Harvey Weinstein
Moore and Weinstein belong together!
Posted on 06/15/2007 8:52:17 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
Every Movie Marketer's Worst Nightmare Becomes Grim Reality for Weinstein Company
LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) -- Michael Moore's new documentary "Sicko" has been pirated and is now widely available for download on peer-to-peer content sites like www.thepiratebay.org. Michael Moore's controversial 'Sicko' movie is now available for free online.
Last week, the Oscar winning director announced that he'd decided to stash a copy of "Sicko" in Canada, in case the Federal government decided to impound it over an apparently unauthorized trip to Cuba made during its filming. As it turns out, the hard part won't be getting the film released, but getting audiences to pay to see it now that its available for free.
If the breach is as wide as it appears -- and this reporter downloaded a copy and watched it late Thursday night with ease -- Moore, and his distributor, The Weinstein Company, have a every film maker's worst marketing nightmare on their hands -- how to persuade people to go to the theater to see a show that's available free on the Internet. (Officials at the Weinstein Company were unavailable for comment late Thursday evening.)
Al Gore steps in Moore had recently hired Al Gore attorney David Boies, who has said he believes Moore is being unfairly harassed by the U.S. Treasury Dept. over his trip to Cuba because he'd criticized the current Administration in his penultimate documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11."
While it remains to be seen if that is simply Moore's famous showmanship and posturing, or actually true, what is clear is that the blogosphere isn't reacting to the leak with anything approaching apolitical neutrality: One pirate link encouraged potential downloaders to view the film online saying," Watch this free copy and keep $ out of that fat f-cks hands."
"Sicko's" general release date is June 29.
Too bad they use BitTorrent, I never could get that software to work right.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! When I think of what a few bittorrent servers could do....
Michael Moore is now experiencing what it feels like to be forced to “give back” to the community for the sake of the greater good.
Moore’s movie wasn’t leaked.
This was always part of his distribution plan.
He’s a socialist. He would never do anything to make money.
He’s using the leak story to gain sympathy for his run for the Democrat Presidential nomination.
If my memory serves, Moore actually condoned piracy of Fahrenheit 9/11 so that his message would get out to more viewers.
This stance didn’t seem to hurt its box office. I don’t know if it will for this, either, because the in-theater watching experience is very different from the on-computer experience. Bringing a date to watch a pirated movie just doesn’t have the same appeal.
On the other hand, would you invite your date to watch a film called Sicko?
So we’ll see, but I don’t think this will hurt him as much as many here and in the ad biz believe.
Incidentally, one producer threatened to sue YouTube after excerpts from a commercial movie were posted there ... not realizing the filmmakers posted it to get publicity. So even if the production company sues it’s possible that it was a deliberate plant by Moore.
Incidentally, anyone reasonably well informed knows Cuba has a multi-tiered health system, and thanks to the publicity potential, I am sure Moore and his friends got the “head of state” version. This makes the premise of this movie entirely false.
On the other hand, if it costs $3,000 a day to keep someone in the hospital and run a few tests, as it did for me recently, there is clearly something horribly wrong with a system that is this absurdly expensive. I have yet to receive a convincing explanation of why health care is this expensive and whether we should research alternatives before we are pauperized in our old age by the present system.
i don’t think single payer is the answer, but I’d like to hear some fresh thinking about this issue.
D
It is being distributed to the people for free. This is all for the common good according to Hillary Clinton.
Good point. As someone once said, even BAD publicity is good publicity
Harvey Weinstein
Moore and Weinstein belong together!
Right. It’s all about having a party with your date or your liberal buddies and going to the movie to celebrate. So, Bowling For Columbine was good for a laugh and a few rants at the evil warmongering Republicans.
But do you really want to have a good, leftist, feel-good conservative-bashing night on the town at a movie called “Sicko”?
Well he’s a communist that cares for the working class joe. I’m sure that the fact that his film will be accessable by all (and not just rich elitists) will more than compensate for all the money he’s going to lose. :D
The DUmmies and the KOSmunists are auto-eroticating themselves in anticipation of placing their pimply faces, moonbat a$$es in a theater to support this maggot. But I mean that in the most non-offensive way.
yeah, first the movies and then the healthcare!!
ROFLMHO!!!!!!!!!!!
Self ping
I agree. I wouldn’t even watch for free, but who is going to pay now? Too bad, so sad!
It’s more important to spread propaganda than to make money for the Left. While it is a nice fillip to have the targets of your propaganda pay for the privilege, it may get i the way of spreading THE WORD. Someone will pick up the tab, and nobody will be prosecuted.
Moore’s goal is to run the USA down by means of movies and publicity, and if that means assuring another fifty thousand viewers, go for it.
I have had at least 20 opportunities to see Inconvenient Truth for free, and I was given two free copies of Fahrenheit on two separate occasions.
It’s the message not the money.
It’s not just his movie. I can get copies of DVD movies that were released to theatres 2 days ago if I want.
His best flicks were his first two: 'Roger and Me'(sardonic humour while documenting the ripple-effect devastation of Flint, Michigan when General Motors shut down a profitable factory there. It has what may be the best line in all of movies: when the 'Rabbit Lady' uncomprehendingly says "I shouldn't be doing this.")and 'The Big One'(sardonic humour while documenting Moore's cross-country book tour focused on corporate 'downsizing' and 'offshorring').
It's very sad if he's been a victim of theft. His critique of the medical industry in this film should be very interesting.
Propaganda without profit. How's a hog gonna get fed?
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