Posted on 09/06/2002 7:36:41 PM PDT by chasio649
Michael Moore Takes Aim at U.S. Gun Culture By Amran Abocar
TORONTO (Reuters) - Americans may not like what they see in Michael Moore's film "Bowling for Columbine" which examines U.S. gun culture, but the director hopes moviegoers will leave the theater with more than just anger and try to better their society.
Moore's film, inspired by the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado, will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It opens in New York and Los Angeles on Oct. 11.
"This ultimately isn't a film about guns (or) gun control. This is a film about the American psyche and the American ethic," Moore said at a press conference. "I'm much more concerned about the fact that we've just gone nuts as opposed to whether we've got too many gun nuts in America.
The film begins with a sequence on Moore opening an account in a bank, where his welcome gift as a new customer is a rifle, underlining the easy availability of arms.
That humor turns to horror as the viewer is treated to other, more chilling, images, including previously unseen footage from surveillance cameras that recorded teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold on their bloody rampage through Columbine.
The film's title is a reference to Klebold and Harris's bowling outing before the shooting.
Moore's documentary made a triumphant visit to the Cannes film festival earlier this year where it received a special anniversary prize. It was the first documentary to show at the festival in 46 years.
"It's a film that cuts very close to the bone and it's an uncomfortable film for Americans," he said. "I love being an American. I'm trying to do this to try and make us better."
To help Americans become better, the director travels to Canada to understand why Canadians are not as trigger-happy as their American cousins.
There follow humorous scenes of Moore walking into people homes in Toronto to prove, he says, that Canada is so safe that people don't even lock their doors. About 60 percent of the doors he tries, open freely.
"We need to change our ethic and aspire to be more Canadian-like," he said. "The Canadian ethic is, 'We're all in the same boat.' Our ethic is, 'Every man for himself and to hell with you'."
The filmmaker, who produced and hosted the cult television programs "TV Nation" and "The Awful Truth," screened his feature documentary "Roger and Me" at the 1989 Toronto film festival.
The 27th Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 5 to Sept. 14.
Methinks that Michael Moore should emigrate to Canuckistan - where he'll be happy.
Evidently Moore doesn't know it - but Canuckistan also had "school shootings" by kids "going postal" at school that same year. What "school shootings" are - anywhere - is a new fad; they weren't happening in either the U.S. or Canuckistan before the Klintons. Canuckistan has a damn high crime rate for a nearly-all-white society.
Would that it were the other way around.
Well then he shouldn't want to be more like Canada, they aren't going to be mentioned in history texts.
He should want to be more like France.
When the hell has this ever happened?
Not that long ago actually, 3 or 4 years ago at most. Several banks in "Flyover Country", AKA the Red Zone, offered guns as one alternative welcome gift. A lot better than a toaster or an electric skillet, don't you think? Of course you had to make a *substantial" deposit to be eligible for the guns, especially the nicer hunting (read sniper) rifles.
Probably come a day when the Gun Culture takes aim at assholes like Michael Moore.
Gee...I wonder who will win?
Correct. And in the town of Boulder, if you can believe it. Don't know if they still do it.
Would that it were the other way around.
At least he'd be an easy target to hit. Anyone who'd miss his fat a$$ needs more practice.
01/26/2001
Bloomberg News
Open a bank account, get a gun.
That's the deal at North Country Financial Corp. in Traverse City, Mich., which gives away rifles and shotguns in lieu of the interest that normally accompanies accounts.
Put as little as $869 in a 20-year certificate of deposit, and the bank will hand over a Weatherby Inc. Mark V Synthetic rifle that lists for $779. Deposit more and you have a choice of six Weatherby shotguns or a limited-edition rifle with walnut stock and oak-leaf engravings.
The same goes double for any picture of this big tub-o-lard. It'd take half a gig just to fit the guy into a thumbnail...
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