Moore would be fortunate to posses one tenth of the amount of talent displayed by this truly great man.
Posted on 02/18/2005 11:45:36 AM PST by metalmanx2j
Sept. 11th was a terrible disaster for America - and it hit America hard financially.
But one person who has benefited financially is filmmaker Michael Moore, who parlayed the disaster into a whopping $50 million for himself.
So reports Vanity Fair in its March profile of the liberal documentary maker and his odyssey with the film that trashed President Bush by placing him in a giant conspiracy involving the Saudis, the bin Laden family and Sept. 11th. Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" - which cost $6 million to produce - was a worldwide hit, generating box office sales of more than $200 million.
VF says Moore stands to pocket about a quarter of that gross.
Not bad for a guy who had been collecting unemployment checks of $99 a week just a few years earlier!
After hitting the jackpot, it is no wonder Moore already has plans for another Fahrenheit-style movie for the 2008 election. But currently, his next attack film "Sicko" (a title which may also refer to Moore himself) will focus on the health care industry.
Moore continues to stick to his guns that his "Fahrenheit" helped the Democrats in 2004 and "prevented a Bush landslide."
But many Democrats disagree with that assessment.
Steve Grossman, a former DNC chairman, said Moore's film was "out-and-out propaganda" that appealed to a "deceptively small segment of the Democratic Party and base."
In the end, Grossman suggests, Moore's film may have fueled "the unprecedented turnout" for Bush because "the other side would not allow their president to be trashed by Michael Moore."
But simple greed may have blinded the brilliant filmmaker to good sense.
A former manager, Douglas Urbanski, tells VF that Moore was the "only client I ever fired."
Urbanski says the liberal Moore was obsessively focused on money. "He never had enough money," Urbanski recalled.
Arrogance may have also played a role in Moore's negative political impact with "Fahrenheit."
Urbanski described Moore as "exasperatingly rude."
"We walked out of restaurants because Michael found the service too slow," he remembered.
Moore apparently got caught by his own contradictions. He portrays himself as a likeable everyman, but he's not; he decries corporate greed but he himself is driven by money.
Pollster Frank Luntz summed up why "Fahrenheit" failed so miserable. "His message at the time was very powerful, but the messenger was fatally flawed," Luntz said.
Luntz noted Moore's 2003 comment to a British newspaper - widely reported by NewsMax.com and other web sites. Moore said Americans were "possibly the dumbest people on the planet."
"In this way Moore permanently undermined the message," Luntz concludes.
Among other items about Moore from the VF profile:
Moore once thought he could be the "the biggest star of a sitcom in America." He likened himself to the next Jackie Gleason. "I can be bigger than Jackie Gleason and I don't know why it's not happening ... I am a movie star," Moore said.
Moore secretly admired conservatives for their tactics. "They're stunned that anyone on the liberal side of the fence has the balls to go right at them. Although I am not a liberal," Moore says.
Moore is still angry with Mel Gibson, whose Icon productions backed out of producing "Fahrenheit." Moore claims Gibson backed out of Fahreheit after being threatened with no more invitations to the White House. Gibson's spokesman, Alan Nierob, told VF that Mel has not accepted any invitations from the White House, "so why would he be concerned about not getting one?"
Moore is also miffed with Gibson because TIME magazine wanted to feature both he and Gibson as possible co-Persons of the Year. But Gibson balked at the idea he would sit down with Moore for an interview with TIME.
As for Disney and its CEO Michael Eisner backing out of plans to back "Fahrenheit," Moore sees more conspiracies. He suggested to VF that a Saudi investment in Euro Disney caused Disney to bail on him. Previously, Moore has alleged that Eisner was worried Bush's brother, Fla. governor Jeb Bush, would pull tax breaks that benefits Disney's Florida theme park.
I find it unlikely Moore has ever walked out of a restaurant without devouring everyhing in sight.
"The jerkoff thrives financially, personally, professionally and spiritually on controversy."
....and more so emotionally.
Moore would be fortunate to posses one tenth of the amount of talent displayed by this truly great man.
He got none from my wallet.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.