] "FAHRENHEIT 9/11," is a guided missile aimed directly at
] the presidency of George W. Bush, just four months ahead
] of the national election.

] Its political purpose is unequivocal. But here's the part
] that matters: Its trajectory is guided with pinpoint
] accuracy. With an ironic narrative that takes us from the
] Florida debacle that decided the 2000 presidential
] election to the political nettling aftermath of war in
] Iraq, "Fahrenheit 9/11" sagely uses the public record,
] the facts and the president's goofiest statements and
] on-camera performances to score its points.
]
] Documentaries aren't news articles; they're subjective
] points of view, which is why Moore has almost endless fun
] at the president's expense. (Attorney General John
] Ashcroft gets his share of ridicule, too.) "Fahrenheit
] 9/11" obviously skews facts to its own advantage, but
] that's what the game is all about. What counts is the
] emotional power of Moore's persuasion. With a combination
] of events and facts that we have already learned, and
] some that we haven't, Moore puts it all together. You can
] understand the thread of his argument, even if you
] disagree.
]
] What's remarkable, too, is Moore's departure from his
] usual obnoxious bluster. This is the first film from
] Moore where you don't think about the shrillness of his
] sanctimony so much as the urgency of his outrage. He lets the documentary speak for itself: a radical strategy for a man best known for megaphone-toting rantings and candid-camera-style stunts.

What are the movie's points? It accuses the president and his inner circle (including James Baker and financial adviser James R. Bath) of being so financially and personally connected to friends in high Saudi Arabian places, they were too compromised to take decisive action against Osama bin Laden. The film also claims that, after planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001, and there was a moratorium on all commercial flights around the country, the Bush administration helped many members of the wealthy bin Laden family evacuate the country -- by plane.

The strong implication is that these evacuations were performed during the flight ban. This may be the film's iffiest moment, in terms of accuracy, but there's no easy way to verify or discredit this. If it is indeed true, it's an explosive revelation.

Get all the up-to-the-minute 'Fahrenheit 9/11' news at the F911 News and Information Blog: http://f911.blogspot.com

'Fahrenheit 9/11' opens today nationwide.

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Turns Up the Heat (washingtonpost.com)

] Fahrenheit 9/11 (* * * ½ out of four) is everything
] you've heard. It also is some things you haven't heard,
] which is what makes it worth watching.

] Of course, its strong point of view in an increasingly
] polarized nation will draw both ardent support and
] virulent opposition. But no moviegoer will be bored. The
] documentary's scathing attack on the war in Iraq and
] George W. Bush's presidency is informative, provocative,
] frightening, compelling, funny, manipulative and, most of
] all, entertaining.
]
] Much of what filmmaker Michael Moore focuses on has been
] covered in news reports, magazine articles and books. But
] because he still manages to present new data and
] little-seen footage, connecting the dots in a cogent and
] persuasive way, Fahrenheit 9/11 is the year's must-see
] film.
]
] Few will forget the devastating footage of Bush's
] bewildered, dumbstruck reaction on the morning of Sept.
] 11, 2001, when he learns of the attack on the World Trade
] Center. Instead of conferring with advisers, he sits
] quietly in a Florida classroom for an interminable seven
] minutes and then reads My Pet Goat to the children.

F911 News and Information Blog
http://f911.blogspot.com

USATODAY.com - Put politics aside: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' will entertain

It should anger all of us, this Fahrenheit 9/11 film. In fact, Michael Moore's award-winning, irritatingly incisive expose of Bush Junior and his strike-first-and-ask-questions-never bully boys, should leave Calgarians particularly peeved, since it is a celluloid confirmation of betrayal by a president much loved in these parts. How hard it will be for some of us to finally confront the truth. Those who have been made fools.

After all, think back.

When Dubya decided to embark on his misadventure in Iraq, sentiment in this country from coast to coast to coast swung solidly against signing up with the coalition for the killing, cautious about a common cause that was righteous in rhetoric but murky in motives. At the time, precious little skepticism surfaced in Calgary, however.

A solid majority of this city's citizens, including the overwhelmingly-adored favourite sons Ralph Klein and Stephen Harper, were gung-ho Geronimo ready to send our forces into the firefight, semper fi, do-or-die. The good ol' U.S. of A. Their country, right or wrong. Let's twist those Iraqi wrists until they say Uncle ... Sam.

Only a few thousand stalwarts, activists like Noel Ainsley, took to the streets to sound the alarm, shocked but refusing to be awed by the promised pulverizing. They did nothing rude or radical, simply questioned the edicts of authority.

Where were those weapons of mass destruction? Did the Iraqis really pose a imminent threat to us? Why could we not wait for the UN inspectors to complete their mission, mere weeks? Where WAS this alleged link between 9/11 and Iraq?

If no link, and there isn't, then what was the real purpose of the war? Why were the swimming-in-oil Saudis not pursued, Saudi Arabia being home base to most of the hijackers and the big bucks of the bin Laden clan? Why did 9/11 itself somehow get lost in the shuffle, with no card ever assigned out of the famous deck?

Ask those questions last year around these hawkish environs and you'd bear the bull's-eye, targeted as a traitor, an appeaser, an anti-American, a peacenik, a wimp, a Saddam sympathizer, some sort of snot who would have rolled over for Hitler if you'd been born back before the Big One.

--------------------
For up-to-the-moment news and information on the Fahrenheit 9/11 firestorm, add the syndicated F911 Blog to your RSS news feeder.
http://f911.blogspot.com

The Calgary Sun: Turns out peaceniks were the real patriots all along

] By Alicia Caldwell, John Ingold and Will Shanley
]
] Denver Post Staff Writers
] Post / Craig F. Walker
]
] Captain Gary Torgerson of the Colorado State Patrol
] and James Holahan, Manager of the Grand County
] Office of Emergency Management, examine the fortified
] bulldozer after the rampage.
]
] Granby - It took three explosive charges and an hour with
] a cutting torch to get inside the cab of an armored
] bulldozer that destroyed or damaged 13 buildings in this
] mountain town before grinding to a halt under a canopy of
] debris.
]
] Inside, authorities found Marvin Heemeyer dead,
] apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the
] head. However, fearing Heemeyer had left them a
] postmortem booby trap, authorities waited hours before
] using a crane to gingerly remove his body Saturday
] morning from his self-styled, bulletproof cab.
]
] While there were no leftover explosives, local officials
] looked with horror and awe upon the machine of
] destruction created by Heemeyer, a 52-year-old
] muffler-shop owner whose anger is thought to have been
] fueled by a zoning dispute with the town.

Photo Gallery/Audio Interviews

Bulldozer revenge carefully planned

] By Martin A. Grove
]
] More Moore: Like him or not, Michael Moore is the latest
] in a long line of larger than life Hollywood showmen.
]
] Like so many successful filmmakers, Moore is a shameless
] self-promoter with a great knack for commanding media
] attention. But instead of channeling his showmanship into
] making blockbusters, Moore's real focus seems to be his
] political agenda.

] His Palme d'Or win for "Fahrenheit 9/11" shouldn't have
] surprised anyone given Moore's skill at manipulating the
] media into putting a global spotlight on the film. Moore
] was in the right place at the right time and by being
] there this year he enabled the Festival de Cannes to
] reinvigorate itself after years of decline and suddenly
] become relevant. Thanks to Moore, Cannes made headlines
] instead of the usual news briefs about honoring obscure
] films. For a festival that in recent years has been
] mostly about extravagant beach parties, topless starlets
] at hotel pools along the Croisette and the handing out of
] awards to films no one's heard of, this was a major leap
] into the age of global news.
]
] Moore's win was a big story with a nasty political edge
] to it and it came with all the built-in visuals that
] television news channels need in order to make stories
] work. Moore, himself, is physically perfect for
] television. When he's in a shot nobody has to ask, "Which
] one is Moore?

Hollywoodreporter.com

] Controversial anti-Bush administration documentary and
] winner of this year's Palme d'Or at Cannes, Fahrenheit
] 9/11, will have its Australian premiere in Melbourne.
]
] The film by United States documentary maker Michael Moore
] has been described by critics as a partisan but powerful
] indictment of US President George W Bush's handling of
] the September 11, 2001 attacks and his war on terror.
]
] Its first-ever screening in Australia will take place at
] the 53rd Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) on
] July 22.
]
] MIFF executive director James Hewison said the film would
] then start screening nationally the week after its
] premiere.
]
] "We are thrilled to be able to add the Australian
] premiere of this much-anticipated film to the exceptional
] line-up of new documentaries that will be screened at
] this year's Festival," Mr Hewison said.
]
] "It is an incendiary work by one of the world's best
] known documentary filmmakers and we're proud to be the
] first in Australia to screen it."

------------
Very clever.
Since Disney is dragging its feet over "US film rights", Michael Moore and Co. will premiere F911 out of the country. If Americans want to see the award winning anti-Bush documentary, they can drive to Canada or Mexico or fly to Melbourne.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/f911

Moore film to screen in Melbourne - Breaking News - http://www.theage.com.au

] It is one of the paradoxes of Michael Moore's career that
] by railing against the vested interests that make the
] rich richer, he has himself become incredibly wealthy. So
] when he became one of the handful of Americans to benefit
] substantially from George Bush's tax cut last year, he
] said it would be "a sin" to use the money in any way
] other than to defeat the very man who had given it to him
] in the first place.
]
] In a few months, if things go to plan, he will lob the
] product of some of that money into the already bloody
] American electoral battlefield with the release of his
] upcoming film Fahrenheit 9/11. The film examines the
] relationship between the Bush and Saudi dynasties, and
] offers a critical view of the experiences of soldiers and
] their families in the Iraq war. On Saturday it won the
] coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes. And, during a tight
] presidential race in an increasingly polarised nation,
] some are now asking whether the film could play a role in
] losing Bush the election.
]
] At this stage, there remains the possibility that things
] will not go to plan. Earlier this month Disney blocked
] distribution of the film, claiming it risked politically
] alienating too many people. The question of who gets to
] see Fahrenheit 9/11, and where, will determine whether it
] affects the outcome of the election. Drawing big crowds
] in Democratic heartlands such%

On CNN last week, rightwing pundit Tucker Carlson said: "Michael Moore alleges the following things: that President Bush is responsible for the terrorist attacks of September 11; that Bush's family is connected to Osama bin Laden in some important, sinister way; and that Bush intentionally caused the deaths of thousands of people in the war with Iraq simply to enrich his friends in the oil industry." Referring to the former Clinton and Gore advisers on the Miramax team, he asked: "What happens when the lunatic fringe and the mainstream of the Democratic party become indistinguishable?"

It was not clear whether Tucker had seen the film or not, but Pikser points out that Republicans don't have to have seen it in order to misrepresent it. "They're very good at that. Just as many liberals didn't see the need to actually watch Mel Gibson's The Passion in order to know that it was anti-semitic, so Republicans don't need to see Moore's film to hate it, or him, and use it accordingly."

For the time being, conservatives' attentions are elsewhere - focusing on the calamitous situation in Iraq and Bush's equally calamitous plunge in the polls. Several were asked to comment for this article, but none responded. But for liberals, Moore's forthcoming film is one more reason to imagine what, until a few months ago, they thought was unimaginable - that Bush could lose.

Katha Pollitt, a liberal columnist for the Nation, said: "I haven't seen it, but it sounds like a 100-minute negative ad against Bush and co. And negative ads work."

Resource Community:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/f911

Guardian Unlimited Film | Features | Burning Bush

] BY ROGER EBERT FILM CRITIC, Chicago Sun-Times

] CANNES, France -- The jury of the 57th Cannes Film
] Festival insisted Sunday that it awarded its top honor to
] Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary not because of its
] politics, but because of its quality as a film.
]
] "We were dealing with reels of film, not politics," said
] jury president Quentin Tarantino. "We all agreed that
] 'Fahrenheit 9/11' was the best film."
]
] Tarantino and his eight fellow jurors were breaking with
] 56 years of festival tradition by explaining and
] defending their selections at a press conference the day
] after the awards were named. This was not the jury's idea
] but the festival's, Tarantino said, after Toronto critic
] Bruce Kirkland observed that past juries had operated
] with the secrecy of a Masonic lodge.
]
] Some critics of the Palme d'Or for Moore interpreted it
] as a slap by the French against President Bush and his
] invasion of Iraq, but in fact the jury had four American
] members and only one French member; the other jurors were
] from Finland, Hong Kong, Belgium and the U.K.
]
] "I knew this political crap would be brought up," said
] the outspoken Tarantino. "I think judging a film by its
] politics is a bad thing. If this movie was saying
] everything I wanted it to say, but not saying it with the
] best filmmaking, I would have opposed it."
]
The film, which received the longest standing ovation in Cannes history, charges that Bush has bungled the war on terrorism and sent U.S. troops to Iraq under false pretenses. One of its most talked-about scenes claims Bush remained in a Florida classroom, reading a book to children, for seven minutes after learning of the attack on the World Trade Center, until aides finally had to ask him to leave.
--------------------
For an extensive 'Fahrenheit 9/11' article archieve, check out the F911 Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/f911

The F911 Group was set up for musicians and artists to create works of art based on the movies firestorm.

The film will be seen world wide.
It will make a lot of money.
It will change points-of-view.
It will be a major factor in November.
The pro-Bush camp does not have an answer for F911. All they can do is cloud public perception and hope it is NOT a summer blockbuster.

Jury defends award to Moore

WASHINGTON, May 4 — The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday.

The film, "Fahrenheit 911," links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Disney, which bought Miramax more than a decade ago, has a contractual agreement with the Miramax principals, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, like an excessive budget or an NC-17 rating.

Executives at Miramax, who became principal investors in Mr. Moore's project last spring, do not believe that this is one of those cases, people involved in the production of the film said. If a compromise is not reached, these people said, the matter could go to mediation, though neither side is said to want to travel that route.

In a statement, Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Miramax, said: "We're discussing the issue with Disney. We're looking at all of our options and look forward to resolving this amicably."

But Disney executives indicated that they would not budge from their position forbidding Miramax to be the distributor of the film in North America. Overseas rights have been sold to a number of companies, executives said.

-------------------------
Michael Moore responds with written word and two video clips from this new documentary:
http://www.michaelmoore.com

Bands Aganist Bush Resource Community
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bandsagainstbush/

Check out the anti-Bush Song, Balance
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/wisdombandmusic.htm

Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush

Disney has ordered a subsidiary not to distribute a Michael Moore film critical of President Bush's stance on terrorism, a newspaper reports.

But Moore's agent tells The Times that Disney chairman Michael Eisner asked him not to sell the film to Miramax because the company could lose tax breaks it gets in Florida, where the president's brother Jeb Bush is governor. Disney denies that.

Miramax says its deal with Disney only allows the company to block distribution of a film if it is over-budget or gets an NC-17 rating, neither of which appears to apply to Moore's movie. The two companies could go to mediation over the dispute.

Miramax bought the film last May when Mel Gibson's Icon Picture backed out, triggering complaints by conservatives to Disney. Overseas distribution rights have already been sold. The movie has no planned release date, says The Times.

CBS News | Disney Blocks Anti-Bush Film | May 5, 2004 09:36:18