4 for 4th - or - The Controvercial Name Game
Well, I've decided to take off Friday so I can use the 3 day portion of the weekend to not shop for my father's and Brooke's birthday gifts and not write my art history paper. Feels like Friday. I like that feeling.
There's a whole lot of talk about Michael Moore right now (funny, that's the name of my godfather...). I haven't seen Roger & Me (funny, that's my dad's name. I did occasionally watch his show, The Awful Truth, which I found hit and miss. Bowling for Columbine had was some good ideas wrapped in sensationalist journalism; a couple of interesting legwork next to some "off the top of my head" premises. A great place to get you thinking, but bad to wholy base your opinion on.
I'm going to see Fahrenheit 9/11, but probably on DVD or at the dollar films (I reserve the full $9 expreience for movies that require THX and a big screen). I read a whole lot about it, though, and the two sides seem to be "it's an unsupported work of propoganda, intended to boost Moore's ego" and "if you don't like this, you must be a mindless drone or part of the evil conspiracy."
Most critics who were taken with the film did at least leave the possibility of not liking the film (and remaining human), but it seems to be one of those experiences that exposes the truly devoted partisans (just like the Florida election muck-up, the Ken Star investigations, the war in Iraq {both of them}... ok practically everything), though the most intelligent criticism of the film seems to come from the left (most right wing criticism I read follows the same formula as it's supporters: "It's great/horrible. Now just shut up and agree").
The best thing I have found out of all of this mess is the upcoming "documentary" Michael Moore Hates America, by Michael Wilson (I love how this name game keeps going). Apparently this film maker decided to take Moore to task and try to interview him. The film is his difficulty doing so ala. Moore's attempts to talk to Roger Smith. If he mimics Moore's style well enough, it could be a catch 22 for critics; Like it and accept that Moore's techniques are bad, or don't like it and discredit Wilson's technique, which is in effect discrediting Moore's. I doubt this one will have the press that F911 had, but it would be interesting if it gained a following.
There's a whole lot of talk about Michael Moore right now (funny, that's the name of my godfather...). I haven't seen Roger & Me (funny, that's my dad's name. I did occasionally watch his show, The Awful Truth, which I found hit and miss. Bowling for Columbine had was some good ideas wrapped in sensationalist journalism; a couple of interesting legwork next to some "off the top of my head" premises. A great place to get you thinking, but bad to wholy base your opinion on.
I'm going to see Fahrenheit 9/11, but probably on DVD or at the dollar films (I reserve the full $9 expreience for movies that require THX and a big screen). I read a whole lot about it, though, and the two sides seem to be "it's an unsupported work of propoganda, intended to boost Moore's ego" and "if you don't like this, you must be a mindless drone or part of the evil conspiracy."
Most critics who were taken with the film did at least leave the possibility of not liking the film (and remaining human), but it seems to be one of those experiences that exposes the truly devoted partisans (just like the Florida election muck-up, the Ken Star investigations, the war in Iraq {both of them}... ok practically everything), though the most intelligent criticism of the film seems to come from the left (most right wing criticism I read follows the same formula as it's supporters: "It's great/horrible. Now just shut up and agree").
The best thing I have found out of all of this mess is the upcoming "documentary" Michael Moore Hates America, by Michael Wilson (I love how this name game keeps going). Apparently this film maker decided to take Moore to task and try to interview him. The film is his difficulty doing so ala. Moore's attempts to talk to Roger Smith. If he mimics Moore's style well enough, it could be a catch 22 for critics; Like it and accept that Moore's techniques are bad, or don't like it and discredit Wilson's technique, which is in effect discrediting Moore's. I doubt this one will have the press that F911 had, but it would be interesting if it gained a following.