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Lifestyle => Train of Thought => Topic started by: infinite59 on May 05, 2004, 07:48:27 AM
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Disney Forbids Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush
By JIM RUTENBERG, The New York Times
AP
Michael Moore
WASHINGTON, May 4 — The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday.
The film, "Fahrenheit 911," links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Disney, which bought Miramax more than a decade ago, has a contractual agreement with the Miramax principals, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, like an excessive budget or an NC-17 rating.
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Executives at Miramax, who became principal investors in Mr. Moore's project last spring, do not believe that this is one of those cases, people involved in the production of the film said. If a compromise is not reached, these people said, the matter could go to mediation, though neither side is said to want to travel that route.
In a statement, Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Miramax, said: "We're discussing the issue with Disney. We're looking at all of our options and look forward to resolving this amicably."
But Disney executives indicated that they would not budge from their position forbidding Miramax to be the distributor of the film in North America. Overseas rights have been sold to a number of companies, executives said.
"We advised both the agent and Miramax in May of 2003 that the film would not be distributed by Miramax," said Zenia Mucha, a company spokeswoman, referring to Mr. Moore's agent. "That decision stands."
Disney came under heavy criticism from conservatives last May after the disclosure that Miramax had agreed to finance the film when Icon Productions, Mel Gibson's company, backed out.
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Mr. Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel, said Michael D. Eisner, Disney's chief executive, asked him last spring to pull out of the deal with Miramax. Mr. Emanuel said Mr. Eisner 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.
"Michael Eisner asked me not to sell this movie to Harvey Weinstein; that doesn't mean I listened to him," Mr. Emanuel said. "He definitely indicated there were tax incentives he was getting for the Disney corporation and that's why he didn't want me to sell it to Miramax. He didn't want a Disney company involved."
Disney executives deny that accusation, though they said their displeasure over the deal was made clear to Miramax and Mr. Emanuel.
A senior Disney executive elaborated that the company had the right to quash Miramax's distribution of films if it deemed their distribution to be against the interests of the company. The executive said Mr. Moore's film is deemed to be against Disney's interests not because of the company's business dealings with the government but because Disney caters to families of all political stripes and believes Mr. Moore's film, which does not have a release date, could alienate many.
"It's not in the interest of any major corporation to be dragged into a highly charged partisan political battle," this executive said.
Miramax is free to seek another distributor in North America, but such a deal would force it to share profits and be a blow to Harvey Weinstein, a big donor to Democrats.
Mr. Moore, who will present the film at the Cannes film festival this month, criticized Disney's decision in an interview on Tuesday, saying, "At some point the question has to be asked, `Should this be happening in a free and open society where the monied interests essentially call the shots regarding the information that the public is allowed to see?' "
Mr. Moore's films, like "Roger and Me" and "Bowling for Columbine," are often a political lightning rod, as Mr. Moore sets out to skewer what he says are the misguided priorities of conservatives and big business. They have also often performed well at the box office. His most recent movie, "Bowling for Columbine," took in about $22 million in North America for United Artists. His books, like "Stupid White Men," a jeremiad against the Bush administration that has sold more than a million copies, have also been lucrative.
Mr. Moore does not disagree that "Fahrenheit 911" is highly charged, but he took issue with the description of it as partisan. "If this is partisan in any way it is partisan on the side of the poor and working people in this country who provide fodder for this war machine," he said.
Mr. Moore said the film describes financial connections between the Bush family and its associates and prominent Saudi Arabian families that go back three decades. He said it closely explores the government's role in the evacuation of relatives of Mr. bin Laden from the United States immediately after the 2001 attacks. The film includes comments from American soldiers on the ground in Iraq expressing disillusionment with the war, he said.
Mr. Moore once planned to produce the film with Mr. Gibson's company, but "the project wasn't right for Icon," said Alan Nierob, an Icon spokesman, adding that the decision had nothing to do with politics.
Miramax stepped in immediately. The company had distributed Mr. Moore's 1997 film, "The Big One." In return for providing most of the new film's $6 million budget, Miramax was positioned to distribute it.
While Disney's objections were made clear early on, one executive said the Miramax leadership hoped it would be able to prevail upon Disney to sign off on distribution, which would ideally happen this summer, before the election and when political interest is high.
May 5, 2004
Copyright © 2004 The New York Times Company.
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he talks about that same stuff in Dude! Wheres My Country? and they didn't keep that from being released...thats rediculous...what happened to free speech? "oh yeah you can say that...we just wont let it get out so the public can hear it"...thats fuckin rediculous. and the sad part about it is every point he would've made about bush & the saudi's is totally valid...he goes on for like 2 chapters all about that in his latest book. same with osama...damn thats messed up.
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Free speech? Come on...
Know about the topics you are complaing aobut. This has NOTHING to do with free speech. Disney feels that this film will hurt their profits. They have every right NOT to release this film
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Free speech? Come on...
Know about the topics you are complaing aobut. This has NOTHING to do with free speech. Disney feels that this film will hurt their profits. They have every right NOT to release this film
a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday.
The film, "Fahrenheit 911," links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
dont gimme that it will hurt they're profit bullshit...its not like micheal moores movies are big budget films...and after bowling for columbine there are tons of people that would go see this one.
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I remember when a company stood up for it's artist and movie makers freedom of speech. Like when Warner Bros. stood up for Ice T releasing Cop Killaz, and Priority with N.W.A., now though, it's about money and not about freedom of speech. And the most important, more than freedom of speech, is messing with the Bush dynasty. Shit, I'm temped to suck it up and get a Bush daughter, being a Bush you get all kinds of power.
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::)
This situation is NOTHING like the Ice T or NWA situations...
If you think this film isn't gonna find another source of distribution, you're a bigger idiot that I thought.
Luke, do us a favor and let the grown folks worry about this.
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Lemme break it down for those of you whom are ignorant.
Disney is a company. They don't like the movie.
PERIOD. Who gives a fuck? They can do whatever the fuck they want, FUCK michael moore, nobody gives a shit about his bloated ass trying to get some shitty movie distributed. Move on down the road, somebody else will distribute it, who gives a fuck if Disney doesn't like him? THATS THEIR FUCKING PEROGATIVE. I don't like the motherfucker either, if he tried to get me to distribute his movie, I'd tell him to fuck off, which apparently is how Disney similarly feels. What's the problem? This isn't the government, it's a fucking COMPANY. They don't like him, so fuck him, simple as that. Stop being such fucking whiners and crybabies, that's why people don't like a fucking liberal like Moore in the first place.
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Krayzie Eyez...how is this nothing like the Ice T situation? dude made a song about killing cops....it was going to be pulled off of shelves (and eventually was)....micheal moore makes a movie criticizing bush...and they wont distribute it...its the same damn thing.
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i love trauma's reply..."Nobody gives a shit about him trying to get out a movie"....well trauma...according to the poll that went along with this article...over 71,000 people have voted...here's the stats:
Do you agree with Disney's decision?
No 52%
Yes 48%
Total Votes: 71,413
so then as close as it is...that still means that 37,134.76 people do care...thats a lot of people.
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that still means that 37,134.76 people do care...thats a lot of people.
Yeah...and get off Brian Wilson's crazy half retarded dick.
Just cuz u agree with Disney doesen't make them right...
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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040505/D82CMK380.html
DUR............
Don't you guys feel retarded...
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God youre right I feel so stupid now I just wish I was like you and knew everything. ::)
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Quote from you:
Disney feels that this film will hurt their profits. They have every right NOT to release this film
Quotes from article you posted:
The confrontational director won an Oscar for his 2002 documentary "Bowling for Columbine," about the Columbine High School shooting and U.S. gun control policy. The film earned $21.5 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing documentary ever.
After lengthy discussions, "Stupid White Men" came out uncensored. It almost immediately sold out a first printing of 50,000 and went on to top The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list.
doesnt look like he's hurting too much as far as the box office/sales go ::)
now...don't you feel retarded
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i love trauma's reply..."Nobody gives a shit about him trying to get out a movie"....well trauma...according to the poll that went along with this article...over 71,000 people have voted...here's the stats:
Do you agree with Disney's decision?
No 52%
Yes 48%
Total Votes: 71,413
so then as close as it is...that still means that 37,134.76 people do care...thats a lot of people.
Because an online Poll where anybody can vote is a REALLLLLL scientific poll.
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i love trauma's reply..."Nobody gives a shit about him trying to get out a movie"....well trauma...according to the poll that went along with this article...over 71,000 people have voted...here's the stats:
Do you agree with Disney's decision?
No 52%
Yes 48%
Total Votes: 71,413
so then as close as it is...that still means that 37,134.76 people do care...thats a lot of people.
Because an online Poll where anybody can vote is a REALLLLLL scientific poll.
as opposed to those polls that disney would've sent out to a few select people because in real polls not just anybody can vote ::)
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Hey, I'm not the one crying that Michael Moore can't get his shitty movie distributed. "I want to talk shit about the president and nobody will listen to me!!!!" boo fucking hoo. In the end... WHO GIVES A SHIT? This isn't a rights violation, it's just a company saying "fuck you" because they don't want to put the movie out. Fuck him and his contraversy chasing ass. Here's one for ya....
I've never seen ANY of his films, and NEVER will, simply because I don't want to. I don't agree with a fucking thing he says, even though I don't even know a fucking thing he says. I'll bet that pisses you off.
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Hey, I'm not the one crying that Michael Moore can't get his shitty movie distributed. "I want to talk shit about the president and nobody will listen to me!!!!" boo fucking hoo. In the end... WHO GIVES A SHIT? This isn't a rights violation, it's just a company saying "fuck you" because they don't want to put the movie out. Fuck him and his contraversy chasing ass. Here's one for ya....
I've never seen ANY of his films, and NEVER will, simply because I don't want to. I don't agree with a fucking thing he says, even though I don't even know a fucking thing he says. I'll bet that pisses you off.
actually it just proves how much of an idiot you are...you're so damn biased towards bush that you dont even listen to anything negatively relating to him...i hate george bush and even i dont agree with every single thing micheal moore says.
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Disney should stick with the cartoons and shit.
Michael Moore can be quite annoying to people in power. I guess the Oscar' s committee wasn't too pleased with Moore's criticism of the war in Iraq when he received his Oscar last year. And now Disney won't distribute. So what!
Michael Moore should look for another distributor and let people know the scary truth about Bush and his buddies. It's about time we expose the white sheet from George W. He been fucking enough people in the world up till now. I've never seen so many people hating the United States as in these days.
Bush has to go; America should make friends in the world instead of misleading half the world population.
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I don't think you guys actually get the issue here - miramax paid for this movie to be made - thats right, disney let mirmax produce this movie. now miramax are being told they cant distribute it themselves. which would piss you off. it aint so much of an issue of michael moore getting distribution but the fact that company that paid for it - arent allowed to distribute themselves.
the same thing happened over Kevin Smith's Dogma
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the first CNN story i read about this went to say that the CEO of miramax and the CEO of disney have a grudge against one another ever since miramax was taken over by disney...disney didn't want miramax to make the movie, miramax made it anyways and now disney doesn't want them to release it....it's probably just some gay corporate grudge that we don't know the half of, so don't get your panties in a bunch saying shit like "this is the end of free speech as we know it"
this is just rich people busting each other's balls
no homo
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I can't belive this doesn't make sense to some of you retards. Listen to Englwood (Krayze-Eyez Killah), he knows what he's saying.
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Disney aint shit!
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the first CNN story i read about this went to say that the CEO of miramax and the CEO of disney have a grudge against one another ever since miramax was taken over by disney...disney didn't want miramax to make the movie, miramax made it anyways and now disney doesn't want them to release it....it's probably just some gay corporate grudge that we don't know the half of, so don't get your panties in a bunch saying shit like "this is the end of free speech as we know it"
this is just rich people busting each other's balls
no homo
thats true this isnt really a case of freedom of speech but concerning the politics of a company. i have heard people saying this may be what causes the break between miramax and disney - i dont know which would suffer more - disney isnt actually doin much except with miramax.
one interesting point i just read about disney's claimed reasons for the decision:
"Earlier, the Walt Disney Co. said that it would prevent Miramax, which it owns, from releasing it, even though Miramax had financed it. Zenia Mucha, a spokeswoman for the company (herself a former adviser to New York Republican politicos George Pataki and Alfonse D'Amato), said that "it was not appropriate for Disney ... to be the distributor of a politically charged movie in an election year." Critics immediately pointed out that some of Disney's ABC radio stations present a daily barrage of politically charged programming, generally reflecting conservative opinion."
http://www.us.imdb.com
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Quote from you:
Disney feels that this film will hurt their profits. They have every right NOT to release this film
Quotes from article you posted:
The confrontational director won an Oscar for his 2002 documentary "Bowling for Columbine," about the Columbine High School shooting and U.S. gun control policy. The film earned $21.5 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing documentary ever.
After lengthy discussions, "Stupid White Men" came out uncensored. It almost immediately sold out a first printing of 50,000 and went on to top The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list.
doesnt look like he's hurting too much as far as the box office/sales go ::)
now...don't you feel retarded
21 million is chump change to disney...thjey're worried about tax cuts and shit that the government would do to disney....they would get fucked over in florida...and, it's a *companies* right not to distribute somthing they don't like...NOTHING like the Ice T shit. Moore can go to someone else
you guys are crying too much over this shit...please ::)
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Fuck Mike Moore.
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Fuck Republican Bastards
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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=518901
Moore accused of publicity stunt over Disney 'ban'
By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
07 May 2004
Less than 24 hours after accusing the Walt Disney Company of pulling the plug on his latest documentary in a blatant attempt at political censorship, the rabble-rousing film-maker Michael Moore has admitted he knew a year ago that Disney had no intention of distributing it.
The admission, during an interview with CNN, undermined Moore's claim that Disney was trying to sabotage the US release of Fahrenheit 911 just days before its world premiere at the Cannes film festival.
Instead, it lent credence to a growing suspicion that Moore was manufacturing a controversy to help publicise the film, a full-bore attack on the Bush administration and its handling of national security since the attacks of 11 September 2001.
In an indignant letter to his supporters, Moore said he had learnt only on Monday that Disney had put the kibosh on distributing the film, which has been financed by the semi-independent Disney subsidiary Miramax.
But in the CNN interview he said: "Almost a year ago, after we'd started making the film, the chairman of Disney, Michael Eisner, told my agent he was upset Miramax had made the film and he will not distribute it."
Nobody in Hollywood doubts Fahrenheit 911 will find a US distributor. His last documentary, Bowling for Columbine , made for $3m (£1.7m), pulled in $22m at the US box office.
But Moore's publicity stunt, if that is what is, appears to be working. A front-page news piece in The New York Times was followed yesterday by an editorial denouncing Disney for censorship and denial of Moore's right to free expression.
Moore told CNN that Disney had "signed a contract to distribute this [film]" but got cold feet. But Disney executives insists there was never any contract. And a source close to Miramax said that the only deal there was for financing, not for distribution.
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i dont see the fact that Moore waited to tell the world that disney didnt want to distribute his film until a week before its first screening at cannes.
anyone and everyone in film pulls publicity stunts, its one of the most effective advertising stratagies. and its stupid to say Moore was accussed of it in the headline and they say in the story he admitted to it.
and if moore's publicity stunt worked that well i guess that just pretty much proves he aint as dumb as many of you would like to believe.
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Miramax buys Moore movie rights
Moore's work was feted at Cannes film festival
Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 has moved a step closer to being released in US cinemas after the rights were bought by studio Miramax.
The company's founders, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, personally bought back the rights from parent company Disney, which had refused to distribute it.
The film alleges connections between US President George W Bush and top Saudi families, including the Bin Ladens.
Miramax had funded Moore's film, which won this year's Palme D'Or at Cannes.
The Weinsteins have said they will arrange for cinema and home video distribution of the film, which could be on screen by mid-summer.
Unflattering
Talks are said to be already under way between the Weinsteins and third-party distributors.
Some commentators say the film could influence the November presidential election because of its unflattering portrait of Mr Bush.
It criticises his stance on Iraq and his actions before and after the 11 September attacks.
Moore had accused Disney of bowing to political pressure from the White House in its decision to block the film.
Disney denied the accusation and in turn accused Moore of engineering a dispute about the film's release to gain maximum publicity for it.
Disney said it could still profit if the film did well, but it would donate any proceeds to charity.
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It's okay. The film will come out no matter what. Bowling For Columbine was an awesome documentary and I look forward to what Moore's views on 9/11 are as well.