Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Michael Moore Hijacks Movie Theaters With New Movie Trailer
Posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly
Update: Overture has released the official trailer, embedded after the jump.
Every Friday night I represent /Film as a guest on the BDK Movie Show on WJFK, and tonight’s show kicked off with a great little scoop about Michael Moore. Being a DC based radio station, they were definitely (once again) in the right place, at the right time.
Lucky moviegoers in a very small number of theaters in NY, LA, Chicago and DC tonight ended up playing a part in the promotions for Michael Moore’s next documentary. As Peter told you on Thursday, the teaser trailer for Moore’s as-yet untitled ‘bailout’ film was set for premiere in cinemas today. What he couldn’t tell you then was just how unusual the first teaser trailer was, and how interactive…
Perhaps the lucky cinema patrons had some inkling that something odd was going to go down tonight when, as they walked in to take their seats, they had to pass by signs telling them that they were liable to be filmed and informing them that entering the auditorium would be, in effect, giving consent for their images to be recorded and used.
First Look: Michael Moore’s Bailout Documentary, Teaser Trailer Out Friday
Posted on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
USA Today was given the first photo from Michael Moore’s still-yet-to-be-titled documentary about the financial meltdown. The photo shows Moore outside Goldman Sachs headquarters in Manhattan. But now that Wall Street has become the target, don’t expect a two hour “economics lesson.”
Moore jokes that “it’s going to be more like a vampire movie. Instead of the main characters feasting on the blood of their victims, they feast on the money. And they never seem to get enough of it.” Moore also says that people will get “a good laugh” out of his film, and will hopefully walk out of the theater saying “Wow, that was something!” Moore jokes, “maybe they also walk out asking the ushers, ‘Um, excuse me. Where are the pitchforks and torches?’”
Moore needs to step away from the AVID editing system for a few minutes to come up with a title. I’ve confirmed that a teaser trailer will be in movie theaters this weekend, but what will they be using for the film’s title? I’ve heard the trailers have just been labled “Michael Moore’s New Movie”. The film is set to hit theaters on October 2nd 2009.
Michael Moore’s New Film To Explore The Global Economic Meltdown
Posted on Thursday, May 21st, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Overture Films and Paramount Vantage will release Michael Moore’s next documentary, which is yet-to-be-titled, on October 2nd 2009 — the same week that Moore’s feature debut Roger & Me made its U.S. Premiere 20 years ago.
And this new film comes full circle, with Moore returning to the issue that began his career: “the disastrous impact that corporate dominance and out-of-control profit motives have on the lives of Americans and citizens of the world. But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan.”
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Privately Funded Prisons: Another Clue to Michael Moore’s New Movie?
Posted on Thursday, April 30th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
A film crew for Michael Moore’s next yet-to-be-titled documentary was in Wilkes-Barre, PA last week interviewing people involved with the Luzerne County Courthouse scandal. According to FilmBuffOnline, Moore wasn’t present during filming. For those who don’t know, county judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. accepted a $2.6 million from two privately owned juvenile detention centers in exchange for helping secure contracts worth upwards of $30 million.
Details about Moore’s new documentary have been kept tightly under wraps, but it was announced as a quasi-follow-up to Fahrenheit 9/11, focusing on a post-Bush administration world and the financial crisis. Privately owned prisons have become a big business over the last decade, but what does outsourcing government services to the private sector have to do with the big picture? The Geo Group has recently come under fire for possible mistreatment of prisoners, which may have resulted in inmate deaths at some of their facilities.
VOTD: Famous Sketches Retold By Famous Directors
Posted on Friday, March 27th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Some of the performers of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre have banded together to create a new comedy short which shows what some of the classic sketches might look like if they were directed by some of the famous film directors of today. The video imagines what it would be like if Wes Anderson directed Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First?”, Michael Moore directed Monty Python’s “The Ministry of Silly Walks”, and Quentin Tarantino directed The Kids in the Hall’s “I’m Crushing Your Head”? Watch the video after the jump.
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Is Michael Moore’s Next Film About the Bailout?
Posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Michael Moore’s next film started off as a rumored quasi-sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11, but over the last year the film has been developing into something much different. In November it was reported that the yet-to-be-titled film will now have a “end-of-the-empire tone”, with a focus on the United State’s recent economic problems and the global financial crisis. And now Moore has written a letter on his website requesting information from people on Wall Street. He “just can’t say much right now” about the subject of his documentary, but promises that “you’re gonna like this movie when I’m done with it. Oh, yeah…” ‘
Here is an excerpt from Moore’s letter:
“I am in the middle of shooting my next movie and I am looking for a few brave people who work on Wall Street or in the financial industry to come forward and share with me what they know. Based on those who have already contacted me, I believe there are a number of you who know “the real deal” about the abuses that have been happening. You have information that the American people need to hear. I am humbly asking you for a moment of courage, to be a hero and help me expose the biggest swindle in American history”
Michael Moore has supposedly decided to rework his latest documentary to focus on the United State’s recent economic problems and the global financial crisis. Originally set around the United State’s foreign policy and the aftermath of the Bush administration, THR says that the yet-to-be-titled film will now have a “end-of-the-empire tone”, which Moore hopes will give it “a more general feel that will untether it from a specific political moment.”
Once referred to as a sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore later went on to call it a book end to the series of films he has made over the course of the last two decades. Moore’s first film Roger & Me focused on American downsizing, and specifically that of the affects of the auto industry’s departure from Michigan. It will be interesting to see what Moore concludes from his six-film journey. I think many will admit that Sicko was has most mature film to date. Overture and Paramount Vantage have the distribution rights to the film, which could hit theaters as early as this spring.
The /Filmcast: After Dark - Ep. 22 (GUEST: Devin Faraci)
Posted on Friday, October 24th, 2008 by David Chen
The /Filmcast: After Dark is a recording of what happens right after The /Filmcast is over, when the kids have gone to bed and the guys feel free to speak whatever is on their minds. In other words, it’s the leftover and disorganized ramblings, mindfarts, and brain diarrhea from The /Filmcast, all in one convenient audio file. In this episode, Dave, Peter, Devindra, and Adam discuss the propriety of the word “porno” in public advertisements, chronicle the maturation of Michael Moore, and vigorously debate the existence of ambiguous endings. Special guest Devin Faraci joins us from CHUD to class up the proceedings.
Your voicemails (781-583-1993) and e-mails always welcome. Join us next Monday night at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST as we review Tomas Alfredson’s Let The Right One In.
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Michael Moore was spotted at an all-candidates debate in Ontario, Canada last week. After the debate Moore spent 90 minutes going door-to-door with NDP incumbent Tony Martin, in addition to interviewing five of the six candidates (Mike Taffarel of the Marxist-Leninist Party; Paul Bichler of the Liberal Party; incumbent Tony Martin of the socialist New Democratic Party; Luke McMichael of the Green Party; and Cory McLeod of the First Peoples National Party.). When Conservative candidate Cameron Ross declined to meet with Moore for a post-debate interview, Moore quipped “I don’t know why he didn’t stay… Maybe he was hungry. Conservatives get hungrier easier I guess.” As it turns out, Ross was actually busy celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary.
But what is Moore’s new movie about? The Canadian election system? One would assume that the footage will be part of the Fahrenheit 9/11 no-so-much-a-sequel but a follow-up film that Overture Films plans to release in Summer 2009. The Washington Times quotes Moore as saying “”I’m trying to break this down very simply for Americans, who basically have a hard time understanding how to vote themselves.” Moore’s cameraman eventually told The National Post that they were shooting footage for Moore’s new movie “comparing Canadian and U.S. elections.”
Moore has previously commented that the film “isn’t about Bush”, but and will instead “examine America as an empire, study its standing since the Sept. 11 attacks and present revelations to surprise audiences as much as the first film did.” You can watch the video below of Pete Vere try unsuccessfully to get information from Moore about his current project.
photo credit: The Washington Times
Michael Moore’s Slacker Uprising Now Available For Free
Posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Before Radiohead made it cool to release a good product for free on the internet, the concept of Free usually meant a sub-par product. As you’ve probably heard, Michael Moore is releasing his latest film Slacker Uprising for free on the internet. I’m a fan of Moore’s films, but was extremely disappointed when I saw this film last year at the Toronto Film Festival. It’s basically a political concert film. But since it’s free, I’m sure many of you won’t mind investing your time. So for those of you interested, watch the entire movie below.
Michael Moore’s “Slacker Uprising” Will Be Released on the Web for Free
Posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 by David Chen
Michael Moore’s latest film, Slacker Uprising, will be made available for free download on the internet for a period of three weeks beginning September 23. The film documents Moore’s attempts at rallying young voters during the 2004 Election. The film was never intended to be released for theaters despite the commercial success of Moore’s previous documentaries, Sicko, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Bowling for Columbine (not to mention the fact that Slacker Uprising itself cost about $2 million to make). According to Moore:
This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans. The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November. I think Slacker Uprising will inspire (millions) to get off the couch and give voting a chance.
The download will be made available on BlipTV. After three weeks, a DVD of the film will be made available on Amazon and Netflix.
It’s interesting to see Moore experimenting with a new business model, although obviously the intention here is not to make money but to propagate a political message. Something that does pique my curiosity is how much potential Moore’s films actually have to change minds: Despite being massively successful at the box office, Fahrenheit 9/11’s explicit goal to unseat a president ended in a wash. Will this film achieve its purpose of getting the younger generation out to the voting booth? Judging by the film’s trailer, it’s not going to win over any conservatives, but who knows? Distributing the film for free on the internet might give it an edge it wouldn’t otherwise have.
via CNet
Vivendi to Release David Zucker’s An American Carol
Posted on Thursday, July 31st, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Vivendi Entertainment picked up the U.S. rights to David Zucker’s new comedy An American Carol. Imagine for a moment, a retelling of A Christmas Carol, but instead of Ebenezer Scrooge, we have a cynical, anti-American documentary filmmaker unsubtlely named Michael Malone, who sets out on a crusade to abolish the July Fourth holiday with his film Die You American Pigs. On the fourth of July, he is visited by three ghosts who tey to show him the meaning of Independence, instead of Christmas. If you were a Hollywood studio executive, and heard this pitch, would you greenlight the film?
Zucker is known as the mastermind behind Airplane! and the Naked Gun films, but also the last two Scary Movie films. Chris Farley’s brother Kevin Farley stars as the filmmaker, alongside Kelsey Grammer seen above as General Patton, next to Jon Voight as General Washington. Also, Leslie Nielsen as himself, Bill O’ Reilly as himself, Dennis Hopper, and James Woods. Call me a liberal, but this just sounds lame.
source: Variety
