"Fahrenheit 9/11" Hits $$100 million$$

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
"Fahrenheit 9/11" Hits $$100 million$$
57
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 9:38am

"Fahrenheit" Hits 100 (Million)+


http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14582,00.html?tnews


Sometimes, when the fahrenheit hits 100 in the middle of summer, it's a good thing.



Just ask Michael Moore.


The Oscar-winning filmmaker's latest fireball of a documentary, the President Bush-bashing Fahrenheit 9/11, cooked up another $5 million in ticket sales this weekend, ranking in seventh place on the weekly box-office rundown.


But more importantly, the film, already the highest grossing documentary since its first weekend in theaters, hit the $100 million mark on Saturday, becoming the first doc in history to reach that milestone. Its total haul stands at $103.3 million in five weeks of release. Not too shabby for a film that cost just $6 million to make.


In a conference call Sunday, Moore credited the success to the public's desire to "look for the truth and begin the important discussion and debate that needs to take place in this county." Besides, he said,"right now it's really cool to talk about politics."


Moore also said that judging by his mail and snooping around cineplexes, Fahrenheit 9/11's record box office shows that people "want to go to a good movie. I don't think they are saying, 'Let's go see a documentary tonight.' I think they are saying that they've heard that this movie is funny, they've heard that this movie is sad, they've heard that this movie will show them things that they have never seen before, and I think that's why we all like to go to the movies."


Lions Gate, which, along with IFC Films, agreed to distribute the documentary after it was dissed by Disney, reports Fahrenheit 9/11 has performed best on the coasts, but is peforming strongly throughout the entire country. Although its audience is chiefly Democratic, the film is reportedly also scoring very well with independents. Perhaps most surprisingly, the studio says surveys suggest that more than 40 percent of the Republicans who have seen the movie would recommend it to others.


"I believe this movie is going to bring hundreds of thousands of people to the polls who otherwise were not going to vote," said Moore, who describes audiences as being very moved by the plight of the soldiers and their families. (Sony is planning on releasing a DVD version of the film by September.)


Moore also says that the film has benefited from free publicity, mostly courtesy of conservative types who continue to complain about the film, try to ban it from theaters, encourage illegal downloading of the film or evict Linda Ronstadt from Vegas casinos when she praised the film.


"A month ago it was all about, 'This movie is just going to preach to the converted.' Well the converted came the first weekend...and as each weekend goes by it's not the hardcore political people--they did not wait--the people going now are the people that live in that great gray middle of America, people who don't necessarily consider themselves political people, but who are interested in the movie now because they turn on the TV and it's Linda Ronstadt one day, it's people on Fox going nuts, going absolutely nuts...and they go, 'Maybe I should go check this movie out.'"


Finally, Moore couldn't resist on zinger at Mickey's expense. "If you had told me when we were going through all our pre-distribution problems with Disney that this film would gross more than any other Disney film this year...I don't even know to respond to that," he said.


For his part Mouse House big cheese Michael Eisner has been gracious--perhaps because, as part of his deal with the film's producers, Disney gets to pick charities that will receive the bulk of Fahrenheit 9/11's profits. Eisner has also admitted to seeing the doc he dumped, telling the Associated Press, "The reason it is a hit is it's entertaining. I thought it was like going to a rock concert. I loved it, but not in a political ."


The White House continues to try to ignore the movie. But Moore is trying to change that. He says that he plans to make an announcement this week during the Democratic National Convention about "my attempts to get to see the movie and an offer that I plan to make to him so that he has a chance to see the movie."


Other threads on the board about Fahrenheit 9/11.........


Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Wins at Cannes.


http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-elinthenews/?msg=6602.1


Hollywood abuzz about 'Fahrenheit 9/11'.


http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-elinthenews/?msg=6725.1


violation of freedom of expression


http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-elinthenews&msg=6483.1

cl-Libraone~

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 11:11am
The gullibility of the American public is proven yet again. nt
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 11:23am
Well, one can argue until the cows come home about the validity of some of Moore's claims. To make blanket statements like: It's all Bush bashing, the Gullibility of the American Public etc. just shows who HASN'T seen the movie. The classic pot calling the kettle black.

Moore has raised awareness about the political process. He's raised AWARENESS about the Iraq War, which has seen support for the President erode into opposition. Because of Moore and his movie? Of course not. It's because AMERICANS ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING THEIR OWN DECISIONS.

Remember that next time you insult the intelligence of Americans, their intelligence just happens to outweigh the CRAP Bush lovers called Intelligence that led up to the Iraq war.

I'm sure Moore made an effort to validate his claims. Bush didn't have his so-called Intelligence verified even once.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 11:36am
Good point! What about the "credibility" of Faux New. What about the "credibility" of Bush's "intelligence" about Iraq? I'd say The Shrub(Bush) and Faux News are the ones with the credibility problem.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 11:46am

ITA



 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 1:33pm
The "intelligence of Americans"? A noble sentiment to be sure, but even Moore himself knows better. He (sadly but accurately) noted that "Americans are possibly the dumbest people on the planet". And as evidenced by the popularity of his works, they go right on proving him correct in that assessment.

A good thing for him I suppose, but truly unfortunate for the rest of us.


~mark~

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 2:18pm
And how is what you're saying any better?

Not only do you say the american public is gullible, but that they're also stupid.

Moore at least has an agenda and a fight to fight (as he sees it), but hearing that from you makes even less sense.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 2:31pm
It's not "any better", it's simply the sad truth. And to make it even worse, they keep right on proving it. It doesn't have to be that way, as most people I've encountered do have a brain cell or two to their name, but far too often they aren't using them in any meaningful manner. They don't bother to *think* things through, they just *react*.

"Moore at least has an agenda and a fight to fight (as he sees it), but hearing that from you makes even less sense."

None of it makes sense, but it's happening nonetheless. And so long as people keep buying garbage (Moore's and other brands) I'll keep right on saying it since they keep right on proving it an accurate observation. As I said, sad but true.

~mark~

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 3:41pm
So basically, without coming right out and saying it, you're saying:

Myself and anyone else who sees this movie is, STUPID. If I or anyone else connects with this movie in anyway, we're STUPID. If I'm in agreement with Moore in regards to Bush policy, I'm stupid.

That's it right? This is the correct context from your posts about Moore's movie?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 3:58pm
Nope. What I'm saying is that buying into Moore's work or anyone elses bag of goods without engaging in a little independent thinking is stupid. That ties in with my comment about people reacting rather than thinking.

Garbage is garbage, no matter who's it is. And a great deal of Moore's works (BfC for example) are just that, garbage. Choosing to see F/9-11 doesn't make you stupid, finding a personal connection with the movie doesn't make you stupid. Blindly accepting and believing it all without due objective consideration for what's being presented and Moore's intentions behind it is what makes one stupid.

Hopefully that's a little clearer.

~mark~

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Mon, 07-26-2004 - 4:09pm
Still I suppose there is another way to look at it... Moore by his own admission feels most American's are stupid. Yet he's counting on those same stupid (his observation now) Americans to come see his movie and make him money.

Draw your own conclusions.

~mark~

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