Expats Against Bush

Don't watch Fahrenheit 9/11...

... on your computer, that is.

On Wednesday I posted about Michael Moore saying it was OK to download pirated copies of his film. I guess that's still OK, and from what I've heard a lot of people have chosen to jump the queue and watch the film this way, in their homes. For some it's practicality (not being able to get out to the cinema) and for others its itching curiousity (wanting to be the first to have seen it). I've got a copy, but it's a pretty poor pirate camcorder job (as I suspect are most of the other copies floating around out there).

If you're considering seeing this film, and you have the capacity to do so, I would very much urge you to see this in the cinema. Not only will you contribute to the success of the film and thereby send a message to the Bush administration, but you will have a much more visceral experience. Seeing this film with a crowd makes it all the more poignant, especially as the crowd gets into it and starts to interact with the film (read: hissing and booing).

This is not a perfect documentary by any stretch of the imagination: it is at times infuriatingly coy and omits facts that might provide counterpoint. But these are inconsequential, as overall the film beats you senseless with the sheer horror of the War on Terror and its many sordid aspects. Several times I felt myself welling up with tears (yes, I was emotionally manipulated, and knowingly so) and other times (such as anytime Bush spoke) I found myself sinking into the chair and grimacing. Everyone I was with came out shaking their heads and muttering "Bastards..."

By far the most moving sequences are those surrounding Lila Lipscomb, the Flint, MI mother of Michael, who was killed in action only 2 weeks after shipping out to Iraq. I won't spoil the experience, but I was genuinely moved by her words and experiences, and I would think you would be hard-pressed to argue that she is not speaking from her heart (in fact someone does try to argue that point and comes off looking like Satan's little sister).

In short, whatever you think of Michael Moore, this is a powerful piece of filmmaking. Go see it.

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.

CNN: It's Edwards

Well CNN has jumped the gun on Kerry's planned announcement today of John Edwards as his running mate.

I have to say I think this is a good thing. He can counteract the "northern liberal" rubbish slung against Kerry, and inject some youth into the campaign. Plus he was born in South Carolina and I voted for him in the Dems Abroad caucus earlier this year, so I'm ever so slightly biased.

UPDATE

It's official now - Kerry has announced it via email:

In just a few minutes, I will announce that Senator John Edwards will join me as my running-mate on the Democratic ticket as a candidate for vice president of the United States. Teresa and I could not be more excited that John and Elizabeth Edwards will be our partners in our journey to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.

You are the heart and soul of our campaign. You've shattered records and expectations every step of the way. Every time someone said you couldn't do it, you proved them wrong. Because of your incredible grassroots energy and commitment, I wanted to make the first official announcement of my decision to you -- more than one million online supporters at johnkerry.com.

I want you to know why I'm excited about running for president with John Edwards by my side. John understands and defends the values of America. He has shown courage and conviction as a champion for middle class Americans and those struggling to reach the middle class. In the Senate, he worked to reform our intelligence, to combat bioterrorism, and keep our military strong. John reaches across party lines and speaks to the heart of America -- hope and optimism. Throughout his own campaign for President, John spoke about the great divide in this country -- the "Two Americas" -- that exist between those who are doing well today and those that are struggling to make it from day to day. And I am so proud that we're going to build one America together.

In the next 120 days and in the administration that follows, John Edwards and I will be fighting for the America we love. We'll be fighting to give the middle class a voice by providing good paying jobs and affordable health care. We'll be fighting to make America energy independent. We'll be fighting to build a strong military and lead strong alliances, so young Americans are never put in harm's way because we insisted on going it alone.

I can't tell you how proud I am to have John Edwards on my team, or how eager I am for the day this fall when he stands up for our vision and goes toe-to-toe with Dick Cheney.

This is the most important election of our lifetime, and a defining moment in our history. With you by our side every day of this campaign, John and I will lead the most spirited presidential campaign America has ever seen and fight to lead our nation in a new and better direction.

Thank you,

John Kerry

Stop Bush

A simple but powerful concept for a website: Collecting images of grassroots street-level anti-Bush displays. Check it out.