|
|
Michael Moore's web site www.michaelmoore.com
Email Mike
mike@michaelmoore.com
OUR FAHRENHEIT 9/11 MOVIE REVIEWS
Read about Mike's book signing Police raid
Read A primer on understanding conspiracies
Related Reading: The Corporation - The Pathological Pursuit of Power
MOVIE REVIEWS: 28 JUNE 2004
Fahrenheit 9/11
"In the counsels of Government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the Military Industrial Complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together." President Eisenhower's farewell address to the nation, January 1961
Fahrenheit 9/11 Movie Reviews
Slate.com, on Michael Moore
MATT TAIBBI
"To describe this film as dishonest and demagogic would almost be to promote those terms to the level of respectability. To describe this film as a piece of crap would be to run the risk of a discourse that would never again rise above the excremental... Fahrenheit 9/11 is a sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness. It is also a spectacle of abject political cowardice masking itself as a demonstration of "dissenting" bravery."
BY —Christopher Hitchens,
Well, that's rich, isn't it?
Christopher Hitchens crawling out of a bottle long enough to denounce Michael Moore as a coward.
I can't imagine anything more uplifting, except maybe a zoo baboon humping the foot of a medical school cadaver.
All journalists are cowards.
Hitchens knows it, I know it, everybody in this business knows it.
If there were any justice at all, every last goddamn one of us would be lowered, head-first, into a wood-chipper. Over Arizona. Shoot a nice red mist over the whole state, make it arable for a year or two. A year's worth of fava beans and endive for the children of Bangladesh: I dare anyone in our business to say that that wouldn't represent a better use of our rotting bodies than the actual fruits of our labor.
No one among us is going to throw that first stone, though. Not even Chris Hitchens, a man who makes a neat living completing advanced Highlights for Children exercises like the following: "Denounce a like-minded colleague, using the words 'Lugubrious' and 'Semienvious.'" Such is the pretense of modern journalism, that we are to be lectured on courage by a man who has had his intellectual face lifted so many times, he can't close his eyes without opening his mouth. By a man who, if the Soviets had won the Cold War, would be writing breathless features on Eduard Shevardnadze for three bucks a word in Komsomolskaya Vanity Fair ("Georgia on His Mind: Edik Speaks Out." Photos by Annie Liebowitz...).
|
 BLOOD FOR OIL
Return to our Informative Links:
Freedom
Truth
War on Terrorism
Americans Speak Out
Planetary Cycles
Special Insights
EVIL There simply is no 'us versus them'
BUSH & KERRY
A Fictitious president
Elected in "fictitious elections"
sending Americans to war for "fictitious reasons".
PATRIOT ACT II
Why Enron is Just the Tip of the Iceberg,
How Companies Lie
BUSHITLER
Bogus Berg
Kleptocracy
Snipers
|
Which is fine, good luck to him, mazel tov. Everybody's got to make a living. But let's not leave people confused out there. The idea that anyone in today's media is either courageous or cowardly on the basis of what they write or broadcast is ridiculous.
Hitchens, like me and everyone else out there publishing, lives in a professional world where the idea of courage is submitting nice words about George Bush to the Nation, or maybe a "Rethinking Welfare Reform" piece to the Wall Street Journal. What Hitchens calls courage is really a willingness to offend one's intellectual constituency, and what he really means by that is honesty—something very different from courage. It's a nice quality, honesty, and the pundit out there who has it and still manages to make a living is, I guess, to be applauded. But again, let's not confuse that with courage.
Courage is a willingness to face real risks—your neck, or at the very least, your job. The journalist with courage would have threatened to resign rather than repeat George Bush's justifications for invasion before it began. I don't remember anyone resigning last winter. The journalist with courage would threaten to quit rather than do a magazine piece about an advertiser's product, his fad diet book or his magic-bullet baldness cure. It happens every day, and nobody ever quits over it.
If journalists had courage, they would form unions and refuse to work for any company that made decisions about editorial content based on the bottom line, on profit. Are there individual instances of reporters who quit over this issue? Sure, there are a few. Lowell Bergman walked out on 60 Minutes over this one. And there were those Fox TV reporters in Tampa, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, who famously (and expensively, as it turned out) fell on their swords rather than broadcast a bunch of cuddly bullshit about the Monsanto corporation.
Yes, there are a few isolated vertebrates out there in our business. But it wasn't like the whole staff of WTVT in Tampa walked out in support of Akre and Wilson. Janitors stick up for each other. Steelworkers stick up for each other. Even camera operators and soundmen stick up for each other. But journalists just sit still in their cubicles with their eyebrows raised, waiting for it all to blow over, in those very rare instances when a colleague walks the plank.
I've been around journalists my entire life, since I was a little kid, and I haven't met more than five in three-plus decades who wouldn't literally shit from shame before daring to say that their job had anything to do with truth or informing the public. Everyone in the commercial media, and that includes Hitchens, knows what his real job is: feeding the monkey. We are professional space-fillers, frivolously tossing content-pebbles in an ever-widening canyon of demand, cranking out one silly pack-mule after another for toothpaste and sneaker ads to ride on straight into the brains of the stupefied public.
One friend I know describes working in the media as shoveling coal for Satan. That's about right. A worker in a tampon factory has dignity: He just uses his sweat to make a product, a useful product at that, and doesn't lie to himself about what he does. In this business we make commodities for sale and, for the benefit of our consciences and our egos, we call them ideas and truth. And then we go on the lecture circuit. But in 99 cases out of 100, the public has more to learn about humanity from the guy who makes tampons.
I'm off on this tangent because I'm enraged by the numerous attempts at verbose, pseudoliterary, "nuanced" criticism of Moore this week by the learned priests of our business. (And no, I'm not overlooking this newspaper.) Michael Moore may be an ass, and impossible to like as a public figure, and a little loose with the facts, and greedy, and a shameless panderer. But he wouldn't be necessary if even one percent of the rest of us had any balls at all.
If even one reporter had stood up during a pre-Iraq Bush press conference last year and shouted, "Bullshit!" it might have made a difference.
If even one network, instead of cheerily re-broadcasting Pentagon-generated aerial bomb footage, had risked its access to the government by saying to the Bush administration, "We're not covering the war unless we can shoot anything we want, without restrictions," that might have made a difference. It might have made this war look like what it is—pointless death and carnage that would have scared away every advertiser in the country—rather than a big fucking football game that you can sell Coke and Pepsi and Scott's Fertilizer to.
Where are the articles about the cowardice of those people? Hitchens in his piece accuses Moore of errors by omission: How come he isn't writing about the CNN producers who every day show us gung-ho Army desert rats instead of legless malcontents in the early stages of a lifelong morphine addiction?
Yeah, well, we don't write about those people, because they're just doing their jobs, whatever that means. For some reason, we in the media can forgive that. We just can't forgive it when someone does our jobs for us. Say what you want about Moore, but he picked himself up and did something, something approximating the role journalism is supposed to play. The rest of us—let's face it—are just souped-up shoe salesmen with lit degrees. Who should shut their mouths in the presence of real people.
***
***
When The Time Comes
"When the time comes, and if the right people are in charge of G.W. Bush's funeral, his casket will be launched into one of those open-sewage canals that empty into the ocean just south of Los Angeles. He is a shaddow-puppet of a man and a jabbering dupe of a president. He is so hapless that he needs help putting his socks on every morning.
He is the C- student who became President, and turned our Nation into the most hated country in the world
For me personally, Farenheit 9/11 was an exceptional movie. It tells a fascinating story by weaving together a variety of incredibly important issues. I could go on and on about what exactly makes it so good, but please -- if you haven't seen it, just go watch it yourself and don't listen to all the critics from both ends of the political spectrum.
This movie was very well done, I hope everyone sees it regardless of their views. you will come out of this movie amazed, angry, and perhaps relieved that someone had the power to show so much reality that many are not willing to see.
***
***
See the world throuh other window
After seen thousands of hours of the "history" of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts through the eyes and perception of partial and ratings oriented CNN, it's worth willing to see the world and it's reality through other window.
One in which one killing does not justify another, one in which words like freedom, democracy, liberty, free world and others has very few to do with facts, and often are used to dress nicely awful atrocities, and used to cover hidden dark intentions. Having both views..., is not so difficult to see that there are terrorists on both sides and innocents killed and wounded in both sides, that a war never has enough justification, specially when its driven by an economical and political profit, and based in illegitimacy and lies. That it’s improper to pay cheap oil with expensive blood, and that the suffering of an Iraqi mother isn’t even a bit different than that of the mother of a Hispanic American soldier.
A though provoking movie that promotes the peace, letting us to know the facts behind the words and under covers the truth deserves a Oscar, and surely a Nobel Price for Peace. Of course it's not for all, specially not for those who think that a war is something like a football match, and thinks blindly that the bad guys are always in the other side.
***
***
Cower behind the big lie Bushies. The truth hurts!
This is a film that everyone who values the tenets of democracy should see. A democracy is a government of laws, not men... The law is superior to the Executive, not the other way around. This is an administration that clearly does not agree as they have continually broken, circumvented, evaded, and indeed have independently crafted new interpretations of the law that fly in the face of 230 years of constitutional precedence.
Michael Moore brings these facts into glaring relief with this ingenious film which, in his trademark style, is both hilarious and horrifying. A must see!
***
***
This is a must-see documentary,
I saw this today &, although I knew how I'd vote in the fall & have followed the bumbling Bush as he's tried to evade or delay inquiries re: our national tragedy, I would highly recommend this film to all - regardless of your political orientation.
I've read the dismissive reviews of obvious "lock-minded" conservatives &, knowing what most aware Americans know, feel for their obvious panic-driven assault on this great piece of work by Michael Moore...sweatin' for Dubya seems appropriate, as his ratings plummet & Rummie asks for thousands more troops for a "post-transition" Iraq.
I will bring my older children to see this (I have a son who may end up being "of age" & I'd rather haul him to Canada or FRANCE before I'd let him serve the unjust, vile agenda of this baboon in the oval office). Moore makes it plain what is his opinion and also let's the facts speak, very eloquently, for themselves...and they are overwhelming...if I were a Republican with a stake in the election, I'd have lost about 8lbs of water-weight today (the theater was packed & the film got a standing ovation - I was amazed, have NEVER seen that occur for a film before). See it & judge for yourselves & VOTE your conscience.
An even handed, moving, powerful indictment of Dubya & Friends.
VOTE, please!
***
***
It's all true, so why deny it???
Why do people keep denying the truth?? This documentary is based purely in true facts; there isn't one statement mentioned in Moore's film that can't be verified with legitimate documentation. No matter how angry this film makes the republicans, or liberals, or whatever people are, it is the truth and there is nothing more in it. People should grow up and accept the truth as it is, period.
***
***
God Bless Our Troops
It's very creepy how the Republican Party is trying to censor the "Fahrenheit 9/11" commercials. What country do we live in? I was also very shocked at how brazen Bush was in his crass elitest behavior. He doesn't care about our troops dying in the Middle East. He wants to make money for himself and all his friends. Dick Cheney and Haliburton--do some research people, that's scary stuff.
One of the most absorbing segments details the lackadaisical nature in which Bush approached his early days in office. Bush spent 42% of the time before September 11th on vacation, digging up the soil of his ranch looking for bugs and then going fishing, and the picture highlights the intelligence reports regarding Al Qaeda that Bush and his administration simply ignored during this time off. Moore does not argue that the Bush administration knew about or caused the attacks on the World Trade Center, but when viewed in this fashion the President himself appears guilty of gross, intolerable negligence...
Going to see this movie for the second time today, highly recommend it.
***
***
Brilliant!
Enough information to have anyone asking a great deal of questions for quite some time. This film has a tremendous amount of footage of the president in which he speaks words that shocked me. I liked the fact that I was able to see my President talking about less than affluent people in a mocking way. Not exactly how the media would present him in your daily news telecast because it did not cast a positive happy outlook coming from our leader. It shows his real attitude about his policies and who he works for. It was thought provoking about 9/11, the War, how we elect our leaders.
Our country was built by men who asked questions and challenged ideas. It makes you think about our democratic system and its not just a political movie, its about current issues and the media.
A must see.
***
***
Michael Moore makes a fantastic case.
Sending 11,000 troops to Afghanistan in a minimal effort to get Bin Laden while sending our men and women to die in Iraq is reprehensable. The amount of money Bush 41, and Bush 43 have made from the Saudis is just astounding. We have the Secret Service on our dime protecting the Saudi Embassy like it is a National Monument? All this is disturbing. The Bush ties to the Bin Ladens is irrefutable. On top of it all it shows what an absolute MORON is in the White House. It shows how stupid the U.S. Senate and House is. Every American should see it and ask the same questions of their lawmakers....Not seeing the movie is letting your access to informatiom be abridged!!!!
***
***
It's obvious, anyone who is totally right-wing, and a total conservative will hate this film, and I mean HATE this film with a near undying passion.
Thing is, this is probably one of the best documentary collections of real facts of what all has gone on in this world, particularly in the United States since George Bush has been elected president. People always try to attack Michael Moore's credibility, saying he just misquoted people, or took them out of context, or just made stuff up.
But in each and every case he is right, absolutely and totally right, and he has documented facts to back up his commentary on the issues. In this case he even has video taped evidence of the truth presented on the big screen for us all to see. Nevermind the fact that this film won the Palm d'Or at Cannes.
This being one of the most desired awards for any film to ever win. People say, "Oh this is a French award, given by the French people..." People don't know what they are talking about, several of the judges were Americans at that awards show, including the head of the judges, Quentin Tarantino. There is obviously some very sobering, cold hard fact behind this film.
Don't pay attention to the critics who rate this film all F's simply because it isn't pushing Dogmatic hardcore conservative Bushism on you. Go to see this movie! Even if you are a conservative, try to view it with an open mind. This is a must see movie. Even though this movie was rated R as an attempt to prevent children and young people from being able to see it,(incidently you see worse violance on most evening news shows than you will see in this movie), go see this movie.
Take your teenagers to see it if you can. The issues in this movie affect them as much as it effects adults. But also, even though this will seem like an all to said line, please register to vote, and make sure you go out and vote in the next presidential election. Don't let the next episode of Jerry Springer coming on the TV keep you glued to your couch and not out in the voting booths. Go out and vote and get Bush out of the white house!
***
***
The Wrong-Wingers!
One pictures a group of right-wing Christians sitting in a prayer circle, praying for the failure of this film, then hypocritically appearing on this message board posting negative reviews in an attempt to DECEIVE people into not seeing the film, even though none of them have seen it either. How ANTI-Christian of them. Jesus would be ashamed of them all.
P.S. America does not stand for censorship, so nice try in stopping what will be the most-viewed documentary of all time...thanks to your knee-jerk crybaby reaction! God bless you all.
***
Bart Simpson is alive and well and living in the White House.
George W. Bush is the poster-boy for mediocrity-makes-good. We should all be ashamed for having this total loser as our “fearless leader”. Even the most simple-minded Republicans have got to realize that we have a President who’s not only NOT as smart as your average house pet, but who is making (really bad) decisions affecting the lives of our military troops, carelessly spending (wasting) our money on waging war in Iraq and basically ignoring Afghanistan, leaving the door essentially open to Osama Bin Laden to attack us again. His family has a lot of money – you’d think they could afford to buy this guy a clue.
George Bush will be a "one-termer" just like his daddy. Now, if we could only do something about that jughead in Florida.........
***
TRUTH is not a 4 letter word!
If you have even half a brain and realize that George Bush is the poorest excuse for a leader that we have ever elected (or did we elect him?) then you will appreciate this film. Yes, it includes Moore's personal political opinions (it would be impossible not to); but facts are facts and this country is in the worse state it has been in in a very long time financially, environmentally, educationally, etc. and it is NOT a coincidence! Open your minds, see the film and realize that this docuentary seems like a scripted hollywood blockbuster because the Bush administration has given Moore such an amazingly rediculous plot to pull straight from the headlines! See how many right-wingers are on here relentlessly bashing this movie? It's because they know that they have something to worry about come November 2nd! While they may be deaf, dumb and blind many of us are not! They will try and pull the whole anti-Bush equals anti-American BS, but lets be honest...if killing tens of thousands of people, destroying the environment, draining the economy, leaving our children in a multi-trillion dollar debt, etc. means that you are the ultimate American patriot then you can keep it!!! See the film!
***
F911! The temperature where freedom burns!
All intellectuals must see this! Our constitution itself is a legacy of freedoms, and how many people throughout history were not given their freedoms, especially speech and expression. Socrates, the ancient Greek philopshper, appears constantly in our First Ammendment. He was executed and forecd to drink hemlock because he taught the youth what they werent "supposed" to know, he "corrupted the youth". In reality, he was showing them another point of view, that was all. And here, we have a great example of a man who is fit to be the Socrates of this decade.
***
***
The Truth Shall Set You Free
What makes this such a great movie, and make no mistake it is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, is that it has the ability to change people's minds. My wife is completely uninterested in politics, but I dragged her to see this because I knew it was important for us to see this movie. She literally walked out of the theater a changed person.
The power of persuasion is difficult to accomplish in a passive environment like a movie theater, and yet this movie does it. Why? My guess is that because the media has shirked its responsibility since 9/11 that all of this information that shouldn't be new to us hits us all at once as we sit in the theater.
I was disgusted with Michael Moore when he railed against Bush at the Academy Awards in 2003 because I believed the President and the administration that we had good reasons to go to Iraq. Now I am mad at myself for not giving him a standing ovation for having the guts to stand in the face of the lock-step mentality that we all had as Bush and his team marched us mindlessly into the Iraq quagmire.
Overall, this is a brilliant film. I only wish it was required viewing for every American.
Any intellectual must see this- it may not be truth, but this is what the White House doesnt want you to see! See it just to support our freedoms as patriotic Americans, and if you don't lie what you see, at least it will question what you do believe.
Congrats Michael Moore!
View our Peaceful Full Screen
Sunset and
Saguaro
Slide Shows
AMERIKKKA
Mediocre times produce the very worst that the world has to offer:
Reagan, Bin
Laden, Bush, Hussein, Sharon, and Blair. None but the feeble minded
could draw
inspiration from such a ghastly lineup of "leaders".
Turn Off TV and Turn On Quantum
Mind
Humanity's most valuable possessions are Clean Water, Clean air, and Trees
|
|
