Moore: Pirate My Film

Michael Moore says he has no problem with people downloading pirated copies of his film, according to this article. Bizarrely, the distributor (Lions Gate) also seems to have no problem with it. Not so, predictably, with the MPAA or the Hollywood establishment, who are unimpressed.

I am still going to see in in the cinema sometime in the next week, as are many of you, but it's good to know that Mr Moore wants his message to get across no matter the cost. Especially now that it's already done $60 million. I endorse this film with my usual reservations about the auteur - but no reservations strong enough to make me overlook the fact that this film will have a definite positive impact on the balance of swing voters in November.

By the way, not that I advocate this or anything, but www.suprnova.org might be a starting point (it's also linked from the article above so I don't feel like I'm telling tales out of school...) - but bewarned, all I could see is camcorder ripoffs. If Mr Moore truly believes, he should provide a DVD-rip pirate version for the masses :)

Update

Looking into this a bit more, I see that Michael Moore is basking in his own brilliance a bit (who'da thought?) but that he's had some factoids regarding the success of his flick brought to his attention, one of which disturbs me. See if you can spot which one I mean:

** More people saw "Fahrenheit 9/11" in one weekend than all the people who saw "Bowling for Columbine" in 9 months.

** "Fahrenheit 9/11" broke "Rocky III’s" record for the biggest box office opening weekend ever for any film that opened in less than a thousand theaters.

** "Fahrenheit 9/11" beat the opening weekend of "Return of the Jedi."

** "Fahrenheit 9/11" instantly went to #2 on the all-time list for largest per-theater average ever for a film that opened in wide-release.

Now, that's just wrong.

Comments

[Ben H]

What does he mean by beat? Bigger audience, no. Bigger gross takings is possible - given inflation.

[Sarah]

Thanks for posting this Luke! My husband downloaded a copy last weekend, and we are now guilt-free. I may go see it in the cinema anyway at some point, if only to see what the reactions to it are from people here, but that will have to wait until after payday.

My own personal take on it was that it started off well, but lacked direction in the end. I also thought the stunt of asking congressmen to sign their kids up for the army was fairly stupid. I get the point he was trying to make--that priveleged people are sending less priveleged people to war, and might think differently about it if it were their own children going--but I think he chose the wrong way to make it. My family as an example, my brother would not have joined the National Guard if my parents could have paid for him to go to university. But it was his choice to do it, however much his socio-economic circumstances may have influenced that choice, just like everyone else--no one's parents directly sign them up. I think Moore's stunt was a very silly, ineffective way to illustrate the differences between those that join the military and those that control what the military does--and the silliness of the stunt completely detracted from the end of the movie for me.

Overall though, I'm pleased that the movie is out there.

[vaara]

I'm holding off till July 22, when it opens here in the Netherlands. In any case I'd much rather watch it at the Pathé Tuschinski (the beat theater in Amsterdam) than on my little laptop.

[vaara]

I'm holding off till July 22, when it opens here in the Netherlands. In any case I'd much rather watch it at the Pathé Tuschinski (the best theater in Amsterdam) than on my little laptop.

[apologies if this is a repost, I noticed a typo just after I hit "Post"]