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Michael Moore Takes Aim at U.S. Gun Culture
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/ ^ | Friday September 6 | Amran Abocar

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: banglist
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Maybe the Canadians would be more sensitive if certain segments of our population in the US were "residing" in that beautiful Country.
21 posted on 09/06/2002 8:07:44 PM PDT by oldtimer
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To: chasio649
HEY...MM....they ONLY time in my life I ever felt the NEED for a GUN was when I was LIVING IN CANADA....you frickin' idiot. Prince Albert, SK.....yeah, way up there.....NOW go back to your HOLE!
22 posted on 09/06/2002 8:10:13 PM PDT by goodnesswins
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To: oldtimer
I'm sure MM keeps his doors unlocked.
23 posted on 09/06/2002 8:11:01 PM PDT by breakem
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To: chasio649
To help Americans become better, the director travels to Canada
24 posted on 09/06/2002 8:15:10 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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To: chasio649
""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'."" (Reuters)

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.

Scandals of antigun politicians - with guide to "outing!"

25 posted on 09/06/2002 8:18:34 PM PDT by glc1173@aol.com
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To: Texas_Jarhead
F&$% him!!

Bump that
26 posted on 09/06/2002 8:19:50 PM PDT by flintlock1776
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To: chasio649
Michael Moore Takes Aim at U.S. Gun Culture

Would that it were the other way around.

27 posted on 09/06/2002 8:20:48 PM PDT by SEA
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To: glc1173@aol.com
Methinks that Michael Moore should emigrate to Canuckistan - where he'll be happy.


And stay there
28 posted on 09/06/2002 8:21:04 PM PDT by flintlock1776
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To: chasio649
Where the heck is that bank? I want to do business with them.
29 posted on 09/06/2002 8:26:53 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: Caligirl for Bush
and deserves to be thrown on the dungheap of history.

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.

31 posted on 09/06/2002 8:28:41 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
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Comment #32 Removed by Moderator

To: chasio649
To help Americans become better, the director travels to Canada to understand why Canadians are not as trigger-happy as their American cousins.

Many people in Canada own guns. My father owned several, but doesn't now, due to lack of interest. I grew up around guns. Of course, if you're going to spend all your time up here cloistered in a cultural Leftopolis like Toronto, you're not going to meet very many pro-gun people.

that Canada is so safe that people don't even lock their doors. About 60 percent of the doors he tries, open freely.

I smell a set-up. How about a camera crew and producer going down a street on a Saturday or Sunday (when most people are home), and asking people if they can try their doors? Of course, when you show film of it, it wouldn't appear that way.

I hate this guy. I don't know why I even read anything about him. May he live in interesting times.

Always remember - this is the guy who devoted a whole chapter of one of his books to the fact that he thought Hitlery was "sexy". Seriously.
33 posted on 09/06/2002 8:50:07 PM PDT by NatureGirl
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To: Skwidd
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.

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.

34 posted on 09/06/2002 8:53:12 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: chasio649
Michael Moore Takes Aim at U.S. Gun Culture

Probably come a day when the Gun Culture takes aim at assholes like Michael Moore.

Gee...I wonder who will win?

35 posted on 09/06/2002 8:56:26 PM PDT by BikerTrash
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To: Atchafalaya
Used to be a bank in Colorado (I think)...

Correct. And in the town of Boulder, if you can believe it. Don't know if they still do it.

36 posted on 09/06/2002 8:59:31 PM PDT by BikerTrash
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To: glc1173@aol.com
Methinks that Michael Moore should emigrate to Canuckistan - where he'll be happy.

Maybe we can trade him for Jamie Glazov.
37 posted on 09/06/2002 8:59:57 PM PDT by Welsh Rabbit
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To: SEA
Michael Moore Takes Aim at U.S. Gun Culture

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.

38 posted on 09/06/2002 9:05:46 PM PDT by kstewskis
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To: <1/1,000,000th%
Here's one example, more recently than I'd thought.

Michigan bank offers rifles

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.

39 posted on 09/06/2002 9:07:56 PM PDT by El Gato
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To: wysiwyg
Any mention of Moore is a suprememe waste of bandwidth, IMHO.

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...

40 posted on 09/06/2002 9:08:46 PM PDT by IsItTimeYet
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