"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~

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Tue, 07-27-2004 - 10:35pm
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 7:50am
>>I'm not demanding others think any particular way on any issue, but just that they THINK, period, and not let others tell them how they should think or act.<<

No I understood you correctly and you are not in a position to determine this. seems to me that what many suggest including yourself is that you assume that people can't think for themselves and therefore shouldn't go and see the movie.

>>that he isn't worthy of my financial support or even consideration.<,

I don't question that, what I question is that you really don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to critisizing THIS film. Extrapolating from what he has done in the past and what you have heard about this movie is not a valid critical argument about THIS film.

alfreda

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 9:10am
You obviously don't understand squat since you insist in putting words in my mouth, misinterpreting my comments and attributing statements and sentiments to me which have no basis in reality and which haven't been established in my posts.

"No I understood you correctly and you are not in a position to determine this."

Not able to determine what, that many people allow others to do their thinking for them? It's the simple truth of the matter.

"seems to me that what many suggest including yourself is that you assume that people can't think for themselves and therefore shouldn't go and see the movie."

I'm not assuming anything, as it's fact that many people can't or won't think for themselves. As for me having an opinion that they shouldn't go see this or any other movie, I never stated or implied any such thing. What I said was that I would hope if they do see it that they employ a little independent thinking instead of accepting it blindly, a principle I've already noted as being applicable to far more than seeing this or any other movie.

"I don't question that, what I question is that you really don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to critisizing THIS film."

I'm criticizing the maker of the film, not the film itself. You're once again putting words in my mouth (something you seem to make a habit of where I'm concerned) instead of simply taking my posts at face value.

~mark~

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 9:29am
"we're all a bunch of nitwits who need to be reminded to THINK?"

Some are, yes. They're appear perfectly content to let others do the thinking for them and simply follow their lead."

I have to definitely agree here. I see it first hand within my husband's family, who "vote democratic because the democrats support issue x, y, & z". Problem is, they have no idea of what the republican stance is on the very same issues. They vote as such because they have been "told" (usually by other democrats) that republican policies contradict what is important to them. They do no research on their own. Back in 2000, before voting, my husband spent time reading the documented policies/stances of both Gore and Bush, then decided he agreed with what he saw on the Bush side of things. Point being, that he at *least* checked Gore's suggestions and plans out and gave them a fair shot to convince him, even though he tends to lead more to the conservative side of things. That's how voting goes in our house. One election each of us may vote dem. and the next rep. I can't count the number of people who I encounter who vote strictly with one party, no matter what...on both sides. My grandfather votes only republican, based on one issue alone...abortion. He has no idea what the other candidates stand for, and really no interest in the rest of the issues that his chosen candidate stands for.

Many, many people in this country vote based on the tripe that is splattered on tv news, in newspapers that are slanted either left or right, and by campaign ads without really checking out the other side of the coin.

In our household this year, it will again be visiting the candidates websites, putting their lists of plans/proposed policies side by side, prioritizing what issues are most important to us, then making the comparison, and finally the decision.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 9:35am
"I don't question that, what I question is that you really don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to critisizing THIS film. Extrapolating from what he has done in the past and what you have heard about this movie is not a valid critical argument about THIS film."

If that is the case, is it safe to say that we should also not base a vote for political office based on someone's past political record? Since it's not a valid, critical argument about this election........?

Even in court you are allowed to provide evidence that establishes a historical pattern of a person...in order to support or disprove a theory about a person's character.

Past actions are most certainly relevant in any debate.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 10:04am
Actually, you did criticize the film, not just the filmmaker, and clearly you don't have a high opinion of your fellow citizens, which means you actually agree with Michael Moore.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 1:48pm
--

Actually, you did criticize the film, not just the filmmaker, and clearly you don't have a high opinion of your fellow citizens, which means you actually agree with Michael Moore.

--

But he's not trying to profit from it :)

Seriously, many of the people being so critical of Moore are the same ones he spent years fighting for in the 90's.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 2:37pm
Where in this thread did I criticize F-9/11? And I've already noted that Moore and I are in agreement to a certain degree on many Americans being stupid.

~mark~

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2004
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 3:19pm
Ok, I'm not going to spend time looking for a specific post. And it may not be in this thread specifically, but who said it was in this thread?
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2003
Wed, 07-28-2004 - 4:03pm
I would guess Mark's not seen the movie, and never will. I've seen it, took my kids to see it and will see it again when it comes out on DVD.

I've always liked Moore's style for making movies, he's very annoying but always remains polite.