Disney getting political

[MovieStuff]

I'm sure most of you have seen this by now but it is interesting to think about:

>Disney Has Blocked the Distribution of My New Film... by
>Michael Moore
>
>
>Friends,
>
>I would have hoped by now that I would be able to put my
>work out to the public without having to experience the
>profound censorship obstacles I often seem to encounter.
>
>Yesterday I was told that Disney, the studio that owns
>Miramax, has officially decided to prohibit our producer,
>Miramax, from distributing my new film, "Fahrenheit 9/11."
>The reason? According to today's (May 5) New York Times, it
>might "endanger" millions of dollars of tax breaks Disney
>receives from the state of Florida because the film will
>"anger" the Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush. The story is on
>page one of the Times and you can read it here (Disney
>Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush).
>
>The whole story behind this (and other attempts) to kill our
>movie will be told in more detail as the days and weeks go
>on. For nearly a year, this struggle has been a lesson in
>just how difficult it is in this country to create a piece
>of art that might upset those in charge (well, OK, sorry --
>it WILL upset them...big time. Did I mention it's a
>comedy?). All I can say is, thank God for Harvey Weinstein
>and Miramax who have stood by me during the entire
>production of this movie.
>
>There is much more to tell, but right now I am in the lab
>working on the print to take to the Cannes Film Festival
>next week (we have been chosen as one of the 18 films in
>competition). I will tell you this: Some people may be
>afraid of this movie because of what it will show. But
>there's nothing they can do about it now because it's done,
>it's awesome, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll
>see it this summer -- because, after all, it is a free
>country.
>
>Yours,
>
>Michael Moore

Remember, everyone, no fights. This really isn't even a super 8 topic and none of us has a stake in it so I'll ask Andreas right now to pull this thread if people don't remain civil when discussing it. But as it deals with corporate censorship and film making, I think it is a good concept to debate for a bit.

Roger

[S8 Booster]

I think it is a topic of interest especially as it is going on in THE FILM NATION?

Personally I get a resemblance of states where the political system ruled like in CCCP / Soviet or most commie states a few years back?
Everybody had to vote (by law) for government/president but the problem was: there was only one party and one president candidate to vote for.

Posting from a country which has a Vicar as a prime minister - hum, hum.

R

[mattias]

i think miramax and moore use or even created the situation to make a point about freedom of speech and corporate censorship. surely they must have realized that this film isn't exactly disney material a long time ago, and i'm sure disney told them too. i must say i think it's rather clever, not only as a political statement but also as a marketing trick. the foreign distribution is already sold to other companies and i'm sure they count on disney having to back down eventually too.

/matt

[S8 Booster]

Disney had to know in advance before they put any money in it.
Can it be a Promo Trix?
Everybody wants to see that movie now?

Relase on DVD at first?

Or simply helping to prove Michael Moore right with his TV series on the same subject?

R

[S8 Booster]

Found this on the other line

Subject: Re: My faith In Disney is increasing!
From: dylanpank@hotmail.com (dylan_j)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.production
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Date: May 06 2004 04:39:44
User-Agent:

"nappy" <no_spam_@sorry.com> wrote in message
news:<s1fmc.5546$1Y6.1786@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com>...
> Thank You Disney for making Michael Moore work all year on another P.O.S.
> 'documentary' and waiting until the last minute to tell him it is a piece
> of shit. Like anything he's ever done! I couldn't have thought up a better
> way to stick it to him! Yeah! Go Eisner!
>
> I mean I know this terd will eventually make it out of Moore's fat ass like
> every other terd.. but it sure feels good to watch him squirm!
>

Actually Disney are claiming that they told Moore over a year ago that
they would not allow the film to be release by a Disney company, and
that Moore went ahead and made the movie anyway.

[MovieStuff]

i must say i think it's rather clever, not only as a political statement but also as a marketing trick

Ha-ha! Brilliant! I never considered that angle but you must be dead on, Mattias. Of COURSE Disney had to know what the subject was about. I think this must be a marketing trick and a damned fine one at that. I hope.

Roger

[soundboy]

I'm sure most of you have seen this by now but it is interesting to think about:

>Disney Has Blocked the Distribution of My New Film... by
>Michael Moore
>
>
>Friends,
>
>I would have hoped by now that I would be able to put my
>work out to the public without having to experience the
>profound censorship obstacles I often seem to encounter.
>
>Yesterday I was told that Disney, the studio that owns
>Miramax, has officially decided to prohibit our producer,
>Miramax, from distributing my new film, "Fahrenheit 9/11."
>The reason? According to today's (May 5) New York Times, it
>might "endanger" millions of dollars of tax breaks Disney
>receives from the state of Florida because the film will
>"anger" the Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush. The story is on
>page one of the Times and you can read it here (Disney
>Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush).
>
>The whole story behind this (and other attempts) to kill our
>movie will be told in more detail as the days and weeks go
>on. For nearly a year, this struggle has been a lesson in
>just how difficult it is in this country to create a piece
>of art that might upset those in charge (well, OK, sorry --
>it WILL upset them...big time. Did I mention it's a
>comedy?). All I can say is, thank God for Harvey Weinstein
>and Miramax who have stood by me during the entire
>production of this movie.
>
>There is much more to tell, but right now I am in the lab
>working on the print to take to the Cannes Film Festival
>next week (we have been chosen as one of the 18 films in
>competition). I will tell you this: Some people may be
>afraid of this movie because of what it will show. But
>there's nothing they can do about it now because it's done,
>it's awesome, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll
>see it this summer -- because, after all, it is a free
>country.
>
>Yours,
>
>Michael Moore

Remember, everyone, no fights. This really isn't even a super 8 topic and none of us has a stake in it so I'll ask Andreas right now to pull this thread if people don't remain civil when discussing it. But as it deals with corporate censorship and film making, I think it is a good concept to debate for a bit.

Roger

This even made prime time news in Australia, in the report they played a whole heap of grabs with Michael Moore calling Bush an idiot.. very funny stuff...

Sounds like a publicity stunt, everyone will want to see it now.
I certainly can't remember any movies getting prime time news spots in Australia.

[sunrise]

Speaking of CCCP and censorship...

Andrei Tarkovsky was generally considered an artist who struggled with the strict censorship of Goskino, but most of this was simply him creating the persona, much like today's Moore.

Although working on a tight budget (but who doesn't?) he had almost carte blanche from Filip Yermash, head of Goskino. Some of his films where given a limited release in CCCP, but was sent to Europe to Cannes (sounds familliar?) where they won the Soviet film much prestige.

I'm not saying that none of these filmmakers had a tough time relaizing their vision. I'm saying that a lot of it is marketing.

sunrise

[Alex]

Miramax's Harvey Weinstein is a master at promoting "independent" films that then get Oscar Nominations. It is possible that Weinstein saw this film as a sure thing and went for it even though boss Eisner wouldn't go for it.

Eisner is trying to keep his job. Clearly at least some of Disney stockholders won't like making money at George Bush's expense.

[escubria]

Listen closely...... you can hear those political axes sharpening up.

[T-Scan]

I've heard Micheal Moore speak about this film months ago. and boy does he stick it to the Bush's in this one.. about their oil interests and their strong ties to the Bin Laden's. i'm sure that during this heated election year, the Bush's will do anything to shut this film down.

[Super8rules]

Michael Moore though a brilliant filmmaker, is also more of a propagandist.

I've seen his stuff and he has been caught skewing the facts more than a couple of times, especially in BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE.

He has an agenda and it's certainly not fair and balanced documentary filmmaking., contrary to how he portrays it.

I would respect him more if he presented ALL the facts on a subject.

Michael Moore is no different in my book that the Sean Hannities and Bill O'Reilly's, just the opposite end of the sprectrum.

I also agree that this is no more than a well orchestrated publicity stunt by DISNEY and Moore. The public eats this stuff up,.. you know, the forbidden fruit syndrome.

Thats one reason the record industry slaps a parental guidance sticker on as many CD's as they can.

I would love to see him make a documentary on Clinton and the MENA Arkansas CIA/Drug connection, or the Kennedy family banking involvement with Nazi Germany.

Then I would consider him truly fair and balanced.

[soundboy]

I've heard Micheal Moore speak about this film months ago. and boy does he stick it to the Bush's in this one.. about their oil interests and their strong ties to the Bin Laden's. i'm sure that during this heated election year, the Bush's will do anything to shut this film down.

I thought in the US you have Free Speech, or is Bush trying to stop it.

[Lucas Lightfeat]

Although I'd agree that Moore is a propagandist, surely winning American votes against Bush should be "by all means necessary" for the sake of not just America, but the world at large.

This is, of course, merely a politically biased opinion of mine. It does annoy me greatly, however, when people lie to fight a corner that I support, and Moore really does lay it on thick at times - both in terms of sentimentality and moral high ground.

But the core message of Bowling for Columbine is powerful and compelling; fear is at the heart of American gun crime, and much misery besides. Media generated fear is the cause of a whole miriad of social ills, and such is its power that the leading public antagonist to this great beast, Michael Moore himself, must ride its back to sell his film, using hype and lies like he's selling Coke.

I hope the film's really good, and exposes Bush for the tit he is, and that it stands up on its own without hype and pomp to sell it.

Then again, perhaps Disney didn't know what Miramax were comissioning. Is that possible?

Lucas

[filmbuff]

I thought in the US you have Free Speech, or is Bush trying to stop it.

Yeah, its Disney's free speech to do what they want to something they paid for.

Go to hell Moore :roll: