Republicans Behind Effort to Censor Farenheit 9/11
ProgressiveTrail.org
So
desperate are Bush Republicans to kill Michael Moore's latest film,
Fahrenheit 9/11, they have hired a public relations firm to set up a
web site attacking Moore. The site, MoveAmericaForward.com, claims to
be “non-partisan,” but a glance at the “About” page of the site reveals
the director and staff of Move America Forward are all diehard
Republicans, anti-tax activists, and former legislative staffers. The
PR firm is Russo Marsh & Rogers.
Russo
Marsh & Rogers is a GOP consultation firm. In 2002, Ron Rogers
teamed up with Reagan heavyweight Lyn Nofziger and Ed Rollins to work
on the gubernatorial campaign of Bill Simon (see Campaign movements —
People & Organizations.)
Thanks to the detective work of WhatReallyHappened.com,
it was revealed that Move America Forward's web site was registered in
the name of Russo Marsh & Rogers. In other words, Move America
Forward is about as partisan as it gets without putting the GOP seal of
approval on the web site. In short, Move America Forward's campaign is
a Republican dirty trick designed to smear Moore and pressure move
theater owners not to run his film.
(moore)
Moore seeks PG-13 rating on new film
Mlive.com
LOS
ANGELES (AP) — Distributors of Michael Moore's documentary “Fahrenheit
9/11” are appealing to get a PG-13 rating, instead of R.
A
screening by the Motion Picture Association of America's appeals board
has been set for June 22, just three days before “Fahrenheit 9/11” hits
theaters. But the film's distributors are trying to move that screening
up to this week to expedite a decision, said Tom Ortenberg, president
of Lions Gate Films, one of the companies releasing the film.
An R
rating means those younger than 17 can't see the movie unless
accompanied by an adult. The MPAA ratings board gave “Fahrenheit 9/11”
an R rating for “violent and disturbing images and for language.”
“I think
the message of the movie is so important that it should be available to
be seen by as wide an audience as possible,” Ortenberg said Monday.
“Frankly, I don't consider any of the images in the film any more
disturbing than what we have all seen on the cable news networks and
the gratuitous violence that fills the screen of so many PG-13-rated
action pictures.”
(moore)
Michael Moore Wins Top Prize at Cannes for Anti-Bush Film
Muslim American Society
CANNES,
France, May 25 (MASNET & News Agencies) – U.S. filmmaker Michael
Moore marched triumphantly up the red carpet at the Cannes film
festival for a black-tie repeat screening of his documentary
criticizing President George W. Bush, “Fahrenheit 9/11”, one day after
it won the event's coveted Palme d'Or.
Accompanied
by his wife and daughter, he spent several minutes posing for photos
while brandishing his trophy, and told a French television reporter:
“I'm very thankful to this festival and to this country.”
He said he believed the attention bestowed by the award could change the world, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Although
he did not elaborate, many took that as a possible reference to his
previously stated hopes that his movie would help U.S. voters oust Bush
from office in November elections.
“Perhaps
this film will have a tremendous impact. I hope it will,” said Moore
who said he would be shocked if the documentary did not find a U.S.
distributor after being awarded the Palme d'Or.
(moore)
The Mouse Censors Moore
AlterNet.org
The
Disney corporation is forbidding its subsidiary, Miramax Films, to
distribute Michael Moore's new documentary, the New York Times reported
today.
The
film, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” explores the Bush family's close personal and
financial ties to the Saudi royal family, and describes how the current
Bush administration helped evacuate relatives of Osama bin Laden from
the United States after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. A Disney
executive told the New York Times that it was blocking the distribution
of the film in the United States and Canada because, in the paper's
words, “Disney caters to families of all political stripes and believes
Mr. Moore's film … could alienate many.”
The
executive is quoted: “It's not in the interest of any major corporation
to be dragged into a highly charged partisan political battle.”
Given
that corporations like Disney control much of the public discussion in
the U.S., this avowed unwillingness to air controversial viewpoints
that might challenge the views of some customers is chilling enough.
But Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel, charges that Disney has an even more
disturbing reason for blocking the film. According to Emanuel, he had a
conversation last spring with Disney chief executive Michael Eisner,
who asked him to cancel his deal with Miramax and “expressed particular
concern that it would endanger tax breaks Disney receives for its theme
park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Mr. Bush's brother,
Jeb, is governor.”
(moore)
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