saginaw Township's Green Acres Plaza.
Frances Stroik told Bondy that living near what she suggested are potential terrorist-target cities - Midland, Flint and Detroit - made her nervous.
"You never know where they're going to hit," Mel Stroik added.
Rubin said calls began pouring into the station and to Bondy after the film opened on Friday evening.
"I haven't seen the movie," Rubin said. "But anything can be taken out of context."
The Stroiks, meanwhile, are supportive of Moore's efforts, though they haven't seen the movie yet, either.
"He's doing what he believes in," said Frances Stroik, 62, of Moore. "You can't fault a guy for that."
Theater owners in cities large and small reported sellout crowds over the weekend.
The movie opened Friday in Saginaw and Midland, and will open Wednesday at the Hampton 6 in Hampton Township.
"This was a very, very tricky film," said Todd Cottrell, Hampton 6 theater manager. "When they opened it up, it was a very limited release to a small number of theaters. But with the overwhelming popularity," more prints have been pressed and distributed, Cottrell said.
Cottrell said he looks forward to seeing the film - and apparently, so do dozens of theater patrons, who've called and e-mailed the theater to complain about it not being shown here.
Showtimes are 11:10 a.m., 1:40 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 6:40 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Flint resident Lila Lipscomb, who is prominently featured in "Fahrenheit 9/11," has seen the movie three times, and plans to see it again.
Moore focuses on Lipscomb's reaction to the death of her son, Army Sgt. Michael Pedersen, 26, who was killed while fighting in Iraq on April 2, 2003.
Lipscomb, 50, is shown putting up her American flag, crying as she reads the last letter her son sent home to the family and visiting the White House lawn, where she pours out her angst and sorrow over her son's death.
"I feel so blessed to be able to have my gut-wrenching feelings be able to touch so many people," she said. "Literally, people are calling my home and giving me messages. Men - men - are telling me how when they left the movie, they were just sobbing." <
"We're looking into it right now as a potential copyright violation," Rubin said."
SWEET! Thank you for posting.
A lady called Laura Ingram this morning. She said that her husband is a military photographer, and found out that some of his film was included. He was mad.
The quote was "He compared it to finding out that your daughter has become a whore".
MM needs to be sued under the copyright law and some of the profits taken away.
In a related story from the 1940's Grandpa Stroik was quoted as saying of Adolf Hitler, "He's doing what he believes in. "You can't fault a guy for that."
Two words: Joseph Stalin.
Hey, Hitler and Nero were doing what they believed in, too. Guess we can't fault them for that!
No you can't, Mrs. Stroik....but you can sure as hell fault him for the despicable way he goes about it.
I believe in setting up sprawling death camps for liberals, death camps that run night and day.
You can't fault me for that.
Sue the fat bastard!
The lie continues.
I looked it up. "Blair Witch" made over $140 million during its theater run. Let's see if Lumpy Riefenstal can even come close.
I hope Michael Moore gets sued so badly that he won't even be able to buy a donut.
This movie is being used as water cooler fodder at the workplace. People are being quizzed as to their opinions on the film and then judged as to whether that opinion fits in with the ruling clique at their workplace...and repercussions will follow.
Tomorrow the Fat Bastard can say goodbye to his abomination of a movie. Spiderman-2 opens and it got great reviews! SAY HELLO TO OBLIVION MOORE-ON
Ka-ching!
There goes my lunch!
-- If "F9/11" is a "documentary", then so is "The Blair Witch Project".--
dont forget Spinal Tap on that list
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