Moore claims victory over 'Passion of Christ'

Worldnetdaily ^ | July 1, 04 | Worldnetdaily

[churchillbuff]

ASHLAND, Ore. – Whooping and hollering greeted Michael Moore's statement that his virulently anti-Bush film "Fahrenheit 9/11" beat out Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

"I think Jesus had something to do with that," said Moore during Monday's meeting at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Ore., part of a national event sponsored by MoveOn.org. Comparing the initial attendance stats for the two films – and accentuating the one or two measures by which, says Moore, "Fahrenheit" edged out "Passion" – Moore boasted: "I've been feeling for a month He's been very upset at the [selling of] that movie. So I think it was His own little payback this weekend."

A self-described "practicing Catholic," Moore said his film barely nosed out "The Passion," but what surprised WND columnist and talk show host Bob Just, who attended Monday's meeting and recorded it, was the wild cheering at the news.

"You definitely felt the hostility in the room toward traditional Christians," said Just, a former liberal, now-conservative Democrat – and also a Christian. "At one point, Moore boasted that his film so infuriated one man that he threw his shoe at the image of George W. Bush on the screen."

"Hot Enough For You?" screamed the headline of one campus flyer. "Then Organize." Moveon.org's flyer was even more blunt: "Michael Moore wants to know: Are you ready to turn up the heat on George W. Bush?"

The Oregon campus meeting Just attended was billed as a "House Party." Local attendance was estimated at several hundred people, but according to Moveon.org, nationwide there were enough people connected online that night to fill a football stadium.

"In living rooms and meeting halls across America," proclaimed the flyer, "we'll be joining Michael for a live, interactive, on-line discussion of his film. You'll also be give an opportunity to make a real difference in this election, by joining in an intensive voter registration and education drive."

Most of Moore's conversation was geared toward taking not only the presidency this fall, but perhaps even Congress as well.

A large screen displayed the computer hook-up as the audience looked on. At several points the transmission went down or became garbled.

Students and others who came for the promised "open discussion in film rhetoric" were first heavily pressured to join the Moveon effort. Each audience participating was asked to collect its group leader statistics and upload them in the computer, which flashed the results by locality. Likewise, each group was called on to recruit more people and expand its numbers.

"Take that day off on November second," Moore exhorted. "And take, you know, take five non-voters to the polls. You know who they are. They're your friends, your family members, people you go to school with. Just commit now to convincing them. Tell them, you're at work or whatever, it's at noontime, tell them, 'Hey, let's all, come on with me. I'll buy everybody lunch,' you know, or if it's at night, you know – "free beer for everybody that comes vote with me right now!" You know, just get creative. Do whatever it is you gotta do!"

Republicans, says Just, have been trying recently to write off the "Gore-Moore left" as a "coalition of the wild-eyed." But, "it is more serious than that. All you have to do is see Moore's movie and you'll know you've entered into an alternate reality," adds Just, who has a masters degree in film from NYU Institute of Film and Television.

In fact, even reputable liberal pundits are stepping forward to denounce "Fahrenheit's" inaccuracy, from Christopher Hitchen to Ellen Goodman to The Washington Post's Richard Cohen.

"Moore's depiction of why Bush went to war is so silly and so incomprehensible that it is easily dismissed," Cohen wrote in yesterday's Post. "As far as I can tell, it is a farrago of conspiracy theories. But nothing is said about multiple U.N. resolutions violated by Iraq or the depredations of Saddam Hussein. In fact, prewar Iraq is depicted as some sort of Arab folk festival – lots of happy, smiling indigenous people. Was there no footage of a Kurdish village that had been gassed? This is obscenity by omission."

Hitchens called the film a "sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness," while Newsweek joined in this week with a headline, "More Distortions from Michael Moore."

"But remember this," Moore told the youthful audience, which filled the Brit Ballroom on the Southern Oregon campus. "The other side, they are organized! And they're really, I mean, they are historically, uh, much better at this than we are. They are up at the crack of dawn, uh, trying to figure out what group of Americans they're going to hurt today."

[Peach]

I'd read about that but thanks for reminding me...I'd forgotten.

[longtermmemmory]

Sick perhaps but,

Democrat politicians are cheering him and buying bulk tickets for their constituents.

Democrat party members are giving him money.

Overseas anti americans are giving him money.



If america had fallen instead of the USSR, he would have been firt in line at the victory parade. (then the USSR would have had him "disapear")

[lowbridge]

has he lost his mind

No. He knows exactly what he's doing. Making all the more outrageous and false statements, knowing that he'll get the right wing all riled up over his latest lie which in turn creates free publicity for him and his movie which in turn increases ticket and book sales which in turn puts more money in his pocket.

[longtermmemmory]

The only real creativity in hollywood is the accounting.

Want to bet that the moore-enablers are working overtime to spin this movie?

Even at the courthouse few have seen this.

[A_Niceguy_in_CA]

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[lowbridge]

Congratulations. You've all done what Moore exactly wanted you to do when he made this statement, claiming that his movie outgrossed The Passion. Get angry, create free publicity for his movie, putting more money into his pocket. You thought that after last weekend, that would be the end of it. It would all be downhill from there. But all he had to do was get all of you all riled up, so that this upcoming weekend will be just as good for his wallet.

How does it feel to be the dog to his Pavlov?

[smith288]

"I think Jesus had something to do with that,"

This guy hasn't a clue about Christianity.

[PLOM...NOT!]

I'm praying Dubya has the last laugh on Big Mike.

[Jaded]

The only thing that exceeded Mel Gibson and the Passion of Christ at the box office is Michael Moore's ego.

[johnb838]

During the Passion they would give you a ticket that had another movie's name on it to keep the numbers DOWN. I remember several people here very angry about it. I wouldn't be surprised if they did the same thing to HELP Moore this time, i.e., someone comes in to see "Two White Chicks", and they get a ticket labeled F-911.

[longtermmemmory]

This was prime weekend before the release of spiderman. Odd how the sudios did not give him ANY competition.

[MCH]

Don't worry, Michael, God will deal with you when you die.

More like Satan. Whenever I see this buffoon, I'm reminded of the fat guy scene in Monty Python's "Meaning of Life". I can just see Moore sitting at a big buffet table in hell, eating his spew and barfing into buckets repeatedly, until he gets so big that he literally explodes - only to have the episode repeated over and over again for eternity.

[longtermmemmory]

If you can prove that, Gibsons production company would be very interested. He has had to sue due to a dispute regarding percentages and accounting. (based on media reports)

[SpinyNorman]

Actually, this is a good thing..Moore's full of himself..he thinks he's impervious..he'll keep on saying more and more outrageous things..till he steps on his crank, big time..with cleats on..

Step on it? He hasn't even seen it in years!

[TexasCajun]

F-9/11 beat The Passion of the Christ

Franken beat Rush

Gore beat Bush "

Liberal-Americans are so Stupid!"

I'd have to agree with Michael Moore on this one!

[ken5050]

Gimmmee a break..I was looking for a metaphor...(G)

[lowbridge]

Apparently no one is listening to me....

Hello!!!!!!?

[whatexit]

Where and How??? Last I checked F9/11 is no where close to the numbers of The Passion.

Perhaps he didn't mean monetarily. Maybe he was referring to doing more damage to US support for Israel than Mel's supposedly "Antisemitic" film.

[SolutionsOnly]

Kennedy and Kerry and Chris Matthews all claim to be Catholics, too. But the church lets them get away with it, so I really don't who is more to blame.

[P-Marlowe]

Passion did more the first day than Moron did the whole frigggin' weekend!

Actually the Passion did more before it opened to the public in private screenings than F7-11 did in its first week.

I think he means that his movie beat out The Passion for this last week.

Since the Passion is only showing in the $3 (not-yet-ready-for-DVD-release) Cinemas and in obscure countries outside of Europe right now, beating the Passion at this point is no big deal. The Passion is expected to pull in over a Billion Dollars by the time the DVD is sold out.