Some People Still
Don't Want To See My Movie
- by Michael Moore, June 17,
2004 -
(Posted here by Wes Penre for
Illuminati News, June 20,
2004)
Friends,
We're a week away from the nationwide opening of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and not a day
goes by where we don't have some new battle to fight thanks to those who are
still working overtime to keep people from seeing this film. What's their
problem? Are they worried about something?
A Republican PR firm has formed a fake grassroots front group called "Move
America Forward" to harass and intimidate theater owners into not showing
"Fahrenheit 9/11." These are the same people who successfully badgered CBS into
canceling the Reagan mini-series a few months ago. And they are spending a ton
of money this week to threaten movie theaters who even think about showing our
movie.
As of this morning, a little over 500 theaters have agreed to show the movie
beginning next Friday, June 25. There are three national/regional theater chains
who, as of today, have not booked the movie in their theaters. One theater owner
in Illinois has reported receiving death threats.
The right wing usually wins these battles. Their basic belief system is built on
censorship, repression, and keeping people ignorant. They want to limit or snuff
out any debate or dissension. They also don't like pets and are mean to small
children. Too many of them are named "Fred."
This new nut group is the Right's last hope in limiting how many people can see
this movie. All of their other efforts have failed. Let's recap:
1. Roger Friedman at FOX News reported that the head of the company which first
agreed to fund our film “got calls from Republican friends” pressuring them to
back out. And they did. But... Miramax immediately picked up the film! Except...
2.
Michael Eisner, the chairman of Disney, then blocked Miramax (a company owned by
Disney) from releasing the film once it was finished. But... public attention
and embarrassment forced Disney to let the Weinstein brothers of Miramax find
another distributor! But...
3.
Instead of a new distributor stepping right in -- as all the media predicted
would happen -- it took another month to find distributors who would take on
this movie. A number of other distributors, thanks to various pressures, were
afraid to get involved. It looked for a while that we would be distributing this
ourselves. But then Lions Gate and IFC Films rode in to the rescue!
So, we have beaten back all attempts to kill this movie, and the only thing in
the way of you now seeing "Fahrenheit 9/11" is this Republican big-money front
group trying to force theaters not to show the movie.
Please, contact your local theaters and let them know you want to see
"Fahrenheit 9/11." Tell them that some people don't know that this is America
and that we believe in freedom of speech and the importance of ALL voices being
heard. (The members of MoveOn.org—an ACTUAL grassroots organization—have done a
very cool thing. They are pledging to send a message to theater owners and are
planning to attend a showing of the film on its opening weekend.)
I appreciate their efforts, but you don’t have to be a member of MoveOn to help
stop this effort to keep “Fahrenheit 9/11” from making it to screens across the
country. If a theater in your area is planning to show the film, just give them
a call and thank them for standing up for the freedom of speech. If your local
theater isn't showing the film, call them and let them know that you would like
to see it and you'd like them to show it.
The White House and their minions in our media have presented one distorted
version of the truth after another for the past four years. All we are asking
for is the right to show what they HAVEN'T shown us, the real truth. The truth
that ain't pretty (and is, sadly, damningly hilarious).
On top of all this, the MPAA gave the film an "R" rating. I want all teenagers
to see this film. There is nothing in the film in terms of violence that we
didn't see on TV every night at the dinner hour during the Vietnam War. Of
course, that's the point, isn't it? The media have given the real footage from
Iraq a "cleansing" -- made it look nice, easy to digest. Mario Cuomo has offered
to be our lawyer in appealing this ruling by the MPAA. Frankly, I would like to
think the MPAA is saying that the actions by the Bush administration are so
abhorrent and revolting, we need to protect our children from seeing what they
have done. In that case, the film should be rated NC-17!
However it turns out, I trust all of you teenagers out there will find your way
into a theater to see this movie. If the government believes it is OK to send
slightly older teenagers to their deaths in Iraq, I think at the very least you
should be allowed to see what they are going to draft you for in a couple of
years.
Finally, some very sophisticated individuals have been hacking into and shutting
down our website. It is an hourly fight to keep it up. We are going to find out
who is doing this and we are going to pursue a criminal prosecution. I'm
preparing lots of cool stuff for the site so watch for new items on it next week
(www.fahrenheit911.com
and
www.michaelmoore.com).
Thanks again for your support and I hope to see you at the movies on opening
night, June 25.
Yours,
Michael Moore
PS. I am sponsoring a number of benefits around the country next week for local
and national peace and justice groups, including Military Families Speak Out and
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. Please check your local papers
and my website next week for further details.
PPS. Also, I am going to be on the “Late Show with David Letterman” on Friday
night. It's on CBS at 11:35 PM Eastern and Pacific. And on Monday morning (June
21) I will be on “The Today Show” on NBC. Next week, Jon Stewart and Conan. I'd
go on O'Reilly but, like a coward, he walked out on a screening we invited him
to (with Al Franken just a few rows away!). I personally caught him sneaking
out. Embarrassed, he tried to change the subject. He said, "When are you coming
on my show?" and I said, "Turn around and watch the rest of the movie and I will
come on your show." He walked out. Fair and balanced.
Updated/Revised:
Sunday, June 20, 2004 10:40:16 -0700
