Moore film 'won Cannes on merit'

[cal04]

Kill Bill director Tarantino insisted Moore's overt political themes did not influence his jury's choice.

"I knew all this politics crap would be brought up," he said. "We all agreed that Fahrenheit 9/11 was the best movie of the competition."

Tarantino said when he was on stage with Moore on Saturday night to present the award, he told the director politics had nothing to do with the choice.


Tarantino denied the film's choice was a political decision
"I just whispered in his ear and said, 'I just want you to know it was not because of the politics that you won this award, you won it because we thought it was the best film that we saw.'"

Moore has made no secret of his wish that the film will turn US voters against Mr Bush in this autumn's presidential election.

It was the first documentary to win the top prize since Jacques Cousteau's The Silent World in 1956.

The film uses Moore's customary satirical style to accuse Mr Bush of stealing the presidential election in 2000, ignoring terrorism warnings before 11 September 2001 and fuelling fears of more attacks to secure Americans' support for the war in Iraq.

While produced by Miramax, the studio's parent company Disney has refused to distribute it and Moore is now looking for a third party to get the film into US cinemas.

But Moore told the Associated Press news agency he was hopeful of striking a deal soon.

"I would be surprised within the next 24 hours if we don't have somebody," he said.

"Miramax has been fielding calls all day."






http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3740939.stm

[eleonora]

1. what I don't understand is

Why did Disney not want to distribute it if they knew from day one that the documentary would be against Bush and they -through Miramax- had financed it?

Anyway, I'm still looking forward to seeing it. I don't live in a big town so we don't have an indie theater here (grrrr) I hope it makes it to regular theaters but then I don't remember watching a documentary at the local regular theaters.

[cal04]

2. so they say

I'm sure there's missing pieces from this somewhere


Moore's agent Ari Emanuel says Disney chief executive Michael D Eisner asked him to pull out of deal with Miramax last spring, citing concern film could cost Disney tax breaks in Florida, where Bush's brother Jeb is governor; Disney executives deny tax breaks were issue; Moore scores Disney decision, interview (M)



21,659 people have signed the petition so far at Democrats. com to
Boycott Disney

[Eric J in MN]

3. The theory is that if Disney allowed Mirimax to distribute it, then

The theory is that if Disney allowed Mirimax to distribute it, then Governor Jeb Bush of Florida would raise taxes on Disneyland.

[eleonora]

6. yes I'm aware of that but

The question still remains....why, oh why say yes to the project in the first place?? Unless they actually viewed it when it was completed and changed their mind?

[Eric J in MN]

4. Disney CEO Michael Eisner said they didn't want to do anything

Disney CEO Michael Eisner said they didn't want to do anything political during an election year (like distribute a political movie).

However, Eisner gave to the campaign of George W. Bush, which is a political gesture, and Disney broadcasts the radio shows of Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage.

[eleonora]

7. oh ok

so they wanted to distribute it but only AFTER the elections.

[genius]

5. The Bush propaganda media is at work tearing down the film

Why does the truth have to be seen as anti-Bush or an attack on Bush? They wouldn't characterized it as anti-Clinton if Clinton were in office.

[eleonora]

8. true, so because it's damaging to Bush it's anti-Bush

repub one way logic, gotta love it.

edit: it's a war of semantics. More and more they want to get us lost in semantics to forget the real issues behind the words.

[chookie]

9. That's PITHY!

>>because it's damaging to Bush it's anti-Bush<<

There's a lot of truth in that short phrase. It is correct that not only is it "unAmerican " to make remarks disparaging His Chimperial Majesty -- but the Flying Monkeys are so nuts that they will go so far as to insist that if the media reports something that Bush has done that is damaging to Bush, that THAT is "unAmerican" too!

I suspect that if His Chimperial Highness decapitates First Lady Laura in front of the cameras Monday night -- they will insist that the LIEbral media are making too much of it. I think the only people who support him now are absolutely morally bankrupt.

They exhort us all the more fervently now that His Chimperial Majesty is in freefall due to his breathtaking failures that we must support our President. I'm sure we have their solemn oath that they will support Kerry when he becomes Commander in Chief. Right? Ha ha ha -- I made myself LAUGH!

[Columbia]

10. So if it won on merit, then it should win the Oscar again right?

[UTUSN]

11. Kick for Merit n/t