U.S. Army, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Distributors at War

[kskiska]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Just in case anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" needed any more controversy to fuel its hot box office, a new war of words broke out on Friday over whether the U.S. Army is stonewalling efforts to book the film at military bases.

But the organization that orders films for the 160 base theaters countered that it was the distributors -- Fellowship Adventure Group, IFC Films and Lions Gate Films -- that had the problem and noted they plan to stock base stores with the film's DVDs when they are released.

The movie, made by Oscar-winning director Michael Moore, has grossed over $113 million at domestic box offices and such a blockbuster would be routinely, and quickly, ordered up by the military.

But the movie presents a scathing view of President Bush's drive to war in Iraq, and it paints an unflattering view of the conduct of some U.S. military personnel. Although to be fair, many of the men and women fighting in Iraq are depicted as compassionate and caring.

more…
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=5974723

[Cha]

1. My apolitical soccer mom daughter wants to

see it! She lives in Portland, Ore..home of the Huge Kerry Rally today.

[Cerridwen]

2. I wish I were surprised by this.

I really do.

[lovuian]

3. It shows the US Military is using its Power to further Prez Bush

its Commander in Chief....

[johnfunk]

6. You can bet that it's not the military rank-and-file but...

... the politicized Pentagon that's pulling this crap -- y'know, the wonderful people who gave us the Office of Special Plans and that brilliant Iraq exit strategy. The brass has had it with the Bush Boy.

[pbg]

4. It may be just me, but...

...I thought the second half of 911ºF was a tremendously sympathetic portrait of the troops in Iraq.

[Rose Siding]

5. "Although to be fair..."

"Although to be fair, many of the men and women fighting in Iraq are depicted as compassionate and caring", they wrote through gritted teeth, tossing back a shot to take the edge off.

Some more of that, please.

[goforit]

7. Those military men in Iraq know the truth......And they don't like Bush!!!

It's the military men at US bases that are still in the dark.

So sad,.....but their choice!

[0rganism]

8. Good. Forbidden Fruit tastes twice as sweet.

The military rank & file can already get bootleg copies online or from DVD hawkers on the Baghdad streets. They will see it.

[genius]

9. It's favorable to the military. The article is misleading.

It shows personnel who are opposed to the war.

[rsmith6621]

10. As George Sr would have said

It would be bahhhhhhhhhd for moral....

I think the moral is already bad if not Sucked.

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. It would be in Lion's Gate/IFC's best interested to send

prints anyway, even if they lose a little money. Otherwise it looks like they aren't cooperating with the military. There's no reason they should ship 200 to 300 prints though. The most prints they ever had in circulation was a little over 2000, and half of those are probably trash at this point. They rest they'll want to show at theaters in smaller cities and towns until the release of the DVD. I thought the DVD was going to be released in September, but maybe they held off because they're still making a fair amount showing it in the theaters.